Sudoku for Kids

Sudoku for Kids

Sudoku is a kid-sized, one-person logic game for beginners. Sudoku puzzles are common in newspapers and my mother-in-law works them in pen. I wouldn't dare.

The original Sudoku puzzles are played on a 9X9 grid that is made up of nine smaller 3X3 grids. Sudoku is played with numbers (1-9). The goal is to number the boxes in each smaller grid, using the numbers 1-9 once each, so that each row of the 9X9 grid will also have the numbers 1-9 and each column of the 9X9 grid will have the numbers 1-9. No duplicates, no omissions in any of the grids, rows, or columns.

The 25 puzzle cards are two-sided with a puzzle printed on each side, 50 challenges total. Each card is rated for difficulty Each challenge will start you with a few, or a lot of numbers, depending on how difficult it is going to be to solve. There are three levels of difficulty, indicated by stars in the bottom right hand corner. One star is the easiest and three stars is the hardest. Most puzzles are two stars, somewhere in between in difficulty. The cards are numbered but they don't increase in difficulty as you go because the first challenge is a level two. 

This beginner game uses a 6X6 grid. There are six 2X3 grids and each row and column of the 6X6 grid contains six boxes. Each puzzle card will show anywhere between 10-14 pieces already in place. The easier the puzzle, the more of a single color there will be already shown.

This game is played with colored animals instead of numbers. There are six green rhinos, six orange lions, six purple turtles, six yellow elephants, six blue dogs, and six red fish.  

First puzzle and last puzzle challenge cards.

The board is folded in half to fit in the tin and opens flat. You just lay the animals in the squares as you play. I see they have a new version of this game where there are short "walls" around each box on the board so pieces can't be bumped and move around on you as you play. All the animals but the fish and the turtle can stand. You can also lay them all flat on the grid.

A board set up for a game.

Try this:

• Use the challenge cards and set up each game to work on VP skills if the individual would not be able to solve the puzzles.
• Set up each puzzle by picking up several animals, one at a time, and squirreling them into the palm. Then move them to the fingertips one at a time and orient for placement on the board.
• Start by looking to place a color that has the fewest number left to place. Then start looking where that color can't go and you will narrow it down to the available spaces.
• Work a puzzle or more with the individual. Talk through each step of your strategy as you play.
• Ask the individual to talk through his strategy as he plays so that you can follow his thinking and help him adjust when/if he is wrong.
• Work on visual discrimination, visual closure, visualization, spatial relations, eye-hand coordination, logic, problem solving, in-hand manipulation, manual dexterity, executive functioning skills, process skills, play and leisure exploration and participation

In the tin: Game board, 36 plastic animals in six different colors, 25 puzzle cards (50 puzzles total)

 

AnimaLogic

AnimaLogic - Help the animals get to safety

 

The water is rising and the animals must all cross over the river to safety before it is too late. AnimaLogic is an animal-themed, one-person logic game with 60 challenges that increase in difficulty as you go.

The game board (image above) shows the river running north-south along the left edge and all the animals facing the river. The goal is to take all the animals off the board (to safety) and they must cross this river one at a time. There are two rules that must be followed in order for the animals to exit:

• Each animal that crosses the river (exits the board) must match the animal that just crossed by either color or breed
• Only the animals at the front of each line are eligible to cross (no crossing out of order).

Make sure that you have a way of lining up the animals when you take them off the board so that you remember which was the last off. Playing successfully takes forethought and planning and as you are considering your options you may forget which was the last one off if you are just throwing them in a pile. The four different animals (camels, rhinos, lions, giraffes) are made of wood and brightly colored. 

This game has been somewhat difficult even for those who enjoy these types of puzzles and have the skills to figure things out. 

Left - First puzzle. Middle - Last puzzle. Right - A solution page showing removal order.

 

If you are interested in reading more about logic puzzles, check out my post on What's in Your Therapy Box? Logic Puzzles Edition. 

Try this:

• Teach from the solution page. Give the order and as the player takes off the animals he will learn how to play. Stop where you think the player can finish successfully without your help. Try to stop earlier and earlier on succeeding puzzles.
• Teach from the solution page and instead of giving the piece by breed and color, just give one attribute.
• Solve a puzzle or two with the player. Talk your strategy out loud so he can learn how to solve. Complete a puzzle, then set it back up and let him work the same puzzle alone.
• Encourage the player to talk out his strategy as he works through the puzzle.
• Place each piece in the players palm as he sets up the board so that he can practice in-hand manipulation to orient the pieces for placement.
• Place the pieces flat on the table in incorrect orientations for placement. Ask the player to pick up each piece as is (no turning on the tabletop to orient) and orient in-hand for placement on the board.
• Follow along on the solution page as the player solves the puzzle. If he is making an incorrect move, tell him to look for another option and try something else. It can be difficult to backtrack once you are several animals in and hit a wall. Help him see his options and look ahead to see which one would be more likely to be correct.
• Practice setting up the puzzles even if the player cannot solve them. The animals are cute and you can set up each puzzle, even if you don't play, to practice form recognition, color matching, and in-hand skills.
• Ask the player to set up each game without looking at the book, just by following your directions. Call each square (out of order) and the player will have to remember three pieces of information to complete. For instance - square 14, red rhino.
• Show the challenge book and ask the player to remember 2, 3, or 4 animals in a row or column. Then close the book and see if he can remember and line up each colored animal correctly.
• Work on visual discrimination, spatial relations, visualization, visual memory, planning, logic, problem solving, manual dexterity, executive functioning skills, social interaction skills, process skills, play and leisure exploration and participation

In the box: Game board, 16 wooden animals, spiral bound book with 60 challenges