Some children, including those with autism spectrum disorders, may find board games
to be overwhelming. There are many game pieces, bright colors, special spaces, and all those
questions to answer! Here are some step-by-step tips for teaching children how to play board
games. Once a child is familiar with how to play the game or the game’s setup, he/she can
then focus on the prompts/cards or the content of the game.
1) Introduce the game board. Explain what you see on the board. This includes any
graphics or writing on the board. Identify the start and end points on the game board.
Note any special spaces such as “Move Ahead 2.” Have the child trace the path from
start to finish with his/her finger.
2) Introduce the game pieces. These include items such as a spinner, a die (or dice),
pawns, and tokens. You may have to explain what each game piece is by describing its
function. For example, when explaining dice, you could say: These are dice. They have
six sides each. Each side has dots on it. There will be one, two, three, four, five, or six
dots on a side. You put the dice in your hand. You can shake your hand to make the
dice turn over. Then you open your hand and gently drop the dice onto the game board