Press & Spin Birthday Bear Game

Press and Spin Game - Help Birthday Bear get ready for the big party.

I'm not really a fan of Melissa & Doug's Press & Spin Games because they are so... well, flimsy. It looks like there are five other games in this line and they all contain this spinner and paper pieces. Birthday Bear is different in that we will be tracing and coloring.

The spinner is a lightweight plastic and different from most other spinners you'll see. You push down the whole top of the unit to get it to go. The spinner shows number 1-6 and behind each number is a different color. 

The pencils are small, like the ones you get when you play miniature golf, and they are colored - Red, green, blue and orange. There are four drawing pads, each measuring 3 5/8" x 5 1/8"  and containing about 15 sheets. The picture on all sheets is the same - Birthday Bear. Most of the bear is made up of lightly printed, dashed shapes which are numbered 1-6. There are two sections for each number. For example, the two areas with a number 1 are the balloon and the party hat. You can see the bear in the image above.

The instructions outline four simple versions for playing this game. They are:

• Birthday Bear - Be the first to complete your picture. Give each person a tablet and pencil. Players take turns pressing the spinner. The player checks the number on the spinner and looks for an uncolored space with that number on their picture. If they find one, they will trace and color it in. If they have already colored in those spaces, their turn ends. Keep playing until someone has finished their picture and wins the game.
• Spin-a-Color - This version will not result in a winner, so just have fun coloring. Player presses the spinner, checks the color the arrow stops on, and traces and colors in any space with that color. Since there are six colors and only four pencils, two colors, purple and yellow, don't have matching colored pencils. These two colors are "wild", meaning that you get to pick any color to use. Keep spinning until you have colored in the whole picture.
• Coloring Pages - Similar to Spin-a-Color, instead of coloring in each section as you spin, only outline it with the colored pencils. When you are done, then go back and fill in the sections with any colors that you want. You can even go get your crayons and have more color choices if you want.
• Switcheroo - Follow the instructions for Birthday Bear (above) with the exception that if the same number comes up twice in a row, everybody switches their picture with another player. Continue filling in their picture.

Try this:

• Use crayons instead of the pencils. Some of the spaces are kind of small, but if your crayons are still fairly pointed, it should work. Not sure how you will sharpen the colored pencils as they wear down.
• Call out a body/clothing part for the player to outline. For instance pants or head. If appropriate add in a particular piece such as right pant leg or left ear.
• Make a banner after you have finished playing, using the bear pictures for a birthday party decoration. 
• Try making copies of the bear before you run out of tablets. You will be able to get four on a page. The dashes are very light, so not sure how they will copy.
• Work on visual discrimination, recognizing numbers 1-6 and four colors, spatial relations, tracing, using a pencil, efficient grasp on a writing tool, manual dexterity, fine motor precision, process skills, executive functioning skills, socialization skills, play and leisure exploration and participation 

In the box: Spinner, 4 drawing pads, 4 pencils

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

Frida's Fruity Fiesta

Frida's Fruit Fiesta Game -Four in a row alphabet game.

I've seen Frida's Fruit Fiesta Game many times in passing on Amazon, but never realized it was an alphabet game. Help Frida feed her little ones by collecting fruity bowls (with letters). Add the letter bowls to your bingo-type card, get four in a row and win the game.

The game board is actually the bottom of the box. It is decorated like a forest, with a large monkey swinging from a tree at the top and a large monkey sitting at the base of the tree. The letter bowls are a rubbery blue plastic, each with a single letter standing in it. There is one letter per bowl and there are 26 bowls, one for each letter of the alphabet. The bowls are rounded on the bottom and rock easily.

The Frida squeezer is large and made of plastic. Like The Sneaky, Snacky Squirrel by the same company, I'm not crazy about it, but this time for a different reason. The toucan's mouth is open just a little wider than the thickness of the letter. If the player does not have good control, picking them up will not be easy. I tried to pry it open but it did not work, too stiff. If your main goal is to work on the alphabet and there is frustration with the squeezer, use a different type of tong or your fingers. Set the toucan squeezer off to the side for show as she is a part of the story. If your goal is manual dexterity with precision and a steady hand, then go for it.

LEFT:  The bird squeezer/tongs.   RIGHT: Looking down on top of the bird about to pick up a letter. I have not squeezed it yet.

I have to admit that the spinner is unique. There are three spinners in one, equaling three times the practice. Each letter of the alphabet is represented once, and there are some additional images on the spinners also. If you land on one of the images you will do the following:

• Fruit Bowl -Choose any fruit bowl from the rain forest. Make sure it matches a letter on your card.
• Double Fruit Bowl - Choose any two fruit bowls from the rain forest.
• Monkey - Put one of your fruit bowls back into the rain forest (return it to the box).
• Bird - Steal a fruit. Take a fruit from someone else's card. Make sure it matches a letter on your card that you need.
• Spin again - Yup, just what it says. Spin again.

For see other games that feature the alphabet that I have blogged about, click here.

Object:
Be the first person to get four in a row on your card, horizontally, vertically or diagonally.

Set up:
Stand all the fruit bowls in the box bottom. Give each player a nest card. Place the spinner and Frida squeezer near the box.

Play:
Player take turns. Spin all three spinners and then choose one of the three to make your move. Do what the spinner indicates (see explanation above). Your turn is over. Play until someone gets three in a row to win.

Try this:

• Skip the game. Stand the fruit bowl up in alphabetical order on the table. 
• Look for a nice rounded web space when you spin the arrows on the spinners.
• Skip the game and just stand the fruit bowls on the matching letter on a card. Start with the top row and work your way down as the bowl are tall and will block what is behind them.
• Use a different tweezer/tong from another game or just pick them up with your fingers.
• Stand the fruit bowl randomly on the table. Call a letter and see who can find it first. Play until someone has won five fruit bowls.
• Say each letter out loud as you see it on the spinner and the as you pick it up and place it on the card (to reinforce it).
• Skip the game. Choose one fruit bow (letter) and place it in front of the player. Ask them to find the letter that comes right before it and the letter that comes right after it.
• Sing the ABC song before and/or as you play to reinforce or help them remember the order of the letters.
• As you place each fruit bowl (letter) on your card, name one thing that starts with that letter.
• As you place each fruit bowl (letter) on your card, name one thing that ends with that letter.
• Make a monkey sound each time he shows up on your spin. Or do a monkey dance, each a hard banana chip or a soft bite of a banana.
• Put the fruit bowls back into the box one-by-one as you put the game away. Name each letter as you go.
• Put the fruit bowls back into the box in alphabetical order.

In the box: Rain forest game board (bottom of box), 26 fruit bowls, 1 triple game spinner, 4 nest cards, 1 Frida squeezer

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