|
|
Are You Game for
Games? By Jan Jennrich |
|
|
Are You Game for
Games? By Jan Jennrich |
| The more we play and research games, the more we
recognize their value. We recently took a trip to see family and brought
along several new games. The enjoyment and laughter that came from
playing together enhanced our visit and brought joy to us all. A good
board or card game can be appreciated by both young and old and bridges
the gap between generations.
In this second part of our series on games, we
introduce a few more of our favorite games, some books on coming up with
your own diversions, and an online challenge to play more games as a
family. Enjoy! Some Good Games... |
|
______________________________________________ |
|
|
Blink
Don’t...well...blink or you’ll miss this lightning fast game where players race to be the first to play all of their cards by matching shape, count, or color. Be the first out of cards (usually within 2 minutes of starting), and you win. This game is so speedy that it sometimes takes longer to deal out the cards than complete the game. |
| Fast and as portable as a regular deck of cards,
Blink is a good game to have on hand when you literally only have a few
minutes to play. Slow down the action and you have a fun tool for
teaching younger children shapes, colors and counting. At full speed it
keeps the rest of us alert and thinking!
Keep your eyes open for BLINK! For ages 7 to adult. For 2 players, with variations for more. Retail price: $8 - $10 ______________________________________________ |
| Sequence
Sort of a cross between bingo and 52 card pick-up, the original Sequence game board is covered with rows of playing card images. To play, you choose a card from your hand and then place a plastic chip on a corresponding space on the game board. When you have five in a row, it's a Sequence. Strategy comes into play as you plan future moves, block your opponents and remove their chips. Sequence is a hit with homeschool families in our area. I like this challenging yet easy-to-learn game as a relaxing way to spend time with other moms while our kids play, but strategy |
|
| can get intense too. With teams and multiple
players we found this game extra fun and engaging at family gatherings.
Sequence, from Jax Ltd., comes in several varieties including a Jumbo version with a large cushioned playing mat, a kids version with animal pictures (no reading required), and a travel game with pegs instead of chips. For 2 or more players, ages 7 and up. Retail price varies with version. ______________________________________________ |
|
|
PDQ
New on the market, PDQ (The Pretty Darn Quick Word Game) is a deceptively simple looking game calling for speedy thought. This set of letter cards comes alive as players think fast to form and blurt words using cards that come up randomly. From the Gamewright catalog: “Quick! Try to make a word out of the letters SMP. Sound SiMPle? How about PTR. Get the PicTuRe?” Adding extra interest is the fact that words can be formed backwards as well. For instance |
| SMP can be SiMPle as above, or “PMS” to form
PuMaS or PuMpS. What can you come up with for HMS? (**Some
possible answers after the article. One rule: The letters have to stay
in their original order).
We find PDQ to be especially enjoyable to those who enjoy intelligent, quick thinking. My 74-year-old father thought this the best of all the games we showed him. My adult nephew liked it because it is different every time. We like it because it’s quick, easily portable and challenging for two or for a group. Can’t find anyone else to play? PDQ is fun alone too! We should note that this game could be potentially frustrating to beginning spellers. Our 4th grader reads at a 6th grade level, but still found this game difficult because his spelling skills need work. For him, we change the rules to allow him to make shorter words in any order. From NYC to LAX, PDQ is sure to be A-OK for the USA. (Sorry...I couldn’t resist.) Ages 8 & up. For one or more players. Playing time: about 15 minutes. Sells for the PDR (Pretty Darn Reasonable) price of about $9 - $10. _______________________________________________ |
| Pizza Fraction Fun Game
Pizza Fraction Fun Game delivers a deliciously clever way for kids to explore fractions. Using realistic-looking cardboard pizza slices, players practice fraction identification equivalents, addition, and subtraction while building their own personal pizzas during seven game variations. This yummy game includes thirteen double-sided pizzas (one side with fractions identified, one without) and different spinners for various levels of learning. |
|
| As a homeschool family, we enjoy Pizza Fraction
Fun as a hands-on math tool and a break from traditional workbooks. If
fractions are a tough concept to grasp in your house, you'll appreciate
this kid-friendly game as well.
By the way, expect your kids to argue over who gets the pepperoni. In this house, Mom always gets "stuck" with the mushrooms. For 2-6 players, ages 6 to 12 (or
higher, depending on skills). Retail price: $17.95 (about the price of a
meal delivery). This game from Learning Resources comes in a cute
"pizza" type box. |
|
_____________________________________________ |
|
|
Historical War Reenactment
Games
Chickamauga & Chattanooga... Granada: The Fall of Moslem Spain... Gettysburg 1863... Do these sound like game titles to you? Well, they are. Avalanche Press Ltd. manufactures amazing role playing and battle reenactment games in various series such as War of the States, Decisive Battles of WWII and Battles of Napoleon. What a wonderful way to make high school history lessons come to life! With |
| detailed maps, battle history, and graphics,
these high quality products are sure to delight the history buff in your
house.
We have to admit being a bit overwhelmed by the size of the rule books and the 3 to 8 hour playing time in most of these incredible games. Expect to spend some time learning the ropes (but note that the manufacturer does say they are easy to play). Your older detail-oriented students will love these! Approx. $20-$50 each. |
|
_____________________________________________ |
|
A quick library search located these books for homemade games: Favorite Board Games You Can
Make and Play This book is packed with
reproducible illustrations, rules and history for ancient and modern
games such as Draught, Mancala, and Backgammon (or look for a similar book
called Play It Again: Historic Board Games You Can Make and Play by
the same authors). Parlor Games: Amusements and
Entertainments for Everyone This book is delightful. Parlor
Games is a collection of over 125 turn-of-the-century salon and
outdoor entertainments for all ages. From the introduction: “The only
apparatus required in Parlor Games is a good temper, good spirits, and
gentleness, so that at any moment amusement for an evening can be obtained
by anyone who wills it.” And more... Join the Million Minute Family Challenge! Patch Products, Inc. is gearing up to begin the third annual Million Minute Family Challenge: "a grassroots effort encouraging interaction and communication among family and friends through playing board games." The goal is for 1000 families in 50 states to play games together for at least 20 minutes between September 1 and December 31, 2003. Visit www.millionminute.com to log your own minutes. In the “Organizer Kit” (click on the link on the home page) you’ll also find educational pages to download, including a participation certificate and a fun sheet giving good examples of what a million minutes really is (for example...long enough to have 33,333 pizzas delivered one right after the other!). This event is being supported by Homeschooling Parent magazine, as well as others. Our family will be signing up. Join us and let's have a big homeschool and Phancy Pages turn out! ~~~ Remember that whether you buy,
make, or invent a game, the fun is in the playing. So if it’s been a
while since you enjoyed some good old-fashioned fun, go on now...and play
a game! Resources Most of the games listed are available at educational and toy stores, or check with the manufacturers listed below. Avalanche Press Ltd. Gamewright Jax Ltd., Inc. Out of the Box Publishing Patch Products http://www.millionminute.com or Call 1-800-524-GAME Learning Resources ~~~ **Some possible answers to the PDQ question of HMS (or SMH): HoMeSchool ~~~ Copyright, Janienne Jennrich |
