Consequences

The game of Consequences is a fun way to introduce and/or reinforce the idea that all actions and behaviors have consequences. Advance along the board, following the colorful stone path to the park to take a ride on the slide, go for ice cream, and to be the first to end at Waterland! Each turn starts with choosing a consequence card. Each consequence card represents an everyday task or behavior that results in a forward or backward move. The card will direct you whether to roll the die and move forward, or roll the dice and move backward. Examples of some of the cards include:

• You picked up all your toys. Super good job! Roll die, move ahead.
• You're not getting up on time. Rise and shine sleepyhead. Roll die and move back.
• Sharing makes the world a better place. Good job! Roll die and move ahead.
• Use the blank cards to personalize the game and address the area(s) that you are working on. 

In the box: 1 gameboard, 4 pawns, 1 die, 34 consequence cards, 6 blank cards to make your own consequence cards

 
Ages 6-11, 2-4 players

 

For more information, click on the image below.

Coloring Dot Marker Pictures

Work on distal rotation, coloring inside the lines, tool use, separation of the two sides of the hand, precise fine motor control, finger dexterity, executive functioning skills, play and leisure exploration and participation

Use dot marker pictures to work on distal finger control and coloring inside the lines. So often kids that can't color inside the lines are coloring straight lines from the wrist. Coloring in these small circles is a good way to practice controlled, circular movements, like those also needed to round lower case letters. I color along with them on my own sheet and show them exactly what I want, and I bring their attention back to me for an example as often as necessary. I buy these sets from Oriental Trading. They also have a sticker art picture that is made up of even smaller circles (see below).  I use that one for coloring in as a second step. I usually use crayons on the bigger picture, then transition to colored pencils for these pictures. This set also comes in a firework theme.

If you get on their mailing list, about once a month Oriental Trading will send you a special offer to make any purchase and pay no shipping. When I have a smaller order, I wait for those offers. But they always offer free shipping on $39 or $49 orders. I have also seen many free pictures of the larger "dot marker" type on Pinterest.

If you would like to read more about games that require writing or drawing in some form, check out my post Games That Require a Writing Tool. 



Busy Bugs Learning Set

 

Kids love the variety of bugs in Busy Bugs.

Get busy with 36 brightly colored, rubbery plastic Busy Bugs and 11 activity cards. With a different activity on each side of each card, you get a total of 22 activities based on counting, patterning, and sorting by color, shape, and insect type. Use a dry erase marker on the cards that require an answer. Many of the cards just require you to place a bug for the answer. I have used these a lot since kids like them, even just as manipulatives for in-hand manipulation practice.

The laminated cards are 11-1/2" X 4-1/2" and have held up well. There is also a blank activity card so you can make up your own activity. The bugs are nicely detailed on the cards as well as on the bug itself. There are six different colors and six different bugs. Each bug type includes one of each color. Bug types are grasshopper, fly, spider, dragonfly, beetle, and caterpillar. Colors are orange, red, blue, green, yellow and purple. There is also a guide included with eight additional activities. They are:

• Who Comes Next? Pattern game.
• Who is missing? Memory game.
• Line 'Em Up! Sorting game.
• The Busy Bug. Counting game.
• Bug Talk. Language game.
• Bubbly Bug Soup. Following directions game.
• Bugs in a Bag. Tactile game.
• Who's the Buggiest? Counting game.

Try this:

• Use tweezers/tongs to pick up and place the bugs. I have often used these in conjunction with the plastic animal tongs.
• Place 1 bug at a time in the individual's palm. Ask them to being it to the fingertips and orient it so that they can stand the bug on the table. Sort them by color or type as you play. Then try two in the palm.
  
• Place all the bugs in a group and play I SPY. For example, I SPY a red fly. Who can find it first?
• Play I SPY but make sure that the bugs are in different orientations, such as upside down, half buried, and on their sides. Can they still find them?
• Sort the bugs into piles by color or type.
• Place one of each bug on the table in view. Place the rest of the bugs in a bag that you can't see into. Ask the individual to place their hand into the bag, feel a bug, and call out what it is before pulling it out to reveal. Sort by type onto the table as you play.
  
• Work on visual discrimination, spatial relations, figure ground, manual dexterity, in-hand manipulation, colors, counting, sequencing, socialization skills, process skills, executive functioning skills, tactile perception, play and leisure exploration and participation 

In the box: 11 activity cards (22 activities), answer key and blank card, 36 bugs
 
This product can be purchased through a Discovery Toy website if you are interested.

Terzetto

Terzetto - A marble strategy game

Terzetto is a two-person game that uses marbles and that will require strategy, but it's also based on a certain amount of luck.

Each tray has 25 round holes (a 5 x 5 grid) on one end, this is where the game is played, and a large space on the other end, this is where you keep the marbles until you play them. The marble shaker is a little hard to see but it is enclosed and there are 3 small marbles inside. The bottom of the shaker is a 3 x 3 grid. It cannot be opened. There are 48 large colored marbles total. There are eight different colors and six of each color.

Object:
Be the first player to place all your marbles on your grid. Or, if the game ends and both players are stalled, whoever has the most marbles placed is the winner.

Set up:
Each player takes one tray and 24 marbles, three of each color. Place the marbles in the large empty end of the tray.

Play:
The first player shakes the marble shaker. Both players observe the pattern that the three marbles have landed in on the 3 X 3 grid.  Each player picks up three like-colored marbles, it doesn't matter which color, and places them in that exact pattern anywhere on his tray, in any orientation. Players use three of the same color so that they can keep track of where they have put marbles and to make sure they get the pattern correct. If you used three different colors, you could easily lose track of where you placed what. The next player shakes the marble shaker and the steps are repeated. The more marbles you have on your tray, the harder it will be to fit specific new marble patterns onto it. Try to fit the marbles in such a way that you are not left with spaces that require more than a 3 X 3 grid to fill. The game ends when someone uses all their marbles or when each player takes one turn shaking the shaker and no one has the specific patterns left on their grid to add new marbles. Whoever has the most marbles on the grid when the game ends is the winner. Players will need to be able to visualize the 3 X 3 grid in different orientations to place their marbles.

Try this:

• If a player cannot visualize the 3X3 patterns in different orientations, allow him to turn the shaker in different directions (without disturbing the marbles).
• Throw the shaker once. Using the same sets of three marbles, see how many sets of marbles you can place in that one orientation on your tray.
• Ask the individual to pick up all three marbles before placing. Push one to the fingertips for placement while holding the other two in the palm without dropping. Use this method to place each marble.
• Work on visual discrimination, spatial relations, figure ground, visualization, visual closure, manual dexterity, separation of two sides of hand, in-hand manipulation, critical and analytical thinking, socialization skills, process skills, play and leisure exploration and participation  
  
  In the box: 2 plastic trays, 2 sets of 24 plastic marbles, one marble shaker
   

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