Bellz

Bellz -Use the magnet to pick up your metal jingle bells without disturbing others.

I picked up Bellz because it seemed like a good game to play this Christmas season, being jingle bells and all. My first couple of attempts were total failures. Because Bellz is an award winning game I knew I had to be missing something, so I went on You Tube to see if I could pick up some pointers. I found three videos and, even though I didn't find anything straightforward, I did notice a couple of things that helped my game and I will talk about them below under TIPS.

First, about the game. The game is compact and portable. The playing surface for the game is actually a fold-able, zippered pouch that the bells are stored and carried in. You can see it zippered up in the box above. Once unzipped, it makes the round playing surface you see the bells on. The pouch is about 9" in diameter when opened. It does not actually lie flat as the sides are sloped. You can see this in the image above. Because it is more bowl shaped, the bells all roll toward the center and end up touching each other. This makes it more of a challenge to separate your bells from the ones you don't want.

There are 40 bells. They are metal and do jingle, just like the bells that you see come out around Christmas. There are three sizes, four colors and 10 of each color - purple, blue, green, orange. The orange item you see standing by the pouch in the image above is a magnet. It has a strong pull on one end and a weaker pull on the other. Here it is in play:

  

Kids like it and a parent even got involved after watching. It was refreshing to play something as different as this game. I like it. I put it on my list of Christmas games I have blogged about. If you would like to check out my Christmas game list, click here.

Object:
Be the first to pick up all 10 of your bells (do not all have to be picked up in one turn).

Set up:
Unzip the pouch and mix all the bells around a bit. One tip I got from watching You Tube is to try and separate them a little. This might not be as easy as it sounds because the sides of the playing surface are sloped and the bells all gather in the middle. When they are touching, it's hard to pick up one without picking up any others that are touching it.  

Play:
Use the magnet to hover by the bell(s) you want to pick up. They will jump and attach to the magnet. The first bell you pick up will be your color for the game. All bells that you pick up of that color on subsequent turns are yours to keep. Sounds simple enough. However, if even one bell of another color also attaches to your magnet you have to return all of them and your turn is over. When the bells are touching each other, it is very difficult to get only one. Or, if you have only your bell color on the magnet but you pick up too many and they are too heavy, you may lose some as they drop off. Plus, if any bell(s) goes outside the playing surface, you must return it and your turn is over.

It is up to you when to stop and end your turn. For instance, if you have two of your bells on the magnet, you have to decide whether to keep going. Will it be better to stop with two, or take a chance on three and possibly pick up one you don't need with it and have to return them all? Now would be a good time to explain the saying 'a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush'. Play until someone successfully picks up all 10 of their bells and wins the game.

TIPS: 

• Hover the magnet at different angles to the bell you want to pick up. Hover over the tops of the bells and all kinds of bells will jump up, mostly ones you don't want. 
• Approach from the top when picking up the biggest bell. Go fast, push down on the bell and pick it up quick.
• Approach from a distance for less pull and to separate bells that are close together.
• Swipe by the bell you want. Move in fast, move out fast.
• Be strategic about where you place the bells if you end up having to return them. While placing them individually and carefully around the edge would be seen as cheating, you don't have to just drop them into the middle and on top of other bells either. 

Try this:

• Practice with just a few bells before you actually play. Get the feel of the magnet's power on each end. Hold the magnet at different angles and see how the bells react. See how many you can likely hold before their own weight will make them drop. Go in fast, go in slow, how does it make a difference?
• Play alone, clear all the bells by color.
• Ask the individual to turn the magnet in-hand if they want to use the opposite end on a turn.
• Work on visual discrimination, eye-hand coordination, manual dexterity, in-hand manipulation, planning, problem solving, socialization skills, process skills, executive functioning skills, play and leisure exploration and participation

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