Here’s a simple math game you can use as a book-tivity with any of the Pigeon books by Mo Willems. The newest Pigeon book was released today, April 1st! The new book is called The Pigeon Needs a Bath!(this is an Amazon affiliate link).

Shell Game And Pigeon Droppings
Shell Game And Pigeon Dropping
Shell Game And Pigeon Drop Earrings

To play this game you will need some small cubes, such as linking cubes, or a similar manipulative. You could also use lima beans. You will need to print out the Pigeon, which you can find on coloring sheets available at PigeonPresents.com. (I am not able to provide a printable for this due to copyright.) Coloring sheets can be found in the Teachers’ Guides on the Grown Up Stuff section of Pigeon Presents. “The Duckling Gets a Cookie Event Kit” and “The Pigeon Wants a Puppy Event Kit” both have Pigeon coloring pages.

Color and cut around the pigeon’s outline and laminate if you choose. Give each child about 10 cubes. The cubes will need to fit in their hand(s), so use something that isn’t too large.

To play the game, children will drop a handful of cubes onto the Pigeon. They will count how many cubes landed on the Pigeon and how many cubes are off. (If it lands on the white part of the paper, but off the pigeon, we still consider it “on”.) You could have them compare to see which has the most cubes: on or off. You could also have children record their answers by writing the numeral on a dry erase board or paper. Children who are not yet able to write the numbers could stamp them if you have a set of number stamps.

Shell Game And Pigeon Droppings

Drop and take the pigeon to return to the Oracle. Leave the perch here, and return to the Banquet Hall (up, up, north, west, northwest, north). Make sure you are wearing the amulet, and have the pigeon, proper orb, candle, hexagonal block, and wand. Go back to the Zoo (south, west, down, southeast), and drop the pigeon. In the opening scene of the 1973 film The Sting, Johnny Hooker (Robert Redford) and Luther Coleman (Robert Earl Jones) pull a pigeon drop on a numbers runner for Doyle Lonnegan (Robert Shaw), resulting in the murder of Coleman. This provides the motive for Hooker to seek out Henry Gondorff (Paul Newman) to run the titular sting on Lonnegan. Try to achieve perfect balance in our fidget spinner games! The faster you spin, the more you will score. Just like in real life, your mission is to keep the toy on your finger. If you drop it, you can always try again! Unlock spinner power-ups to improve the bearings and go faster. You can become the best fidget spinner online! The con artist often uses shills to make it appear that winning the game is possible. But through sleight of hand and misdirection, the con artist can make sure the desired card is never found. How to avoid it: If you don’t play, you can’t lose. The Pigeon Drop.

This game could be adapted to work with any storybook character or any theme by using a different clipart image.

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Introduction

Many parts of this game are variable, so it is unlikely you will be able to play the game exactly as laid out below.

General Hints

Make a very detailed map (every location)
You need 24 items to complete the game - you will get 12 points each time you find one of these items
You also need a magic word
Save often, or you will regret it

The Jester

If he puts a red nose on your face, remove it before you suffocate
If he turns you into an alligator, wait a few turns, then pick up your belongings again
When the bedbug appears, sleep, yawn, lie down, or sing a lullaby to get rid of it

Follow the directions you are given - northeast, south, west, east, west. Dive under the table when Megaboz appears. After the cauldron appears, stand up and take the parchment.

First Explorations

In the Great Hall, take the parchment and the calendar. Go north and read the proclamation. Go south three times to reach the Throne Room, and take the sceptre (Item 1). Go north, north, west to the Garden. Note the flamingo, then go north into the Parlor - note the lobster. Go south, east, east, north to the Banquet Hall. Store all items here when they are not needed. Go back to the Great Hall (south, west) and go up, south to the Gallery. Note the rebus covered with six animals. Go south into the closet and take the bag of food. Press the button - this removes an animal. You need to find the other five buttons.

Secret Wing

Read the calendar (supplied with the game), and note the section on the secret wing (Fun Fax for Suspendur). Go north, north, down, south, south, then sit on the throne and snap your fingers. Go south into the secret passage and take the candle. Go south, west, southwest, up to the Solar. Try to take the key and the Jester will arrive. Answer his riddle with 'y', and you can get the key. Go west, south, and take the cloak and glove, then wear the glove. Go back north, east, down, northeast, east, east, down, south, down. Take and wear the seaman's cap (Item 2), and wait for the Jester. Answer his riddle with 'triplet' to escape your cell. Go southwest to the Torture Chamber, and open all the devices until you locate and take the metronome (Item 3).

Outdoors

Go back to the Entrance Hall (northeast, north, up, west, north, north, north, north, north) and ring the bell. Answer the Jester's riddle with 'time', and the portcullis will open. Go north and take the worm - take the funny paper and read it if it blows past. Head northwest, northwest, up, and turn the wheel to open the bridge. Go back down, then northwest, northwest to the Outer Bailey. Go southwest and open the locker to find a key (take it). Go northeast, northeast, southeast, east, north. Answer 'bookkeeper' to the riddle and get the coin. Go south to the Shady Park, then east to the Village Center. Go south, then take the package and open it. Go north and east, then climb to the office of Frank Lloyd Flathead (19th floor, south) and take the t-square (Item 4). Go north, then right down to the basement.

Press the button in the basement, and continue south to Philharmonic hall. Stand on the conductor's stand, and you will be transported to the basement. Get off the stand, and take the violin (Item 5). Get back on the stand to re-enter the hall. Return north, up to the HQ, and continue east, north to the Magic Shop, where you can take the ring. Go back to the castle (north, west, west, west, west, northwest, southwest, southeast, southeast, southeast, southeast, south, east). Drop unneeded items.

East Wing

Make sure you have the iron key and the candle, and go south, southeast. Unlock and open the door. Go east, north to the Library. Touch the armor three times (learnt from the Jester's patchment) to get the lance (Item 6). Read the encyclopedia about the Jester and anything else you want. Note the Jester's name. Head south, south and open the trapdoor. Go back north, then east to the Guest Rooms. Take the wand, then go east and up. Open the large door and go north, north to the Pyramid Room. Take and wear the goggles (they let you look into objects). Return south, south. Save your game.

Open the small door, to start the Tower Of Bozbar puzzle. This should be fairly easy to solve - the idea is just to move all the weights to the left peg, then move all the weights to the right peg. After moving the weights, open the large door again and get another item. From the middle peg, you got the goggles; from the left you will get the cup and potion, and from the right, the manuscript (Item 7). Now return to the main part of the castle (down, west, west, west, northwest). Go north to the Banquet Hall and dump your unneeded items.

West Wing

Make sure you have the candle, the wand, and the steel key, and are wearing the goggles. Go east, down and take the walnut. Go back up, then west, west. Point the wand at the Lobster, and it will turn into a nutcracker - get it. Go south, southwest, then unlock and open the door. Go west and try to go west again. When the Jester appears, open the walnut with the nutcracker, and show it to the Jester, then eat it. Go north and