First, she cut open one side of the cardboard box and placed a layer of Styrofoam on top. At the bottom end of the box, she attached used plastic cups. She then stuck thumbtacks into the Styrofoam sheet. After that, she made small balls out of scrap paper, shaping them into spheres and securing them with glue. She also prepared a set of questions for the students on small sheets of paper. In this game, students must answer the questions on a piece of paper.
For students who are able to answer the questions, Mahmudah gives a reward in the form of a star sticker or a small treat such as snacks or candy.
The rules of the game are simple: students roll the paper ball from the top of the board, letting it pass through the thumbtack obstacles until it falls into one of the cups below. The student then picks up the piece of paper inside the cup—previously prepared by Mahmudah—and reads it aloud in front of their classmates.
Some of the questions she prepared include:
- Give an example of an experience you’ve had at school.
- Mention and write down the principles of Pancasila.
- Describe what the atmosphere in the mountains is like.
- Describe what the atmosphere in a village is like.
“Setelah membacakan pertanyaan yang mereka temukan, siswa pun dapat langsung menjawab lalu disambung dengan kegiatan menuliskan jawabannya dalam selembar kertas,” cerita Mahmudah.
Untuk waktu pelaksanaannya, kegiatan belajar sambil bermain ‘Harta Karun Ajaib’ ini biasanya Mahmudah lakukan pada pagi hari menjelang pelajaran, atau di siang hari menjelang waktu pulang sekolah demi untuk menstimulasi siswa berliterasi.
Menurut Mahmudah, siswa-siswanya sangat antusias mengikuti permainan ini, selain kemampuan siswa membuat kalimat menjadi lebih baik melalui permainan ini, siswa pun terpacu untuk berpartisipasi demi untuk mendapatkan reward atau hadiah.