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!

Marble Circuit Fun

You know we love games and such around here, right?  There is just something about a game that brings people together and makes things fun.  We play a lot of different types, but for some reason we always seem to eventually drift back to problem solving type games.  It may because we have a wide range of ages under our roof currently, or maybe we are just such left brain dominant people we can't help ourselves.


Either way, I knew when I saw Marble Circuit being offered by Timberdoodle Co  I had several in our family that would love it.  Turns our everyone does and many competitions to see who is better and faster have been had!

Marble Circuit is a relatively easy game as far as instructions go.  Pick a card you want to try, there are 64 that vary in difficulty, and try to get your eight marbles to run a course to a final resting place that ends up matching the card you choose.  All answers are on the back of each card.

Sound easy?
Think again!

To direct your marbles to the appropriate final space you must arrange  ten different tiles that force the marbles one way or another.  By changing the direction of a tile, you can change the path of a marble.  But that same tile may direct the path of additional marbles to place you do not want them to go.

Once you think you finally have the solution, you slowly pull the stopper at the top and watch your marbles run the course you have set up.  When they all settle into their final places you then check to see if your marbles match the solution card.

Of course, our 12 year old was the first to try out Mable Circuit.  He is, after all, the master of puzzles.  After doing a few of the easier cards he conned his brother into trying and the competition was on!

As soon as dad came home he got into the fun and his older sister, who I think may be the fastest so far, got in on the fun!
 

I love this game for so many reasons!

• Because it is on the smaller size, it is easy to take with you on the go and pull out when you need to fill some time.

•  It is great way to build problem solving skills. 

• It is great for team building or some friendly competition.

•  It is good for fine motor skills. 

• It is good for visual learners.

• It's a fun quick break from school when tensions are running high.

•  It is quiet! (hey, I AM a mom of four after all!) 

You can find Marble Circuit in the 5th Grade Curriculum Kit from Timberdoodle, but don't let that limit your thinking.  It is fun for all ages! One caution I have for you is the marbles are quite small and could pose a chocking hazard for small children.  Be careful where you store it is you have littles in your house!

Just make sure you keep it close enough to pull out frequently- it can be quite the addiction!

Blessings,