Frogs in Time - a Geologic Time Game
If you've been following along with us this year, you know we've been reading the Magic Tree House books and doing learning activities to go along with them. In the 7th Magic Tree House book, Jack and Annie travel back to the last ice age. Well, one of my kids made a comment about The Ice Age and dinosaurs, and I knew we needed something that would help them understand where both of those fit on a time line. And, of course, I couldn't just stop with a little time line! I wanted to include the entire geologic history of the Earth! And so, this game was born!
This game introduces the major geologic time periods and eras and major events that happened during them. You travel as a musical frog through the appearance of the first living cells on Earth, Pangea, dinosaurs, extinctions, The Ice Age, and so much more!
Here's the introduction:
Six musical frogs are embarking on a quest to play their instruments in every time period since the dawn of Earth! You will take one frog on this dangerous journey by moving it from one stump in time to the next. Along the way you will encounter challenges, thieves, bonuses, and more!
For your frog to win, you must travel through Earth's history, land on the END circle (modern time), and then have the most energy pellets left when all the other frogs arrive too!
Set up by following these steps:
1: Choose a frog and set it on the START space.
2: Each player begins with 5 energy pellets.
3: Gather two dice (or share one).
On your turn, follow these four steps:
1- Roll the die. Use either the include die with only numbers 1, 2, and 3, or use a normal die and play the 4 as a 1, the 5 as a 2, and the 6 as a 3.
Advance your frog forward by having it hop on the number of stumps that you rolled. For example, if you roll a 2, then move forward 2 stumps.
If you arrive at a new Time Portal (indicated by the stone arches), you must turn in 5 energy pellets to enter the new time. If you do not have 5, you must return to the first stump in your current time (and collect one new energy pellet when you land.
2- Collect an Energy Pellet when you land on a stump.
3- Draw a Time Card and follow the instructions.
4- (Optional): Attack another frog for an energy pellet. If you choose to attack another player, you each roll a die (a regular die that goes up to 6). The higher number wins the attack! If the winner started the attack, then the winner gets an energy pellet from the loser. If the winner is defending his energy pellets, then nobody gets anyenergy pellets. If there is a tie, re-roll until there is a winner!
You can attack as many times as you want, but you must have at least 1 energy pellet to begin an attack.
Eventually, everyone will finish. The first player to finish gets 10 bonus energy pellets. The second finisher gets 5, and the third finisher gets 2. Whichever player has the most energy pellets wins the game!
I am triply excited about this game! We've already had fun playing it, and in addition to all the wonderful math and interpersonal skills kids learn from games, my kids have already learned several important events in Earth's geologic history and become more familiar with the different time periods. I've even had fun playing it with them!
Right now I am sharing it for FREE! You can get it by clicking...
If you appreciate the game and have the ability to make a donation, please use the BUY NOW button below. I LOVE making free resources, but they are extremely time consuming to digitalize and package up for others--any donation you make contributes to keeping this site alive and more resources coming!
Thank you for your support!! ❤️❤️❤️
If you want to see what else we've been doing with the Magic Tree House books, click HERE!
And if you're looking for more homeschool unit studies, be sure to check out our growing collection here!
Happy Educating,
Carla & the kids who don't sit still!
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