Summer is just around the corner, and with the growing season in full bloom, it seemed like the perfect time to make a botany version. . .
. . . of one of our favorite games. . .
. . . filled with playful investigation. . .
. . . and lots of fun. . .
. . . this game will inspire the whole family to learn. . .
. . . more about. . .
. . . this beautiful world we live in.
DIY Plant Land Board Game
Materials:
Here at Imagine Childhood, we love it when toys and activities have multiple uses and that goes for our blog posts too! A while back we made a fun math game with a cloth game board, and this week as we ease our way into the wild world of summer plants, we just had to make it into an botany game as well. One board many games! Check out our Bird Land Version here!
If you haven't made our Math Game board, pop over to that post for the directions. When you have your board and game pieces, cut sheets of card stock into 3"x2" pieces approximately. If you prefer a larger card, click here for a free downloadable template. If you don't want to cut or print anything at all, you could even go for extra large cards and use 3" x 5" index cards.
Once you have your cards ready, grab your favorite botany book, or go out for a walk in the woods or your neighborhood and look for interesting flowers and plants. If it's ok to collect specimens where you are, take a few home. You can press them in a plant press or examine them with a microscope like this one. If you can't collect botanical specimens where you are exploring, take along a magnifying glass so you can get a closer look on the trail, or bring a camera and take a few photos to reference later.
Once you're back, and start drawing your favorite flowers and leaves out on the cards. On separate cards write facts about the various plants with the name on the reverse side.
When your card stack is complete - make as many as you like and keep adding new ones each time you play to allow the game to evolve with your little learners - play the game together.
How to Play
- Ask each participant to select a game piece.
- Draw straws or pick names out of a bag to see who goes first.
- During their turn, the player will roll the dice and pick a card. The dice will show the number of places the player will move forward. If they answer the card correctly they get points 2 points.
- If a player lands on a space with an arrow they automatically go up or down the board in the direction of the arrow.
- Continue playing until the first player makes it to the end of the path.
- Count up all of the cards each player won over the course of the game and find out who won that round based on the points collected!
Like this game? Try out our Botanical Bowling game too. And don't forget to check out our readymade botany supplies and games over in the shop. We made a list of our favorite goods at the bottom of this post!
Beautiful Botany Supplies:
Study Microscope
Magnifying Glass
Go Fish Flower Family Cards
Flower Memory Game
Wildflowers Guide
Botany in a Day Book
Botany Coloring Book
Plant Press
and more...
xox
~i.c.
