Mill is a traditional two-player strategic board game played on a special board consisting of lines and connecting points. Each player has nine identical pieces of the same colour. The aim of the game is to place three of one’s own pieces in a straight line (horizontally or vertically). This formation is called a mill. During the game, students engage in creative thinking as they gradually develop their own solutions step by step. They experiment with different ideas, observe which strategies work effectively, and adjust their approach when necessary. Creativity is reflected in the learners’ willingness to try new solutions, recognise connections and patterns, and make decisions based on their own thinking. Although the rules of the game are fixed, students can develop a variety of different solution strategies. In this context, creativity is expressed primarily through flexible thinking, the recognition of new patterns and the continuous modification of strategies.

Skill focus

Primary Skill Focus

• Creativity

Complementary/ Secondary Skill Focus

• Problem solving
• Flexibility
• Critical thinking

Age group	Student number	Duration
6-10 years old	Pair work or whole-class activity using multiple parallel game boards	5-10 minutes

How to play – brief game rules

1. Preparation: The teacher prepares a large Mill board, which can be placed on the floor (using adhesive tape or chalk), on a table (drawn or printed), or outdoors by drawing it on the playground surface. Each player receives the same number of game pieces (e.g. discs, bottle caps or stones) in two clearly distinguishable colours. The teacher briefly introduces the narrative frame of the activity: “This game is not only about winning, but also about trying out new ideas.”
2. Game Process: The game follows the traditional rules of Mill, with the emphasis placed on decision-making. Players take turns placing their pieces on free points on the board. During this phase, placed pieces cannot be moved. If a player forms a mill, they may remove one of the opponent’s pieces, provided it is not part of another mill (unless all opponent pieces are in mills). Once all pieces have been placed, players take turns moving one of their pieces to an adjacent point along the lines. The goal remains to form new mills and gradually remove the opponent’s pieces. When a player has only three pieces remaining, a special rule applies: the player may “jump”, meaning they can move a piece to any free point on the board. The game ends when one player has only two pieces left and can no longer form a mill, or is unable to make a legal move because all their pieces are blocked. Before each move, students are given a short thinking time. The teacher may encourage them not to always choose the most familiar solution. Success is not measured only by whether a mill is formed, but also by how creatively students reach that outcome.
3. Incorporating Creative Variations: To strengthen creativity, the teacher may introduce additional rules, such as “free move”, allowing one player per round to place a piece in an unusual position; “swap move”, where two pieces may exchange places; “surprise round”, during which the player explains why they chose a particular move. These variations do not overcomplicate the game, but they open up new directions of thinking.