Choose a theme for the board game. Examples of themes include space, nature, shopping, sports, summertime, colors or just about any other subject that is appropriate for the age of the players.
Decide what the ultimate goal of the game is. For example, the game may be designed so that the players reach a certain total of points, until players reach a certain square on the game board or when only one player's token is left on the board.
Design the game board. Sketch the design of the board on a sheet of cardboard or poster board. Once you are satisfied with the design of the board, trace over the design in a black marker and decorate the board using colored markers, construction paper or paint.
Design the game pieces. Players are usually represented by tokens. Tokens can consist of coins, rocks, shells, dried beans or small toys. Tokens can be painted or otherwise decorated so that each token is unique.
Create any game cards. Game cards are normally stacked in one location on the board and are drawn when a player rolls a certain number on the dice or lands on a particular square on the board. Game cards may allow a player to take another turn, include a math question that must be solved before the player continues, or require the player to go back or forward a certain number of spaces.
Outline the rules of the game on a separate piece of paper and have the list handy whenever the game is played. Rules should include how turns are managed and how the game is won or lost. An example of how turns work could be that each player must roll two dice and add, subtract or multiply the numbers to determine how many spaces to move.
Test your game. Play the game with friends or family members before bringing the game into the classroom so that you have time to iron out any kinks in the rules.