Real-Time Hex: Link Your Two Sides
A no-turns, on-the-move version of Hex: two teams run at the same time to claim spaces on a flat-disc board and link their two sides with an unbroken chain while blocking the other team. It calls for speed, board reading, and communication.
How to play
- Set up four 5x5 boards of flat disc cones in offset rows (each shifted half a step), 3 ft apart. Red cones on two opposite sides, blue on the other two.
- Eight teams of 3, two per board (the extra student referees and rotates), line up 30 ft away with 13 beanbags of their color (2 min to explain).
- On the whistle both teams go at once: the runner drops a beanbag on any empty disc, runs back, and tags the next runner. No turns, just running and deciding.
- Spaces connect if they are neighbors on the offset board. The first team to finish a chain of its own beanbags joining its two sides wins; Hex cannot end in a tie.
- Games last about 3 minutes: winners move up a board, losers move down (five games, about 16 minutes).
Rules
- One beanbag per trip, always on an empty disc; if two arrive together, the first to touch keeps it and the other picks another disc.
- Beanbags already placed cannot be moved or removed.
- Enter and leave the board from your own side so you do not collide with the other team.
Variations
Easier
Use a 4x4 board and take alternating turns instead of a simultaneous start.
Standard
A 5x5 board with both teams running at the same time.
Harder
Use a 6x6 board and make runners go out and back with a side shuffle.
Adaptations
- Limited mobility: the student points to the chosen disc from the side while a teammate places it, or plays from 15 ft.
- Autism: explain with a drawing which spaces count as neighbors and keep their team's color the same every game.
- Fitness level: a smaller team may carry two beanbags per trip.
Learning goals
- Plan a path and adjust it to the opponent's blocks.
- Keep a high running pace without losing accuracy.
- Communicate clearly and briefly with teammates.
Equipment for a class of 25
- flat disc cones: 100
- beanbags: 104
- colored cones: 16
Teacher tip
The first game is usually a thoughtless race: afterward, require a 30-second plan. Check that rows are properly offset.
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