No.255
Make Your Own Sugoroku Board Game
Japanese name: 手作りすごろく
Materials
- A large sheet of paper
- Thick pens
- One large die
- Distinctive, large playing pieces
How to play
- Draw a single path with a start, about 20 spaces and a finish. Add instructions to just 3–4 spaces, such as “advance one space” or “miss one turn.” Check them together.
- Put one piece per person at the start and agree a turn order. On your turn, roll once and advance that many spaces. Do not count the starting position itself.
- Follow the instruction on your landing space once. In this version, do not follow another instruction if the first one moves you onto a new space.
- A missed turn means skipping your next turn once. Several pieces may occupy the same space; do not capture one another's pieces.
- Reach the finish with a roll equal to or greater than the spaces remaining. End when everyone arrives or 20 minutes have passed, whichever comes first. Next time, let children redesign the space instructions.
Ways to adapt
Preschool children: ten spaces. Younger primary school children: twenty spaces. Older primary school children: design the route.