Sample Game

This sample game took place at Tufts CEEO with 12 students from 7 to 12 years old and lasted 2 hours from beginning to end. The challenge posed was to "design and prototype the ultimate sitting experience for your client". Each group got a little stick figure made from wood and duct tape with a name and a few character traits to design for. Click here for more details about the challenge and how I made the stick figure clients.

Once the challenge was introduced, each group was given a pencil and paper and asked to start brainstorming and drawing ideas. After a few minutes of having all teams drawing and planning, the game started and the teams came up one at a time to take a turn at the board. The game was set for 5 teams with each turn lasting 1 minute 30 seconds Teams stayed at their work station and continued the planning process until they took their first turn at the board and received some materials.

Facilitator discussing a prompt at the board near the materials while another team is working on their prototype

Click here to hear some of the conversations that happened between the facilitator and teams about the prompts that they landed on. The game lasted for 7 rounds, so after team 5 took their 7th turn at the board, the facilitator clicked "go to presentations" on the game board. The facilitator selected "7 minutes to presentations" and the series of prompts to help prepare for presentations came up as the teams finished working on their prototypes. To end the game, each team gave a two minute presentation about their project.