Pat the Pig

This is a game for two players or two teams. Take it in turns to choose one of the words. Aim to collect 3 words that contain the same letter and to stop your opponent from doing so. The winner is the first to get all 3 occurrences of the same letter. Continue until someone wins or all the words are taken. Words can only be used once.

Here are examples of two sets of winning cards: ALOE, PAT AND PA (all containing A) and ALOE LOG and EL (all containing L).

Can you create your own set of word cards with which to play the game with words that are that are all in the Scrabble dictionary?  You could also try making up your own set of rules.

Think strategically. Success often depends on recognising that you have seen something similar before, in a different format (as if it were the same challenge in disguise) and using the earlier experience to help in the new situation.

Games like this go back to Ancient Egypt, where 3 by 3 gameboards have been found on roofing tiles dating from 1300 BCE. Terni Lapilli (three pebbles at a time) was popular in the Roman Empire. Three Men’s Morris has been played for hundreds of years in parts of Asia. Picaria is a similar game of the Zuni and Pueblo Native Americans.

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