Get the Picture

Get the Picture - Crazy dot-to-dot game

I'm a fan of dot-to-dots because of all the skills that they take to complete, and the fact that kids with poor pencil control that don't want to hold a pencil and write will often hold a pencil to complete dot-to-dot pictures. So when Get the Picture arrived I was excited to open the box and see what was inside.

The object of the game is to make the most points by guessing the picture you are drawing sooner than your opponent guesses his picture.

The drawing boards measure approximately 11" X 11.5". A puzzle sheet is slid in through an opening down the right hand side of the board and, once inside, is covered by a sheet of clear plastic so you can write on it with erasable markers. There are 10 small sliding doors down the left side of the drawing board. Doors 1-9 are clues, and door number 10 is the answer to what you drew. There will be a word clue behind door number four for every puzzle that may be a big help. For instance, the beginner clue for #1 is "feathered friend". That does narrow it down. To make the puzzle more difficult, I would not open that door until later, if at all, or only if the player gets stuck.

The puzzles are printed on glossy paper and there is a different one on each side of each sheet, so 30 sheets and 60 puzzles total. The puzzles are rated from beginner to advanced. This does not mean that the beginner puzzles have only a few dots, as beginner puzzle number 1 has 125 dots, and another beginner puzzle has 175 dots. These high numbers eliminated many of the people I work with that can not count that high or recognize three digit numbers. This is something I didn't think to ask before buying the game. Three things make the advanced puzzles more difficult than the beginner puzzles:     

• The puzzle clues are often more general, such as animal instead of giraffe.
• The objects are more specific, such as macaw instead of bird.
• There may be two or three items in the puzzle you have to identify, such as mouse and cheese instead of swing set.

The numbers for the puzzles are not meant to be connected starting from number one and going in order. There are decoy dots that, if connected in this manner, will show lines that don't go to the picture. These dots will not be connected if you open the doors and connect per their instructions. In the image at the top left of this post, not all the dots were connected to make the fish bowl. The image on the right shows a picture with the extra dots connected. 

You will use the dry erase markers on the drawing board as well as the guesses board.

Object:
Have the most points at the end of the game by making the most correct guesses.

Set up:
Insert a puzzle sheet into a drawing board for each player. Players will each be drawing a different picture. Give each player a board, a marker, and a guesses card. 

Play:
Each player opens door number one. It will show a range of numbers, such as 11-19. Each player may have a different range of numbers. Each player will find and connect those dots on their picture. Next, players make a guess on their guesses card as to what the picture is. This may be next to impossible on the first few clues. All players open door number two and connect the dots indicated. The second door may then say something like 57 - 66. Each player connects their dots and makes a guess on their guesses card as to what they think they are drawing. As more numbers are connected, the picture will become clearer and the clues will get closer to the correct answer. The more times you write a correct answer, the more points you will make.

Players will keep drawing to clue 10 to see the answer. Players then earn points for the number of times they correctly guessed the answer on the guesses card. The player with the most points is the winner. Or play several rounds and combine the scores to find the top scorer.

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:

• Play alone. No time pressure.
• Use the puzzles additional times by opening the doors out of order so you won't recognize the pictures as easily (since you have already completed them once).
• Help the individual search for the first number in the sequence if they are having trouble getting started.
• Work on visual scanning, visual closure, visual form constancy, sequential memory, spatial relations, visualization, figure ground, eye-hand coordination, manual dexterity, fine motor precision, writing tool control, functional grasp, executive functioning skills, process skills, socialization skills, play and leisure exploration and participation

In the box: 20 beginner puzzles, 20 intermediate puzzles, 20 advanced puzzles, 2 picture frame playing boards, 2 "guesses" cards, 2 dry erase markers
Ages 8+, 2 players or 2 teams

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