Happy Farm

Happy Farm

Patrick and his family raise roosters and sheep on Happy Farm. Patrick's father has wanted a tractor for a long time. The neighbor is willing to part with his, but he wants two cows in exchange. To get the two cows, you must advance around the board collecting roosters and sheep and then trade them for two cows. The first person to collect enough animals to trade for two cows and then buys the tractor is the winner. 


Set up the game: Place the game board in the middle of the players. Place the animals in their appropriate fields (see image below). The animals are all wood and all stand upright. Setting up the game offers a good chance to practice in-hand manipulation skills. Stand the three exchange signs in the appropriate pastures. Each player chooses a pawn and places it on a bale of hay. Place the tractor on the game board and the die nearby.

Play the game: Players take turns throwing the die and advancing around the game board. The die show numbers 1-5 and a barn. Throw a barn and  .  Throw a number and advance that many spaces forward. The player will follow one of these instructions depending on which space he lands on:

• One rooster - Take one rooster from the field and put it with your animals.
• One sheep - Take one sheep from the field and put it with your animals.
• Two roosters - Take two roosters from the field and put them with your animals.
• Bale of hay - Make a trade if you have enough animals. If not, your turn is over.
• Trade three roosters for one sheep
• Trade three sheep for one cow
• Trade two cows for one tractor - win the game!

Try this:

• Skip using the game board. Just mix the animals all together and play a sorting game.
• Practice in-hand manipulation as you set up the game. Place one or two animals in the players palm and ask him to bring them to his fingertips one at a time to orient and place. Or allow him to pick them up himself and do the same. Make sure the animals are lying on their sides, upside down, etc. so some manipulation will be required after it is picked up.
• Cup the hand before shaking the die. Keep the hand in that position longer by singing a verse of Old McDonald while shaking (or substitute "Patrick's father" for the words Old McDonald).
• Put the game away by cupping the hand(s) and dropping the animals in one at a time. Count them and see how many can be held without dropping. Put them back into the box by the handfuls.
•  Work on visual discrimination, figure ground, eye-hand coordination, manual dexterity, in-hand manipulation, palmar arch development, process skills, simple counting, socialization skills, play and leisure exploration and participation

In the box: 1 game board, 4 pawns, 1 die, 5 cows, 15 sheep, 20 roosters, 3 animal sign boards and 3 stands

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

DUPLO First Rocket

Duplo First Rocket - Make 12 patterns from 18 blocks

DUPLO First Rocket is a simple construction set for beginners. Designed for typical kids ages 1 1/2 - 5 years, this is a perfect precursor to LEGOs.

DUPLOs are much larger than LEGOs, easier for small hands to manipulate and are too large to be swallowed. There is a nice variety of shapes for such a small set and there are 12 different models printed on the three pattern cards and on the box. All models are pictured completed, there is no step-by-step guide for assembling.

Some DUPLO sets do show how to assemble models step-by-step, but you will have to read product descriptions to find them. Most don't. Many of the newer sets are at least adding pattern cards to work from (like these).

Try this:

• Start with a few minutes of free play so that the child can get the feel of the pieces and see how they snap together.
• Start slow if the child is new to DUPLOS, choosing the model with the fewest pieces and working your way up to the more complicated ones.
• Cover the printed model with a white card. Pull it up one level at a time to expose the block(s) and sequence for building.
• Give the child a piece at a time if he does not know where to start or how to proceed. Point to the piece on the picture to show where it should go.
• Keep the unused pieces in a pile so the child will have to search for each needed piece. Turn some of the pieces upside down or on their side so the child will have to recognize them from different perspectives.
• Advise the child to hold the model in the same orientation as the one in the picture if they are having trouble orienting a piece.
• Take time for free play at the end.
• Work on spatial relations, manipulation, visual discrimination, figure ground, visual closure, visual motor integration, visual form constancy, bilateral integration, strength, manual dexterity, executive functioning skills, process skills, creative play, play and leisure exploration and participation

In the box: 18 DUPLO pieces, 3 pattern cards
 
If you are interested in purchasing this item or just want more information, click on the image below.