This is a simple dice board game, but a lot of fun when celebrating Mardi Gras.  The real king cake is baked.  A small doll is baked into it and the one who finds the doll becomes king.

Tasha (6 years old) had a lot of fun with this game.  They use dice games a lot in school for math.

Don't have dice?  No problem!  Make some really big dice to go with the game!
 

 I've provided a few alternatives for making this game and a few alternatives for playing this game.

To Make the Game:

TEMPLATE Alternative

• print  out the template of choice.
• OPTION:  glue the template to a piece of thin cardboard (ex:  old cereal box) if you think this is going to be played with for some time.
• Cut out the template piece.
• if you want making the game to be as quick as possible, just print the color one and you're done at this point (move on to PLAYING THE GAME).
• if you want making the game to be more of a craft project and a bit more educational, choose the black and white option:
   
  • color the squares in a green, purple, yellow pattern.
  • You don't have to use the same pattern we did, but you should use all three colors (they're the mardi gras colors)
  • In Tasha's grade 1 math lessons, they do a lot of work on patterns.  Let the child design a pattern to use when coloring the squares (ex:  2 green, 2 purple, 1 gold... etc and follow their pattern all the way around the board).
  • If you're doing this with a group of children, it's interesting to see all the patterns they come up with using 3 colors.
• Color the word FAITH in green, JUSTICE in purple and POWER in gold.  That's what the colors stand for.

NO TEMPLATE Alternative

• Even older children may wish to try this without using the template.
• Use paper plates or circles of thin cardboard.
• An older class (say grade 6) can make some really big game boards as gifts to some of the younger classes to play with.  
  • Use large pieces of poster board to design the game (use a piece of string anchored in the center of the board to make your circle)
  • Paint in the squares with bright poster paints.
  • Make some REALLY BIG DICE to go with the game
  • Give the game(s) to the school media center (library) or to some of the kindergarten, grade one and grade two classes.
• Let them draw out the game squares (they can try measuring them out, but it's really easier to estimate).  
  • color or paint the squares in a green, purple, yellow pattern.
  • You don't have to use the same pattern we did, but you should use all three colors (they're the mardi gras colors)
• Color the word FAITH in green, JUSTICE in purple and POWER in gold.  That's what the colors stand for.

To Play the Game:

Young Children:

• If you have very young children (my 3 year old, for example) or are playing with a mix of old and young kids, just use one die (instead of two) and play until someone lands on OR passes the baby. 
  • It should only take 5 or 6 rolls to get a winner.
  • That way you can play many times giving all the children the chance to win
  • AND you can easily stop playing when the kids get tired.

Older Children:

• If you're playing with school-aged children, use two dice (so they get to practice adding them up) and play until someone lands on the baby.
  • It could take quite a number of rounds around the board until someone rolls the exact number to land on the baby, but with two dice, the rounds go a lot quicker (you can make it all the way around in just 2 rolls)
  • This makes the game a bit more challenging and increases the "suspense"

The Templates!

• Close the template window after printing to return to this screen.
• Set page margins to zero if you have trouble fitting the template on one page (FILE, PAGE SETUP or FILE, PRINTER SETUP in most browsers).

Template   colour   or   B&W

Print friendly version of these instructions.