Take the Cake

Take the Cake - Cupcake decorations and pattern cards

I can almost smell them baking. Small manipulatives, a die, pattern cards, and a yummy theme make up the game Take the Cake. This is a simple matching and counting game for young players.

The 16 pattern cards show either one, two, or three shapes on the icing. The 32 wooden pieces are the exact same shapes and colors as the shapes on the cupcakes. The cupcake container and the lid are both hard plastic. The cupcake lid is round and sits on top of the cupcake bottom, but there is no way to secure it onto the cupcake. Therefore, as you turn the cake upside-down and shake, you will have to hold the lid on with your thumb or else curl all fingers around the top as you hold it in your palm from the bottom.

There are 2 versions for playing this game. Per the instructions for both games, you will be putting the small decoration pieces into the cupcake, turning it over, and shaking it so that pieces drop out.  With that said, here are the two versions of play:

Version 1
Set up the game by stacking all the pattern cards face-down on the table and putting all the small pieces into the cupcake. Turn the top four cupcake cards face-up. Each player will start his turn by throwing the 1-2-3 die. That number will be the number of times the player gets to shake the cupcake. All pieces that drop out as the player shakes can be played onto any/all of the four face-up cards. If the player fills one or more cards with these pieces, he takes that card and the pieces and places it by him. Any unused pieces go back into the cupcake and a new card(s) is added to replace the card(s) that was taken. His turn is over. Each player, in turn, will repeat these steps until all the cards have been claimed. The person with the most cards at the end of the game is the winner.

Version 2
Same as version 1 with the exception that instead of all players playing on four shared cards, each player is given two cards. Once the player fills a card(s), he may replace it with a new card(s) and his turn is over. Once the last card is taken, the game is almost over. After the next person fills a card, the game ends. Person who has filled the most cards is the winner.

Try this:

• Play alone and skip the cupcake and die. Just match the shapes to the cards.
• Place the pieces on the table. Give the individual one card that will require either two or three pieces. Ask him to find the pieces for that card and, picking them up one at a time, squirrel them into the palm. Then move them one at a time from the palm to the fingertips to place on the card.
• Ask the individual to cup the non-dominant hand, squeezing the fingers together so pieces cannot fall out. Place numerous pieces into the cupped hand. Ask the individual to pick up those pieces, one at a time with the dominant hand, as he fills the cards.
• Make a nice cup in the hand with a hollow in the palm while shaking the die. Ask the individual to roll it in the hand for a few seconds, without dropping, before throwing.
• Place all the pieces in a pile and let the individual match them to the cards. Places pieces in different orientations than they appear on the card, such as on the side or upside-down.
• Pick up the small pieces and turn them in the fingertips to get the correct orientation, as opposed to turning it on the table top or against the body.
• Drop all the necessary pieces for a pattern card into the palm of the dominant hand. Ask the individual to move the pieces, one at a time, to the fingertips and rotate for placement.
• Look at a two or three shape card with the individual. Name the pieces in the order you would like him to place the pieces, such as "green star, pink circle". Can he remember the sequence and place them correctly?
• Put the pieces away at the end by picking them up as you count them one at a time. Squirrel them into the palm, or turn hand and drop into the palm as you count. How many can the individual hold without dropping?
• As the player to say the color and shape out loud as he places each piece to help reinforce color and shape.
• Hold the cupcake in one hand and drop the pieces into the top with the other hand to set up the game.
• Let the individual choose his own pattern cards for play according to a certain criteria. For instance, all cupcakes with yellow frosting, or a cupcake with one shape and a cupcake with two shapes and a cupcake with three shapes, or four cupcakes with three shapes each, etc.
• Work on visual discrimination, visual closure, visual form constancy, figure ground, spatial relations, manual dexterity, distal rotation, palmar arch development, coordinated use of both hands, in-hand manipulation, pincer grasp, counting to 3, color and shape recognition, executive functioning skills, sequencing, socialization skills, process skills, play and leisure exploration and participation 
   

In the box: Cupcake shaker, 1 die, 16 cupcake pattern cards, 32 wooden shapes

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