Mini Cornhole Game

 

A tabletop Mini Cornhole game

 

Looking at the Mini Cornhole box, I though this was an updated version of tiddly winks. But no, the coins are metal and that didn't work. So I tried tossing them in and that was really stale, so I figured there had to be more to it. On occasion, I have to read the manufacturer rules up front. 

Mini Cornhole comes with two wooden boards that measure 7 7/8" x 4 5/8". Each board has a hole at the top. There are also 16 flat, metal coins, four of each color - blue, red, green, yellow. The coins measure just under 1" in diameter. Don't play on a table that shows impressions easily. It just might leave indents.

Object:

Be the first person to win 21 points.

Set up:

Each player places a board in front of them as in the images above. Players each get 4 of one color coins.

Play:

Version 1

Players take turns. Bounce a coin in front of the board so that it jumps onto the board. One point is earned if it lands on the board, three points are earned if it jumps into the hole.  

Version 2

Players set up boards as in the image below. Player bounces his coin between the boards and onto the opposing board. Player plays all four coins and then the other player plays his four coins. Scoring is the same. First to 21 wins the game.

 

 

Try this:

• Try grading the force that you use depending on previous tries. If it jumped too far, you might be throwing it too hard. Not far enough, you might be throwing it too lightly.
  
• Try just tossing the coins into the hole if bouncing is too difficult.
• Pull out an old tiddly wink game and try it with the plastic chips. Might even work with plastic bingo chips.
  
• Play by yourself, try to beat your own score.
• Try throwing the coin flat, try throwing it on the rim. Which works for you?
• Put coins away by pushing them to the side of the table and then into the bag. These coins are flat and have to be picked up one at a time. Two-handed activity to learn to pick up many pieces quickly.
• Move the board closer or further away and adjust to the difference by trial and error, grading the force you use to throw.
  
• Work on manual dexterity, visual motor integration, motor planning, grading force and adjusting, socialization skills, executive functioning skills, process skills, play and leisure exploration and participation
  

In the box: 2 wooden boards, 16 metal coins

Smart Car

Smart Car is a puzzle game I have used a lot and love.  Build the car in the picture using the four blocks. The finished model will always look the same, with two pieces sitting higher in the middle (see image above). The four pieces are all the same shape and made of solid wood and brightly painted. It has held up well.  The wheels work and the car rolls.

 

Smart Car comes with a spiral bound booklet that has 48 puzzles. The puzzles advance in difficulty from starter to master, and are versatile enough to use across multiple ages and skill levels. The puzzle book starts out with step by step instructions for building the car (first image below), and then gradually moves to more difficult puzzles, showing just the completed car, a portion of a completed car, or a bird's eye view of the car. There must always be two eyes looking forward when the puzzles are complete.

This game is great for working on visual perceptual skills. Often the individual does not think to turn the piece to see it at different angles and must be cued initially, but with only four pieces it can be a good workout without having time to get frustrated before you are done!

Below are images of puzzle number one, number 13 and number 48. As I say a lot with SmartGames products, it has held up well.

 

Since I blogged about this product, SmartGames came out with Smart Car 5 X 5. That game has replaced this game. It contains 2 books and one extra piece. The first book uses only 4 pieces and is probably the same book as this game. So in addition you get a puzzle book with 5 piece puzzles and the extra piece you will need.

SmartGames is a brand that makes a lot of one-person logic games that help build manual dexterity, problem solving and visual perceptual skills over multiple challenges that increase in difficulty as you go. You don't have to do the work of grading, they do it for you! I have many of their products. The kids love them and they work very well in therapy. If you would like to read more about these kid-friendly logic games, check out my post called One-Player SmartGames. 

If you are interested in reading more about logic puzzles, check out my post on What's in Your Therapy Box? Logic Puzzles Edition.

Try this:

• Look over the pieces before you begin. Talk about how one piece can look several different ways as you orient it differently.
• Work a puzzle to model the problem solving process. Talk out loud as you go, then take the puzzle apart and ask the individual to solve it.
• Turn to the answer page, which shows how to build one block at a time, if the puzzle is difficult (this view only for the first few puzzles). Then take the pieces out, turn back to the puzzle page, and have the individual try again.
• Turn a block to the correct orientation and place in the car if the individual gets stuck. Then take the piece out, turn it so it is not in the correct orientation, and give to the individual to reorient and place.
• Talk through the reasoning process if the individual gets stuck. Such as "the yellow block is taking up two spaces in the picture, so it must be lying on its side".
• Turn the block in two hands instead of flipping it around on the tabletop.
• Put the first block in the puzzle if the player can't figure out where to start.
• Place three of the blocks in the car and let the individual finish the puzzle by putting in the last block. Then start a puzzle and place two of the blocks and let the individual finish it. Work backward until the person is doing the puzzles alone.
• Give the individual one piece at a time, in the correct orientation, if they are having difficulty learning. After they improve, give them one piece at a time but not in the correct orientation. Finally let them choose their own pieces and orient them.
• Challenge the player by making sure none of the pieces on the table are in the correct orientation before beginning to build.
• Work from the finished view.
• Work on spatial relations, visualization, visual discrimination, visual closure, visual form constancy, coordinated use of both hands, manual dexterity, logic, problem solving, executive functioning skills, process skills, play and leisure exploration and participation

In the box:  A wooden car, 4 wooden puzzle pieces, a puzzle book with 48 puzzles.

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