Looking to bring some probability practice to life with a fun, strategic twist? Fix the Unfair Fair Chance Game is the perfect way to combine memory, strategy and chance in one interactive classroom activity. Students will be fully engaged as they take turns drawing, remembering and placing ducks in a race to tip the odds in their favour!

This printable board game gives students multiple opportunities to explore the concepts of fair and unfair events through gameplay. With each roll of the dice, students not only rely on chance but also employ memory and critical thinking to gain a competitive edge. It’s ideal for reinforcing probability vocabulary and developing an understanding of likelihood while having fun.

Each time a student rolls the dice, they’ll look for the corresponding duck in the pond. The duck they find earns them points – but they’ll need to remember where valuable ducks are placed, and choose wisely as the pond changes over time. The balance between luck and logic ensures this game is accessible to all learners, but rewarding for those who pay attention to patterns and recall. The player with the highest score at the end wins!

Key Learning Outcomes:

• ✅ Understand the difference between fair and unfair chance events
• ✅ Describe likelihood using probability language (e.g. more likely, less likely, equally likely)
• ✅ Use strategic thinking to make decisions during gameplay
• ✅ Strengthen working memory through visual tracking and recall
• ✅ Develop fluency in basic addition and number recognition

What’s Included:

• Game board featuring duck pond path
• Duck cards with numbered point values
• Printable instructions
• Low-colour version for ink-friendly printing

Materials Needed:

• Printed game board and duck cards
• Two dice
• Scissors for cutting cards
• Thick cardstock or laminate (optional, for durability)
• Small counters or tokens (optional for tracking scores)

How to Use:

1. Print and cut out the game board and duck cards.
2. Shuffle the duck cards and form a “pond” line of 6 ducks, face up.
3. On their turn, students roll 2 dice and find a duck in the pond matching that total.
4. They score the points shown on that duck, place it in their hand and add a new duck to the front of the line.
5. The game continues until all ducks are used – the player with the highest score wins!

Ideas for Classroom Use:

• 💡 Use in small group maths rotations to consolidate understanding of chance and fairness
• 💡 Pair with a data collection sheet to track duck outcomes and identify patterns
• 💡 Set a class challenge – can anyone “break” the unfair game by finding a perfect strategy?
• 💡 Include in your maths games cupboard for regular reinforcement of probability concepts

Teacher Tips:

• 💛 Use this game as a springboard to discuss experimental vs theoretical probability
• 💛 Encourage students to explain their strategies and reflect on outcomes after gameplay
• 💛 Print in colour and laminate for long-term use across multiple year levels
• 💛 Combine with classroom discussions on fairness in real-life scenarios for cross-curricular links

Fix the Unfair Fair Chance Game brings probability to life with memorable, strategic fun – helping students develop key chance concepts through hands-on play and clever thinking.