Nature Noughts and Crosses

This is an activity for 2 people that you can do just about anywhere.

Step 1
On your next walk, or in the garden, collect:

4 quite straight things to make a grid (try sticks, driftwood, long pieces of grass);
5 of one thing and 5 of another (try conkers, pine cones, leaves, shells, stones) or 10 stones.

Step 2
If all your 10 things are the same, such as stones, draw on these to make 2 sets of 5.

Step 3
Place your sticks or other straight things in a grid pattern.

Step 4
Take a set of 5 things each and take turns placing them in the grid until one of you gets a line of 3 in a row.

ALTERNATIVE GAMES

Revenge In this version, the player that gets 3 in a row first wins, unless their opponent can get 3 in a row on their next move, in which case they lose.

Reverse Exactly the same as the standard game but you’re forcing your opponent to get 3 in a row. The one that is forced in to 3 in a row first loses.

Wild The same as a standard game except that each player can play either X or O on each turn. The first to get 3 in a row of either wins.

Reverse Wild A combination of reverse and wild. Each player can play either an X or O on each turn, whilst forcing their opponent to get 3 in a row.