Flip It!

We like to invent new Tiny Polka Dot games around here. The latest one is Flip It, which is a good game to play with a preschooler who is learning about more and less.

First you’ll need to make an inequality sign. I cut mine out of corrugated cardboard and drew the < symbol with a permanent marker. I made a whole set of these back in December and they’re still going strong, despite getting chewed on regularly by Daniel!

If you cut it the same size as the Tiny Polka Dot cards, you can store it with them in the box.

Deck

For the first game, play with 0–5 from Teal, Blue, Green and Red. Later games can use 0–10 from any two decks of your choice.

Setup

Pick two cards from the deck and lay them out face up. If both cards are the same, draw again. Otherwise, place the inequality sign so that the expression is true.

Play

Players take turns drawing a card and placing it on top of one of the existing cards. The goal is to make it so that you have to flip the inequality sign to make a true expression.

E.g. if you’re starting out with 2 < 4 and you draw a 5, you’ll want to put the 5 on top of the 2 so you can flip the < around and make 5 > 4.

Play continues until all cards have been used or the players get bored.

I’ve mostly been playing this game with three-year-old Nathan, who has a surprisingly-long attention span for it. I had to walk him through the first few games:

Nathan: Ten and nine.
Me: Which one has more?
Nathan: Ten!
Me: And which one has less?
Nathan: Nine.
Me: So you have to flip it.
Nathan: Ok.
Me: There, nine is less than ten.

After a little while, he started to get the hang of it.

Nathan: Nine! I found a nine. A nine. If I put it here, I don’t have to flip it. If I put it here, I have to flip it! Cause nine has more.
Me: That’s right! Nine has more, so eight is less than nine.

Nathan: Seven. I will put it here, Oh! I will flip it. Five is less than seven.

Nathan: Where should I put this? I could put it here and I would have to flip it. If I put it here . . . Oh, I have to not flip it. Two is less than nine.

Luke joined in once or twice:

Luke: I’ll go first. A zero. I guess I’ll put it here, and flip it! What’s this game for?
Me: There’s not really a winner or a loser. You just get to decide where to put it.
Nathan: I’ll put it here but I can’t flip it. If I put it here, I can’t flip it.
Luke: You just can’t flip it.

Nathan: Four!
Luke: Put it on this side.
Nathan: Here? Here. I have to flip it. Four has more.
Luke: Three. Umm. . . no matter where I put it, I don’t get to flip it! I’ll put it here.
Nathan: Eight! Eight.
Luke: Left side!
Nathan: I’ll put it here. It looks like I win.