I am so excited to try a new game with my students this year. It is called Kaboom and can be used in all subject areas. I am trying it out first with multiplication facts to see how it goes and then I will expand into other subjects.
The game is simple, you have information on popsicle sticks (in this case multiplication facts), a student picks a stick, answers the question and if correct, keeps the stick in a pile. Another student draws a stick answers it and keeps it. If a student is wrong, it goes back in the jar. The fun part is when a student picks a "kaboom" stick. Then all the sticks you have collected go back in the jar and you continue playing. Students are trying to collect as many sticks as they can but the game goes on forever because of the kaboom sticks.
I had read about this game months ago on a great blog post from The Star Spangled Planner. I couldn't figure out how I would store the game. Then I had an "a ha" moment, mason jars! I have a stash of mason jars in a closet that I dug through. I tried putting regular and also jumbo popsicle sticks in jars to see which fit the best. The regular sticks are shorter and fit well into my tall, skinny pint jars. I had some plastic lids which I thought would work better than the metal rings because they are just one piece instead of two. Next I had to figure out how to hide the bottom of the jar, so students could not see the sticks. I tried a piece of paper on the inside but because the bottom of the jars are rounded, there was a gap at the bottom. I debated spray painting the inside or outside but I thought it would get scraped off with use. I was digging through my craft supplies and came across a wide roll of washi tape that I had bought on clearance at Michael's. I wasn't sure what I was going to use it for but I couldn't turn down a giant $2 roll of washi tape! It was perfect for my jars.
The game is simple, you have information on popsicle sticks (in this case multiplication facts), a student picks a stick, answers the question and if correct, keeps the stick in a pile. Another student draws a stick answers it and keeps it. If a student is wrong, it goes back in the jar. The fun part is when a student picks a "kaboom" stick. Then all the sticks you have collected go back in the jar and you continue playing. Students are trying to collect as many sticks as they can but the game goes on forever because of the kaboom sticks.
I had read about this game months ago on a great blog post from The Star Spangled Planner. I couldn't figure out how I would store the game. Then I had an "a ha" moment, mason jars! I have a stash of mason jars in a closet that I dug through. I tried putting regular and also jumbo popsicle sticks in jars to see which fit the best. The regular sticks are shorter and fit well into my tall, skinny pint jars. I had some plastic lids which I thought would work better than the metal rings because they are just one piece instead of two. Next I had to figure out how to hide the bottom of the jar, so students could not see the sticks. I tried a piece of paper on the inside but because the bottom of the jars are rounded, there was a gap at the bottom. I debated spray painting the inside or outside but I thought it would get scraped off with use. I was digging through my craft supplies and came across a wide roll of washi tape that I had bought on clearance at Michael's. I wasn't sure what I was going to use it for but I couldn't turn down a giant $2 roll of washi tape! It was perfect for my jars.
The jars I chose have a pattern but the tape stuck well. I lined it up with the pattern and taped all the way around, leaving about 2 inches at the top. The tape was longer than the jars, so I pushed down the edge and then trimmed it with an Exacto knife. The tape stops right above the bottom of the jar.
I then labeled the lids with a Sharpie. I am so excited to use them and they look cute too!