Smart Cookies

Smart Cookies - A logic, deductive reasoning, problem solving game

Smart Cookies has won multiple awards and is one of six games in the Brain Builder Series by Foxmind. Smart Cookies exercises deductive reasoning, logic and problem solving skills, without taking an hour to play just one challenge. I have blogged about others from this series, that I use and love, and will place the links below. I have a half dozen different game brands that I follow for new game releases and FoxMind is one of them.

The box and instructions don't even give a back story for the "Einstein" look-alike baker and the tray of cookies, they're just all about the puzzles. Foxmind also has a game called Meta-Forms that, from what I can tell, is the same game, just without the whimsical cookie theme. Showing a brainy kid on the box, it uses solid color triangles, circles and squares on a grid instead of cookies on a tray. I just thought the cookies looked more whimsical and fun.

The 3 x 3 grid (cookie tray) is 7 7/8" square. One cookie will go into each space on the grid, so nine cookies total. The cookies are a solid material with a slightly rubbery feel to them. The circle is 1.5" in diameter, the square is 1.5" square and the triangle is slightly larger. There are three colors (red, blue, yellow) and three shapes. 

The puzzle book is spiral bound and measures 7 1/16" x 6 1/2". There are 64 puzzles/challenges divided into eight different sections, increasing in difficulty as you go. Each section has an example page which sets up a couple of rules, giving you more options (less certainty) for where pieces could go. All answers are given in the back of the book.

I love these types of puzzles because they push you to keep applying what you are learning to more and more difficult puzzles. I have blogged about many of these 1-player logic games from the makers of SmartGames and ThinkFun. Check them out here.

Here are images of puzzles number 1 and number 64 and their solutions. Checks in a box mean that a certain piece or color must go into that space on the grid.  An X in a box means that the shape or color shown cannot go into that space. An arrow means that that shape or color piece must be placed going in that direction, perhaps in relation to another piece. A puzzle may show you a shape without a color, a shape with a color, or just a color blob.

Puzzle 1                                                                  Solution 1

 

Puzzle 64                                                    Solution 64

Work your way from puzzle number 1 to number 64. This one is fun in therapy because each puzzle only has nine pieces and can be figured out in a reasonable amount of time. Someone might do three or four puzzles in 15 minutes at the beginning and maybe one puzzle in 15 or 20 minutes at the end. With 64 puzzles you can work on this game over several months.

Here are other FoxMind games I have blogged about from the Brain Builder Series. I would recommend any of them.

• Equilibrio - Build structures upright, some with challenging balance aspects such as building on round blocks.
• Perspecto - Build structures from a variety of perspectives (up to three views per puzzle). The old name for this game is Cliko. The Perspecto puzzle book is the exact same book as the Cliko book, just a new name.
• Architecto - Build structures upright.
• Tangramino - Build structures flat on the table.

Try this:

• Look at the answer key and place several of the pieces. Let the individual figure out the rest. As he gets better, reduce the number of candies you place until he is doing it alone.
• Use the game in a simpler way, if the player is unable to solve the challenges, to promote spatial awareness. Show each answer page to the individual and have him line up the cookies on the tray in the same locations.
• Think out loud as you solve a puzzle and the individual looks on to help the player learn how to eliminate certain possibilities and pinpoint correct locations.
• Complete a puzzle yourself, reasoning out loud as you go, as the individual watches. After completing the puzzle, take the pieces out and see if the individual can solve the puzzle again on his own.
• Work on logic, deductive reasoning, problem solving, manual dexterity, visual discrimination, spatial relations, visual closure, process skills, executive functioning skills, play and leisure exploration and participation

In the box: 1 grid, 9 cookie pieces, 1 puzzle book

If you are interested in purchasing this game, you will probably have to look at ebay or another source like that. I did not buy this game when it first came out and now cannot find it on Amazon, so had to go to ebay to get it. If you don't like the prices you see, just wait and something cheaper may come along soon. It seems that everyone wants double or triple a game's "new" price once it is not available on sites like Amazon or Walmart.

Architecto

Architecto - A logic, spatial puzzle in the Brain Builder Series

In the box: 18 solid plastic pieces, pattern book with 60 patterns
Ages 5+, 1 player

Architecto is one of six logic games from FoxMind. I only bought the book for this game since the 18 orange pieces are the exact same 18 pieces that are in four games in this series. I have blogged on all four games and will put links to the other games below.

Architecto builds models upright. You can see from the example in the book in the image above that shadowing will show where some individual pieces are, but not all. Some pieces will not even show at all, you will have to deduce where any missing pieces are from the shapes and sizes of the pieces around them. The 60 puzzles in this book will get more challenging as you go. All solutions are in the back of the book. The book is spiral bound and so conveniently lays flat. 

Four games in this series that I have blogged about are Equilibrio, Perspecto (old name is Cliko), Architecto and Tangramino, and they all use the same 18 pieces. Therefore if you have the pieces, you can just buy the books singly for the other games. Here is some information on each game:

• Equilibrio - Build structures upright, some with challenging balance aspects such as the one above that is built on round blocks.
• Perspecto - Build structures from a variety of perspectives (up to three views per puzzle). The old name for this game is Cliko. The Perspecto puzzle book is the exact same book as the Cliko book, just a new name.
• Architecto - Build structures upright.
• Tangramino - Build structures flat on the table.

You can buy each game with the book and the pieces as a set, or you can buy the books separately and one set of pieces separately. I also have the book for Cliko (which uses the same 18 blocks that I have in this Equilibrio set). Both books fit in the box and I just carry them together. I have primarily used this set with high-functioning teens as the later puzzles in the books can be quite challenging.

Try this:

• Start by examining each piece and comparing it to the chart. Discuss how one piece can look different when looking at it from different perspectives.
• Make a copy of the chart so that you can have it next to the puzzle for comparison if you need help as you build.
• Solve a puzzle while the individual looks on. Talk out loud as you work, so they can learn the logic, problem solving process.
• Models built on cylinders, as the example above, may be easier to construct on a rougher, flat surface, such as a piece of paper or cardboard, if a table top is too smooth and offers little friction.
• Orient a puzzle piece and place it on the model if an individual gets stuck or cannot orient the piece correctly. Then pick it up, turn it askew, and hand it to the individual to orient. The individual may not be able to "see" the shape as it would look in a different orientation and a visual demonstration like that can help a great deal.
• Use consistent directional and positional language as you cue.
• Work on visual discrimination, visualization, spatial relations, visual closure, visual form constancy, eye-hand coordination, manual dexterity, in-hand manipulation, coordinated use of both hands, executive functioning skills, process skills, leisure exploration and participation