Shake 'N Take

Shake 'N Take

Shake 'N Take is an alien themed shape game. The box says it is for ages 8 to adult. I would say this game is good for younger kids or people working on shape recognition, but beyond that there does not seem to be much of a challenge to me except speed.

The dry-erasable boards are 2 sided, one side with shapes and one side with shapes drawn like aliens. The image below shows the front and back of one board. The egg-shaped object below is an alien shaker. It does not open and there is one die in each egg. Each die has an alien on one side and is blank on the other five sides. There are 2 dice with different shapes and two dry erase markers with alien caps (just for looks).

The white side of the board with the purple shapes (no aliens) is for younger kids who may not be able to "see" the shapes with the aliens drawn on. Wipe the boards right away after playing as I already see a faint shadow on the boards we have used. When the markers dry out, the manufacturer says that the unique alien tops can be pushed onto other dry erase markers of the same size.

Object:

Be the first player to circle all the shapes/aliens on your card.

Set up:

Give each player a board. The first player also takes a marker and a shape die.

  

Play: 

The first player throws a shape die and notes the symbol that lands on top. They should begin to circle all aliens of the shape on their board, going as fast as they can. At the same time, the next person to play is shaking the clear egg with the alien die inside. As soon as the player shakes the alien face on top, he grabs the marker out of the hand of the person that is playing, throws the shape die, and starts circling aliens on his card. The person circling may re-throw the shape die at any time to circle different shaped aliens. At the same time, the person next to the new player is shaking the alien die for a chance to play. The game goes around and around like this until one person has captured all of his aliens and is declared the winner.

If you would like to read more about games that require writing or drawing in some form, check out my post Games That Require a Writing Tool.  

Try this:

• Forget the alien shaker, grabbing the markers and speed, and use as a shape recognition, figure ground game. Throw the shape die and circle all of that shape on the shape side. As the individual improves, turn to the alien side and play.
• Use the marker to draw around or trace each shape after throwing the shape die.
• Practice drawing a closed circle around each shape without overlapping.
• Point out and/or trace the different shapes on the alien side before playing to show the individual what you are looking for and how to spot the shape.
• Work on visual discrimination, figure ground, spatial relations, form constancy, efficient grasp, tool use, precise fine motor control, arch support, shape recognition, visual form constancy, visual closure, eye-hand coordination, manual dexterity, speed, process skills, executive functioning skills, socialization skills, play and leisure exploration and participation 

In the box: 2 markers, 2 shaker eggs, 2 shape dice, 2 erasers, 10 games boards

Ages 8+, 2-10 players

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