⭕ Tic-Tac-Toe

What you need

Equipment: Paper and a pencil (or printed boards). Give each pair paper and a pencil, or print ready-made boards. Decide who is X and who is O. X goes first. For a class or big group, draw a large 3x3 grid on the board or mark squares on the floor with tape or hoops.

How to play Tic-Tac-Toe

1. Draw a grid of 3 by 3 squares: two lines down and two lines across.
2. X places their mark in any empty square.
3. O places their mark in another empty square.
4. Take turns, one mark per turn. No erasing or moving a mark.
5. The first player to get three marks in a row, across, down or diagonally, wins.
6. All squares full and nobody has three in a row? It is a draw, often called a cat's game.
7. In the next game, swap: whoever was O now goes first as X.

Scoring and wrapping up

Scoring: Win = 2 points, draw = 1 point each. Keep a tally table at the bottom of the page.

To finish: The first to get three in a row wins the game. Play best of three, or keep a running score.

By age

• Ages 4-5: a big 3x3 board with stickers or cut-out shapes instead of writing.
• Ages 6-8: 3x3 on paper, then try 4x4.
• Ages 9+: Ultimate Tic-Tac-Toe.

Variations

• 4x4: you need four in a row. Games last longer and end in a draw less often.
• Ultimate Tic-Tac-Toe: a big board made of 9 small boards. The square you pick in a small board sends your opponent to that board next. Win a small board to claim its square on the big one.
• Giant outdoor version: 9 hoops or tape squares on the ground and two teams of 3 with colored bibs. Each turn one child runs to a square; once all three are in, move one child per turn.
• Classroom tournament: each pair plays 3 games and the winner moves on to the next round.

Tips for the adult in charge

• When kids start drawing every game, move up to 4x4 or Ultimate Tic-Tac-Toe and the winners come back.
• A simple strategy tip for kids: start in a corner or the center, and always block your opponent's two in a row.