Spot It! Freeze

Spot It! Freeze - With a timer there are 8 different game possibilities!

Spot It! Freeze has a timer/carrying case which adds an exciting addition to this version of the popular Spot It! game. Spot It! is my favorite card game for several reasons: the rules are simple, a game only takes 5-10 minutes to play, it comes in a variety of themes, everyone plays on every turn - no down time, most ages can play together, you can work on several skills at the same time and there are five different ways to play (Freeze version has an extra three!). 

There are eight items on each card (except the junior version which has only six). Between any two cards there is one, and only one, match. Players race to be the first to find their match and call out the object. Objects are identical in color and shape from card to card, but may be oriented differently or a different size. This Freeze version includes nine "cold" items, such as polar bear, snowflake, ice cube, and popsicle, which are all printed in blue only. Matching one of these cards gives you extra time to play alone. Playing Spot it! requires your complete attention. What happens next depends on which game you are playing. Here are the three ways to play using the Freeze timer, followed by the five standard ways to play any Spot It! game:

• The Arctic Tower - The object is to collect the most cards by the end of the game. Place the timer in the center of the table and set the timer to 1, the 10 second countdown mode. One card is dealt face down to each player. The rest of the cards are put in a face-up pile within everyone's reach. Everyone plays at the same time to see who can be the first to find a match between his card and the one on the top of the pile. The first person to call out his match takes the top card and adds it to the top of his personal pile. All players immediately start looking for the match between their card and the new top card on the pile. If any player matches one of the blue Freeze symbols he yells Freeze instead of the object name. He then pushes the hand on the timer which starts a 10 second countdown. All others players must Freeze while this single player plays alone and tries to get rid of as many cards as possible. At the end of the countdown, play resumes with all players. Play continues until all cards from the stack on the table have been collected by the players. Player with the most cards at the end wins.
• The Frozen Well - The object is to be the first to get rid of all your cards. Place the timer in the center of the table and set the timer to 1, the 10 second countdown mode. The object is to be the first to get rid of all your cards. Put one card face up within reach of all players. Deal the rest of the deck evenly and face-down to all players. At the same time, all players flip their card pile face-up and quickly looks for the match between their top card and the top card on the table. The first to call out his match gets to lay his card on the pile on the table. Everyone immediately starts looking for the match between their top card and the new card on the table.
• Flash Freeze - This version can allow slow players to catch up. Each player plays alone in this version. Place one card face-up in the middle and set the timer to number 2, randomizer. No one knows how much time will go by before the timer goes off. Deal the rest of the cards face-down evenly between all players. Players all turn over their piles. The first player presses the time to start it and plays until he finds a match. The next player now plays until he finds a match, and so on. The player who is attempting to find a match when the timer goes off must take three penalty cards and put them on the bottom of his stack. The next person presses the timer to start the process again. Optional - Freeze and Reverse Rules: Be on the lookout for the blue Freeze matches as you play. If you find one on your turn, yell Freeze instead of the object name and the game reverses direction.

Here are the original five games:

• The Tower - To win, collect the most cards by the end of the game. One card is dealt face down to each player. The rest of the cards are put in a face-up deck within everyone's reach. Everyone plays at the same time to see who can be the first to find a match between his card and the card on the top of the deck. The first person to call out his match takes the top card and adds it to the top of his personal pile. All players immediately start looking for the match between their card and the new top card on the deck in the middle. Play continues until all cards from the deck on the table have been collected.
• The Well - Be the first to get rid of all your cards to win. Put one card face up within reach of all players. Deal the rest of the deck evenly and face-down to all players. At the same time, all players flip their card pile face-up and quickly look for the match between their top card and the card on the table. The first to call out his match gets to lay his card on the pile on the table. Everyone immediately starts looking for the match between their top card and the new top card on the table. Play continues in this manner until someone runs out of cards and wins the game. 
• Hot Potato - Have the least amount of cards after all the rounds have been played to win. Evenly deal all cards between players, face-down in their palms. To start, all players turn their cards face up at the same time and look for a match between their card and anyone else's top card. Once you find a match, add your card, face-up, to the pile in their palm. This is their new top card. The game continues until only one person has cards in his palm. He counts his cards and that is his score. Play several rounds and the winner is the person who has the lowest score.
• The Poisoned Gift - Have the least number of cards at the end of the game to win. Deal one card to each player, face down. Put the remainder of the deck in the middle, face-up. All players turn their card face-up at the same time and start looking for a match between the card in the middle and any other player. Once you see a match, call it out and put the card from the middle onto that player's pile. That now becomes his top card. Keep playing until the stack of cards from the middle is gone.
• Triplet - Collect the most cards by the end of the game to win. Lay nine cards (3 X 3) face-up on the table. Everyone looks for three of one item within those nine cards. First to find a match calls out the item and takes the three cards. Three new cards are added in those spots. Keep playing until there are less than nine cards left or no more sets of three.  

There is an instruction sheet included with all Spot It! games that also show every symbol in that game and the name for each symbol. You can go strictly by those names, or be more lenient depending on who is playing. A ring of flowers worn around the neck is called a lei, but some kids may only see and remember it as a necklace.

Other Spot It! games I have blogged about:

• Spot It! Fire and Ice (comes with a timer for more games)
• Spot It! Holiday - Christmas!
• Spot It! Junior (six objects per card instead of eight, simple themes)
• Spot It! Splash (plastic cards, play in the water)
• Spot It! - (Original & Camping)
• Spot It! - FAO Schwartz (Toys, toys, toys)

Try this:

• Start by showing the players each image in the instruction guide and make sure that they recognize or learn what to call each item. It would be an unfair disadvantage if he found the match but didn't know what it was so couldn't call it.
• Play with non-verbal individuals and point to the match on one of the cards instead of calling it out.
• Start by making it a simpler matching game to teach the object to beginners. Put two cards side by side on the table and find the match. If the person has difficulty, turn the cards so that the matching items are close to each other so the match is easier to spot.
• Ask the player to hold the stack in the non-dominant hand throughout the game. Push each card off the top with the thumb.
• Lay several cards in front of you on the table and call out an object on the cards. Count how many times that object appears on those cards.
• Lay two cards side by side on the table. Every looks. The first to find the match gets the cards. Play till all the cards are gone.
• Take turns finding matches if playing for speed is not desired.
• Work on figure ground, visual discrimination, in-hand manipulation, coordinated use of both hands, shuffling and dealing cards, manual dexterity, spatial relations, visual form constancy, socialization skills, process skills, play and leisure exploration and participation, processing speed, sustained attention

In the box: A timer/storage case, 55 card

If you are interested in purchasing this game or just want more information, click on the image below.