Crane Wars: Invent Your Own Games!

As kids at my grandparents’ house, when the weather kept us inside, my sister and I often faced mind-crushing boredom. They did have one box of ancient toys in the closet. There was a wooden chicken on wheels that clucked when you pulled it, a red metal cash register, a wooden telephone, and various dolls, animals, balls, and blocks.

We played listlessly with those toys way past the age when they really held any appeal. One day out of desperation my sister and I dragged the toys to the top of the narrow staircase that led to the guest bedroom. Several hours later, our parents had to beg us to put them away and get ready for bed as we excitedly explained what we’d been up to.

We had invented a complex whimsical game of luck and aim involving every toy in the box arranged down the staircase. We were rolling balls, scoring points, and adjusting the rules as we went and had completely lost track of the time.

Inventing a game out of materials on hand offers a unique creative challenge. It must be difficult and complex enough to engage a player’s interest, yet quick to learn and easy enough that it doesn’t feel impossible.

These days most kids have access to entertainment wherever they go, including dozens of gaming options right on their iphones, or yours. But with a little push, opportunities for creative moments still exist. Next time you’re waiting for your food at a restaurant, try challenging your kids to entertain you with an invented game!

Crane Wars

Evalyn and I were horsing around the other day and I struck a pose from the Kung Fu Panda movie, meaning to comically throw a kick from a one-legged position. She easily knocked me over. Then we both began suggesting and testing rules, and in minutes we had invented a new game.

We call it “Crane Wars.” All you need to play are your feet and plenty of space to move around in.

Two players stand facing one another, each balanced on one foot. Play begins at the word “Go!” The object is to remain standing on one foot. The first player to touch the floor with their lifted foot, or to touch a wall or piece of furniture for balance, loses. Players may hop. One player’s lifted foot may touch the other player’s lifted foot, but that is the only contact allowed between the two players. That’s it!

Very simple, and Evalyn loves to play it (even though she hasn’t beaten me yet)! Try it and you will discover many strategies for knocking your opponent off their balance. You may also discover variations on the rules that make the game more fun for you.

Evalyn and I turned five minutes of goofing off into a game that we now play whenever we need to pass the time waiting around for something on our feet! Now that the idea is in your head, you’ll begin to notice “game-able” situations too! 

Games in the Classroom

In a recent Born to Do Science program with Dr. Barney Luttbeg from the OSU zoology department, we discussed the interactions between predators and prey. I gave a few parameters, then had the kids set up board games to represent movement of predators and prey across a landscape. Each table’s game was different, depending on how they set up cover and food for the prey, and rules for movement. Game play involved moving predator and prey pieces around the board, with predators trying to eat the prey.

The game as a metaphor helped the kids understand basic parameters that govern predator and prey behavior. They used game results to formulate their own hypotheses about how predators and prey move around in the real world. Then we tested the kids’ hypotheses using actual tadpoles and dragonfly nymphs in tubs of water.

My amazing storyteller friend Dianne de Las Casas teaches kids and teachers how to make board games out of fairy tales. The process helps kids internalize the basic elements of story, not to mention learning their particular fairy tale inside and out. Kids also practice reading, writing, math, and collaborative skills. I interviewed Dianne about this in one of my “Program Room” podcast episodes; you can hear all about it here starting at 11:56.

Just Do It!

Kids love inventing their own games. If you’re a teacher or parent or you work with a group of kids in any capacity, add invented games to your toolbox!

Have you or your kids already invented a game that you love? Please share! Post it here!