Balloons & Vortexes

“Snakes & ladders with a twist! A fun board game to practise a variety of skills!”

0 ratings & comments

Report this game

Want to see this game in action? Watch the video

Everything you need to play this game

  • DIY GAME #2
  • Bottle caps
  • A variety of other Mobile School panel

A step-by-step guide to play the game

1

The players put their bottle tops on the starting square.


2

Player 1 throws the dice & advances accordingly.


3

He will perform the assignment corresponding to the symbol & colour of the square he lands on:

  • If a player lands on a purple square, he will play a game with another Mobile School panel: e.g. Make drawings of the words that are on the panel next to you.
  • If a player lands on a blue square, he will need to solve a mathematical puzzle, e.g.: Your uncle has just arrived at the market with his truck, containing 200 kilos of potatoes. If your brother takes out 3 bags of 50 kilos, how many kilos of potatoes are left on the truck? You can make these puzzles easier or more difficult.
4
  • If a player lands on an orange square, the street educator will give him a word & its definition. The player will then choose a creative way to present that word: he can sing a song, make a poem, invent a story with the word, do a dance, enact the word,...
  • If a player lands on a yellow square, the other children compliment the player by naming one of his talents or skills: e.g. you draw beautifully. If the player wants to, he can then demonstrate that talent or skill.


5
  • If a player lands on a red square, he needs to solve a dilemma. It's important not to be moralising, there are no wrong or right answers. The idea is to encourage the children to reflect on certain situations, on their actions and on the consequences those actions might have. An example of a dilemma might be: "Ana is crossing a road, when she sees that the wallet of the lady walking before her falls on the ground. What advice would you give Ana?"
  • If a player lands on a green square, he will talk about an person in his life that's important or inspiring for him; e.g.: his best friend, Superman,.
6

In addition, if a player lands on a square with balloon strings, he can advance to where the balloons are. If a player lands on a square with a vortex, however, he has to go back on the game board to where the vortex starts.

7

The player who reaches the finish line first, wins!


Extra game information

This game was invented by interns working with our Mobile School partner Alimentos para la Vida in Querétaro, Mexico. It's a variation on the game 'Snakes & Ladders'.

The colours on the game board correspond to a specific assignment, depicted by the symbol on the squares

  • Purple (pencil & yardstick) = Mobile School game
  • Blue (calculator) = mathemical challenge
  • Orange (light bulb) = creativity
  • Yellow (chest) = compliment
  • Red (question mark) = dilemma
  • Green (star) = important/inspiring person

Variations

Invent different activities for the symbols and colours, to make the game different every time.


What people said about this game

Be the first to write a review

If you have played this game please help inform other people by giving a review.

Have you played Balloons & Vortexes game?

Don’t hesitate, share your feedback and help others to pick the right games. Tell us how it was and how the children reacted? Or do you have any advice for other players, a fun variation, a possible improvement?

Login or signup to add your feedback

Thank you for giving us your opion on Balloons & Vortexes!

We very much appreciate your effort in writing the review.

You might also like

we travel europe

a road trip of europe to learn about the countries, flags and landmarks
(0)

Game details

Cookies saved