Roller Coaster Challenge

Roller Coaster Challenge - A 1-person logic game

Are you the type of person who likes to tinker around, using a little trial and error when you're building something? My husband and his mother are that way. No matter what they're assembling or building, they don't even look at the instruction sheet unless they really get stumped, which seldom happens. For them, I guess it's the journey. But I am not that person. Never one that enjoyed assembling or building stuff, I go right for the instruction sheet and follow it to the letter. Let's just get this over with! That's how I would feel about playing Roller Coaster Challenge. But that's just me, you might love it.

This is a 1-person logic game that has 40 challenges that increase in difficulty as you go. The roller coasters are built on a gray base (see image above). The individual pieces are plastic and a little bendable. Some of them do take a little push so that they stay together as you build. There is a variety of different pieces including straight pieces of different lengths, curved corners and arches. The roller coaster car is very small and has a ball bearing on the bottom which allows it to roll on the tracks.

Each challenge card will show where some of the pieces are located. At the very bottom it shows the additional pieces you will need to add to make a connected and smooth track. It's your job to figure out where and how to connect these pieces. The answer is on the back. Often kids will want to skip over the easy challenges, figuring it a waste of time. But I think doing at least one of the beginning challenges will show the individual how the pieces go together and what is expected so they don't have to try and figure out that part while they are attempting to solve a hard challenge. Here is an example of the first (easiest) challenge, middle and last (hardest) challenge.
 

Challenges 1, 20 and 40

Solutions 1, 20 and 40

Choose a challenge card, set up the pieces in the locations that are indicated, then use the pieces shown at the very bottom to finish the track. I have to admit, after watching someone take 10 minutes to build a track, and then watching the car take 1 second to zip to the bottom, it did seem quite anticlimactic. 


If you would like to read more about one-person logic puzzles, check out my post What's in Your Therapy Box? Logic Puzzles Edition.

Try this:

• Solve a challenge as the individual looks on. Talk out loud as you go to teach them how to progress and solve problems if they arise. Then take it apart and let the individual build it.
• Place the pieces from the front of the card onto the grid. Gather the rest of the pieces you need and then flip the card and build the track from the solution side. That might be enough of a challenge for some.
• Build the roller coasters from the solution side of the card.
• Work on visual discrimination, visualization, spatial relations, eye-hand coordination, manual dexterity, logic, problem solving, executive functioning skills, process skills, play and leisure exploration and participation

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