Zimbbos

Zimbbos - An animal-themed stacking game

Zimbbos is a stacking game that challenges you to build "fantastic pyramids" with wooden blocks. The 15 blocks (elephants and jokers) are all the same height and roughly the same width. Each elephant has a number in the top left hand corner (1-10), but the jokers do not have a number. All pieces are brightly painted and solid. The stacking bars come in three different lengths (8", 6", 4"), and are the same width and depth.

Object: 
Be the player to place elephant number 10 on top of the pyramid without making it fall. 

Set up:
Scatter the pieces in the playing area. Play on a solid, flat surface so the towers you create will not be tipsy because of an unstable base. 

Play:
Players take turns. Throw the die and play depending on what comes up on the die.

• 1 circle - Place one elephant on the pyramid.
• 2 circles - Place two elephants on the pyramid.
• 3 circles - Place three elephants on the pyramid.
• Star - Place one balancing bar or one joker on the pyramid.

Pyramids could take many shapes, as long as you are ultimately building up. Pieces can be placed on the current level or above, but never below. Pieces can be placed upside down, backward, forward or any combination. There is a little groove middle/bottom, and a little corresponding bump middle/top, that helps the pieces stay lined up and balanced. Elephants are always stacked in numerical order (from 1-10).

Try this:

• Make a tower by stacking just one of top of the other. How many can you stack before the tower tumbles?
• Line up the elephants by number across the table top and count as you go. Then line them up backwards and count backwards.
• Make a rule that all pieces have to be facing forward. Lay the pieces on the table sideways and backwards before the game starts. Pick them up and turn them in-hand to orient before placing.
• Make a variety of towers before therapy and take a picture of each with your phone. Show the individual a picture at a time and have him copy your towers.
• Call out one color, number, or animal at a time and have the individual line up or stack in that order.
• After building, take the tower apart, one piece at a time, without toppling it.
• Give directions for where to place each piece, such as on the left, top right, in between, etc.
• Work on visual discrimination, spatial relations, manual dexterity, graded grasp and release, reach, sequencing, counting 1-10, process skills, executive functioning skills, socialization skills, play and leisure exploration and participation

In the box: 10 wooden elephants, 5 wooden jokers (1 gorilla, 1 lion, 1 bear, 2 clowns), 3 wooden balancing bars, 1 wooden die

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

Mind Your Manners

Mind Your Manners

Mind You Manners is a simple game that reinforces good manners at home, school, community and at play. There is no role playing, no questions to answer. Simply read a manner card and move ahead for good manners or move backwards for bad manners.

The manner cards cover home, school, and community situations. There are many more good manner cards than bad manner cards so everyone can cross the finish line. There are also a few colored smiley face cards in the deck and matching smiley face pictures on the board. If you draw a smiley face, you may move ahead on the board to the next smiley face of that color. The board and cards are a little more lightweight than your average game, but the cards are coated with plastic.

Object:
Advance along the colored path, starting in the bottom left hand corner and be the first to cross the finish line at the top right hand corner.

Set up:
Place the board on a flat surface and deal five cards to each player. The rest of the cards become the draw pile and are placed face down by the board. Each player chooses a pawn and places it in the lower left hand corner of the board at START.

Play:
Players take turns. Place one card from your hand on the discard pile, follow the directions, and then draw a card to replace it. There is a number and symbol in the top left hand corner of each card that will tell you whether you will be moving forward (+) for good manners, or backward (-) for bad manners, and how many spaces. Here are a few card examples:

• +9  You were a good sport about losing the game.
• +4  You were kind to an animal.
• +4  You were quiet during the movie. 
• +4  You kept the sound from the radio soft so that only you could hear it.
• -3  You forced your way to the front of the line.
• -3  You tracked mud into the house.
• -3  You bothered your neighbor.
• -2  You tipped your chair back at the table.

You may instead play the - cards on another player. If the player has a card with a ribbon on it, he may cancel the action and your turn is over. If you draw a smiley card, advance to the next smiley face of that color and draw again.

Play until someone crosses the finish line and wins the game.

Try this:

• Make a game out of just the cards. Read a card and ask the players if it is a good manner or a bad manner. Don't let incorrect answers pass with just a "wrong answer" response. Explain and correct.
• Eliminate the smiley face cards so that your only way to advance is related to manners cards.
• Ask the players to explain why bad manners are bad. For example - You tracked mud into the house is bad manners because someone could slip on the wet mud and hurt themselves and it is inconsiderate of the person who will have to spend time cleaning it up.

In the box: Game board, 100 manner cards, 6 pawn

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