Early Math  /  Equipartitioning  /  Week 2: Lesson 5  /  Activity

Park Play Board Game

 

Equipartitioning
Hands-On

Players move around the board game and solve equal-sharing problems.

The Park Play Board Game is set up on a table with six red chairs in a preschool classroom. A girl throws a large die into the air over the Park Play Board Game while a classmate and teacher look on.

Review the object of the game and the game materials with the children.

The children roll the die and move their markers along the path.

 

Materials


Materials used in Park Play Board Game.
 
Materials PDF
  • 4 Park Play game boards (PDF)
  • Park Play game pieces (PDF)
  • 4 different-colored game markers, one for each player (e.g., blocks, bottle caps, or other tokens on hand that are slightly larger than an inch)
  • Die
  • Cardstock or plain paper
  • Scissors
  • Optional: Game Board Diagrams (PDF)
  • Optional: small, cube-shaped block and marker

Preparation

  1. Print (on cardstock if possible) the game boards and game pieces. Trim the game boards along the dashed lines. Cut the game pieces into cards along the dashed lines. Laminate if desired. Place each set of game pieces in a separate pile.
  2. Optional: As an alternative to a die with numbers 1 though 6, make a die with the numbers 1 through 3 twice each. Use materials you have on hand, such as a small wooden block and a marker or white correction fluid.
  3. Gather the die and the game markers and place them on the table.
  4. Choose, or have the children choose, if they will play with two or four connected game boards (for instance, just the two Hoops and Friends game boards, or the two Pies and Birds game boards, or all four boards). See Game Board Diagrams for possible layouts.
  5. Note: Store each type of game board separately with its accompanying game pieces in resealable bags.
 

Directions


  1. Tell the children that the object of the game is to move their marker along the game board and solve equal-sharing problems.
  2. Demonstrate how to play by talking through each step as you do it:
    • Place all the game pieces on any starting square, which is the arrow square in the lower-left corner of each board.
    • Roll the die and ask the children what number is showing. Count as you move your game marker the number of spaces shown on the die.
    • If you did not land on a “sharing space,” roll again until you do. (This is so you can demonstrate gameplay. The children will not do this on their turns.)
    • Once you land on a sharing space (e.g., pies and birds), count the number of pie slices shown and take that many from the matching pie game piece pile. Count the number of birds shown and take that many from the bird pile. Ask, How can I share the pie slices equally among the birds so that each one has the same number of slices?
    • Share the pie slices among the birds.
    • Ask the other players if you solved the problem correctly. Have them count the pie slices for each bird to make sure they are shared equally.
    • Put all your game pieces back in the pile. Place your marker back on the start arrow.
  3. Now have the children take turns playing. They will go around the boards continuously. This extends gameplay and helps make sure that children solve many of the problems presented.

Note: Gameplay will differ when using a die with numbers 1-6 versus a die with numbers 1-3. Children will have more turns in one trip around the board and may land on more problem squares as they go when using numbers 1-3. A die with numbers 1-6 might be reserved for playing with all four game boards together. Remind children that they can go around the board multiple times.


Length of Play

15–20 min.

Group Size

Small Group (2–4 players)

In the Schedule

Learning Centers


 
Vocabulary
  • equal
  • share
  • same
  • different
  • more
  • less
  • half
  • divide
  • make it fair
  • number names
 
Learning Goals
  • Divide a collection of objects into equal groups
  • Divide and share a whole object equally
  • Understand what it means to share equally
  • Compare collections of objects, and identify which has more and by how many
  • Compare the pieces in a collection, and identify whether they are the same size
  • Learn or reinforce number names
  • Count a collection of objects