Watch Ya' Mouth

Watch Ya' Mouth - Yup, you're gonna look this ridiculous.

It's interesting that I should run into Watch Ya' Mouth today since I just ordered a mouth guard (at the dentist) yesterday. Big difference in price though - Dental mouth guard: $365 with insurance. Watch Ya' Mouth guard: $2 second hand. Watching your friends struggle to read without moving their lips: Priceless. Some things money can't buy.

So just for the record, I won't be using this one in therapy. I wouldn't pressure anybody to wear this mouth guard or play this game if they didn't want to, because there is no way to look dignified wearing this thing. As a matter of fact, most people I know would flat out refuse to play. But let's take a look at it anyway.

The mouth guards are made of clear plastic. Does one size fit all? I wouldn't even know how to judge. You can actually buy them separately on Amazon, I suppose for sanitary purposes (you will definitely want to disinfect them between uses). They call them dental retractor mouth openers. Yeah right. I've been to the dentist a time or two and I’ve never worn anything that looked like this:

The game includes 143 cards with a saying on each card. Put the mouth guard in your mouth and then read the saying on a card. Have you ever been to the dentist and while there is a wedge, drill, water, air, etc. all going on at the same time the dentist asks you if you did anything fun over the weekend? Yeah, it's gonna sound like that. Dentists could clean up on Watch Ya' Mouth because somehow they always understand what you say. 

This particular game is the version1 family-friendly game, so hopefully all the sayings are G rated (that doesn't necessarily guarantee good taste). However, after looking for a video on You Tube to see this game in action, I inadvertently found that there is definitely an adult only version. Here are a few examples from this game:

• Frogs frolic in the farm pond
• Diapers full of poop
• Pluto has five moons
• A pickle jar full of barf
• Bring me a spork

It is my habit with any game that has word cards to read over them before therapy and take out any that I feel are inappropriate for the individual I am working with. I don't like those kind of surprises.

Object:
Be the person or team with the most points after four rounds.

Set up:
Give each player their own mouth guard. Shuffle the cards and put them in the middle of the players, face-down. Place the 1 minute timer near by. Divide up into teams of two if you are playing by teams.

Play:
One team will play at a time. One person will be the reader and the other person the interpreter. Flip the timer over and the team will have 1 minute to guess as many cards as they can. There are two ways this can be played, which should be determined before the game begins:

• Open Season - Besides speaking, the reader can also use general gestures, sounds and other references, but no writing or drawing.
• Legit - No other clues are allowed, just read the card.

Each round score 1 point for each correct interpretation. After four rounds, the team with the most points wins.

OR

Players take turns being the reader and everyone else shouts out guesses. First player to guess correctly gets the card. First player to collect five cards wins the game.

In the box: 6 mouth guards, 143 cards

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

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.