Mahjong Puzzle Activities

Group Activities

• While Mahjong is a one-player game, there are ways to incorporate it as a group activity. Microsoft Windows Vista comes with a pre-installed Mahjong game that doesn't cost anything to play. Players can choose from six different game layouts making it easy to form group activities. For example, a group can play together on one computer and help each other find various moves to win the game. To have each person play their own game but still play with others, each player can use their own computer and communicate certain moves and strategies to each other. Students can also utilize this idea on indoor recess days or when there is game time allowed in a computer lab class.

Competition Activities

• Players can challenge each other on how fast they can clear the tiles on the layout. If the game doesn't provide a timer, a stopwatch can be used to keep time or a "moderator" can keep track of the time. Groups can also form teams for team competition and perform in the same manner. For team competitions, play through at least three mahjong layouts and the team that plays through all three layouts successfully in the least amount of time wins. If students are in a computer lab class, for example, a mahjong tournament can be set up to encourage friendly competition and teamwork.

Research Activity

• Since Mahjong is an ancient Chinese game, there are many research opportunities to research the origins and "lifespan" of the game. Students at any grade level can research the topic. This gives students a chance to develop research skills as well as the chance to research a foreign country. Topics for this activity could include researching how and where the game started, the game's significance in Chinese culture, how its influence spread to the United States as well as other countries and how the game's tile layouts have evolved.