The Game of Life: Learning Strategy and Decision-Making

💭 Think About...

1. What do you think the game of Life tries to teach us about making decisions and planning for the future?
2. In real life, what factors might influence whether someone chooses to go to college or start working right away?
3. How do you think getting married or having children could affect someone's career and financial goals?
4. Can you think of any real-life examples where people have to weigh risks and rewards when making a big decision, like in the game?
5. Do you think games like Life can help us practice important life skills? Why or why not?
6. What kinds of decisions do you make every day? How do you decide what to do?
7. Have you ever made a choice that turned out differently than you expected? What did you learn from that experience?
8. Imagine you're going on a trip. What steps would you take to plan and prepare for your journey?
9. In the game of Life, you spin a wheel to move forward. In real life, what do you think moves us forward and helps us reach our goals?
10. If you could give advice to someone about making good choices, what would you say?

🔨 Your Project

  1. Get into groups of 2-4 and collect a Life game set from your teacher. Choose your car tokens and decide who will go first.
  2. Open the game board and place it in the center of the table where everyone can reach it. Make sure the board is facing the right direction.
  3. Each player selects a car token and places it on the START space. The order of players will go clockwise around the board.
  4. Separate the cards into LIFE tiles, House Deed cards, Stocks, Insurance policies, and Career and Salary cards. Place the piles face down next to the board.
  5. The banker will manage the money. They should organize the bills by denomination in front of them.
  6. Spin the spinner to see who goes first. The player with the highest number starts, and play continues clockwise.
  7. On your turn, spin the number wheel and move your token that many spaces. Follow any instructions on the space you land on.
  8. If your spin ends on a LIFE tile space, draw the top LIFE tile card and follow its instructions. Keep the card until the end of the game.
  9. Some spaces let you choose between two paths, like starting college or a career. Discuss the options with your group and think carefully before deciding which path to take.
  10. If you land on a space that tells you to get married, add another player to your car behind the driver's seat.
  11. As you move around the board, the banker will give you money when you pass a PAY DAY. Remember to always collect your salary!
  12. If you're running low on money, consider buying insurance policies or selling stocks to get more cash. Think strategically!
  13. The first player to reach the RETIRE space wins! Move your car to the Millionaire Estates if you have the most money or to Countryside Acres if you don't.
  14. If you have any questions during the game, raise your hand and ask your teacher for help. Have fun making decisions and seeing where your choices take you in the game of Life!