Timeline Discoveries



Timeline Discoveries - Play alone to work on memorizing important dates.


Timeline Discoveries is from the same creators of the Cardline Animals card game that I blogged about previously. The Timeline series is for people who have a knowledge of important dates in history, or who want to learn. All three games play the same, so I will describe the yellow box first, Timeline Discoveries, with particulars about the other two at the bottom.

The cards for the game are small (so they can be lined up across the table), only 1 5/8 X 2 1/2 inches. The front side of each card depicts an important discovery, in word and picture. The back of each card will be the same with the exception that the year of the discovery has been added. Even though the date is printed in a larger font, the cards are small so you will need good lighting to be able to read them from a distance. During play you will be making a line of cards, in chronological order, of these important dates.  

Each time a correct card is played, there are more options for where to place the next card and the game gets a little harder and the card line gets a little longer.

The top line of cards depicts the time line for all players (back of cards showing dates). The bottom line of cards depicts a player's card line of cards to choose from to play (front of cards showing no dates).

Here is an example of some of the discoveries:

• The discovery of the rings of Saturn
• The invention of fractions
• The abolition of slavery in the USA
• The discovery of the tomb of Ramses II
• The invention of psychoanalysis

A quick glance through the cards and it appears that the majority of the dates are 1200's through 1900's. A few dates are BC and depicted with a minus sign. For example, The inventions of fractions, -1650. If you find some cards inconsistent with your beliefs, such as the appearance of the Cro-Magnon man in -40,000, just pull them out. 

Here are the particulars for the two other Timeline card games pictured above:

• Timeline Inventions - Includes 109 small invention-themed cards. Examples:
• The invention of the postage stamp - 1840
• The invention of (eye) glasses - 1299
• Public access to the internet - 1990
• The invention of chewing gum - 1872
• Timeline Historical Events - 110 small (world) event-themed cards. Examples:
• 1st crossing of the Atlantic in an airplane - 1927
• The fall of the Western Roman Empire - 476
• 1st ancient Olympic games - -776
• 1st voyage around the world - 1522

The manufacturers suggest mixing cards from two or all three versions.


Object: 
Be the only person in a round to correctly play your last card.

Set up:
Shuffle the cards face up so that the dates are not showing. Deal four cards to each player and place the remainder of the deck off to the side. Players will line these cards up in front of them, date side down. Place the top card from the deck, date side up, in the middle of the playing area. This is the first card of the timeline.

Play:
Players take turns. The first player will choose (any) one of his cards and place it to the left or right of the card already in play - on the left if he feels the date of his discovery is before the card in play, on the right if he feels the date is after. He then turns over his card and checks the date. If he has placed it correctly, the card stays on the table. If he was incorrect, the card goes back into the box and he takes the top card from the deck and places it in front of him in his card line. The next person plays.

Once all game players have played one card, that is considered a "round". To win, be the only person in a round to correctly play your last card. In other words, every player must have a chance to finish the round before a winner is announced. If two people end up with no cards, everyone else is out and those two people will pick one card at a time and add it to the line. The first person to make a mistake is out and the other player is the winner.

Try this:

• Play alone. After multiple games you may get really good at remembering the dates. 
• Simplify the game by playing alone and creating a timeline by looking at the dates. Take several cards and line them up in front of you, date side up, in chronological order. Memorize them. Narrow it down by taking cards from only one century at a time. Keep adding and memorizing a few cards at a time to this line.
• Use the cards as a sorting activity - put all 1900s in one pile, all 1800s in another pile, etc.
• Play a game with cards from only one or two centuries, adding cards from new centuries as you learn.
• Deal the cards one-handed by holding a small stack in the non-dominant hand and pushing off the top card with the thumb. Easier to do with smaller cards than regular sized cards.

In the box 110 cards
Ages 8+, 2-8 players
 
If you are interested in purchasing this game or just want more information, click on the image below.

Gems in a Treasure Chest

Gems in a Treasure Chest - Who doesn't want to look inside a treasure chest?

I have used this counting game more times than I can count (sorry). It seems like everyone is intrigued by a treasure chest. When kids look into my cart and see the little brown treasure chest box they always grab it and look inside.

I basically use Gems in a Treasure Chest to work on hand skills, including in-hand manipulation and palmar arch development. The die is a lightweight foam-type material and has the numbers 1, 2, and 3 printed on it. The gems are smooth, transparent, brightly-colored plastic. It also comes with instructions that include "extension ideas", but I no longer have that instruction sheet. Each chest measures 2 3/8" x 3" and has held up well. There is no latch on the lid, so it does not stay shut on its own. I put a rubber band around it. I also own quite a few of the small gems, which are about the size of a piece of rice, but they don't come with this game. I happened to run across them on a clearance table for $1.00 at my local Lakeshore Learning store. I scatter them on the table to work on a pincer grasp as well as focus.

Like so many things, Lakeshore Learning doesn't sell this any more. You could always watch ebay or other online stores that sell used products when you see something that you would like that isn't sold any more.

 

Try this:

• Sort out four different colored gems, such as all red, blue, green, and clear. Open and line up the four chests. Place 1, 2 or 3 gems into the player's palm. Ask him to bring them to the fingertips, one at a time, and sort them into the chests by color. Go through all the gems until they are all sorted.
• Sort out four different colored gems. Scatter them on he table top and ask the player to grab several at once and then sort them one at a time into the treasure chests by color. Use the whole hand to scoop them up.
• Scatter the gems on the table. Pick up all of one color, one at a time, squirreling them into the palm. How many can you hold?
• Throw the die. Pick up that number of gems, squirreling them into the palm as you go. Drop them into the chest. First to collect 10 gems in their chest wins.
• Pick up a fistful of gems with the dominant hand. Cup the non-dominant hand and drop the gems in one at a time as you count. How many did you pick up? Try again, switching hands, to beat that number.
• Cup the non-dominant hand and hold a handful of gems. Pick them up with the dominant hand, one at a time, and count out 10 into each treasure chest. When one handful is gone, pick up another until all gems are sorted into the smaller chests.
• Line up three empty boxes. Put a different color gem in each box and choose one color to watch. Tell the individual to keep his eyes on the box with the gem you have specified. Close the lids and move the three boxes around, changing positions. Ask him to point to the box with the color gem you specified and open the lid to see if he is correct. (The old shell game.)
• Work on visual discrimination, figure ground, eye-hand coordination, manual dexterity, in-hand manipulation, coordinated use of both hands, palmar arch development, process skills, counting, color recognition, executive functioning skills, play and leisure exploration and participation

In the box: 4 wooden treasure chests, 40 plastic gems, 1 die