Bunny Boo

Bunny Boo - 60 challenges that increase in difficulty

Bunny Boo is a Smart Game for beginners to help teach, among other things, logic reasoning and problem solving. There are not a lot of games of this type for individuals with a moderate cognitive disability, and this one comes with 60 challenges!

Bunny Boo is a fun activity for beginners to also work on spatial orientation, visual closure, and building a 3D model from a 2D pattern card. There are only four pieces and they are pictured in the challenges from the top, the side, the front, or the back. You will be able to see each piece from many views and learn how one piece can look very different depending on how you turn it. It might be hard to believe that only four pieces can possibly pose this much of a challenge, but the way the pieces are designed, with different attributes depending on the way you are looking at them, has made this set very useful to me. Below are three challenge cards, showing the red piece from three different views.


Challenge cards show the same red piece from three different views.

Challenge cards are numbered and rated as starter, junior, expert, and master, and increase in difficulty as you go. The cards are numbered and there are four different card colors. The easiest cards are green. As they get more difficult the color changes to orange, then burgundy, and the hardest cards are blue. Puzzles will use from two pieces to all four pieces. 

Challenges increase in difficulty.

 

The answers are included on a separate folded sheet. Cards are loose and not in the spiral book form that Smart Games usually uses. There are 30 cards and each has a challenge on the front and a different challenge on the back, 60 challenges in all. 

When I lay a challenge card on the table and ask an individual to build the model, some have tried to build the model flat against the table, not standing, as that is how the model looks in 2D. So I either hold the card upright or stand it against something so that it is upright while they work from it, to reduce this confusion. This game has turned out to be a great investment for me. Kids of many ages have loved it and with only a few pieces, it is not intimidating to most.

Wooden pieces are large and easy to handle.

 

SmartGames is a brand that makes a lot of one-person logic games that also help build visual perceptual skills over multiple challenges that increase in difficulty as you go. If you would like to read more about these kid-friendly, fun games, check out my post called One-Player SmartGames.You can also see a longer list of the logic games I have blogged about, from multiple game creators, by clicking here.

Try this:

• Start by showing the child the red piece and challenge cards that show the piece in different orientations, like I did above. Talk about how looking at something from different directions makes it look different. Let them play with the pieces and turn them to match the different cards to help understand the concept.
• Spend extra time with the blue piece. My kids had extra trouble with this one because it has open and closed sides. And the closed side has different open shapes on it. 
  
• Choose a challenge and build the model while the child watches. Talk out loud as you problem solve to teach them the process. Then take it apart and give them the pieces and let them build it.
• Allow the child to identify the error if they build it incorrectly. After building something I usually ask the individual to check the card and make sure their model is correct. Sometimes it is, sometimes it isn't, but I want them to learn when it is wrong without having to have someone else always point it out. If it is wrong, I encourage them to determine how/where it is wrong. If they cannot correct it without help, I verbally state the problem and help them walk through problem solving a solution. If they still cannot correct it, I remove the piece, orient it correctly and place it on the model as the individual watches. Then remove it and hand it to the individual to place.
• Build the models on a flat, elevated surface, like a tabletop, instead of the floor. Some of the models are easier to "see" if you are looking straight into them from the front instead of angled down from the top.
• Use consistent directional and positional language as you work to avoid confusion. Add variations later as the child progresses.
• Hand the child each piece as it is needed to guide them as they build if they cannot plan ahead or don't know where to start.
• Work on visual discrimination, spatial relations, visual closure, manual dexterity, problem solving, logic, executive functioning skills, process skills, play and leisure exploration and participation

In the box: Wooden rabbit, 3 wooden building blocks (blue, yellow, red), 60 challenges
 
If you are interested in purchasing this or just want more information, click on the image below.

Wooden Pizza Party

Wooden Pizza Party - Life-sized wooden hand tools

Melissa & Doug have a lot of different wooden food sets, like Wooden Pizza Party, that are great for creative play. They all include numerous pieces and most even include hand tools, making them also a favorite with OTs. The pieces are all wood and typically well constructed. Wooden Pizza Party is no exception. 

The pizza pieces stick together with round Velcro tabs, and the pizza toppings stick on the pizza with Velcro, three toppings per slice. You can see a white, round piece of Velcro on the side of the piece of pizza that is lifted up (image above). The pizza cutter slips between the pieces and can be used to "cut" the pizza into sections. The first piece may be a little tricky to remove, just because there it not a lot of room to separate the Velcro when the pieces are tightly together. Cut through the Velcro on one side of the pizza and then as you are doing the same to the other side you are actually pushing the first side back against the Velcro again. This won't be a problem after the first slice is removed.

The plate is about 8" in diameter and the pizza is about 7" in diameter.

My biggest beef with Melissa & Doug is the packaging. Sets come in nice wooden boxes, but often without a lid, like this one. Nice if it will be sitting on a shelf, but less so if you carry your supplies from house to house. However, this box has separate compartments for the toppings, good for sorting.

Other wooden play sets in their line include fruit, salad, sandwiches, sushi, cookies, and birthday cake. 

Here is an image of a girl playing with the set so you can get an idea of size.

Try this:

• Top one piece of pizza with three different toppings. Then ask the individual to copy the same pattern on the rest of the pizza pieces.
• Place the toppings in a pile on the table. Order a pizza with a single topping so you can sort out all the mushrooms or all the peppers.
• Lift one piece of pizza with the spatula and carefully carry it to a plate in another location, such as on the counter. Place it on the plate without dropping it. Have six small paper plates lined up and repeat five more times.
• Order your pizza by the slice. Name three ingredients verbally and see if the individual can remember them and make your custom slice.
• Top all six slices with ingredients, but don't make any two the same.
  
• Show the individual one piece of pizza with three ingredients. Ask them to remember the ingredients. Then hide the slice and see if they can make one from memory. Then ask them to remember the ingredients and their locations on the slice and repeat on the rest of the pizza. Players may need to turn the pizza as they go to get the locations correct.
• Make six mystery slices. Place the ingredients face-down on the table. Randomly pick up one at a time and turn it over in-hand, then add to your slice. How many slices did you have to make before you got a slice with all the same ingredient? With one of each ingredient?
  
• Make a real pizza just like it as you play. There are plenty of mushroom and pepper pieces so that you can take off the pepperoni if you don't eat meat.
• Put the toppings away one ingredient at a time. She how many you can stack and then pick you to put in the box. 
  
• Pretend you own a pizza restaurant and sell the pizza by the slice. Make up your own order tickets. Serve up each order on a small paper plate. Practice pouring from a pitcher by setting up a cup near each plate and pouring from a pitcher of pretend soda (water).
• Work on visual discrimination, figure ground, spatial relations, visual memory, auditory memory, manual dexterity, in-hand manipulation, tool use, executive functioning skills, process skills, play and leisure exploration and participation, socialization skills  

In the box: Pizza pan, spatula, pizza cutter, 54 pizza toppings, 6 slices of pizza

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