Unplugged Travel Games: Travel Connect Four & Haba Four-in-a-Row
We just returned from vacation and a great unplugged travel game that I discovered for the trip home is a cute travel-sized version of the game “Connect Four.” The goal, or course, is to get four pieces in a row before your opponent does. This is such a simple concept, yet it encourages the development of strategic thinking skills and can lead to quite a complex game. Plus I can also highly recommend it since it kept my 5 and 6 year-old entertained for the better part of a 4 hour flight (although we might have lost a few pieces on the plane).
Another really nice one (but a bit harder to find) is Haba’s 4-In-A-Row game. We have this one and my husband and I play it more often than the kids! I should have thought to bring it on the trip because the small size (a 4″ X 5.5″ tin) is ideal for travel. Plus, it is wood so it feels like it will last forever. You can buy it here for $6.99.
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Posted: August 11th, 2007 under Everything Else!, Haba, Toy Recommendations, brands, family games, games, stocking stuffer, tin game (Haba), travel activity, travelling with kids.
Tags: , Connect Four, European toys, Four in a Row, games, German toys, Haba, tin game (Haba), Toy Recommendations, Toy Recommendations, travel games, travel toys, wooden toys
Comments
Comment from Bongga Mom
Time: August 11, 2007, 9:08 am
What a great idea to keep kids busy!
Comment from meeyauw
Time: August 11, 2007, 9:11 am
Connect Four is a game I keep in my math classroom and on my computer lab list. They are not lessons (but they could be) but for kids with time. (Believe me, extra time never happens unless I allow it). But there are mathematics strategies that I want them to be aware of in Connect Four. Sometimes I have them study the strategy and write a paragraph on what the winning strategy is and why.
Comment from jenny
Time: August 11, 2007, 9:21 am
Those are some good games involving rows. Interesting photos as well!
Comment from Dragonheart
Time: August 11, 2007, 9:27 am
Nice shots. :) Two fun games that perfectly illustrate rows. :)
My row photo.
Comment from tray
Time: August 11, 2007, 11:41 am
ahh!! connect 4! i remember trying to play that game as a child. it was always more difficult for me.. since i grew up as an only child and would try to make all the ‘two person’ games into a ’single person’ game… and i always won AND lost… or tied. :-P
Comment from Jose
Time: August 11, 2007, 12:08 pm
First, it’s nice to find a fellow Arizonian blogger. I can’t say I played either of those games (I suck at games) but I had seen them. And your pictures both illustrate this week’s theme.
Comment from KISSEDALOTATOADS
Time: August 11, 2007, 2:48 pm
I remember that game. Now they have it on Pogo.com, they call it Bloop. Great photos and have a happy weekend.
Comment from Kimo & Sabi
Time: August 11, 2007, 4:26 pm
Oooooh - all them little extra parts look like they’d be fun to roll around da floor!
Comment from tegdirb92
Time: August 11, 2007, 7:03 pm
I LOVED connect 4 as a kid!! Played it for hours. Great shot!
Comment from CRIZ LAI
Time: August 12, 2007, 5:33 am
It’s so colorful. Reminded me of my nieces’ toys at home. Nice shots for the theme. Happy Weekend! http://crizlai.blogspot.com/2007/08/photo-hunters-row.html
Comment from Cats~Goats~Quotes
Time: August 12, 2007, 2:55 pm
Oh I remember those games my kids played!
I enjoyed playing Connect Four with them :)
Comment from Paulie
Time: August 12, 2007, 9:42 pm
Good slant ont he theme!
Come see mine.
Comment from meeyauw
Time: August 16, 2007, 8:59 pm
I’ve thought about it, trying to remember. I tend to not remember a thing, literally, until I am in front of a class.
So we start them off just playing. But they are told to try to figure out how to win every time. Or we wait and let them play and then later we tell them (kids want to win anyhow and one will usually figure it out and then the others will see that and will get the secret out of that kid.)
It’s logical thinking that is important in this game and that’s certainly a math skill. If you play first, where do you put the disk? If you play 2nd, where do you block? Always ask why why why. Verbalizing math skills is an awfully hard thing to do.
That’s all I have for now.
Oh: except that http://nlvm.usu.edu has these games as java applets. Some kids do better with that.
Mastermind is the best game for this stuff: logic AND math (combinatorics).
Have fun! (Fun because I found that when I participate I really do have fun. The questioning is more like friend to friend instead of instructor to student.)
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