Working on a new game! Forest Survival

I've started working on a new game called Forest Survival. This game will be a deck building game where players will use Survival Points to buy cards and try to end the game with the most Victory Points. There will be Survival, Carnivore, Herbivore, Population, Water, Shelter, and Life cards. Also, Disaster cards will pose negative effects on all players. Each player will play the game as a forest animal of their choice, and each forest animal will have its own ability that it can use during the game. Here are some images of the cards in the game! They are not finished yet, but they will eventually have artwork.

Reward Coupons

It can be expensive to buy tangible rewards for your students. However, rewards can be very motivating to students. Using Reward Coupons is a great way to reward students and not have to spend money buying rewards! 

I used these coupons with my Sixth Grade students. Even my students who struggled with managing their behavior wanted to earn Reward Coupons, so these worked well to motivate my students to have positive behaviors in class! The most popular coupons were Seat Swap, Game Time, Lunch Bunch, and Use a Pen. 

I created a resource that includes 20 editable Reward Coupons that can be changed to meet a classroom's needs. The coupons are color coded, so some coupons are worth more than others. Black coupons are worth the least, and blue coupons are worth the most. There are several ways that these coupons can be used. You can:

· Assign a point/dollar value for each color of coupon.
· Tell the students to pick a coupon that is a specific color depending on what level of reward you want to provide.
· Use a rewards chart where students may earn a coupon of a specific color when they reach a certain level.
· Let students earn a coupon of a specific color when they reach a certain amount of Dojo Points (From Class Dojo).

You can laminate these coupons for repeated use, or you can print them and have the students write their names on them when they earn a coupon.

Click here if you would like to check out my Reward Coupons on Teachers Pay Teachers!

Loolilia Board Game Arrived

My copy of Loolilia arrived in the mail today! I will attach some of the pictures from playing the game. It came nicely shrink wrapped, and all the pieces are really good condition. I was surprised how sturdy everything was. The tokens are thick especially, which I think is important since tokens are picked up and moved around a lot. If you want to purchase this game, you can head to here to see it in my shop on The Game Crafter.

If you want to read more about what this game is all about, click here!

The game came wrapped in shrink wrap.

The back of the box

The types of cards in the game

A gameplay shot

What the inside of the box looked like when it arrived

The back of the Character Cards

Baby Yoda Crochet Amigurumi

I recently made Baby Yoda with a pattern I purchased from craftyiscoolcrochet on Etsy. Unfortunately, it appears that pattern is not longer listed for sale on Etsy, however. The pattern was very easy to follow, and was a lot of fun to make! I did have two issues with it though.

Firstly, the pattern suggested using Buttercream Alpaca Sage yarn, which I did use. The yarn was beautiful and soft. However, I didn't buy enough of it, and when I went back to the store to buy more, there was no more. I came to find out that this particular yarn was not being made anymore. As a result, I had to go on a long hunt to find more, and eventually I found some. The other thing that was difficult was making the "coat" for Baby Yoda. It was made out of textured brown yarn, and it was impossible to see the stitches. So, I had to crochet by feel. The first row was the hardest when I was crocheting into the chain. However, I enjoyed how that yarn made the coat look so much, that now I'm working on making a stuffed bear using that type of yarn.

Baby Yoda turned out so well! It is life sized, and very soft. I made it as a gift for my husband, who also likes Baby Yoda a lot.

How to Make a Board Game DIY

          I have always loved making board games since I was a small child. Of course, the quality and type of these board games has changed a lot over the years. At first, I would take board games that were already made and change them. It all started when I bought a Jumanji board game that didn't have all the pieces, so I had to make my own rules.
          There is no wrong or right way to make a board game. If you are just starting out, the best thing to do is to pick a board game you like, and copy some of the aspects of it. For example, a lot of people start out by making a game that is like Monopoly. I have never made one like Monopoly, but I know lots of people who have.

Steps to Make a Board Game

1. Make a list or sketch of what you think the game is going to be about. Here is an example of the notes I made as I thought about how to make the Loolilia board game. If you buy and play the game, you will notice that although it is similar to these notes, it also is different. The important thing to do when making these notes is to get all of your ideas out, even if they don't make sense in the order you write them.

   

   My original notes for Loolilia

2. Make a rough draft of the board game. Make the board, tiles, and/or cards you think you will use in the game out of regular paper. You can draw it first, or you could create it on the computer with a program such as Microsoft Word or Photoshop. 
3. Play the game using the rough draft with at least one other person. It is important you test out the game with other people so you can see any flaws in the game, or anything that is confusing to others.
4. Edit your rough draft, and play the game again. If possible, it is best to follow this step multiple times.
5. Write instructions for your board game. This is a crucial step. Sometimes people don't want to write the instructions because they think that they will remember the rules anyway. Speaking from experience, it is likely you will forget the instructions. Also, if you write the instructions, it's easier to explain the game to others, or for others to play the game without you.

   

   The rules to the rough draft for Loolilia

6. Finalize your board game. This could mean drawing a nicer copy on paper, printing off a nicer copy, or getting the board game printed through a website such as The Game Crafter.

Suggestions for making a board game on paper:

• Get 2, 4, or 6 pieces of cardstock and tape them together to make a game board. Make sure the tape is on the backside so it doesn't cover your design. It's best if you don't layer the paper, but lay it next to each other so that it can fold after taping it.
• Laminate the cardstock after making the design, but before taping the pieces together. Also, you can laminate any cards you make.

  

  The original character cards (laminated)

  

  Printed and laminated tiles from the rough draft of Loolilia

• Use materials you already have to make the playing pieces for your board game. When I first made Loolilia, I used Mega Blocks Dragons (similar to Legos) pieces for the playing pieces.
  
• Use a cardboard box to store your board game. Decorate the box as well. You can glue decorative paper on to cover the box.
• You can buy white cardboard playing pieces with stands. These can be colored on, or have images printed and glued on them. I used this on Amazon.
  

I just ordered a copy of Loolilia (my final draft from The Game Crafter), so when it arrives I will be uploading images of the final copy. 

The most important thing to remember when making a board game is to have fun with it!

Play Loolilia - A new dungeon adventuring game!

Loolilia is a cooperative dungeon adventuring game for one to four players. Play as a Shifter, Elf, Fighter, or Wizard as you adventure through Dungeon tiles, fight Monsters, collect treasure, and learn new spells and abilities! Will you be able to destroy the Corruption, or will you become Corrupted?

If you like games such as Dungeons and Dragons, Hero Quest, or Gloomhaven, this is the game for you! Loolilia comes with:

• 61 Hero and Monster Pawns
• 36 Different Dungeon Tiles
• 57 Different Monster Cards (Including Normal Monsters, Ice Monsters, and Fire Monsters)
• 54 Treasure, Ice Place of Power, and Fire Place of Power Cards (Includes weapons, armor, spells, abilities, and negative cards such as "Monster Attacks!")
• 4 Character Cards (Shifter, Fighter, Elf, and Wizard)
• 4 Dice (A d6, d8, d10, and d12)
• 89 Damage and Charge Counters
• 4 Reference Cards
• 1 Map Key
• 1 Instruction Book

The Story Behind Loolilia

          The world of Loolilia used to be a place where all creatures lived peacefully together. Death only ever occurred due to natural causes. Loolilia lived in harmony with nature for thousands of years. It was strictly forbidden to ever take the life of another living thing, except when food was needed. However, this all changed during the time of the Corruption. The world plunged into chaos. It all began when Sarahos, Loolilia’s most renowned and beloved wizard, began experimenting with a Crystal he found deep under the ground. The Crystal called to him, promising him power and immortality. Sarahos connected his life force with the Crystal, which caused his complete corruption. From that day forward, Sarahos sought out every living creature, desiring to corrupt it as well. All the innocent creatures became Monsters. However, Sarahos wanted every living thing under his control, so he sent his Monsters out to corrupt sentient beings as well. When a sentient being was corrupted, they became a ghostly shadow, losing their soul forever. Loolilia was dying. What once was a beautiful and peaceful place was turning to darkness and chaos. Fortunately, not all hope was lost. Four brave Heroes delve deep into the Crystal Dungeons, hoping to destroy the Crystal and the Corruption once and for all.

• The game costs $58.51 on The Game Crafter. Click Here to go to the website to check out the game!

• If you have any questions, please leave them in the comments below. I will respond as soon as possible.

Front of the game box

Back of the game box