Willy's Wiggly Web Cutting Game

Willy's Wiggly Web Cutting Game - My first cutting game.

Willy's Wiggly Web Cutting Game is the only cutting board game that I have ever seen. I often have individuals that are working on cutting, so I was curious enough about Willy's Wiggly Web Cutting Game to pay full price for it.

This is a cooperative game and is made by a company that makes a lot of cooperative games - Peaceable Kingdom. The object of the game is to rescue all the bugs from Willy's web without making Willy fall off. You will accomplish this by cutting the paper web around the 10 bugs so that they fall through.

This game is more for planning and generating interest in cutting and manipulating scissors than for any type of precision cutting. The scissors are quite small and at times I had to open and close them two or three times before they would actually cut. I used my own.

You can't tell from the picture, but the 10 bugs are long, so that they can be put into the holes and still stand upright. Unfortunately they are too long and/or heavy and they end up tipping over and lying flat on the web. I was constantly trying to stand them up but was not 100% successful as several now have cuts on them (and Willy has already lost a foot). The bugs would tip over and the kids would just try to cut through them. Fortunately they are thick and I was quick, so the damage was contained. Maybe that's why they included such lightweight scissors, to avoid those kinds of accidents.

There are cards that are included that will tell you how many cuts you get to take (1-5). The cards are an interesting addition, but will require three people to play because they always tell you to pass the scissors to the person on the left or the right. Just ignore that part and pass them back and forth if only two people are playing. There are also two cards that say everybody move one chair to the left, and two that say everybody move one chair to the right. Not sure of the purpose of those, unless it is to position you differently to the box. 

There are 50 paper spider webs in the box and according to several reviewers on Amazon, the company will send you more just for the asking.

Set up and ready for play.

Object:

Working as a team, cut out all 10 bugs without Willy falling.

Set up:

Put the cardboard legs in the slots in the base, stretch a paper web across the top (using the legs to keep it in place), and place the 10 bugs and the larger Willy spider on top of the web. The bugs include ladybug, cricket, fly, bee, and dragon fly. 

Play:

Players take turns. Pick a card and follow the directions. Each card will tell you how many cuts you may take (1-5), and then will tell you to pass the scissors either to the right or the left for the next player. Keep playing until either all the bugs are cut out without Willy falling (you win) or Willy falls before all the bugs are cut out (he wins).

Try this:

• Use a die instead of the cards to indicate the number of snips you can take. Don't forget to cup the hand while shaking the die. Maybe sing a verse of Itsy Bitsy Spider to keep them shaking and the hand in that position longer.
• Forget the cards. Take turns cutting one bug completely out of the web instead of counting snips. How many cuts did it take? Cut out another spider and try to do it with less cuts.
• Discuss which bug to cut out as a team before each player begins.
• Use some of your own bugs if you have lightweight bugs that would not weigh down the web. I have some very lightweight plastic bugs that I put on the top so that they don't hang down under the web and risk getting cut.
• Turn the box as you go to be in the best position for cutting out each bug. Talk about the importance of positioning your work at its best advantage for your best performance and results.
• Work on snipping, controlling scissors, motor planning, manual dexterity, spatial relations/position in space, separating the two sides of the hand, eye hand coordination, working as a team, executive functioning skills, socialization skills, process skills, play and leisure exploration and participation

In the box: Base, 6 cardboard legs, 50 spider webs, 10 cardboard bugs, 1 large cardboard spider, scissors, 30 instruction cards

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