Zoo Mania

Zoo Mania - Fun animal-themed card game that plays like UNO.

Zoo Mania is a card game that appeals to kids with its whimsical, brightly colored zoo animals. It plays very much like the card game UNO. During play, cards are matched by color or number, or wild cards are played.

There are four sets of cards number 0-9. The sets are red rhinos, green giraffes, yellow zebras and purple alligators. They are laminated and measure 2.25" x 3.5". 

Object: 
Be the first player to play all the cards from their hand.

Set up:
Shuffle the cards. Deal nine cards face-down to each player. Put the rest of the cards in a face-down stack on the table. Turn the first card over and place it beside the deck of cards. This is the discard pile.

Play:
Player take turns matching the card on the top of the discard pile by number, color or by playing a wild card. If the player does not have a card to do any of these things, he draws a card from the draw pile. If he can play it, he does. If not, his turn is over.

The person who plays a wild card calls out the player he wants to be the "victim". The victim either follows the directions on the card or plays a "reverse" card which reverses the card back on the player who played it. If it goes back to the initial player, he must follow the directions. 

Here are the different wild cards:

• Draw 3 stampede card - draw 3 cards and add them to your hand.
• Draw 1 danger card - draw 1 card and add it to your hand.
• Hide/lost your turn card - lose your next turn.
• Exchange cards - exchange your whole hand with another player
• Escape your loss card - play this card when another player has played a wild card on you to avoid the penalty of a wild card.

Play until one player runs out of cards. The rest of the players then receive points for each card that they are still holding. Those point values are listed in the instructions. Play several rounds, adding all the points together, and the player with the fewest points is the winner.

Try this:

• Deal fewer cards. The game typically goes faster but it is less to watch and hold for beginners.
• Take out all cards except the number cards for beginners. Teach one rule (wild card) at a time and add those cards back in. When the player has that rule, add another.
• Hold the deck in the non-dominant hand and push each card off with the thumb to deal. Take it with the dominant hand and pass it.
• Practice drawing cards off the deck by separating them one at a time and not toppling the deck.
• Practice shuffling.
• Separate any two colors from the deck. Shuffle them. Place the deck face-up on the table and put one card of a color on the left of the deck and one card of the other color on the right of the deck. Separate and pick up one card at a time from the deck and place it on the card with the matching color. Play through the whole deck, being careful not to topple the draw deck or slide cards off as you lift.
• Sort cards into piles by number or color.

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

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.