Photo Gallery:
Board Games Class

See also: Photo Gallery: Board Games in Australia * Make Your Own Board Game by Laurie Spigel

Imagine if, at the end of a course of study, instead of facing the dreaded research report or lengthy exam, the test of your skill was whether or not your fellow classmates could play your game? This is actually a course in research, note-taking and writing, but the motivation that fuels the students has to do with the joys of game playing.

Each student selects a subject he or she wants to learn more about. Then they are encouraged to do hours of research outside of class (books, periodicals, libraries, internet, interviews, and other locations), as well as research in class, with the aim of making games from what they learn. All materials are provided including blank board game, dice, blank cards, pawns, markers and decorating materials. In the end, each child becomes an expert in their chosen subject and teaches it to the rest of the class. Final class is Game Day, and endless fun!

I have never seen kids work so hard and play so hard as they do in a board game class. Parents have told me that they had to pull their child away from the computer at 11 pm and force them to stop taking notes or writing fact cards for their game. Usually homework has the opposite effect! But children have the ultimate goal in mind: a game that their friends can play!

Game day is a thrilling event. When it’s time to leave, kids realize that they only had enough time to play three or four games. They plan game day reunions, and more games to make. How I look forward to these!

Board Game Class, Spring 2013 (ages 11-13)
	Making the Board Games
Diseases and Cures		Playing Diseases and Cures
Do Penguins Have Knees?	Playing Do Penguins Have Knees?	Feline Frenzy
Frick Museum	Horses	Playing Horses
London, England	Playing London, England	NYC Subways
	Orchids of Puerto Rico	Playing Orchids of Puerto Rico
Road to the Olympics	Playing Tallest Buildings of the World	Trip to the Moon

Board Game Class, Fall 2012 (ages 8-10)
City Sights (NYC)	Gerbil-opoly	Happy Hamster Hobbies
Over the Net (Volleyball)	Play Ball (Baseball)	Protect the Pandas
Tea with the Queen	Tournament Soccer
Playing City Sights & Happy Hamster Hobbies		Playing Happy Hamster Hobbies Playing Over the Net
Playing Protect the Pandas	Playing Tea with the Queen	Playing Tournament Soccer

Board Game Class, Fall 2012 (ages 11-14)
Board Games and their Creators (from left to right) Koby's History of Israel game (in progress); Laurie; Dan's Batman Game; PJ's Nintendo Game; NHL Game by Octavio; Blake's Skateboarding Game; (center bottom, reclining) Quintin's Brano: Songs of the '80s.		Brano: Songs of the '80s

The Board Game Class of 2009
The Boar! Game board game by Alexandra Reydel	Chocolate board game by Jeffrey McFarland	The Global Warming Game board game by Ayumu
Gold board game by Max Hamilton "It's a board game, but it won't make you bored of the game."	Greek Times board game by Bianca Rhea	Horses of Courses! board game by Katie Z.
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Money board game by Roger	Sacagawea's Journey to the West board game by Emma Wong	Siege board game by Arielle Labinier
Vikings board game by Ines	Laurie with parents and students on Game Day
Board Games in Play		Back to Index / Back to top
Chocolate in play	Gold in play	Vikings and The Boar! Game in play

The Board Game Class of 2008
Build It! (on robotics)	Civil War	Darwin
Horror House	Horse Roundup	King Tut's Adventures
Board Games in Play		Back to Index / Back to top
Civil War in play	Darwin in play

The Board Game Class of 2006
Board game designer at work	Laurie's Poetry and Board Game class, June 2006
2006 board games in play