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Children learn through play. As an occupational therapist who works with children and youth, I use games and toys almost every day to help develop important cognitive, visual perceptual, motor, sensory, social, play and leisure skills. While many different types of activities can be used in therapy, this blog focuses on off-the-shelf games and toys that are accessible to most. Whether you are a therapist, parent, teacher, or a game lover like me, I hope you discover something useful while you are here. Learn a different way to play a game you already own or discover a new game for your next family game night. Either way, just go play. It's good for you!

The OT Magazine named The Playful Otter one of the Top 5 Pediatric OT Blogs.


Feb 10, 2019

What's in the Fridge?

What's in the Fridge? - Make-a-snack matching.
Are you hungry? Yes? Then let's prepare a delicious snack with What's in the Fridge? The four snacks included in the game are smoothie, cupcakes, sandwich and pizza. Each snack card pictures one snack at the top and six ingredients needed to prepare that snack at the bottom. There are no duplicate ingredients.


The fridge is a simple two-piece puzzle (see below) and has spaces for all 28 small food cards, which includes the moldy food cards. The fridge is already loaded with food (pre-printed on the pieces) and some of this food matches pictures on the small food cards, but many do not. Some of the food isn't even stored in the fridge in reality (sugar, bananas, cupcake sprinkles, etc.) so you can put the ingredient cards anywhere you want when setting up the game. The food cards are very close together once they are set up in the fridge (see below), so picking them up by the top and bottom, instead of side to side, will allow you to turn cards without much disturbance of the neighboring cards.


All pieces are thick, laminated card stock. Approximate measurements: Assembled fridge 12" x 8 1/4", snack cards 6 3/8" x 4 1/2 ", ingredient cards 1 1/8" square.

Object:
Avoid the moldy food in the fridge and be the first person to fill your snack card with ingredients.

Set up:
Each player takes one snack card. The six items on this card are what the player needs to find to complete his snack and win the game. Mix the moldy food and ingredient food cards and place them face down on the fridge cards in the middle of the players.

Play:
The first player turns over three of the food cards in the fridge, allowing all players to see. If no moldy food cards are turned, the player may take any food cards they need to prepare their snack, and place them on their snack card. All unneeded food cards are turned face-down. If a moldy food card is turned, the player continues until they have turned over three food cards, but does not get to take any of them. he then returns them to the face-down position (this gives everybody a peek of the foods and their locations). Players work to remember the location of any food cards they need for their snack that are turned up by others so that they can turn them up again when it is their turn. Players take turns in this manner until someone has filled their snack card and won the game. 

Try this:
  • Turn only one or two food cards per turn (instead of three) for a longer game. 
  • Sort out and turn the six food cards face-up for one particular snack. Ask the individual to place the cards on that snack card. Add more cards to the original six as the individual is able to look over more cards to find the ones needed.
  • Skip the fridge cards and line up the food cards face-down in a grid on the table if the cards are too close together in the fridge for some to flip without moving the neighboring cards.
  • Look over the fridge cards and try to name the foods that need to be stored in a refrigerator and which ones don't. Some of the items are a little vague, like a bottle or jar without a label. Allow the player to use their imagination to name an ingredient.
  • Turn all food cards face-up on the table. Fill one food card at a time with the necessary ingredients. Work till all four snacks cards are complete.
  • Make a real food snack, based on one of the snack cards and its ingredients, after playing the game.
  • Work on visual discrimination, spatial relations, figure ground, visual closure, visual form constancy, eye-hand coordination, manual dexterity, fine motor control, executive functioning skills, process skills, socialization skills, play and leisure exploration and participation 
In the box: 2-piece fridge board, 4 playing boards, 24 ingredient cards, 4 moldy food cards.
 

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

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