I was not going to post this Blog just yet but I have been getting a barrage of questions about my recent Twitter and Instagram posts where I showcased my custom scratch tickets! Since today (the 18th) is my birthday and I'm writing this post it goes to show you how committed I am to you all and my cause of Gamification! :)
Here we go ...
The first question to address here is where I got my scratch ticket stickers/paper. While there are multiple places you can buy this online I always order from MyScratchOffs. Click here to check out their website. They have a wide variety of styles, shapes, sizes and colours to choose from - some really cool holographic ones too!. They are top quality and always come as advertised. I also find their prices to be very fair and their shipping to be quick and reliable. I ordered and received them in less than 2 weeks and I live in Canada - so that was impressive!
If budget is not a hurdle for you they can even be contacted to create custom designs to best suit your vision. What is also unique about them is that they sell full size scratch sheets which also allows for total customization and creativity! Overall, this is my go to recourse if I am buying them.
But what if budget is an issue for you and you cannot afford to purchase a set? No problem at all, here are a couple of links that allow you to create your own scratch off paint. Before I found MyScratchOffs I made my scratch cards this way. It does take a little more time and effort but it does work quite well!
Scratch Paint Link 1
Scratch Paint Link 2
Here why not ... a great YouTube tutorial as well!
Step 1: Create Your Design
*Note* For this tutorial I'll be walking you through how I created my loot bags *Note*
Before you get to this point you kind of need to have an idea about how you would like to use your cards. I decided that I wanted to create loot bags that could be found throughout my game, specifically when they defeated a monster or an enemy (I really wanted that RPG lke feel). I predominantly have enemies drop these bags when they are defeated and kids LOVE it!
When I decided this I knew that I wanted to keep the dimensions of these cards to that of my game cards so I measured the pockets of my inventory holder and created a digital template that looks like this ...
Next on the list is to print them out and a massive tip here is to use Card Stock paper! You want at least a 50lb value on the paper to ensure that it holds its shape and does not get destroyed both when it gets printed on and especially when it is scratched. Normal, run of the mill paper here will not fly. Once you have that set it will look something like this ...
A quick reminder, if your card stock is dark and does not allow for good quality printing of the text just make the text box filled with a white-ish colour and you can print on anything because the printer helps create the white space you need. While this does not always work it has helped me manage darker than expected card stocks!
Now that you have your items ready you are on to the finishing touches. First, DO NOT CUT THEM YET! Place your stickers, or your paint, over the area you want to conceal and be revealed when you scratch it. When you are done you will have something that looks like this...
Now, the creative part! I realized I did not like the looks of just this, and really who would - boring! So I found a graphic for an old style burlap, mesh type bag! I duplicated the template I showed earlier in the post and added the bag over top of it and lined it up so it all fit nicely. Then the crucial part, delete everything but the bag! When you are done you will get something that looks like this ... the left being the template to fill in and the right being the graphic overlay...
The scratch ticket paper, whether you make it yourself or buy the stickers is totally printable! The incredible part about this is that because you can print on it you are only limited to your own creativity! Printing on them allows you to fully customize each and every scratch sticker you create! As you can see I will be removing the outer circle later on for a more seamless look but I'll keep it in for now so they (my students) know where to scratch!
The last thing to do is to test it to make sure it work!
So there you have it! A brief how to regarding the creation of your own scratch tickets for your class.
In my next post I'll give you some more ideas about how you can use this idea in your classroom. I use them in about 3 to 4 different ways at minimum and I'll be sure to share them with you a little later on!
Finally, a small gift to you! Here is a copy of my loot bag template! Just fill in your prizes and print!
Now, go get the word out and start scratching your way to victory!
Until next time!
-Master Heebs