Tumblin' Monkeys

Tumblin' Monkeys - Be careful! Don't let the monkeys fall.

Pull the branches out of the tree without letting the monkeys fall! Tumblin' Monkeys is one of those games that takes as much time to set up as it does to play, but the set up is almost as fun, and can be therapeutic as well.

Before playing you will need to assemble the tree by simply snapping together the tree, the base, and the leaves topper (4 pieces total). All pieces are lightweight plastic and it is an easy set up. One at a time, push a plastic stick (branch) through a hole on one side and guide it until it comes out of a hole on the opposite side. As you insert the sticks, you will make a criss-crossed barrier inside the tree that will keep the monkeys from falling through to the bottom.

The die has three different colors on it, pink, yellow and green, one color per side. These colors match the stick colors and will dictate which stick color to remove.

Object:
End up with the least amount of fallen monkeys at the end of the game.

Set up:
Set up the tree as described above. Drop all the monkeys into the tree. The green leaves are basically a ring with a big hole in the middle where the monkeys will drop through. Monkeys will not drop to the bottom as they will be stopped by all the sticks (branches). 

Play:
Players take turns. Throw the color die and pull out one stick of that color, trying not to open up any space for monkeys to fall through. The more sticks that are pulled out, the bigger the gaps and the more chance monkeys will fall. Each player removes any monkeys that fall on his turn and keeps them in a pile next to him. When all monkeys have fallen out, each player counts his monkeys. The player with the least amount of monkeys wins. 

This game is similar to Honey Bee Tree and ToyStory Alien Freefall.

Try this:

• To add the monkeys to the tree, pick them up one at a time and squirrel them in the palm. How many can you hold without dropping. Drop them by handfuls into the top of the tree.
• Cup the hand to throw the die. Watch it "dance" for a few seconds before throwing to keep the hand in that position a little longer. If the player has difficulty cupping the hand, place a small ball in the hand and ask him to curl the fingers around the ball and hold his hand in that position as you remove the ball.
• Skip the game. Place all the sticks in the tree and try to hang the monkeys on the branches that stick outside of the tree.
• Skip the die and name the color your opponent should pull. Or just randomly pull any one branch per turn.
• Put the monkeys away by handfuls. Ask the individual to cup a hand and drop the monkeys in one at a time as you count. Will they all fit? If not, go again cupping the opposite hand.
• Set the tree up by throwing the die to determine the color order for inserting the branches. Place all of one color at a time.
• Put the monkeys in a pile on the table. Use a branch and see how many you can pick up by the tail. Use this method to put the monkeys back in the box after play.
• Play to see who can get the most monkeys. This game can end quite fast.
• Hold a stick diagonally and see how many monkeys you can hang on it. Allow the elbow to be supported on a solid surface. Then try without the support.
• Set up by cupping the non-dominant hand and filling it with monkeys. Then keep the hand cupped as you drop the monkeys in through the top, one at a time, using the dominant hand keeping the hand in a cupped position as long as possible.
• See how many sticks you can pull out in one turn before a monkey falls. Keep the sticks. See who ends up with the most sticks.
• Work on manual dexterity, pincer grasp, palmar arch development, in-hand manipulation, coordinated use of both hands, fine motor precision, eye-hand coordination, visual discrimination, spatial relations, executive functions, process skills, social interaction skills, play and leisure exploration and participation 

In the box: 4-piece plastic tree, 30 monkeys, 30 sticks in three colors (pink, yellow, green), color die

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