Estimating distances 3

You will need:

1 Roamer (the train)
2 chairs
1 long piece of string
chalk
removable stickers
3 pieces of card approx. A4 size.

Preparation:

Tie string to chair legs.

Write names of three stations on card e.g. Maidenhead, Twyford, Reading, - complete Roamer units apart.

Chalk a platform line (see diagram).

This is a safety measure to keep the children away from the string when it is not their turn.

1. Children put their names on their stickers.
2. Place Roamer (the train) on first station e.g. Maidenhead.
3. Children, in turn, estimate the distance in Roamer steps to the next station (Twyford) and then program to go forward to stop at the station.
4. Mark floor where "train" stops with their named sticker.
5. Place "train" back at first station until everyone has had a turn.
6. The winner is the child whose sticker is nearest to the target station.
7. Repeat game starting at the middle station (Twyford).

It is a good idea to remove all stickers before programming from the middle station to the last one. Otherwise it can be quite confusing - some children will already have their stickers at the end station when estimating from the first to the middle one.

Remember to keep the children behind the chalk line when it is not their turn.