Educational games

Abstract

Educational games are provided that include a plurality of sets of tiles or cards or an electronic version thereof, where each tile or card contains a number, a letter of an alphabet, a mathematical symbol or any other symbol that can be used in a mathematical equations, a word, a chemical symbol representing an element of the Periodic Table, or a plurality of letters representing a chemical group, such as an alkyl group. Also provided are methods of playing these games, such as, by each player taking turns to lay down equations or sentences, and methods of making the game set.

1 . A game set comprising a plurality of sets of tiles, wherein the plurality of sets of tiles comprises: 
 (a) a first set of tiles, wherein each tile comprises at least one chosen from (i) a number, (ii) a letter of an alphabet, and (iii) a chemical symbol representing an element of Periodic Table; and    (b) a second set of tiles, wherein each tile comprises a symbol.    
   
   
       2 . The game set of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 (c) instructions for playing the game.    
   
   
       3 . (canceled)  
   
   
       4 . The game set of  claim 1 , further comprising a first additional set of tiles, wherein each of the first additional set of tiles comprises a wild number or a wild symbol or is blank.  
   
   
       5 . (canceled)  
   
   
       6 . The game set of  claim 1 , further comprising a second additional set of tiles, wherein each of the second additional set of tiles comprises a number in superscript or a number in subscript.  
   
   
       7 - 16 . (canceled)  
   
   
       17 . The game set of  claim 1 , wherein the symbol is one that is useful in a mathematical equation.  
   
   
       18 . The game set of  claim 17 , wherein the symbol is selected from the group consisting of: a plus (“+”), a minus (“−”), a division symbol (“÷”), a multiplication symbol (“x”), an equal sign (“=”), an open parenthesis (“(”), a close parenthesis (“)”), a first open bracket (“[”), a first close bracket (“]”), a second open bracket (“{”), a second close bracket (“}”), a greater than symbol (“>”), a smaller than symbol (“<”), a percentage symbol (“%”), a dollar sign (“$”), a pound sign (“£”), a Euro sign (“ ”), a Yen sign (“¥”), a cent sign (“¢”), an integration (“∫”) sign, a degree (“°”) sign, a plus and minus (“±”) sign, a slash (“ ”), a pi (“π”) sign, a delta (“δ”) sign and a logarithmic sign (“log”).  
   
   
       19 - 33 . (canceled)  
   
   
       34 . The game set of  claim 2 , wherein the instructions comprise at least one chosen from: 
 (a) how many players can play the game;    (b) how many tiles each player should have at start of the game;    (c) how many points each player needs to have to begin participating in the game;    (d) how to keep score;    (e) how to determine a winner;    (f) how to play the game; and    (g) rules of the game.    
   
   
       35 . The game set of  claim 34 , wherein the rules comprise at least one chosen from: 
 (a) to start the game, turn all the tiles face down;    (b) each player to pick at least 3 tiles with the face down;    (c) each player to take turns playing, either by laying down one or more tiles during the player's turn or picking a tile if the player is unable to lay down any tiles;    (d) to start participating in the game, a player must lay down tiles using a combination of numbers and symbols, with their faces up, where the numbers and symbol represent an equation, and the equation is a correct equation;    (e) players can keep score by adding the face value of one or more number components of the equation laid down, or by the number obtained as a result of operation of the equation laid down, or by the number of symbols laid down, or by the number of equations laid down by the player;    (f) if a player does not have any tile to lay down during the player's turn, the player will have to pick a tile from a pool of tiles laying face down, wherein the pool can be a combined pool of numbers and symbols or can be separate pools of numbers and symbols, and the player may pick from one or the other pool;    (g) if a player has at least one tile to lay down, player may rearrange any equation that has been previously laid down;    (h) a player wins the game when the player is the first to have laid down all of his or her tiles or a player wins the game by having the highest number of equations built;    (i) if scores are kept, the player with the highest score wins at end of game session; and    (j) a player who has laid down all of his or her tiles may continue playing the game by picking tiles during his or her turn.    
   
   
       36 - 39 . (canceled)  
   
   
       40 . A method of playing an educational game, comprising the steps of: 
 (a) providing the game set of  claim 1;  and    (b) allowing the game to be played.    
   
   
       41 - 45 . (canceled)  
   
   
       46 . The method of  claim 40 , wherein the step of allowing the game to be played comprises allowing each player to take turn building an equation.  
   
   
       47 . The method of  claim 46 , wherein the equation is an algebraic equation.  
   
   
       48 . The method of  claim 46 , wherein the equation is a chemistry equation.  
   
   
       49 . (canceled)  
   
   
       50 . (canceled)  
   
   
       51 . A method of making the game set of  claim 1 , comprising the steps of: 
 (a) creating a mould for the plurality of tiles;    (b) pouring a tile-making material into the mould; and    (c) allowing the tile-making material to set to produce the tiles.    
   
   
       52 . (canceled)  
   
   
       53 . A method of making the game set of  claim 1 , comprising the steps of: 
 (a) creating a plurality of tiles from tile-making material; and    (b) imprinting a number or a function on each tile, wherein the tile-making material is chosen from natural wood, pressed wood, laminated wood, cardboard paper, shells and bone.    
   
   
       54 . (canceled)  
   
   
       55 . A game set comprising a set of tiles, wherein each tile contains a word chosen from: (a) a noun; (b) a pronoun; (c) a verb; (d) an adjective; (e) an adverb; (f) a preposition; (g) a conjunction; and (h) a gerund.  
   
   
       56 . A method of playing a language game comprising the steps of: (a) providing a game set of  claim 55 , and (b) allowing a player to build a sentence.  
   
   
       57 . A game set comprising a plurality of sets of tiles, wherein the plurality of sets of tiles comprises: 
 (a) a first set of tiles, wherein each of the first set of tiles comprises a chemical symbol representing an element of Periodic Table;    (b) a second set of tiles, wherein each of the second set of tiles comprises a symbol; and    (c) a third set of tiles, wherein each of the third set of tiles comprises a number.    
   
   
       58 . The game set of  claim 57 , wherein the symbol comprises a math symbol.  
   
   
       59 . The game set of  claim 1 , wherein each of the first set of tiles comprises a number, and wherein the game set further comprises an additional set of tiles, wherein each of the additional set of tiles comprises an alphabet.