Resources to teach strategy game design
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running an afterschool Board Game Club (Also known as the league of master strategists)

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.
Picture
Picture

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.


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
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