K-9 Capers

K-9 Capers - Practice sequencing, counting and memory in 12 minutes.

To be successful playing K-9 Capers you will have to remember what you saw and pick up pooches in numerical order. K-9 Capers is one in a series of 12 Minute Games by Gamewright.

The game consists of 36 cards and a custom die. Each card features a dog in action (painting, boxing, jumping on a pogo stick, etc.) and a number (1-9) in the top right hand corner. The die has the numbers 1-2-3, two of each number.

Object:
Be the first player to line up 9 cards in numerical order.

Set up:
Shuffle the cards and place them in a 6 X 6 grid, face-down, on the table top.

Play:
Players take turns. Throw the die and turn over that many cards. For instance, if you throw a 1, turn over one card. If you throw a 3, turn over three cards. Each player will be creating a line of 9 cards, numbered 1-9, and you must pick them up in order. For instance if you have numbers 1 and 2 already lined up and you turn over a 3, you can take it. If you turn over a 5, you cannot take it. If you turn over a 3, 4, and 6, you can take the 3 and 4. If you can use any of the cards that you have turned over you may take them and put them in your line. If not, or if there are cards left that you cannot use, flip them back to their face-down position and your turn is over. Keep playing until someone has lined up nine cards, in number order, and wins the game.

Cards must be left in the same space when you flip them, otherwise people will have trouble remembering where they saw them. Cue the individual to remember what he sees, as he may need a card later that he sees now.

Try this:

• Turn the cards face-up and practice putting them in number order before you play a game. 
• Hold the cards in the non-dominant hand, pushing off the top card with the thumb as you deal, while you are setting up the grid for play.
• Set up the grid, cards face-up, and make sure that cards numbered 1-9 are embedded in the grid in order. Ask the individual to scan the cards, left to right, row by row, and pick up the cards they need as they go, noting that all cards will show up in order as they scan.
• Hold the cards in the non-dominant hand and use the dominant hand to sort them into piles by number.
• Shuffle the cards. Make up to four rows of 9 cards. Use each card as it comes up, leaving holes in the line where you still need to collect cards, filling them in as they come up.
• Work on visual discrimination, figure ground, visual memory, manual dexterity, counting 1-9, sequencing, process skills, socialization skills, executive functioning skills, play and leisure exploration and participation

In the box: 36 cards, 1 custom die.

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

Fundomino

Fundomino - The twist isn't just in the shape

Fundomino is a domino game with an UNO-type twist. The tiles themselves are curved and the game will twist around on the playing surface in unusual directions.

Dominoes was one of the games I learned to play with my grandma when I was growing up. Fundomino is a long way from those rectangular wooden black tiles with the white pips. This game even has a game board and pawns!

The 32 domino tiles are curved, made of a weighty plastic material and colorful, as you can see in the image above. During play, the tiles will have to match by color as well as fit together. The tile numbers go from 1 - 6 and there are also special action tiles with a star, a plus sign and a rounded arrow. The game board is a heavy card stock and there are four game pawns, one each of blue, yellow, red and white.

Game board.

This game also comes in a portable, pocket version called Pocket Fundomino. I have not seen it, but to learn more about it click here.

Object:
Be the first person to score 120 points.

Set up:
Turn the tiles face-down and mix them randomly on a flat playing surface. Each player chooses tiles and stands them on their edges, so that only he can see the numbers/symbols/colors. Place the rest of the tiles off to the side, this is called the stock. Place the game board off to the the side and each player chooses a colored pawn and places it on the start area on the board.

Play:
The game is played in rounds. The player with the highest double places that tile in the middle of the table. If no one has a double then the highest number tile is played (example 5/6). 

Taking turns, players will place one domino on either end of the chain. Dominoes have to match by color, but also need to fit. Special action tiles are followed only if they end up on the very end space of the chain. The special actions include:

• Plus sign - Once played, the next player will draw one tile before he plays. If there are no more dominoes in the stock, they draw one from the player that played it.
• Curved arrow - The person who plays this symbol must play again. If he cannot play, he must draw tiles from the stock pile until he picks one he can play. If there are no more tiles in the stock pile, his turn ends.
• Star - This is a wild card and can be played next to any other domino.

When a player is down to only one domino, he must say "Domino!" If he forgets and another player notices and comments, the first player must take a domino from the second player. The game ends when either:

• Only one player has tiles remaining OR
• The game is blocked (no stock and no playable tiles)

The scoring depends on different things including how many people are playing, whether people are playing in teams, why the game ended, and the point value of tiles players still have. Based on the score at the end of a round, players move their tokens forward on the game board. First player to reach 120 points wins the game.
 
Try this:

• Skip the game, just line up the tiles. Place them all face-up on the table to start. Can you include all of them in one long line?
• Turn the domino in-hand if you need to reorient it for placement. 
• Forget the scoring and the game board, winner per game is the first person to play all of his dominoes.
• Skip the game and play tiles that make closed circles (3 tiles each). How many circles can you make?
• Start the game with a different tile such as lowest double, lowest number, symbol only, rock/paper/scissors winner plays any tile from his hand, etc. Determine which method to use before players pick their dominoes.
• Work on visual discrimination, visual form constancy, manual dexterity, in-hand manipulation, decision making, simple mental math, process skills, socialization skills, play and leisure exploration and participation

In the tin: Game board, 4 game pawns, 32 dominoes

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