Laser Chess For The Win

You know by now we are a game loving family!  Like, we play games several times a week and often Colby and I end our school day with a quick game of cards or such.  I thought my older kids loved games- but the 13 year has them all beat.  In more ways than one, since he usually DOES win!

I was thrilled to be able to add a new game to our ever growing collection, because let's face it, we have more time on our hands these days with the virus messing with our plans.  Staying at home is a blessing though when you have fun things to do with your kids!

Laser Chess is a great addition and one I have been eyeing for a while.  The name Chess held me at bay until I got the opportunity to review it for Timberdoodle.  Let's start by saying I do not, nor does anyone in our family, play chess.  And that is OK.  Because other than the fact that you are trying to "capture" someone's king and certain play pieces can do special things, this game is not like traditional chess.

Made me feel a lot better.

Did NOT help me in winning.

But it is a fun game for two people, ages 8 and up.

There are several quick ways to set up the game and then you are ready.  Each player takes turns moving one of their pieces or has the option to rotate one.  Once you do, you push the button to see where your laser beams hits.  You can take out your own man, so careful planning is needed.  Ask me how I know! If you hit your opponent's piece, they remove that piece from the board.  Again, the object is to take out their king. 

Here's where the strategy kicks in.  The pieces are mirrored and reflect the laser beam at 90 degree angles, from one piece to another.  You have to figure out how to position your men to work together to take out your opponent.  Some pieces are always safe, some reflect on two sides, and some reflect only from one side, so careful placement is needed.

I will have to admit this game is not my cup of tea as far as winning, ( I don't. Ever.) but I do enjoy playing it with my son.  Each game takes about 10-20 minutes depending on how skilled, or not, you are.  More importantly though, is all three boys in my house, to include my husband, do like it and have gotten quite good at it. It is fun to watch them strategize and problem solve!

If you are looking for a fun game to keep those kiddos busy this fall, Laser Chess is definitely one you will want to grab!  Not only will they have fun, but they are learning great problem solving skills as they play.  That's a win- win in this momma's book!

*Laser Chess is part of Timberdoodle's 7th Grade kit!

Blessings,

Chroma Cube Fun

Do you remember as a kid doing those puzzles that required you to actually think?  You know, "Mom had twelve sons, if the 3rd son sat beside the 8th son and the 2nd son sat two rows up..." type things.  And yes, I totally made that up.  I always was intrigued by them but never very good at it honestly.

As it would turn out years later, I have a few kids that not only like those kinds of puzzles but are actually pretty good at them.  They enjoy being challenged and can get in some pretty serious competitions at times.  I knew when we saw Chroma Cube in the newest Timberdoodle Co. catalog it was time to add a new puzzle to our growing list!

You can tell when something is a hit in our house when you always find it sitting out on the counter, and always on TOP of the other games.  (Did I mention games are big in our house?)

Chroma Cube is that kind of hit.  This brain teasing puzzle is made of 12 wooden blocks and a 3X4 wood grid base that holds them.  In a handy little cubbie on the side you will find the directions and 25 puzzle cards.  These cards go from simple to difficult, but unlike other puzzle games, need to be done in order.  They not only progress in difficulty, but some of the later puzzles rely on the earlier knowledge gained from the simpler cards.  No skipping around here.

Each card gives you a picture of how the grid should be set up before you begin.
 

Then following the clues at the bottom of the card, you begin to place the remaining colored cubes in the empty slots.  Once you think you have them all positioned correctly, you can check yourself with the answer key on the back of the card.

As with most new things that come into our house to review, we were eager to try this one out.  Our 12 year old who is our puzzle master had the first go at it.  He quickly went from "this is easy" to "oh, wow!"  After doing a few by himself he decided to challenge other family members to see who could also solve them.  That soon became a game of who could solve them the fastest.  While we have not completed all of the levels we are slowly working our way through them and recently even had our company in on the fun.

It is fun to see how different people process the information and solve the puzzles, especially at different ages and different learning styles.

Reasons to love Chroma Cube-

•  Quick to set up

• Challenging for all ages

• Good for visual and hands on learners

• Family fun

• Sturdy construction

• Easy to transport for on-the-go fun

• Pretty enough to leave sitting out

Chroma Cube is part of Timerdoodle's 11th grade curriculun kit.  Have you seen these kits?  They are simply amazing and offer some of the best products out there in one simple kit.  You can also personalize them according to your specific needs.

Looking for a new challenge in your day?  Or maybe a quiet activity that will engage your child's mind and keep there fingers busy?  Of  a new addition to a Logic Basket, filled with logic activities for your older teens?  Chroma Cube may be your answer!

3 Seeds- Another Great Game and Review

We were introduced to Chara Games by way of a review for the Schoolhouse Review Crew.  At that time, we received their new game Commissioned.  It is a keeper, and we play it a lot.  Since then the husband and wife team, Patrick and Kat Lysaght, owners and the creators of Chara Games, developed a second game, this time a card game, called 3 Seeds.

3 Seeds is a "light" strategic card game for 2-5 players.  The recommended age is 12+ , but our 9 year old has picked it up fairly quickly!  We love strategy games, but they are often too big to lug around, so we were excited to find one that we can pop in my pocketbook and take on the go.

CharaGames aims to develop games that have Christian themes for teens and adults.  While you do not have to be a Christian to play them, I believe you will by all means appreciate them more as a Christian.  There is also a good deal of history to be learned as well as character and Christian principles, all wrapped up in the fun of the games!

So how is 3 Seeds played?

Time, Labor, and Money are your "seed" cards.  Plant them in your "fields" and the fields of others to reap points.  Each field requires a certain number of each card to be completed.  With each completed field you earn points towards winning.  You must choose the fields in which you plant carefully, as some have higher point values than others.  There are also "special event" cards that can add bonus points to your score.

 

I like this card game as it takes some thought and although there is a winner,  in some ways it is a group effort game (actually Ashton just informed me that it is not at all a group effort game, and that is why I never win).  I also love that it can be played in about 30 minutes.  For a family that has a kid that begs to play games daily and is past the simple kid board games, that is a plus for us!

Like Commissioned and 3 Seeds, but ready for something new?  CharaGame  just fully financed their new game Unauthorized in a record two days, and the kickstarter campaign is still going strong to even more fully support the upcoming release.  We cannot wait to get our copy and get started!

With two amazing games out and another one on the way, we are eager to see Chara Games take it's place in the world of strategy games.  They are well on their way!

Schooling With Games

Games have come a long way since I was a kid.  Be ready, I am going to age myself here. Candyland, Mousetrap and Sorry may still be around, but these days games seem to be evolving to keep up with the ever growing mania of computers, iPhones and social media.  Not that that is a bad thing. As a matter of fact, I am slowly learning to use games to my advantage.  Teaching school just got easier!

Yep, we are schooling with games!

Not every day, mind you, though I have one child who would jump on that bandwagon.  But certainly more often than I used to.

Let me show you how to school with games!

Cards!
Let's start off simple here since most families can dig out a pack of cards from somewhere.  Our favorite game is 10 Facts.  Yes, I made that name up, but I did not make the game up.  I am pretty sure it came from one of our math curriculums years ago.  The concept is simple.  Remove the face cards, deal each player seven cards, and have a discard pile.  When it is your turn you ask for a card that would make a ten fact in your hand.  You know- 1+9, 2+8.  If the opponent does not have the card you asked for, they draw a card and then play goes to the next player.  Think go fish, math style!

Also, remember that just having littles play simple games with cards increases their recognition of numbers.

We also use cards for memory games in a pinch, but love having separate memory games in our arsenal!

Board Games!
There is no better way to teach cooperation than a board game.  It also teaches life skills like how to be a good loser and a gracious winner.  In addition, problem solving skills learned in some board games are immeasurable!  We often break the suggested age rules and challenge even our 8 year old to play strategy games.  Even at 8 he can hold his own in games like Coup and Love Letter.

Learning Games!
Have you ever played Sequence?  Did you know there is a states and capitals version?  Yep, that is how we learn our states and capitals!  Why not try monopoly in a theme for learning?

Online Apps!
I am not a huge fan of online games, and we are pretty strict with our screen time around here, but, yes, I will admit there are some good apps out there.  My kids have learned amazing history from Dig-It! games, and reading skills from apps like Reading Eggs!  Just pick a theme your kids are interested in and explore the app store.  So many are free these days so it is a win- win situation.

Printables!
If you haven't noticed, printables make the world go around these days.  They are everywhere- from dedicated web sites to bloggers looking to pull you in.  And many make great games to further your child's learning.  We found this one recently on Super Teacher Worksheets that teaches facts about states and capitals.  Ask me how many times we have played it!

Imaginative Games!
Blankets can turn into forts and brooms into muskets.  Especially after particularly interesting history lessons, a good game of pretend can help to solidify the things you have studied.  Trust me, things played out and repeated (over and over and over again) will stick in a child's head much more easily. When that Civil War history shows up on a CLEP test, guess whose child is going to remember it. We also love games that just make you think outside the box and stretch the creative side of you. Logic type games allow kids to use a side of their brains not used as often in straight book learning. Plus, do not forget that kids learn through play!  Let them play! The days of play are fleeting, take it from one who knows all too well.

Can we play all day?  According to moms everywhere- no!  But let me encourage you to make time to play and learn with games more often than not.  Your kids will thank you and learn along the way!

Linking up with friends!

Blessings,

The Gaming Continues

Yep, we are STILL playing games around here.  It is just what we do.  A lot.

But today I want to share with you a few I think are great for homeschoolers in particular.  Well, OK, they are great for anyone, but we homeschoolers like to pretend anything can count as school.

Sometimes it can!

Battleship- Do not ask me how this child talked his sister into playing with him.  Not sure she will do it ever again.  BUT- this is a great strategy game.  It can teach children about slowing down and thinking about what they should do next.  (trust me when I say this boy needs to slow down sometimes!) It teaches reasoning.  It even teaches about how to lose gracefully.  ummm, still working on that one.

UNO- Yep, still playing this one.  I have said it before, but it bears repeating- this game is good for number and color recognition.  Yes, we have now moved passed that need, but someone who shall remain nameless really likes to win at this one.

Sorry-  While some of us are pretty tired of this game, it does teach good counting skills and reading skills as well.

Creationary- In case you haven't noticed, Legos are the homeschoolers new best friend!  Teaching math- check!  Teaching art- check!  I am not kidding.  There are lessons plans out there for about any subject you want to revolve around Legos.  For now we are sticking to the game, but I will admit it teaches a lot of creativity.  For the record- I stink at it!  Big time!

Campbells Alphabet Dice Game - This is a fun one.  I like it because it is a little less intimidating than Scrabble and takes a lot less time.  A good game to teach spelling but has a few extra rules that make it fun as well.

There are many more, but a mom can only take but so many games a day.  Now, to get the 6 year old to understand that!  Next week, let's talk about some "grown up" games, shall we?

Until then, win some- lose some, but have fun either way!

Blessings, 

Beginning on Monday you can see what other games and toys fellow homeschoolers are playing!

Game Night - Let the Games Begin!

Game Night!

Game Night, anyone?

We like games at our house.  For a while we had a family game night every other Friday but it just did not give us the fix we needed so now we just play games whenever.  Often daily.  Sometimes multiple times a day.  We have one child that is a little fixated on games.  Ok, a lot fixated.

We were excited to get a few new games for Christmas from some dear friends - they know us well.
Our challenge around here - remember our kids span from almost 20 to 6 years old.  It is HARD to find a game that makes everyone happy.  The youngest cannot play Settlers of Catan, one of our favorites, and the olders are getting tired of Sorry and Uno.  When we find or are given games that span the ages we are a happy family.

So what are we playing these days for Game Night?

Set - this is a fun one!  Well, not for me because I lose every. single. time.  I am not a visual learner and so while I enjoy this game, I am no good at it.  Our college girl and her 16 year old sister win most of the time.  The great thing about this game though is you can teach younger kids to play.   They can beat me as well.

Tenzi - A very simple dice game with a few variations but we really like this one  and have played it almost daily since we got it.  You can play for 5 minutes or 30.  Sometimes we will break it out while waiting for someone.  Each tube has four sets of dice, so if more people are playing you will need multiple tubes.  I got it at a specialty gift shop.

Kerfluffle - This is a fun dice game that has a game board.  Think Scrabble meets Rummicube, with a few action cards thrown in to keep kids entertained.  It takes a little thought but our 6 year old has had no problem catching on and asks to play it daily.  The real reason is those action cards I mentioned.  Things like, if you can place all your dice, do the chicken dance, or play this play with the yellow dice on your head, or sing the ABC song during your turn.  Warning - I did throw away one card due to encouraging the imitation of bodily noises.  We have two boys who do not need any encouragement.  ;)

 Blurble - This game will also keep you on your toes.  No strategy but still takes a lot of thought.  On your turn you flip over a card and then say a word that starts with the same letter as picture you see begins with.  Sound easy?  I thought so too, but I am slow!  First it takes me a while to figure out what the silly picture is and then that word is stuck in my head and I cannot think of a new one.  Or the word someone said the turn before is stuck in my head.  Needless to say, I do not win this one much either, but I do laugh a lot.

Laughing and game night.  They go hand in hand and I love every minute of it.  We are teaching our kids to enjoy each other's company, compromise when choosing the next game to play, strategize, or at least follow directions and lose gracefully (that's for me mostly!).

How about you?  What are you playing for Game Night?

Blessings,