Battleships

This game was played at National Conference. If you have more than 20 members, you may want to have 2 sets to play at the same time.

• A large piece of polythene
• Masking tape
• Metre rule
• Tape measure
• Set of grids on paper
• Extra sets of paper (preferably 2 different colours)

• Lay polythene out flat
• Using a metre rule and masking tape, lay out a grid pattern, each the size of an A4 sheet. Suggested 10 squares across, 8 down. (see grid)
• Across the top of the polythene, tape A4 sheets labelled A,B,C,D etc.
• Down the left hand side tape ones labelled 1, 2, 3, 4 etc.
• On your master grids, kept by the Leader, mark in 3 ships – different for each grid. Each ship covers 2-3 spaces either horizontally, vertically or diagonally.
• Choose 1 grid pattern to play the game.

To play:

1. Lay polythene down on the floor.

2. Divide group into 2 teams – O’s and X’s – teams stand either side of polythene.

3. Leader running the game to choose the grid pattern. Give each team their coloured A4 sheets. One is O’s and the other is X’s.

4. One group chooses a space on the grid to put their A4 sheet. If the result is a ‘miss’, it is the other groups chance to choose. If the result is a ‘hit’ they get a second choice.

5. Then it is the other teams turn again. Continue to play until all the ships on that grid have been ‘hit’.

To Score:
The Leader keeps the score for each team. Can give 1 point for each hit. Or give 5 points for the first hit and then 10 points for guessing the position of the boat by guessing the second hit. The third hit is a one point.

Variation: You can alternate turns for the teams, or have one team continue choosing until they ‘miss’ and then change turns. 

This game could be used as a Memory Verse. On your master grid, write each word into a space. If a team chooses a space with a word, then replace their X or O with the correct word. (Set them out in correct order on your grid so it can be read consecutively) Once all the words have been found, read them together. You can still give points to teams if you want. Have another Leader recording which team gets the ‘hits’.