Feed the Pig is an example of maths recreation at its best and is sure to galvanise children’s inquisitiveness. It’s a money-matching game for two to four players suitable for Reception and Year 1. The objective of the game is to pair plastic coins to the ones on a base board by identifying the shape, size and colour of eight British coins.
To play the game children use a spinner and select the pertinent coin from a money tray and place it over the coin on their section of a baseboard. If the spinner lands on a coin that has already been covered then that player has to “Feed the Pig”. Children place the coin through a slot in the top of a piggy bank and everyone shouts “Feed the Pig” and “oink”. The winner is the first player to cover all of the coins on their baseboard. The game can also be played in reverse whereby coins are placed over the baseboards and children aim to empty their sections.
This game is tremendous fun when played with four people as there is more participation. Encouraging children to play against a deadline also heightens the sense of excitement. It is a light-hearted game with excellent learning pay-offs. It develops money skills and kick-starts financial understanding at an early age. As a result, children can be encouraged to think about machines that we put coins into and how they recognise value by weight, size and shape.
John Dabell
Feed the Pig costs pound;29.95 + VAT from Hope Education Tel: 08451 202055, www.hope-education.co.uk
