running an afterschool Board Game Club (Also known as the league of master strategists)
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I run a popular afterschool board game club at my school. Each week, I have at least 25 students for an hour. (I have students sign up and if I didn't I would probably have at least 40.)
Here's how I run the club. First, the worst thing you can do is have a pile of games and let the kids tear into them. Heart attack. I tell the kids that I don't have children, I have cardboard boxes filled with wood, paper, and plastic. I explain how I want them to treat my games, which is very carefully, and they are very good about following my suggestions. I also resign myself to the fact that pieces will be lost, boards torn, and other types of things that destroy the resale value. I just accept the fact that my games are toys, not collectibles, and if I want to give kids exposure to this marvelous world, then stuff happens. However, it happens very rarely, so it's tolerable. I have all the kids sit down, and I call on the quietest kids first. Incentive. Child says a game they want to play, I ask if others do, if enough do, I assign them a table. They keep the box lid on until all kids have a game/given permission to start. If no one else wants to play a game a kid says they want to play, then I call on someone else until most kids have games. I let those in games start, and then the stragglers and I gather around the games and I help all of them get in a game. This makes sure no one is left out. I also make sure to point out that if they don't know how to play a game, they must be willing to read the rules to learn it, I can't teach four games at the same time. I usually say at the beginning that I'll teach a specific game. That helps get new games into the rotation as well. Today's game is Escape. |
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Game Club Rules
1. Play nice, win nice, lose nice.
2. Everyone cleans up, and check the floor.
3. No quitting unless all players want to quit.
4. Drinks and food need to be far away from board games. Clean hands.
5. Bag components and put away games as you found them. Stack horizontally.
6. No boxes on the floor.
7. Quiet-ish voices.
8. (optional) No talking to the person whose turn it is. This allows that player to make their own decisions without influence from the general populace.
The first time takes a few minutes to explain the above, but once I've done so, smoooooooooooth sailing.
2. Everyone cleans up, and check the floor.
3. No quitting unless all players want to quit.
4. Drinks and food need to be far away from board games. Clean hands.
5. Bag components and put away games as you found them. Stack horizontally.
6. No boxes on the floor.
7. Quiet-ish voices.
8. (optional) No talking to the person whose turn it is. This allows that player to make their own decisions without influence from the general populace.
The first time takes a few minutes to explain the above, but once I've done so, smoooooooooooth sailing.
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Here's a list of games that have been good with kids.
Gulo Gulo Atlantis Blokus Rumis Through the Desert Thurn and Taxis Ticket to Ride Tsuro Alhambra The aMAZEing Labyrinth Can't Stop Carcassonne Chateau Roquefort Incan Gold (Diamant) For Sale Liar's Dice/Perudo No Thanks Pandemic Tiki Topple Hey That's My Fish Igloo Pop Cloud 9 Ninja vs. Ninja Hamsterolle Martian Dice |
Fits Metro Piece of cake Pitch car Pyramid (mumie) Pueblo Ubongo Wobble Zig zag Zooloretto Abandon Ship Ingenious Duck! Duck! Go! No Thanks! King of Tokyo Othello Powerpuff Girls: Saving the World before Bedtime Powerpuff Girls: Villains at Large Risk Monopoly Deal Get Bit Castle Panic Stratego Survive Chess Ricochet Robots |