Mancala

Mancala

Setting: at home

Materials:
mancala board
mancala rocks

Instructions:
1. Place four rocks in each section leaving the end pieces empty. (Each player has their own side of the board.
2. When it is your turn you chose which section you are going to take the rocks from and move counterclockwise leaving one rock in each section you pass.
3. You put one rock in your home space as you pass it but not your opponents. If you end in your home space you get to go again.
4. Keep going until you have no more rocks on your side of the game.


Purpose: The purpose of this activity was to encourage wrist, arm and hand range of motion. The use of weights while playing the game could also increase the individual's strength in their hand muscles. What I noted on the most was the amount of fine motor activity that is used in this game along with grasp. Grasp is needed to pick up all the rocks in the desired section while fine motor control is needed in order to place one rock in each section. Regulation is needed in order to not spill more than one rock out at a section at a time since that would be cheating. Numbers and counting which emphasizes simple math skills one would need in work or play setting is also demonstrated in at the very end to see who has more rocks in their home space. Hand eye coordination is used in order to see where you need to drop or pick up stones.

Cooley, Tonya. (May 6, 2010). Mancala. Therapy Fun Zone.

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