So BAM! is the latest craze at our house at the moment! My girls play this fun learning game at breakfast and the whole family plays at dinner. I love that it is super simple to make and my kids are revising what they are learning at school without even realising it!
For Miss 9, this means multiplication tables and for Miss 4 single sounds – and part of the beauty of BAM! is that with this one game you can totally revise two completely different content areas at once.
Not only that, but BAM! is a great game for all sorts of learning revision – you can make it about other maths facts such as doubles or bonds of ten, as well as single sounds, phonic blends, sight words, spelling words or CVC words, geography facts, it would even work with periodic table revision…and I am sure there are many other possibilities too.
GAMES FOR KIDS: HOW TO PLAY BAM!
A game for 2+ players
You will need:
• Craft/lollypop sticks
• Marker pen
• Small tin can or similar
To play;
- Use the marker to write a fact for revision on one end of each craft stick – you can include multiplication facts for revision, other maths facts such as doubles or sets of ten, single sounds, phonic blends, sight words, spelling words or CVC words. If you have children learning different facts, write one fact on each side of the stick – we are currently using sticks with multiplication problems on one side for Miss 9 and single sounds on the other for Miss 4.
- Write BAM! on an additional 2-4 sticks. Place all sticks into the can so that the end with the fact on it is hidden inside the can.
- Players take turns drawing a stick from the can. Players must answer the fact correctly to keep the stick (for spelling words, look quickly at the word and then cover and spell without looking). If the player answers incorrectly, the stick is returned to the can.
- If the player draws a BAM! stick, she must return all her sticks to the can.
Play continues until the adult calls time. Alternatively, a time limit can be set and the winner is the person with the most sticks in their possession when time is up.
How will you be playing BAM!?
Check out our Multiplication Game Pack for more times table game ideas…
Christie Burnett is an early childhood teacher, presenter, writer and the editor of Childhood 101. More importantly, she is a Mum who believes wholeheartedly in the value of children learning through play, the importance of quality early education, and the togetherness of family.
