INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL OF BERGEN

ISBInternational

School of Bergen

Timeless Games and Toys PresentationProject No – 2015-I-TR01-KA219-021800 3

Norwegian Culture Immersion

International School of Bergen in not a typical Norwegian school.

We teach students who come from many different areas of the world.

Our school therefore decided to choose a game which was familiar with all children and discover how many different ways it could be played around the world.

Norways GameAfter discussion with the children the game which was talked about the most was the traditional childs game of Snakes and Ladders.

We did discover that there were different names for this game including –

Snakes and LaddersSnakes and ChutesChutes and Ladders

Similarities in the board game was – Square board Require a diceRequire countersUsually start at 1, Finish at 100

The History of Snakes and Ladders

Snakes and Ladders was first found and played in ancient India.It was played by many children to teach the effects of good deeds as opposed to bad deeds. The ladders represented values such as kindness and faith.The snakes represented bad omen, which represent bad luck, anger etc.Number 100 on the board represents salvation.

Our chosen game for the Erasmus project was decided to be snakes and Ladders.

However, when the parents and grandparents came to play traditional board games with the children we gave the opportunity for the parents and grandparents to bring traditional games with them that they remember playing from their country. The children then showed the parents games that they had made.

It was very interesting and the children, parents and grandparents loved learning how to play games they had never heard of before.

Games that we played included –Dominoes BilderPick Up Sticks Chinese Card GameDoubles Jigsaws

Lets see the games in action…..

Parents and Grandparents came to play…..

Everyone was a winner…..

Grade 1 class also designed their own board game as part of their Unit of Inquiry.

They enjoyed playing their games with other students in the school. They were able to recognise the importance of needing to have rules and instructions for the game to be able to be played.

As one of our students quoted –

You are never too old to play a game.