Chutes and Ladders, Math and Story Telling

This week we've been slowly getting into the groove of things.  M's been visiting all her favorite trays (that haven't been changed since Jan!) and D has been brushing up on Language and Math.  We've spent quite a few afternoons playing a couple of board games, days that have been too cold to get outside that is.  I purchased this Vintage "Chutes and Ladders" game at a yard sale, last summer for a buck.  It is in a nice wooden case with a neat spinner.

Apart from the obvious Math lessons that can be accomplished on side while playing, we had a bit of story telling fun too! You see, in this version of the game, the board has pictures of children doing good deeds and as a reward you go up the ladder when you land on the square and there are pictures of children of doing bad deeds and you go down the chute when you land on these squares.  The pictures range from planting trees, helping a sibling, etc for good deeds and pulling a friend's braid, fishing where you aren't supposed etc. for bad deeds.  So D spent a good part of the time while we were playing, imagining and narrating a story around each of these deeds! Was a lot of fun!