Pet-Opoly

Pet-Opoly - A fun place to start

 

Pet-Opoly is a beginners game of Monopoly with a pet theme that appeals to kids. This game is easier than the original Monopoly games in several ways:

• A game only takes 30-45 minutes to complete.
• The bills (treats) come in denominations of 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5. Easier counting.
• There are no equivalents of houses or hotels to buy.
• There are only 16 spaces for sale instead of 28.
• The Care Card pile that you draw from on the board also includes some gross motor activities, such as jump up and swim like a goldfish around the table, everyone do your best imitation of a pet in a pet store and give everyone a high paw.

Themed pieces include eight different pet pawn markers, smiley face space markers and pet deed cards. The back side of each deed card also includes two fun tips for taking care of that particular pet.

If you like this game, check out a dozen Little Kid Monopoly games I have posted about.

 

Object:

Be the player with the highest number of treats at the end of the game. Play until someone owes more treats than he can pay. Or, just play for a stated amount of time.

Set up:

Place the board in the middle of the players. Place the Care Cards in a face-down stack on the board. Give each player a certain number of bills (treats), per the instruction sheet. Each player chooses a pet marker and places it on the square that is marked PLAY. Give each player all of one color of smiley markers. Deal the deed cards between the players per the number given in the instructions (depends on how many are playing). Find each property you own, per the deed cards you were dealt, and place one of your smiley markers on that space to show others who land there that you own it.

Play:

Players take turns. Throw the die and move your pawn forward that many square on the game board. Here are the instructions for how to proceed after landing on space on the board.

• Pet space without a smiley on it - The player looks at the amount of treats listed on the bottom of the space, pays that amount to the bank, receives the deed card, and places one of his smiley markers at the top of the space. That player now owns that pet/space.
• Pet space with a smiley on it - The owner of the space is paid the number of treats shown at the bottom of the space. If the player happens to own both spaces with the same color border, that owner is paid twice the number of treats at the bottom of the space.
• Play - A player collect 2 treats from the banker any time he lands on or passes this space.
• Go to the vet - The player immediately moves to the vet space. If the player passes Play in the process of moving there, he does not collect two treats. The player must pay the banker five treats. The player will move forward as usual on his next turn.
• Vet - If a player lands on vet as he advances around the board, by the roll of the die, he is just playing in the park and moves forward as usual on his next turn.
• Taking Care spaces - These are the four spaces on the board with an orange silhouette of love, clean, water and feed. If you land on one of these spaces, place two treats on the free treats square on the board.
• Free treats - If you land here you can take any/all treats on this space.
• Care Card - A player must draw a card and follow the instructions on that card. This may result in gaining treats, losing treats or losing a turn.

Continue advancing around the board until someone is required to pay an amount and does not have enough treats. That player is out of the game. Remaining players count how many treats they have. the player with the most is the winner.

To see a list of games with money, click here.

Try this:

• Assign the person who is working on counting or making change to be the banker.
• Gather a small stack of mixed bills and ask the individual to separate them and sort them into the correct denominational piles.
• Hold the deck of property cards in the non-dominant hand and use the thumb to push each card off, one at a time, to deal.
• Stand up all of the smiley face markers that will be used for the game by holding 2 or 3 in the palm and moving them, one at a time, to the fingertips to rotate and place on the table. 
• Cup the hand, curl the fingers together, and hold for several seconds while shaking the die without dropping. 
• Sort the smiley faces by color.
• Put the smiley faces away after the game by asking the player to cup the hand, hold the fingers in that position, and then slowly drop the smiley faces into the palm one at a time while counting. If he has trouble cupping the hand, first shape the player's palm by putting a small ball or round object in the hand and forming the hand around it. Then remove the ball.
• Put the smiley faces away after the game by picking them up one at a time and squirreling them into the palm. How many can the player hold without dropping? 
•  Work on visual discrimination, figure ground, spatial relations, eye-hand coordination, turn taking, following directions, motor planning, gross motor movement, manual dexterity, in-hand manipulation, palmar arch development, grasp, reach, bilateral integration, crossing midline, play and leisure exploration and participation, creative play, socialization skills, executive functioning skills, process skills, strategy, decision making, simple addition and subtraction
  
  
  In the box: Board, money, plastic smiley face space markers, die, board markers, deed cards
  
  
  Ages 5-8, 2-4 players

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