Creative Mom Makes A Battleship Game Using The Periodic Table To Teach Her Kids Chemistry

This is such a clever idea! Karyn Tripp, the brainy-mom behind Periodic Table Battleship, states this game is great for kids of any age to learn about the Periodic Table.

She told the Huffington Post, “I came up with the idea because we play Battleship a lot at our house…I was studying chemistry with my kids and we were trying to think of a fun way to memorize them. So it just came to me!”

If your child loves science, or if they love playing memory games, they’re going to love this. And your child doesn’t need to necessarily know what each element means, or even how to read the full name of the element – they just need to be able to read letters and numbers.

Here’s how you can make your own:

• Start by printing out four copies of the Periodic Table.
• On the left side of the table, label the rows alphabetically. The columns should already be numbered, so you’re OK there.
• Glue the sheets to the inside of a folder, so when opened like an “L,” the kids have one propped up in front of them, and one laying on the table. (Karyn recommends laminating each one so kids can simply wipe off the sheet for the next game).
• Repeat for the other board.
• When you’re ready to play, use a paperclip or binder clip to prop them up (as shown in the photos).

Here’s the rules she made up:

• Start by marking where your “ships” will be (outlining is best so you can still read the letters).
  • Small ship: 2 element squares
  • Medium ship: 3 element squares
  • Large Ship: 4 element squares
  • Giant ship: 5 element squares
• Players then call out coordinates to one another.
• If it’s a “miss” they put an X on that spot. If it’s a “hit” they circle the spot.
• Winner is determined by the first person sinks all of their opponent’s battleships.

Will you make this for your kids?

[h/t: Huffington Post]