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October 1, 2018

How to play MASH + a free printable game sheet!

In today’s post: Remember the MASH game? Learn how to play MASH and download a free printable game sheet so your kids can have as much fun as you used to!

Alright, we’re going old school today. A friend of mine recently posted on Facebook that she had introduced the MASH game to her kids and they were loving it. The memories that came flooding back when I read that! Sitting with friends before school, playing the game to tell our futures: where we’d live, who we’d marry, what jobs we’d have, and whether we’d live in a mansion or a shack when we grew up. It was fun and silly and always a great way to pass the time during inside recess (we had a lot of those in the rainy North West!).

I’ve decided it’s high time to pass the MASH game tradition down to the new generation, and just for fun I created a game sheet you can print out so you can introduce the game to your own kids.

Printable MASH game

MASH game worksheet

To make it easier for kids to learn how to play, I made a printable worksheet. Of course you absolutely don’t need to use this worksheet – one of the great things about MASH is you can play anywhere with just a pen and paper. But the worksheet makes it a little easier when you’re learning how to play.

Download the black and white MASH worksheet by clicking here

Download the color MASH worksheet by clicking here

Printable MASH game in black and white and color

How to play MASH

Ok, the MASH game is a fun way to predict your future by narrowing down options you choose. MASH stands for: mansion, apartment, shack, house. These are your options for where you’re going to live.

You also fill in 4 options for each of the following categories:

  • Where you will live
  • Who your spouse will be
  • What your job will be
  • How many kids you’ll have
  • What kind of car you’ll drive

These are the categories we used most often when we played as kids, so that’s what I’ve included on the game sheet, but you can obviously play without the game sheet and include whatever categories you’d like. The unwritten rule was always that at least one option in each category has to be pretty awful, ‘cuz half the fun is finding out you’re gonna be stuck married to The Hulk (just remind kids not to be mean about real people that they know).

Filling out options on printable MASH game

Once you’ve filled in all your options, you get to draw the “magic spiral.” Just start with a dot and draw a spiral around it until a friend tells you to stop. Then count how many loops you made – that will be your “magic number”. We’ll use the magic number to narrow down our options until there’s only one left in each category.

In this example, the magic number is 6. Starting with mansion/apartment/shack/house, count down your list of options and stop when you get to the magic number and cross out the option (in this example we’re using 6, so the first option to get crossed off is “Prince Charming”). Continue through your list, crossing out the option you land on each time you count to the magic number (so in this example “13” gets crossed off next, then “School Bus”, etc). When you get to the end of the list, go back to the beginning and keep counting and crossing items off. As you count be sure to skip anything that’s been crossed off already.

MASH game printable worksheet

When you get down to just one option left in any category, circle it. Then skip that category completely as you continue counting and crossing off options. When you get down to one circled option in each category, you’re done – and now you know the future!

Girl holding MASH game print out

Totally silly and lots of fun. Enjoy!

 

Looking for more fun activities for kids? Check out these posts:

How to play spoons

How to play the dice game

How to play California speed

How to fold an origami frog that really jumps

How to create gorgeous art with tissue paper and water

Fired alcohol ink art for kids

How to play MASH printable

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Home » fun for kids » How to play MASH + a free printable game sheet!


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  2. Free Printable MASH Game for Girl's Slumber Party says:
    May 19, 2019 at 5:28 am

    […] Free Printable MASH Game Template by It’s Always Autumn […]

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    June 29, 2020 at 9:10 am

    […] you remember the game M.A.S.H. from your childhood? Here's a really fun, free printable that let's your tween doodle away at what their “future” might look […]

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  5. Fun Writing Games for Kids - Prompts and Ideas - The Bustling Mom says:
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I'm Autumn, a mom of five who loves ice cream, Masterpiece Theatre, and clothes that hide the fact that I eat so much ice cream. When I was 18 I got a job at a craft store and told everyone (regularly) how much I hated crafts. Well, things change! Read More…

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