Periodic Table Game

I am having so much fun sharing ideas about the periodic table of elements. The photo above came from Amida, a homeschool mom who not only took the photo but created the game being played. What really amazes me is that she created and made the game pieces YESTERDAY!!!

This game is still in the draft stage, meaning that it may be changed by your comments.  If you have ideas for improving the game, please leave a comment or send your ideas to me at:

Ask Janice

Materials:

For now, instructions are being given so that you can prepare and field test the game. After playing the game you may have ways to improve it. If so, please share your ideas. The “polished” game will be posted with printout for the materials.

Prepare game cards.

The game card shown here has 25 squares. The size of the game cards as well as the number of squares is your choice.

Prepare Element Sheets

Amida has printed of sheets with the first 89 chemical elements from the periodic chart on them.The example shown has 25 elements on a sheet. The colors of the elements are significant. There are different kinds of metals, nonmetals, gases, etc…. For color suggestions as well as types of elements click  HERE.

The pages of elements could be attached to colored paper so that when the cards are turned over it is easy to identify which row or column is completed. The squares are cut and mixed up, and then each player draws 25 element cards and randomly places them on his/her game card.

Preparing Game Clues

Using index cards or pieces of paper, write one clue about an element on each card. In the example shown, the clues are written in first person as if the element is telling you about itself.  This can be part of studying about the elements. Clues can be found in text as well as well as the periodic table site previously used for color and types of elements above.

Following are a few clues you can use:

I am a solid at room temperature.
I am a liquid at room temperature.
I am a gas at room temperature.
I do not burn, but I must present for other things to burn.
I am a diamond.
I am part of sand.
I am part of a water molecule.

My name begins with a Z.
My symbol begins with a C.
I weigh about 7 mass units.
I am radioactive.
I am found in the air you inhale.
I am part of your exhaled breath.
I am used to make balloons float in the air.
I burn with a green color.

Playing the Game

1. Place 25 element cards on the game sheet.

2. Stack the  game clue card face down.This is the deck of clues that will be used.

3.Each player needs a copy of a periodic table, such as the one shown      Here.

The first player draws a clue card from the deck of clues. He/She reads the clue out-loud.

4. If the player doesn’t have an element on his game card that matches the clue, he/she turns the clue card over and starts the DISCARD STACK.

5. The next player has a turn. Players now have two choices:

1. They can take a new clue from the deck, or
2.They can take the top card from the discard stack which was the last clue read.

Players with an element that matches the clue turns the element over. The first player with one row or one column of identified elements wins the game.