Color Catch

Color Catch - One person logic puzzle, 60 challenges increase in difficuilty.

Color Catch includes 60 fun challenges that feature colorful salamanders, frogs and dragonflies in this one-person logic game. SmartGames give you the opportunity to work on logical deduction and problem solving in short spurts in therapy, while still continuing to up the difficulty over time.

The plastic game board for Color Catch has nine plastic, non-removable squares in blue, red, green and yellow. You can see seven of the squares in the game board above, two of the squares have been covered by a puzzle piece. The animals on the five black, plastic puzzle pieces (four rectangles, 1 square) are transparent. Therefore, the animals will be different colors, depending on which colored square they are placed on top of. There are a total of four dragonflies, 3 salamanders and two frogs.

There are 60 challenges total that fall into the categories of starter (12), junior (16), expert (16) and master (16). The puzzles in the starter section will show you animals and their orientation(s) to help learners get started (image 1 below). Each challenge in the puzzle booklet will show you colors for the five salamanders and frogs. Frogs and salamanders may also show a long tongue and a dragonfly at the end (image 2 below). In this case, a colored dragonfly must be next to that animal, oriented so the animal is facing it. Animals in the challenge that have an X next to them can be placed on the board facing in any direction EXCEPT looking toward a dragonfly. Dragonflies that are not used in the challenge can be placed anywhere on the board, except where a frog or salamander will end up facing them. Solutions are in the back of the book. There is only one solution per puzzle.

IMAGE 1           Left: Puzzle 1.  Right: Solution 1

IMAGE 2            Left: Puzzle 60.  Right: Solution 60.

To play, choose a puzzle from the challenge book. Solve the challenge by placing the pieces on the game base so that the animals and their colors match the puzzle printed in the book.

They call this a travel game, meaning it is portable and small. There is a plastic lid that sits on top of the game board and is tall enough so that you can carry the puzzle book inside. However, the lid does not snap on in any way. You will have to rubber band it if you carry the puzzle without the box.   

If you would like to read more about one-person logic puzzles, check out my post What's in Your Therapy Box? Logic Puzzles Edition. 

Try this:

• Orient the board to the solution before starting. The board will be oriented the same way for all puzzles.
• Start by working a few puzzles from the solution booklet. Work back to the puzzle and see how it matches.
• Place all but one piece to a puzzle, let the player place the last piece. Place all but two pieces and allow the player to finish the puzzle. Work your way down until the player can solve the puzzles independently.
• Open the challenge booklet anywhere except the starter section. When you open it you will see a total of four challenges. Set up one of the challenges on the game board (look at the solution to do it fast), then ask the individual which challenge matches the solution. Make it more difficult by setting up the puzzle and then changing the orientation of the board.
• Work the puzzle yourself and talk out loud to model how to problem solve and eliminate pieces. Start sentences with "This can't go here because..." or "This one must go here (or may go here) because..." and then explain the logic. Then take the pieces out and ask the person to complete the same challenge.
• Work on visual discrimination, eye-hand coordination, spatial relations, visualization, manual dexterity, planning, problem solving, logic, executive functioning skills, process skills, play and leisure exploration and participation

In the box: 1 game board with lid, 5 puzzle pieces, 1 challenge/solution booklet

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

The Sock Game

The Sock Game

The Sock Game is a feel-and-find game. The rules are simple and straightforward: Put your hand in the stocking and try to find an object by feel only.

The stockings seem to be a good quality and they are long, measuring approximately 20" from top to toe and 3" wide. At this point, while the game is new, the stocking easily stretches but still fits snugly around your hand so that you cannot see inside at all. It may also be difficult to move your fingers around to feel each piece until they stretch out a little.

There are two identical sets of objects. If I had a complaint about this game it would be that I don't think the objects are that interesting or familiar to kids. Objects that will probably be less familiar to kids (at least at the start) include a poker chip, bolt, nut, washer, spring, golf tee, cork, and metal strip. Some of the familiar items include a plastic car, ping pong ball, lego brick, hair band, rubber band, domino, Scrabble tile, pawn, die and button. With that being said, there's nothing to say that you can't assemble your own identical sets of objects. In that case, you would not be able to use the spinner. 

The spinner lists every single object included in the game and, after you spin, will indicate which object you will be searching for. There are also 4 blank spaces on the spinner so that you can add your own items if you want to the mix. However, once you write on the spinner I don't think you will be able to erase it, unless you write very lightly with a pencil. The instructions say that if you don't want to add your own items, when a player lands on a blank space they can choose which item the players will search for. The spinner is printed in English on one side and in french on the other side. The arrow moves freely. There are 11 footprints that run down the left and right sides of the spinner. This is how you will keep score. Advance your pawn from the bottom footprint to the top footprint, one at a time, as you win each round (be the first to find an object). First one to the top (11 footprints = 11 points) wins the game. You can see the spinner size in the second image below.

Object: 

Be the first player to win 11 points.

Set up:

Add one set of the 13 objects to each sock. Give one sock to each player. Place the spinner between the players. Each player chooses a pawn and put it at the bottom of the footprints, on the circle marked START HERE. Place the die near the spinner.

Play:

Players always start their turn by spinning the spinner. The spinner announces that object shown on the spinner and both players put their hand in their sock and start searching. The first player to pull out the correct object wins one point and moves his pawn to the next step up on the side of the spinner. If a player removes the wrong object, he simply puts it back in the sock and keeps looking. If the spinner lands on the hand symbol, players must use their non-dominant hand to search for the object. Spin one more time to find the object you will search for. If the spinner lands on the foot object to search for, the winner will receive two points for that round. Play until someone has 11 points and wins the game.

Other feel-and-find games include Ned's Head, Boa Bella, Monkey Beach and What's in the Cat's Hat?

Try this:

• Don't bother to buy the game. Find two sets of identical objects around your house and put them into your own pair of knee socks, shorter socks or Christmas stockings to play.
• Familiarize yourselves with the objects before playing. Look at, name and feel each object. Can they remember them by feel the next time you play without the review?
• Start with fewer objects. Play several games and add one more object to the sock for each game.
• Let the player play alone. Place one set of objects into the sock and then use the other set as visuals. Choose an object, show it to the player and let him feel for it.
• Assemble three sets of your own objects. Use a set for each sock and one set as a visual to show what to search for.
• Put your hand in the sock. Pick up an item, feel it, name it, pull it out and see if you're right.
• Choose a few objects for the group, maybe four or five. Show the player the items and ask them to memorize what is there. Put one less than the items you showed into their sock, but do not tell them which item has been withheld. Ask them to put their hand into the sock, feel what is there, and name the item that is not there.
• Put all the items into the sock after the player can name them without looking. Let them put their hand in the sock, pick up one item, name it, and pull it out to see if they were right. Can they identify all 30 items correctly?
• Place all the items in the sock. Ask the player to put their hand in and find something round, something made of metal, something stretchy, something made of wood, etc.
• Work on tactile discrimination, in-hand manipulation, coordinated use of both hands, manual dexterity, haptic memory, executive functioning skills, process skills, socialization skills, play and leisure exploration and participation

In the box: 2 stockings, game board/spinner, 2 sets of 30 objects, 2 pawns

 

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