A Trading Game

I thought I'd share with you one of my FAVORITE

math games to have my students

play at the beginning of the year.

This game is very simple, but does

a whole lot to prepare them for regrouping or

"borrowing", which can be a huge

challenge for some kiddos.

I learned this game at a workshop a few years

ago and I've had my students play it ever since.

They absolutely LOVE it and

I LOVE it because it is sooooo meaningful.

I'm sure this game is not anything new and it may have different names that it 

goes by out in bloggy world.

The presenter I heard about it from called the

game "3 Town" or "5 Town" depending

on the way you decide to have your kiddos play.

Since the game is focusing on "trading",

you can tell the kids that this game is all

about a land where "3" is the number for 

everything.

You really play it up.

I use examples like, "Everyone is '3 Town' eats

3 meals a day, have 3 kids, 3 pets, 3 cars, 3 houses, etc.."

They think its quite fun and like to come up with their own

examples too!

Here are the supplies you will need:

Gameboards- When I moved to second a few years ago, I found a handful of these in a closet.
When I attended the workshop, I realized what they were. I had to make the rest which was not difficult at all. Just construction paper, ruler, glue, sharpie, and then laminated.

Colored poker chips- I bought a bag of 1000 from Teacher Direct a few years ago.
The colors are yellow, green, blue, red. You could use any colors as long as they
match the boards you use.

Dice

Chip holders- I really like using these chip/dip trays I found in Target's dollar spot to keep the chips organized.

Rules:

• I like to put 4 kids in a group so 1 will be the "banker" (in charge of the chips) and the other 3 will be playing and each need a gameboard. 
  

• The "banker" (I choose the banker for each group) is the only person allowed to touch the chip tray and take chips in and out.

•  1 player rolls the dice. They ask the banker for that many YELLOW chips.

• Since the game is "3 Town", every time a player gets 3 YELLOW chips they can trade in for the next color, so on my gameboards that is BLUE.

• If they can trade in their chips, they need to do it before the end of their turn, or before they pass the dice to the next player. 

Example: Player rolls a '5'. Player says to the banker, "Can I please have 5 YELLOW chips?"

(We practice our please and thank you's a lot during this game!)

The "banker" then gives them 5 YELLOW and the player puts them on their gameboard in the YELLOW column.

The player will then take 3 of the newly acquired chips and ask the banker, "Can I please trade these 3 YELLOW in for 1 BLUE?"

The "banker" takes the chips and gives the player 1 BLUE, who then places it on their gameboard.

If the player decides they can not trade in anything else, they pass the dice on to the next player.

• Every time they roll they get YELLOW chips. That is always the "starting point" on their gamboard and they have to trade in to get the next color.  Some will forget and think they should get BLUE chips on their 2nd turn, but usually other players will remind them:)

• When a player gets 3 BLUE, they can trade in for 1 GREEN.

• If they get 3 GREEN, they can trade in for 1 RED. The first player to get 1 RED chip is the winner!

I told you it was simple:)

But, seriously, the kids get addicted to this game.

So, the 2nd or 3rd time we play, I'll switch it up and we will play

"5 Town" and so then they must get 5 YELLOW chips to be able

to trade for 1 BLUE, etc...

TIPS:

• Model, model, model. The first day I introduce the game, students are watching me play and I usually have 1 or 2 other kids "play" with me as we go through an entire game for everyone to watch.
• I am picky about the "banker" handing the chips to the player. Sometimes, they want to just put it on the player's board for them. We talk about how each player needs to be in charge of their board and its their job to PAY ATTENTION and realize when they can make a trade! Some kiddos like to run everyone's board so we talk about this a lot.
• During a player's turn, they can make as many trades as they need too, but they only roll 1 time each turn. If they pass the dice and the next player starts to roll, they can't make a trade until their next turn.
• If a group finishes, they can start over and the winner will become then new "banker".

When we start regrouping in early October,

its great to be able to use phrases like "Now we're going to trade in 10 ones for 1 ten"

with the kids and they know exactly what that means

because they've been playing the trading game!