Difficulty level tailoring

Creative extensions:

If you want to extend the activity, you can ask:

  • ‘Can you name your Mikado set?’
  • ‘Can you make up a story to go with it – for example, a “magic stick” or “dangerous stick”?’
  • “What if each stick had a power? What would it do?”
  • ‘How would you explain or present this game to someone else?’
  • Cooperative Macro-Mikado: Play in pairs, with children discussing which stick to take.
  • Add time pressure: One minute to collect as many points as possible.
  • Nature-Mikado 2.0: Add elements such as leaves as “bonus” or pebbles as “punishments”.
  • Other variants:
  • Normal Mikado
  • Mini Mikado: with toothpicks
  • Giant Mikado: with sticks of 100 cm
  • XXL Mikado: with sticks and branches of 200 cm
  • Scouting Mikado: with pioneer poles of various lengths that you must lift as a team
  • Chinese Mikado: with Chinese sticks
  • Floating Mikado: woven in metal wire.

Beginners (6-7 years old): At the beginner level, problem-solving focuses on basic decisions and simple logical steps. Children decide together which stick to take, while the teacher guides them to recognize which moves might cause other sticks to shift. More time is allowed for thinking through each decision and following the rules, helping students gradually become familiar with the foundations of strategic thinking.

Advanced learners (8-9 years old): At the advanced level, problem-solving requires faster thinking, independent decisions, and planning ahead. Children apply their own point systems, evaluate which stick can yield the most points without moving others, and adjust their strategies during the game. Disagreements are resolved cooperatively, and students refine their strategic decisions as they observe outcomes and adapt their choices.

Experts (9–10 years old): At the expert level, problem-solving emerges as complex strategic planning. Children think multiple steps ahead, combine different rule variations, and adapt quickly to changing conditions. They justify their decisions, manage conflicts independently, and continuously assess risks and opportunities to maximize success.