Reinforce area concepts through strategy, creativity, and fun with the interactive Build a Pirate Island: Area Game. This small group activity invites students to apply their knowledge of area in a meaningful, hands-on way while designing their very own pirate island.

By drawing rectangles of specified areas onto a grid map, students explore how different dimensions can result in the same area. The game encourages mathematical reasoning, spatial awareness, and collaborative decision-making as players try to fit all their shapes onto the map.

Perfect for rotations or whole-class challenges, this game will have students thinking critically about area while staying engaged from start to finish.

Key Learning Outcomes:

• ✅ Represent area using rectangles on a grid
• ✅ Understand that rectangles with the same area can have different dimensions
• ✅ Build spatial awareness and strategy through placement decisions
• ✅ Engage in collaborative gameplay while applying mathematical reasoning

What’s Included:

• 24 area game cards with specified measurements
• Printable pirate island grid map template
• Step-by-step teacher instructions for gameplay

Materials Needed:

• Printed game cards and grid map templates
• Pencils, rulers, and coloured pencils
• Optional: counters or transparent overlays for strategy planning

How to Use:

• • Players take turns drawing a card with a given area
• • Students draw a rectangle on their map that matches the area
• • Rectangles must not overlap and must fit within the island grid
• • Continue playing until no more shapes can fit—then calculate total area

Ideas for Classroom Use:

• 💡 Use as a maths rotation to consolidate understanding of area
• 💡 Incorporate into a measurement unit for a hands-on extension
• 💡 Adapt for individual use as an independent problem-solving challenge

Top Teacher Tips:

• 💛 Use grid paper with larger squares for younger students
• 💛 Allow students to experiment with different dimensions for the same area
• 💛 Discuss how area is calculated and relate back to the length × width formula

Build a Pirate Island: Area Game is a fun and meaningful way to deepen your students’ understanding of area through creativity, strategy, and teamwork.