Throughout the school year, I’m always on the lookout for new ways to support teaching and learning. Earlier this year, the team behind Drop Squad: The Escape reached out to me. They’ve developed a kid-friendly board game that connects to strategy and STEM skills.
Kid-Friendly STEM Board Game
How does it work? As you can see in the video below, students open up the Drop Squad: The Escape box to assemble the game. There are clear directions to follow, and you won’t want to forget to attach the kickstands. This element of gravity is essential for the gameplay. Once you’re all set up, students of all ages can jump into the game together.
Board Game with STEM Connections
Regular followers of the blog know that I like to focus on both digital tools and hands-on experiences. Drop Squad: The Escape connects to a variety of learning opportunities. This includes problem-solving, creative thinking, collaboration, and more! Kids will have to think about angling each piece to move marbles across the game board. The strategy of the game takes into consideration how pieces move through the board. It instantly reminded me of the Plinko game from The Price is Right.
In the video below, you can get a better sense of the rules and gameplay. In this multiplayer, hands-on game, kids can strategize as they create pathways for their marbles. This hands-on game requires students to think strategically. It might be similar to the way you (and other educators) have thought about games like Angry Birds in the past.
Learning with Board Games
The folks behind Drop Squad: The Escape sent a game for me to explore. It’s a big board game making it easy for players to circle around it on a table or set of desks pulled together. With the friendly competition of the game, students can manipulate the board to send marbles into their special area. They will count the points they earn as they go.
This STEM-Friendly board game requires students to examine a space. They will have to anticipate the movement of their marbles and continuously update their strategy. With a clear connection to the iterative process, making predictions, and drawing conclusions, you can extend gameplay into conversations related to a variety of instructional goals.
Family STEM Board Game
If this game doesn’t fit into your regular classroom goals, you might recommend it to families or include it in an after school program. This game might get a mention in a family newsletter of educational gift ideas for the holiday season, or upcoming school breaks.
Drop Squad: The Escape is for players five years old and above as a hands-on, engaging game experience that addresses essential STEM skills. You can grab it on Amazon now, where it has free shipping for Prime members. You can also head over to Drop Squad: The Escape’s landing page to learn more about their new board game!
