The Baldrus Fair Games Laboratory

1. 0–8 min · Meet the rule makers

   Read page 5 and the story summary. The Baldrus choose events that suit them, then complain when other creatures win. Ask: ‘Does being good at a game make its rules fair?’

2. 8–15 min · Test an uneven game

   Choose one card from page 6. For example, team A throws from one metre and team B from three metres, with three throws each. Record hits without a leaderboard. Ask pupils what they noticed. Stop after this short demonstration.

3. 15–23 min · Explain the problem

   Use ‘This rule favours… because…’. Distinguish the rule from the result: losing once does not prove unfairness. Let pupils point to a card or use the story as evidence.

4. 23–38 min · Redesign and retest

   Use page 7 to agree throws, scoring, positions and access. Keep one chosen change clear. Rotate roles and test the new version. Use page 8 to record what changed and what was observed; small results help discussion but do not prove a general rule.

5. 38–48 min · Compete with yourself

   Each willing pupil has two rounds of three attempts using the same agreed setup. Record hits out of three. Notice one thing they tried differently. Improvement can be control, confidence or taking a turn, even if the score stays the same.

6. 48–60 min · Publish and reflect

   Groups complete page 9. Another group reads the instructions and explains the game back. Improve an unclear instruction. Finish with page 10: name fair play, encouragement or a useful personal goal. Build a class games booklet.

You will need

• Teacher pack; pages 6–7 per group; pages 8–9 per group or pair.
• Soft beanbags or rolled socks, a hoop or large floor target, and floor markers.
• Pencils and a clear playing area. A table target offers an alternative to floor play.
• Teams of four: thrower, collector, recorder and rule checker. Rotate roles.

Before you begin

• Check space and equipment using the school’s usual PE routines. Throw towards a clear target, never another person.
• Print resources single-sided at 100% on A4. Choose just one unfair rule to demonstrate.
• Explain in advance: this first game is deliberately uneven so we can investigate it. Keep it brief and low stakes.
• Agree adaptations with pupils and staff. Fair access can mean different equipment or positions, not identical treatment.

Support and access

• Offer sentence starters, a partner recorder and pictorial or tally records.
• Use larger targets, a shorter distance, seated rolling or a tabletop setup as appropriate.
• Give each pupil a meaningful role without requiring every pupil to throw.
• Discuss characters’ feelings first if explaining a rule is difficult.

Take it further

• Distinguish fairness of access, agreed rules and the outcome of one round.
• Explain why a helpful adaptation may make positions different but participation fairer.
• Change one condition at a time and describe what remains the same.

Listen and look for

• Can the child explain who a rule favours and why?
• Can another group follow the instructions without the designers’ help?
• Can they describe an improvement or an encouraging action, as well as a score?