Wiggle Waggle Game

Wiggle Waggle Whiskers is based on the classic Dots & Boxes pencil and paper game.

Wiggle Waggle Whiskers is a 2-player spatial game similar to a game that we played as kids called Dots & Boxes. Our game required only paper and pencil to play, so can still be easily played today.

The game starts with a grid. Wiggle Waggle Whiskers has a 5 x 5 square grid (25 spaces). With paper and pencil, make a grid using dots to indicate corners and add dots for as many squares as you want. Now players take turns placing one piece of fence (or drawing one line between two dots) anywhere on the plastic base. Each square has four sides and if you are the person who puts down the piece that closes a box, you get credit for that box. If you are playing Wiggle Waggle Whiskers, stand one of your animals in the box to indicate that you captured it. If you are playing with paper and pencil, write your initial in the box. It doesn't matter who placed the first three sides, only who places the last side and closes the box.

Each player gets 20 animals (cats or dogs) and the exact shaped set of 24 fence pieces. Eight of the pieces are made up of anywhere from two to five multiple pieces (see image below). You end up with 16 individual pieces of fence and 27 pieces that are combined into these shaped pieces.

Left:  All the different shaped pieces.                              Right:  Everything in the box.

You may be limited as to where you can put the shaped pieces as the board fills up, so consider playing them early on.   

Object:
Be the player with the most animals on the board when the game is over.

Set up:
Place the board between the players. Each players takes all piece of a single color.

Play:
Players take turns placing one piece anywhere on the board. If you place a piece on the board that will complete a square, you may put your animal inside the box to claim it. If you complete a square, you MUST play again. You can close as many boxes as become available as you play. If your piece does not complete a square, your turn is over. Keep playing until the entire board has been filled and all squares have been claimed. 

Don't place a piece on the board that leaves only one side open for your opponent to close and claim (if you can help it). Place the biggest weird shaped pieces on the board early on so you can have choices where to put them. If you hang on to them too long you may not be able to play them. If closing one box on your turn will set your opponent up for a multi box run, play somewhere else. 
 
Try this:

• Place the pieces on the board before playing a game. Practice standing them in the grooves and see how they fit together.
• Play a game with paper and pencil after trying this game. Which do you like better? Paper and pencil is definitely cheaper!
• Work on visual closure, visual discrimination, figure ground, spatial relations, eye-hand coordination, manual dexterity, planning, executive functioning skills, process skills, socialization skills, play and leisure exploration and participation.

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

Castle Blast

Castle Blast - A game bent on destruction.

The king's treasure has been stolen. The princess has been kidnapped. A dragon guards them both inside the castle. Your job is to take down the dragon and rescue the princess and the treasure. Even though Mindware is one of my favorite game manufacturers, I had never heard of Castle Blast before I stumbled onto it a couple of days ago.

The pieces are all wood. When the pieces are assembled on the game board they will represent a castle with the princess, treasure and dragon inside. The game board measures 7" square. The cord on the wrecking ball is about 10" long. The ball is solid and about 1.5" in diameter.

Object:
Be the first to collect one treasure token, one princess token and one dragon token by knocking those blocks off the board.

Set up:
Build the castle on the game board as shown in the instructions. If you lose the instructions it is also pictured on the back of the box. Place the tokens nearby.

Play:
Players take turns. Roll the die and that will tell you how many times you can take a swing with the wrecking ball. The object is to aim at the princess, treasure and/or dragon blocks. A block must be completely cleared from the board on your turn to collect the corresponding token.

You can position the wrecking ball and/or game board any way you like. Pull back on the ball so that the string is taut. Simply let the ball go, do not throw it. Catch it when it returns or it will count as more than one swing. If you clear one of the three target pieces as you play, collect the corresponding token. Even if you clear one of the three pieces off the board, if you have more swings coming you will keep playing. If your swing totally misses hitting any pieces, it still counts as a swing. As pieces are cleared from the board, you can move them out of the way. Keep taking turns until all three of the target pieces have been cleared from the board, collecting token(s) for any of the three that you clear. If no one has collected all three tokens, set the board up and play again. Keep going until someone has all three tokens and wins the game.

NOTE: As the game continues into multiple rounds, if you clear a piece that you have already earned a token for, that token must be returned and you must earn it again. 

Four other ways to play:

• Master Builder - Play using the rules as above, but build the castle in your own layout.
• Block Collector -  Clear as many blocks off the game board as you can on each turn. When all blocks have been cleared, players add their score and the highest score wins. The princess, dragon and treasure blocks are two points each and every other block is worth one point.
• Marksman - Clear only one block at a time from the board. As long as you clear only one block per swing, keep playing until you fail, keeping all the blocks you clear this way. When all blocks have been cleared, score and determine the winner the same as in Block Collector.
• Royal Solitaire - Play alone to sharpen your skills. Try these:
• Track your lowest number of swings to clear the princess, treasure and castle blocks.
• Track your lowest number of swings to clear all the blocks from the board.
• Try to clear the whole board, one block at a time. On any turn that you clear more than one block, the game is over. Set up and try again.

Try this:

• Set up the blocks in your own design and play with the wrecking ball before actually playing a game to get the feel of it.
• Knock the three target pieces off in a particular order. If you clear one before its time, return it to its original location.
• Work on visual discrimination, spatial relations, eye-hand coordination, aim, manual dexterity, executive functioning skills, process skills, socialization skills, play and leisure exploration and participation 

In the box: game board, wrecking board, 3 character blocks, 26 castle blocks, 12 tokens, 1 die

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