Pop Rocket

Pop Rocket - Match the colored stars to the star catchers and constellations.

Catch the most stars as they come flying out of Pop Rocket to win the game. Unlike the rocket pictured on the box, the rocket body itself does not shoot into the air or leave the table. This game is unique in that the rocket has a pull string, and I don't think I have ever blogged about a toy with a pull string.

The plastic rocket comes in five parts: the lid, the yellow star, the two arms and the main rocket body. You will assemble the rocket before play by snapping on the lid, snapping on the two arms and dropping the yellow star into the star shaped hole in the top of the rocket body. The yellow star will be pushed down inside of the rocket when you are ready to play. To set up for a game, you will push it down and place all the small paper stars on top of it and then close the lid. There is a pull string on the side of the rocket body, toward the bottom. Pull the string and it will take about 60 seconds for it to recoil back into the rocket. At about 50 seconds the lid pops open and the yellow star jumps up, causing any stars sitting on top of it to shoot out. It does make a noise as it runs.

The four small bowls you see are called star catchers. They are lightweight plastic and measure 3" in diameter. There are four colors featured in the game, red, blue, yellow and green, and there are three star catchers of each color. 

The stars are fairly small and made of lightweight card stock, measure about 3/4" across and they come in the same four colors. The stars are so thin and small that you have to pull them to the edge of the table to pick them up. 

There is one constellation for each color, and each constellation has cut-out holes to hold six stars. The die has stickers on each side: 3 sides show an empty bowl, 2 sides show two bowls being stacked, 1 side shows a star. You need to place the stickers on the die before playing.

Size of star and constellation.

This game may be a fun one to play around the 4th of July, but overall I was not really very impressed with it. If you would like to see other games with a summer theme, check out Adapting Games and Toys for Therapy - Summer Edition.

Object:

Be the first player to collect six stars and fill your constellation.

Set up:

Each player picks a color and places the three matching star catchers (small bowls) upside down in front of them. Give each player one constellation of the same color as their star catchers. Activate the rocket by pushing down the yellow star and then place all the small stars on the top of the yellow star and close the lid. 

Play:

At the beginning of a player's turn, he will place one of his star catchers right-side-up anywhere in the playing area. Place it close enough to the rocket so that it will catch some of the shooting stars. He then pulls the string on the rocket to start the count down and then throws the die and does what it indicates:

• Empty bowl - Place a new star catcher anywhere on the table. Once star catchers are placed they cannot be moved around unless you throw the stacked bowls on the die (see below). If all your star catchers are already in play, you do nothing.
• Stacked bowls - You can move one of your star catchers already in play, or stack one of your star catchers on top of an opponent's star catcher, or bring your star catcher to the top of a stack if someone has stacked theirs on top of yours. The instructions do not say what to do with the stacked star catchers at the end of the round, but I suppose the top color catcher would get all the stars in the stack.
• Star - Steal a star from another player and add it to your constellation. 

The instructions do not specify, but I am assuming that after each time the star catcher shoots the stars, if you collect stars that are not yours you will return them to the rocket. Go through this process until someone has "caught" all the stars of their color and filled their constellation.

Try this:

• Load the stars in the rocket before playing a game. Pull the string and see where all the stars land. Use this as a guide to guess where to place your star catchers.
• Place any stars you catch into your constellation, don't worry about matching the color.
• Skip the game. Sort the colored stars into the colored bowls. Hold several stars in your dominant hand and push them to your fingertips, one at a time, and drop into their same-colored bowl.
• Skip the game. Place the four constellations in front of you on the table. Place the star catchers around the rocket, load the stars into the rocket and pull the string. Place any stars you catch in their same-colored star catchers into their same-colored constellation. Which color constellation fills up first?
• Place the stars in the rocket and let them shoot out. Take one colored bowl and hold if off to the side of the table. Put your index finger on a same-colored star and pull it to the edge so that it falls into the bowl. Do this for all of that color stars. Then pick a different color bowl and do it again. Work until all stars have been sorted into the bowls.
• Load the stars in the rocket and pull the string. Cup both hands and put them together. Hold them near the rocket and see how many stars you catch. Try doing it with one hand cupped on the right and one hand cupped on the left. Do you catch more stars with two separate hands or one large cup made up of both hands?
• Work on visual discrimination, figure ground, manual dexterity, in-hand manipulation, fine motor precision, finger isolation, using two-hands in a coordinated manner, socialization skills, process skills, executive functioning skills, play and leisure exploration and participation

In the box: 1 rocket, 40 small stars, 12 star catchers (small bowls), 4 constellations, 1 die

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

Animal Upon Animal

Animal Upon Animal - Balance one whimsical animal upon another.

Winner of multiple awards, Animal Upon Animal is one of Haba's best selling games. Use a steady hand and be the first to balance all your animals on the alligator base to win this wobbly stacking game. The eight different animals are all wooden and brightly painted. Animals included are crocodile, hedgehogs, toucans, sheep, snakes, monkeys, penguins and lizards. The die is custom and the six sides include one dot, two dots, crocodile, hand and question mark.

Left: Back of the box showing stacking.                         Right: Pieces included.

Object:

Be the first to successfully stack all your animals on the alligator base. 

Set up:

Place the alligator in the middle of the players. Each player selects seven animals for their own and places them in a pile.

Play:

Each player will start their turn by rolling the die. Depending on what is thrown, the player will then do one of the following:

• A dot - Take one of your animals and place it anywhere on the animal stack.
• Two dots - Take two of your animals and place them, one at a time, anywhere on the animal stack.
• The crocodile - Take one of your animals and place it next to the alligator, so that it is touching either the mouth or the tail, increasing the stacking surface. Each time you throw the crocodile, place another animal on the table, touching one of these animals (making the surface area longer in a horizontal line).
• The hand - Choose one of your animals and give it to another person to immediately stack.
• The question mark - The other players must determine which of your animals you must stack.

If an animal(s) falls off the stack or the stack collapses:

• One or two animals fall off as someone is attempting to stack - The player who tried to stack the animal has to take the fallen animals and add them to his pile (it will take him longer to go out).
• More than two animals fall off - The player takes two and places the rest of them in the game box.
• The entire pyramid collapses - The player takes two, the crocodile is again placed in the middle of the players and all other pieces are returned to the box.
• The entire pyramid collapses while no one was actively adding an animal - The crocodile is placed back in the middle of the players and all the other pieces are returned to the box.

Players continue taking turns until someone has successfully stacked all his animals and wins the game.

Try this:

• Play with the animals before starting a game. Try stacking different animals and see how they balance on each other. Try to stack an animal in different positions (on all fours, on end, upside-down, etc.)
• Skip the rules and the die and just have fun trying to stack the animals. How many can you stack before they fall. Play again and try for one more.
• Skip the die and call out either the animal name or a color of animal for the next player to stack.
• Sort the animals by type.
• Put a timer on yourself. How many animals can you stack in one minute. Go again and try for at least one more.
• Ask the individual to cup the hand before adding the die. If they have difficulty, place a small ball in the hand to help form the cup, then remove it while the player keeps his hand in that position. Add the die.
• Ask the individual to shake the die in the hand for a little while to keep it in that position longer. Recite a few lines from a kid's crocodile song or poem. Bussongs.com has lots of lyrics to poems and songs.
• Skip the game. Place the animals flat on the table in different orientations, upside-down and such. Ask the individual to pick up each animal, turn it in-hand, and stand it on the table top. Add interest by making up a story about the animals as you go, identifying the animal by color or name, lining them up for the animal's day parade, etc. 
• Work on visual discrimination, animal recognition, in-hand manipulation, eye-hand coordination, graded release, manual dexterity, executive functioning skills, process skills, socialization skills, play and leisure exploration and participation

In the box: 29 wooden animals, 1 custom die