Alphaprints - First Words Matching Game and Book Set

 

My Alphaprints First Words Matching Game and Book Set is an early-learning play set by Roger Priddy. The set includes game boards, picture cards and a sturdy, first words board book - all in a handy carry-along case. I usually don't look too much at books because I didn't use them much in therapy. However, I do have a collection of different types of books that I did use that I will put together in a future post. This box says "3 games and a book", so I took a look. Sure glad I did!

In the box are 32 cards and four game boards, all made from 1/16" thick stock which gives them some sturdiness. These items are used for the three games - bingo, go fish, and matching. The cards measure 2 1/8" x 2 3/4". The game boards measure 5 1/2" x 6 11/16" and are printed on both sides with different images. The game boards have a 2 x 2 grid, 4 squares total on each card for bingo.

Here is an image of the back of the box showing what is included.

Play 3 games - Bingo, Go Fish, and Matching.

Each card has a simple picture and one word. And as you might guess from Alphaprints in the title, each picture includes a fingerprint or two. For the bus, it is the two wheels, for most of the animals it is the body, and the faces for people. The train has a fingerprint window and smokebox door, and the wheels are orange slices.

Also incorporated into each image is an everyday item or two - a dog with balloon ears, a boat with asparagus staff and cucumber portholes, a kite with macaroni bows on the tail, a boy with lettuce hair, and a bear with a chocolate donut body. There are 16 different images and two cards for each, which makes 16 sets of two for matching games. 32 cards total.

Now let's take a look at the book.

So... the book was in perfect condition when I bought it. Does anyone else live with pups? Ours want to play constantly. Even though we have chew bones for them at all times, they still like to pick their own chew toys sometimes. We have so much fun with them that it is hard to get angry with them.

The book measures 8" x 7.25". It is a board book, meaning the pages are thicker so they are easier to turn by younger children who might have trouble separating paper pages. There are 18 pages and they are very smooth. 

 

There are one or more fingerprints on each page, and the fingerprints are raised print, like on some business cards. It is a cool, calming feeling to run your fingers over the smooth pages and the raised fingerprints - at least for me. Maybe it's because I'm an OT, and the whole tactile thing, but I really like it. Wish I had found this set before I retired. I'll probably be saying that a lot now. 

Try this:

• Close your eyes and open the book anywhere. Run your fingers over the pages and stop to feel the raised print when you find the fingerprint(s).
• Start with fewer sets for the matching game for young children. Add one extra set at a time as they can remember more.
• Leave enough space for fingers between cards when you set up the matching game, so there is enough space to flip. Remember to leave the cards in the same place after turning them back over, or it may be a very long game.
  
• Name the different items that comprise each picture. Have a sample of the real thing for each item (macaroni bows, orange slices, chocolate donut, etc.). Mix the 9 different cards and place them face up. Produce one real item, like the macaroni, and ask the individual to find the card that it appears on.
• Repeat each word several times, out loud, as you study and feel each item.
  

In the box: Book, 32 cards, 4 game boards