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Children learn through play. As an occupational therapist who works with children and youth, I use games and toys almost every day to help develop important cognitive, visual perceptual, motor, sensory, social, play and leisure skills. While many different types of activities can be used in therapy, this blog focuses on off-the-shelf games and toys that are accessible to most. Whether you are a therapist, parent, teacher, or a game lover like me, I hope you discover something useful while you are here. Learn a different way to play a game you already own or discover a new game for your next family game night. Either way, just go play. It's good for you!

The OT Magazine named The Playful Otter one of the Top 5 Pediatric OT Blogs.


Aug 9, 2017

Money JINGO

Money Jingo - A bingo game that will make you think (about money)

I was introduced to Jingo several years ago when I bought Jingo ThanksgivingJingo is a line of bingo games which are more educational than your typical call-and-cover bingo games. For instance, the Thanksgiving game came with 36 question cards that covered Thanksgiving history and traditions. Instead of calling numbers, the caller reads a question and players cover the answer (if they have it) on their bingo card. 

Money JINGO covers coin and small bill identification, adding money, and three questions that require figuring change. The materials are all made out of heavy-weight paper and none of them are laminated. The JINGO playing card measures 8.5 x 11, it is a 5 x 5 grid, and there is a free space in the middle. The question/clue cards are printed 10 on a page, they are perforated and they will need to be torn or cut apart before playing. Each question/clue card is printed with one question/clue, and the answer (with matching picture) is also on the same side of the card so the players cannot see it unless you want to reveal it. The bingo card, as you can see above, has either coins, bills or a number in each space.

No bingo chips or tokens for covering the squares are included. Coins would be an appropriate token for this game, but you could also use paperclips, dried beans or any other small item you have a lot of. The object is to be the first to complete a predetermined pattern by covering squares on your card. 

Here is an example of the clues on the cards:
  • One quarter, one dime, and one nickel are worth this many cents (40).
  • Find the grouping of money that is worth 16 cents (image of nickel, dime, and penny).
  • Find the grouping of money that is worth $5.05 (image of five dollar bill and nickel).
  • You buy a candy bar that costs 80 cents. You pay the clerk with four quarters. What will your change be (image of two dimes)?
There are only three problems like the last one above. Most of them are pictures of money or word description of money (example two dimes and a nickel). Individuals will need to be able to do mental math or figure answer on paper before finding it on the card.

Object:
Be the first player to cover all spaces needed for a win.

Set up:
Choose a person to be the caller. Give each player a playing card and a handful of markers. Shuffle the calling cards and give them to the caller. Choose a pattern for the win (horizontal, vertical, diagonal, four corners, letter X etc.)


Play:
The caller will ask one question from a calling card at at time. Each person will scan his card for the answer, placing a marker on the square if he finds it. If the players need help, the caller can show (or describe) the picture on the card. Go until someone wins and yells JINGO.

Giving out small prizes is always a fun bonus. Maybe keep the coins that were used to play. 

A colorful playing card, clue cards with pictures, an instruction sheet with examples of bingo patterns

Jingo has a large line of bingo games with quite a few holiday games which are fun for get-togethers. I have also blogged about Back to School JINGO, Thanksgiving JINGO and Community JINGO.

To see a list of games with money that I have blogged about, click here.

Try this:
  • Hold several tokens in the hand, bringing them to the fingertips one at a time to cover the squares.
  • When cleaning up, pick up the tokens one at a time and squirrel them in the palm without dropping. How many can you hold?
  • Make a copy of the black and white card (comes with the game) which shows the different bingo patterns (horizontal, vertical, diagonal, four corners). Cut them out and display the one you are using during a game as a pattern for all to see.
  • Figure out the answer to the story problems as a group to make sure that they are covering the correct answer.
  • Use letters as your patterns. You can play for O (border), X, N, L, P, C, E, F, G, H, I, S, T, U, Y and Z.
  • Visualize the letter you are going for as a bingo and do not mark pictures that aren't part of the letter.
  • Pick the pieces off the card after each game, squirreling them in the palm. How many can you hold without dropping any?
  • Stop occasionally and check the player's card. Ask them to point out places where they only need one more to win a bingo. Or point out possible bingos and ask how many more will be needed to win or which squares will need markers to win in that direction etc.
  • Work on identifying and counting coins and small bills, visual discrimination, visual closure, spatial relations, figure ground, visual scanning, manual dexterity, in-hand manipulation, socialization skills, executive functioning skills, process skills, play and leisure exploration and participation
In the box: 30 player game cards, 40 clue cards.
 
If you are interested in purchasing this game or just want more information, click on the image below.

Jul 24, 2017

Mystery-Dish Diner

Solve by color, shape and temperature.

Mystery Dish Diner is a game of delicious deduction where the goal is to guess the secret menu order before time runs out. A two-player game with two roles - customer and server. Each turn, a customer places an order, showing only clues for the food items, and the server must figure out the order from the clues. 

Some of the food pieces are strawberries, salad, ice cream, a sandwich, an ice cream bar, carrots, an apple, green beans, mac & cheese, lemonade, cheese, pizza, an apple, steak and alphabet soup. The food pieces are fairly large, you can see three food cards on the plate the boy is holding in the image below. Each one of the food cards has a smaller matching food tile that can be slipped into the menu. These small tiles each have one attribute below the food picture, either of color, shape or temperature. Each of these food tiles has two different attributes, one on the front and one on the back. Here is a picture of the pizza food tile, front and back, showing the attributes of temperature (hot) and shape.

Pizza food tile, from and back. 

Below left is a look at the menu. The customer chooses three food tiles from the 24 available and also chooses which attribute for each food item he wants the server to see. He then slips the three food tiles into the menu so the game can begin. Below left is the menu from the customer's point of view. She has already placed in the pizza tile. Below right is the same menu from the server's point of view. The customer has chosen to show the temperature (hot) attribute for the pizza, so that is what the server will see.


Looking at the three attributes the server must guess what the three items are. He places his three guesses on the plate and presents it to the customer. If one or more are correct, she takes them off the plate. If one or more are incorrect he must guess again and place the food(s) for his second guess on the plate. By looking at the attributes the customer has placed in the holes, and the items of food she has removed from the plate or rejected, the server can make his best guess about which items have already been filled. The server can guess as many times as he wants as long as the timer has not run out. When the timer runs out, the server receives $1 for each item guessed correctly. Server and customer switch roles and play again. Repeat until one person has earned $8 and wins the game. Pieces are thick and should hold up well. The game also comes with a rectangular place setting card that is not shown.




Place setting card.

Try this:
  • Ask the player to place three food tiles in the menu. You be the server and think out loud as you decide what to guess and why, teaching them the process.
  • Play with the large food pieces. Sort into piles by color, shape, temperature. Pile before sorting or scatter the cards in a large area ad ask the individual to locate and remove the cards you are looking for.
  • Take one attribute at a time and go through the food cards. Pull out only items that fall into that category. Do this several times and make up your own categories such as foods I like, foods you might find in a refrigerator, foods you can make in a microwave, soft foods, crunchy foods, healthy foods, food groups, foods I don't like, etc.
  • Pretend to play restaurant. Motor plan and execute actions for stirring, cutting, washing, chopping veggies, rolling meatballs, scooping ice cream, serving food, eating, etc.
  • Use the place setting card as a guide to teach setting a table.
  • Place three items on the place setting card that would constitute a healthy meal. Play multiple times. How many combinations can you make?
  • Skip the timer and the money. Play until the server has guessed all correctly and then switch roles.
  • Work on visual discrimination, visual closure, visual form constancy, figure ground, manual dexterity, motor planning, logic, problem solving, executive functioning skills, process skills, socialization skills, play and leisure exploration and participation

In the box: 24 menu food clue cards, 24 food tiles, 15 play dollars, menu with stand, serving tray, place mat, timer, bell
  

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