Comments (5)

By Mom Unplugged, August 22, 2007 6:30 pm

I remember a fun game we used to play when I was in elementary school. Our teacher would have someone bring in an object from home that they would show to the class. The other kids would have to guess what that object was for. It was fun trying to find something really obscure and hearing the creative guesses that my classmates came up with. It was so fun, that I remember it to this day (and believe me, it was a long time ago).

Kids know how to be creative. Often as adults we forget that skill. If it doesn’t have instructions, then we don’t know what to make of it. Our grownup brains love to have rules and guidelines and instructions to help us use a tool, or cook a meal, or play with a toy or game. Most of us expect that things should be done “properly.”

It is so entertaining to give a child a toy (or a “mysterious” object for that matter) without any explanation of “The Rules,” and to watch what happens. My kids really love playing with my button tin for example.

The idea for this post came from a post by Celtic Mommy that I really enjoyed. She wrote it back in June but it has remained in my mind as an interesting topic. Her post is called Playing Games and is about how her 3 year-old is into playing Blokus and Connect Four.

These games are “for” older children than Emerson, yet he enjoys them immensely - in his own, creative way. No grownup has told him: “No, you have to play it this way,” so he has made these games uniquely his own and learns a lot in the process.

Emerson plays Blokus like Tetris, he stacks the differently sized and shaped pieces, trying not to leave any gaps. He plays Connect Four by making different patterns with the black and red disks. I really think that this kind of creative pattern play has to lead to good things for the brain.

So the next time your kids are bored, don’t get out a video, get out a game. Even if it is “too old” for them. Let me know what happens!

(Of course in this day and age, I unfortunately feel compelled to add this: obviously if a game is “too old” due to small parts, be careful that none of them go in the mouth or other orifices, etc., etc., etc. I can see it now - “But ‘Mom Unplugged’ said it was OK to put Blokus in the crib with my five month-old!” NO! NO! NO! That is NOT what I said!!!!!).

Thanks to Wikimedia Commons and photographer Roy Levien Aldaron for this photo. View license information here.

Comments (13)

By Mom Unplugged, August 11, 2007 8:40 am

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.

Comments (1)

By Mom Unplugged, August 2, 2007 11:35 am

The subtitle of this game is “Bingo With A Zing!” It really is a simple version of bingo that kids ages 4 to 8 can play by themselves (always a plus in my opinion).

Last year someone gave us a real bingo set. It turns out that my kids LOVE BINGO! Bingo is a great learning game, but the real thing takes a long time and requires considerable parental involvement at this age. That is why I thought we could try this for those days when no parent has the time/energy to bring out the “real” bingo. The kids love the Zingo version too.

Kids match plastic picture tiles (also have words on them for learning purposes) with pictures/words on their card until they get a “Zingo.” Cards have two sides allowing for more or less competition among players. There are options for varying the game depending upon the skill-level and attention-span of the players. Since pictures as well as words are on the tiles, non-readers and early-readers can play too.

I should also mention that one of the most fun aspects for kids is “The Zinger.” The tiles are stacked in a sort-of sliding box (“The Zinger”) and the dealer slides it forward to reveal the tiles underneath. Everyone wants a turn as dealer!

Comments (2)

By Mom Unplugged, July 15, 2007 9:31 am

This game / puzzle / toy is wonderful in its simplicity and versatility. It consists of twenty distinctively shaped colorful wooden blocks, each with its own matching wooden “card.” It all comes packed in a drawstring bag.

The main game consists of drawing a “card” and then finding the matching piece in the bag entirely by feel. My kids also like to lay out the cards and fill them in like puzzles. Children can sort the blocks by shape or color. They can even play a memory game by laying the cards shape side down, drawing a shape, then trying to find the matching card by memory. My children have even played with the blocks as blocks and made up little stories with them (some shapes are people and animals).

This is my favorite sort of toy since the possibilities are almost endless! 3D Feel & Find encourages imagination … plus think of all the play possibilities you get for the price of one single toy!

Comments (0)

By Mom Unplugged, June 5, 2007 9:07 pm

We have several Selecta games, and they are all good quality, simple, nice games.

This one, “Grief Zu” in German, “Grab It” in English is fun for younger players. Adults joining in will have to slow down a little.

There are 24 wooden tiles (images are printed and lacquered on to last - not like glued on paper which peels off quickly) and four dice, each side of which depicts a very simplified, silhouette image of one of the tiles.

Players take turns throwing the dice, then all players try to be the first to find and grab the matching tiles. The player with the most tiles wins.

Adults will find this boring, but little ones really seem to enjoy it. Plus it is built to survive a lot of play.

Another great thing is that the picture tiles can be used for sorting or story-telling activities too!