Asteroid Escape

Asteroid Escape - A galactic sliding puzzle with 60 challenges.

Navigate your spaceship safely through the asteroid field to solve each puzzle.  The Asteroid Escape puzzle board measures 5 5/8" square and all pieces are hard, but lightweight plastic. This galactic sliding puzzle has 60 challenges (from beginner to expert) that increase in difficulty as you go. Below is an image of puzzles 17-20. Puzzle 1 will require 6 moves to slide the spaceship off the game board. Puzzle 60 will require 109 moves. The answers are given in the back of the puzzle booklet. The wings of the spaceship are not able to clear over the tops of the asteroids so the pieces must be slid around to clear a path.

Good visual perceptual skills will be necessary to do well with this puzzle, as well as the ability to problem solve and apply logic. 

Answer key.

If you would like to read more about one-person logic puzzles, check out my post What's in Your Therapy Box? Logic Puzzles Edition. 

Try this:

• Solve the puzzle all but the last step or two and let the individual complete it. Then solve all but the last three steps, allowing the individual to do more and more of the work independently.
• Give the individual the direction for each move (north, south, east, west or up, down, right, left) and let them figure out each piece.
• Use the puzzle book with individuals who cannot solve the puzzles by challenging them to set up each puzzle.
• Solve each puzzle first while the individual looks on. Problem solve out loud so they can learn how to reason the puzzles out.Then take the puzzle apart and allow them to solve it.
• Solve puzzles by looking at the answer key and following the arrows. Say each direction aloud before moving, such as left, right, etc.
• Work on visual discrimination, spatial relations, visualization, figure ground, eye-hand coordination, manual dexterity, planning, logic, problem solving, executive functioning skills, process skills, play and leisure exploration and participation
  
  
  In the box: Game board, 8 puzzle pieces, clear lid, puzzle book
  
  
  If you are interested in purchasing this game or just want more information, click on the image below.
  
  
   

Barbecue Party

Barbecue Party - Add or remove food from the grill without making it jump.

The good news: It's a barbecue party and you're invited. The bad news: We're going to put you to work manning the grill. Players will take turns placing and/or removing pieces of food off the grill. Move carefully, as you don't know when the grill will jump, and the pieces will go flying. Be the first player to collect 4 pieces of food off the grill to be crowned the Grill Master.

The Barbecue Party grill is made up of two pieces, the red base and the silver grate, and is hollow, hard plastic. Nice surprise: No batteries! The food pieces are hard plastic and hollow and they have eyes that are stickers. A sheet of stickers is included and you will have to put them on the food pieces yourself. They don't stay forever, a half dozen have fallen off my food pieces. You could always use a black marker and draw pupils on those if you want or use some kind of super glue. I did not bother.

The tongs are plastic but a little more flexible than the hard plastic of the rest of the game. The food pieces can be picked up from any position, even flat off the table top, with the tongs. If you look closely at the food pieces, you will notice flat ribbed lines where the tongs can grasp the piece from above.

Each food card will have one food item pictured on it.  Food items are mushroom, sausage, tomato, red pepper, broccoli, chicken drumstick, fish and ear of corn. There is one joker card.

Pic of kid's playing off back of game box.

If you would like to see more games with tweezers and tongs, click here. 

Object:
Be the first to collect 4 pieces of food.

Set-up:
Put the stickers on the game. Place the grill on a flat surface. Move the switch on the side of the grill to the "0" position. Push the black rod in the center of the grill down. You will hear it click into place. Place the silver grate on top of the grill, lining it up in the three slots on the grill top. Move the switch to the "l" position. Shuffle and place the cards next to the grill. Place the food items next to the grill.

Play:
In turn, each player will turn over one card. There are four possible moves, depending on what is on the card:

• Food Card
•  If that item is not yet on the grill (there are 2 of each food item), place one on the grill. Return the card to the bottom of the stack.
• If that item is on the grill already, take it off and place it on top of the card next to you. You've collected a piece of food.
• If you pick a card and both pieces of that food have already been removed from the grill, lose your turn. This may happen if someone took a piece of food off with the joker card and so did not have the specific matching food card.
• Joker Card
• Take off or put on any one food item of your choice. If you take one off, it will not count as you don't have the matching card.

If the grill jumps while you are attempting to take off a piece of food, all food, including anything in your tongs, is returned to the table to be used again. First person to collect four items, with the matching food cards, is the winner.

Try this:

• Scatter the pieces on a flat surface and practice picking them up with the tweezers before playing a game.
• Place the silver grate flat on the table top and practice placing the food items on it with a light touch before playing the game.
• Play a simple game of memory match with the food cards. Shuffle and place them face-down, side-by-side, on the table-top. Turn over two cards at a time looking for a match. Remember which cards have been turned so you can make more matches. When you make a match, set it by you. Play until all cards have been matched and removed. Player with the most sets is the winner.
• Shuffle and stack the cards. Make eight sets of two matching cards on the table top. Lift the top card off the pile without sliding other cards off or toppling the pile. Then turn the card in-hand to see the food on the other side. If it is upside-down, spin it around in your hand without setting it down on the table first.
• Use your fingers instead of the tongs.
• Skip the game. How many food items can you place on the grill before it jumps? Go again and see if you can increase the number.
• Skip the game. Place the stack of cards on the table. Turn them over one at a time and place a matching piece of food on top of it. Use the tongs or don't.
• Work on visual discrimination, spatial relations, eye-hand coordination, manual dexterity, tool use, in-hand manipulation, shoulder stability, body awareness, graded release, motor planning, executive functioning skills, process skills, visual memory, socialization skills, executive functioning skills, process skills, play and leisure exploration and participation

In the box: 2-piece grill, 16 food pieces, tongs, 17 cards, sheet of stickers