Egg carton mancala: a counting game from Africa for K–2
What it is: a K–2 culture and counting game based on mancala, the name used for a large family of "sowing" board games played for centuries across Africa and also in parts of Asia and the Caribbean. Different places have their own names and rules, like oware in Ghana and bao in East Africa. Students play a simple version on an egg carton and find the countries on a map.
Time: about 30 minutes. Grade: 1st and 2nd grade.
Materials: a 12-cup egg carton, 2 small bowls (the stores), 48 large counters that are too big to swallow (large pom-poms, bottle caps or big buttons for older students), and a map of Africa.
- Show Africa on the map. Explain that mancala games have been played there for a very long time and that families in many countries play them today. Point to Ghana and Kenya.
- Set up: 4 counters in each cup. Each player owns the 6 cups on their side and the store on their right.
- Model a turn: pick up all the counters from one of your cups and drop them one by one into the next cups going counterclockwise, including your own store.
- Simple rule for young players: if your last counter lands in your store, take another turn.
- Play until one side is empty. Everyone counts their store by making groups of 5 or 10.
- Ask: "What did you have to count or plan?" Students share one strategy.
Safety: small counters are a choking risk for young students. With Pre-K and kindergarten use large pom-poms or bottle caps and stay with the group.
Differentiation: students who need support play cooperatively with an adult saying each count aloud. Students who are ready learn one more rule from a traditional version. English learners can count in English and in their home language.
Quick check: ask a student to sow 5 counters from one cup and say which cup the last one lands in before they do it.
Save this activity to your library so it is ready when you need it.
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About this resource
- Shared by
- @UpOnlyLearning · Curriculum team
- Posted
- Oct 31, 2026
- Type
- Lesson plan
- Grade
- Grades K–2
- Subject
- Social studies
- Language
- English
- License
- Free for classroom, co-op and tutoring use. Please don't resell.