The Traffic Light Game

I love playing strategy games with my classes. The games don’t have to be overly mathematical but help to develop logical thinking. I also love these games as everyone in the class can compete and win even if they are not as confident with maths as their opponents. I always hope that there are an odd number of pupils in the class so that I can play too!

Here is a game that I only discovered last week. It is from one of my favourite sites NRICH.

These are the rules:

1. It is a game for two players
2. It uses a 3×3 squared board – like noughts and crosses
3. It is best played with counters: the game needs about 6 red counters, 6 orange, and 6 green.
4. The players take turns to play.
5. When it is your turn to play you must either:

place a red counter in an empty square                                                                                                   or replace a red counter already on the board with an orange one                                                 or replace an orange counter already on the board with a green one.

6. You win by completing a line (row, column, or diagonal) of three counters all the same colour. (Note: it doesn’t matter who placed the first counter(s) in the line – it’s the third counter of the line which determines the winner.)

Most of the pupils needed to have a demonstration game shown to them before they really understood the rules but then they all got right into it.

This game takes lots of concentration and you need to be able to think two or three moves ahead.

Here is the link to the NRICH page which gives extended versions of the game.