Today, I am going to share some tips and tricks on how to gameschool through an election year. And then I cannot wait to share a new-to-us game with you. It’s an award-winning game that I’ve had my eyes on for quite some time and was over-the-moon excited to get my hands on it and play it with the kids. And then we played it again, and again, and again!
(And if you’re interested in this game, you’re going to want to keep reading for a special offer for My Little Poppies readers!)
How to Gameschool Through an Election Year
*Disclosure: I received Election Night! at no cost in exchange for a social media share. I was not required to include Election Night! in a blog post, nor was I compensated for my time. In fact, I approached the company because I had a feeling my children would love this game (I was right!) and I knew we would be able to use it in our homeschool. All thoughts are my own. As always, I only choose to share resources that I would use with my own family and those that I believe other families will enjoy.
Make your own U.S. Elections ‘Lazy Unit Study’!
If you’ve been following our site for any length of time, you already know about Lazy Unit Studies. The beauty of Lazy Unit Studies is that they allow for you to embrace rabbit holes and surrender to delight-driven learning while helping your children grow into joyful, lifelong learners.
To read more about Lazy Unit Studies and how to make them work in your homeschool, here are some resources:
- Lazy Unit Study 101 {eBook with Printables}
- Lazy Unit Study 101: A Self-Paced Course for Homeschool Families
Today, I am sharing some fantastic U.S. elections resources in hopes that you can make your very own Lazy Unit Study. Choose what works for your unique family and, above all, have fun!
Election Night! is the perfect way to gameschool through an election year!
Election Night! has been a wonderful addition to our homeschool history routine. I am excited to share this gameschool resource with you today, just in time for an election year!
Election Night! is a board game for ages 8 and up. It can be played with two players or in teams. This game will teach your child about the U.S. elections process, U.S. geography, and civics.
But that’s not all!
Election Night! can be played on one of two different game boards. One side of the game board is to play using addition and the other side of the game board utilizes multiplication.
It takes roughly 35 minutes to play the game using the addition board and approximately 50 minutes to play using the multiplication board.
This homeschool mama loves the dice used in Election Night!
Why, you wonder?
Because they are PlaySmart Dice! These patent-pending dice were created to help with math fluency. The PlaySmart Dice produce number combinations of harder-to-learn sums and products. (So your kids will be working on more challenging addition facts and multiplication tables as they play! Genius!)
Here’s a fun infographic on the science behind the math:
Components:
Election Night! includes the following:
- One double-sided game board (one side is to play the addition game, the other side is for the multiplication game)
- Two strategy decks (12 cards in each deck)
- Two dry-erase markers
- A set of six PlaySmart Dice (two blue, two red, and two bi-colored)
The object of the game
The object of Election Night! is to win the presidency by gaining the 270 electoral votes required.
How to gameschool through an election year with Election Night! (Addition version)
- Make sure you are using the addition game board.
- Roll four PlaySmart Dice (two blue dice and two red dice).
- Choose the sums you will use. To do so, look at what you have rolled and then pair the dice into two sets. You’ll want to look at the game board and strategize which of the sums you rolled will work to your advantage. (Lots of strategy here, moms and dads!)
- Pick your states based on the sums selected. For example, if you rolled a 5 and a 6, the sum is 11. That means you could gain some electoral votes in New York…but you could also choose to win electoral votes in North Carolina, Washington, Nebraska, or Alaska with a sum of 11- it’s up to you! (Your kiddos are practicing math and using strategy here!)
- Use your team’s dry-erase marker to color one segment of the selected state’s shape located on the map. (When your kiddo does this step, she will be learning about how many electoral votes are required in each state, where the state is located, and also the state’s symbol.)
As you can see from the above photo, New York requires 29 electoral votes to win the state. That’s a lot! In this game, a state with a lot of electoral college votes is a “pentagon” state. In this case, you would fill in one section of the pentagon. You would need to fill in two more of these sections to win New York… and its 29 electoral votes! Alternatively, with a sum of 11, you could select Nebraska or Alaska and win the state because both states have fewer electoral votes.
In case you are curious, there are more than just pentagon states and circles. California and Texas are both nonagon states and huge wins! (This is stealth geography!) - Tally your electoral votes. If you’ve won a state, color in the state’s star symbol on the board. Next, color in the correct number of votes to your tally counter at the bottom of the board.
In this case, the player used her sums to select Colorado. Colorado has 9 electoral votes and so this player won the state and tallied the votes in the tally counter. (Psst! Do you see those symbols next to the states? Your kiddos will be learning state symbols as they play!) - The first player to gain 270 electoral votes wins the presidency… and the game!
How to gameschool through an election year with Election Night! (Multiplication version)
- There are many similarities between the addition and multiplication versions, but there are several key differences in the multiplication game. First, make sure you are using the multiplication game board. Next, each player or team is provided with one strategy card deck (each deck has 12 cards).
- Roll four PlaySmart Dice (one blue die, one red die, and two bi-colored dice).
- There is a re-roll option for the multiplication game. A player or team may elect to re-roll any number of dice one time. Any re-rolled dice must be rolled at the same time.
- Choose the products you will use or choose to play a strategy card. If a player doesn’t like the products he has rolled, he can choose to play a strategy card. Each strategy card can be used once per game. Wondering what the strategy deck includes? Here you go:
- Choose your states based on the products selected after your roll or strategy card played. For example, if you end up with a product of 48, you can choose to select California, Colorado, or Connecticut.
- Tally your team’s electoral votes. If you’ve won a state, color in the state’s star symbol on the board. Next, color in the correct number of votes to your tally counter at the bottom of the board.
I used Colorado as an example in the addition game instructions, so let’s choose Colorado for continuity. Colorado is a “circle” state, so you would win the state. Color in the state’s star to show the state has been won, color in the state’s circle on the map, and then add Colorado’s 9 electoral votes to your tally counter at the bottom of the board.
I also chatted about New York last time, so let’s share it here, too! If you had a product of 32, you could select New York. New York is a “pentagon” state so you would not win the state just yet. You would fill in one section of the pentagon and you would need to fill in two more to win the state and its 29 electoral votes. - The first player to gain 270 electoral votes wins the presidency… and the game!
What if there is a tie?
In a presidential election, two opponents could split the electoral votes available, resulting in 269 electoral votes each. If this were to happen, the 12th Amendment would come into play. But in Election Night!, players would count up states won and the player with the most states would be the tiebreaker.
Other ways to play Election Night!
I love it when games are flexible. The instructional booklet for Election Night! features several alternative ways to play, including a Projected Winner version!
What your kids are learning about when they play Election Night!
I love Election Night! because it covers a lot of homeschool bases. Here are just a few skills your kiddos will be working on as they play:
- U.S. geography
- civics
- addition and multiplication
- strategy
- probability
- state symbols
- teamwork and cooperation
- … and more!
I am excited to add Election Night! to our game closet and I plan to use it throughout the coming election year. If you’d like to check out more ways to gameschool and homeschool your way through an election year, I have a post for you!
Check out this special offer from Semper Smart Games for My Little Poppies readers!
From now until March 1, 2020, use the code POPPIES10 on the Semper Smart Games website for 10% off on the Election Night! game… and for all orders over $39.95! Semper Smart Games offers FREE shipping on all U.S. orders. This offer is valid on purchases via the Semper Smart Games website and will not work on other retail sites.
These delicious books would help you to homeschool and gameschool through an election year…
Here are some great titles, in no particular order, to help read your way through the upcoming election:
More election resources for your homeschool
- How to Homeschool Through an Election Year
- Planning a U.S. Election Unit Study
- 5 Election Books for Kids
- Election Anxiety and Sensitive Kids
- “What’s the Big Deal About First Ladies” will Delight Your History Lover
- A Fun, Hands-On White House Homeschool Lesson
- Gameschooling: The Best History Games for Your Homeschool
More gameschool resources for your homeschool
If you’re looking for more gameschool resources, check out these popular articles:
- Gameschooling: The Ultimate Resource Page
- Free Gameschool Resources to Fuel Learning, and Boost Connection
- 5 Absolutely Irresistible Games Kids Will Love
- Gameschooling by Age: How to Homeschool with Fantastic Educational Games
- Gameschooling on a Budget: How to Play More without Breaking the Bank!
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