Using MINICHESS in Primary Schools

I’ve spoken to teachers from local primary schools who have come up with some great ideas for using MINICHESS.

Here’s a list:

• As a quick activity in early morning or after lunch class time.
• As an activity within Thinking Skills or similar lessons.
• As an activity within maths lessons (some of the activities are specifically maths based and will link up with the maths curriculum).
• Some of the puzzles can be used as curriculum enhancement materials, particularly within maths lessons.
• As an activity for Wet Play.
• As an activity at break and lunch times for children who prefer indoor games and puzzles to running around outside.
• Encourage children to use their imagination and creativity by inventing new minichess games, designing chess pieces, writing stories or poems inspired by minichess etc..
• As a tool for SEND children: there are very many ways in which minichess can help children with a wide range of special needs.
• You can use the more competitive activities to run minichess days or afternoons, perhaps towards the end of term. Competitions could be team based: inter-form, inter-house, inter-year, boys v girls, pupils v teachers, pupils v parents, even teachers v parents.
• You can play minichess matches against other schools in your area: we can explain how this might work.

I’m sure you can think of a lot more ideas that might work in your school. Contact me to let me know and I’ll add them to the list.