This is an adapted version of Beavers and Mice, a game of memory, luck, and simple arithmetic. Players still aim to finish each round with the lowest total by smartly replacing cards without being allowed to flip them again.

In this version, the animals are not just decoration. The beavers, mice, and cards that show both kinds of animals, represent biodiversity and interdependence: even when there is rivalry, living beings often need each other to survive and thrive. The game stays competitive, but students learn that winning and thriving are not the same thing – nature thrives through balance and diversity, and people thrive when we respect differences and cooperate responsibly.

Skill focus

Primary Skill Focus

• Valuing people and nature

Complementary/Secondary Skill Focus

• Connectedness
• Critical Thinking
• Problem-solving

Age group	Student number	Duration
6-10 years old	groups of 2-10 children (best: 4-8)	20-30 minutes

How to play – brief game rules

A) Core rules (unchanged)

1. Shuffle the deck and give 4 face-down cards to each player in a row.
2. At the start, each player secretly looks at their two corner cards, memorises them, and puts them back face down.
3. Players take turns clockwise. On your turn:

• Draw a card from the deck, look at it, and decide if you want to keep it.
• If you keep it, replace one of your four face-down cards (without flipping it). Put the replaced card face-up next to the deck.
• If you don’t keep it, discard the drawn card face-up next to the deck.

4. Next player chooses either:

• draw a new card from the deck, or
• take the top face-up card from the discard pile.

5. Red cards do not count as numbers. If drawn, reveal it and follow the instruction:

• Exchange: swap one of your face-down cards with another player’s face-down card (without seeing them).
• Second chance: draw a card secretly; if you don’t want it, discard it and draw one more.
• Quick look: secretly peek at one of your face-down cards.

6. If a player thinks they have the lowest total, they knock. All other players get one final turn.
7. Reveal cards, add totals, lowest total wins the round. Play multiple rounds and keep overall scores.

B) The “Biodiversity & Coexistence” layer (added on top)

These additions don’t change the mechanics—only the meaning and the classroom learning focus.

1. Biodiversity Check (before the round starts – 1 minute)

Teacher says:

“In nature, it’s not just about who is strongest. A healthy habitat needs different living beings. Beavers and mice may compete sometimes, but they also need each other because each one has something important for the ecosystem.”

2. Interdependence Prompt (during play – 5 seconds when an animal is seen)

Whenever a face-up card shows:

• Beaver: “What does the beaver help within nature?” (e.g., water habitats, building, shelter for others)
• Mouse: “What does the mouse help within nature?” (e.g., spreading seeds, being part of the food chain, keeping balance)
• Both animals: “This shows co-existence: what happens when different living beings share a home?”

3. “We Need Each Other” moment (only when the Exchange card happens)

The swap still happens exactly the same, but add one sentence:

Before swapping, each player says one of these (teacher can give them as options):

• “Even if we compete, we still share the same habitat.”
• “Different living beings have different strengths.”
• “I will swap fairly and respectfully.”

This is where the game naturally teaches the idea: what I have might be valuable to you, and what you have might be valuable to me – even without knowing what it is yet.

4. Optional (simple) Coexistence Goal for the whole group (does not affect who wins)

At the end of the round, do a fast class check:

• If, across the table, players collectively have a mix of beaver cards and mouse cards showing in their revealed sets, the class earns a “Healthy Habitat” point for that round.
• If almost all are one type, teacher says: “This is what happens when biodiversity is lost – habitats become weaker.”

This creates a parallel message: You can still compete, but the habitat needs diversity to stay healthy.

Indoor: Small groups at tables. Keep the discard pile clearly visible.

Outdoor: Flat surface with trays/clipboards so cards don’t fly away.

Layout tip: Place a small “Habitat Reminder” card in the middle that says: “Biodiversity = different living beings. Different strengths. Shared home.”

This game develops Valuing People and Nature by helping children experience, through play, that:

1. Biodiversity matters (nature perspective)

Children notice that beavers, mice, and mixed cards represent different roles in the ecosystem. The short prompts build the idea that a habitat is healthiest when it includes different living beings, not just one. “Both” cards help children understand coexistence, where different species share space and influence each other.

2. Diversity matters (people perspective)

In the classroom, students see that players also bring different strengths: memory, patience, risk-taking, careful thinking, quick calculation, emotional control. The teacher highlights:

“Just like nature needs many kinds of living beings, people communities work better when we respect differences.”

3. Humans must respect and coexist with nature – and we need each other

The repeated message becomes:

• living beings are interconnected
• competition exists, but so does mutual need
• responsible choices protect shared habitats

Children begin to connect this to everyday actions: caring for animals and plants, reducing harm, sharing resources fairly, and seeing themselves as part of nature – not separate from it.

After this game, students should be able to:

• Explain why biodiversity makes nature stronger (different living beings = balance and resilience).
• Give at least one example of how two living beings can both compete and still need each other (shared habitat, food chain, shelter, balance).
• Show more respectful language about animals, habitats, and nature (“They have a role,” “They belong here”).
• Recognize that human diversity (different strengths, cultures, needs) is valuable and supports community well-being.
• Demonstrate coexistence behaviours during play: fair swaps, kind tone, no blaming, and responsibility for the shared space.
• Use critical thinking when uncertain: “What do I know? What do I not know? What is my best decision right now?”

1. Before starting:

“In this habitat, beavers change the river, and mice help spread life in the forest. They might argue or compete, but they are part of the same system.”

2. When a ‘both’ card appears face-up:

Teacher: “This card shows coexistence. What do we need to do when we share a home?”

Student: “Be careful, respect space, don’t harm.”

3. When Exchange is played:

Teacher: “Swapping can feel unfair, but we practice fairness. In nature, sharing space is not always easy either.”

4. End-of-round biodiversity check:

“Do we see both animals represented on the table? What does that tell us about a healthy habitat.”

• Beavers and Mice card deck
• Optional: a small “Habitat Reminder” card/poster (biodiversity, coexistence, shared home)
• Optional: “Healthy Habitat” points sheet (one point per round if biodiversity appears across players)
• Paper/pencil for game scoring.

In order to not mess with the flow of the game, guiding questions if used should be very brief or have them notice things in order to discuss later during the debriefing.

• Can you win with only the cards you started with, or do you need help from what others reveal?
• What helped you more right now: luck, memory, or another player’s discard?
• Did another player’s “waste” become useful for you? What does that remind you of in nature?
• Are you competing… but also depending on each other to improve your set?
• If everyone kept everything to themselves, would the game still move forward well?
• When you saw a beaver/mouse/both card, did it change your choice or your plan?
• Are you trying to remove “big numbers” only… or also trying to keep the game fair and respectful?
• What do you know for sure, and what are you guessing? 
• “Can you win alone?”
• Is this card showing competition, coexistence, or balance? (pick one word)

• Challenge: It’s competitive, so kids may ignore the message.
  Tip: Keep prompts short, repeated, and calm. You’re not stopping play—just adding tiny “meaning moments.”
• Challenge: Swaps can cause frustration.
  Tip: Normalize feelings and focus on fairness:
• Challenge: “It’s okay to feel disappointed. We still treat each other kindly.”
  Tip: Kids may treat animals as “teams” and become mean about it.
• Challenge: Reframe immediately.
  Tip: “In nature, teams are not ‘better.’ Every living being has worth.”
• Challenge: Some kids will struggle with uncertainty.
  Tip: Use it as learning: “You don’t have all the information—so you make your best choice responsibly.”
  

One liner teacher narrations:

When a player takes from the discard pile: “Interesting—someone else’s card became your resource.”

When the Exchange card happens: “We share a habitat, so we affect each other.”

When a “both” card shows: “Different living beings can share space.

Beginners (6-7 years old): Use very simple prompts, such as “What does it need?” or “How do we share space?” Students may be allowed one extra peek at the start if needed. Children focus on noticing how each card represents an animal or role in the ecosystem and how their choices affect both the game and the “habitat.” They practice fair exchanges and cooperation, developing respect for the needs of others—both in nature and among people. The main goal is to strengthen awareness of interdependence and the value of all living beings.

Advanced learners (8-9 years old): Add “why” questions, e.g., “Why does biodiversity protect the habitat?” Students explain their strategies and reasoning: “What helped me make this choice?” They explore how their decisions impact both the animal ecosystem and the human players. This encourages responsibility, empathy, and reflective thinking about the consequences of actions for people and nature. Teams develop deeper understanding of interdependence and learn to balance competition with cooperation.

Experts (9–10 years old): Introduce scenario challenges, e.g., “A new road cuts through the forest. What could humans do to reduce harm?” Students propose realistic solutions such as wildlife crossings, protected areas, litter reduction, or planting. Teams discuss trade-offs and predict consequences for both animals and humans. Children practice responsible decision-making, collaboration, and evaluating the needs of diverse living beings. This level emphasizes valuing people and nature, fostering ethical thinking, empathy, and a sense of shared responsibility for the community and the environment.

• If this animal could talk, what would it ask for: clean water, safe home, or food?
• What might happen to the forest/river if this animal disappeared?
• Is this animal a “small” part… or an important part of the whole system?
• Does nature work better with one kind of animal, or many different kinds?
• When habitats change, who else is affected?
• What is one way humans could help this habitat today? (one quick idea)
• Where did you see competition in the game? Where did you see interdependence?
• What did you learn about biodiversity from the animal cards?
• Why might a habitat become weaker if it loses one kind of living being?
• How are people like biodiversity—why do we need different strengths and differences?
• How did you act when something felt unfair (like a swap)? What helped you stay kind?
• What is one way humans can coexist with nature instead of harming it?
• What is one small action you will take this week to show respect for nature?