Conector Logic

Connect the answers to the questions in an unusual way.

This game was an interesting idea, but is less than effective in my opinion. The goal is to use the two terminals and connect each question to its answer. There are eight different categories (games), and they did not pose each one as a question, but you can easily do it yourself.

The game consists of a cardboard box with a cardboard base inside. The base is covered with black dots (magnetic I am assuming) that will correspond to round holes on the picture sheets. The base also has a square hole for a yellow battery box that will hold 2 AA batteries. On the box is a small light bulb, and tethered to the box are two wires with pencil-shaped terminals at the ends. You will always play on top of the base, which will always sit inside of the box. You can fairly easily see what I am talking about by looking at the image above.

There are four two-sided picture sheets and you will lay them, one-at-a-time, on the base to play. Each side has a different game on it, which I will describe below. Each sheet is divided into three sections, a left column, the middle and a right column. Your goal will be to match something on one of the columns (the answers) to something in the middle (the question), depending on the game. There are holes (open dots) next to most pictures in all sections. When you place the sheet carefully on top of the base, these holes should line up with the magnetic dots on the base.

 

Now we come to the exciting part. Hold one pencil-shaped terminal in each hand. Pick one item from the middle and place one of the terminals in the dot next to it. Now scan the columns for the answer. You won't know which column you will find your answer in, so you may well need to scan both. Once you find it, place the other terminal in the dot next to it. If you are correct, the light on the battery box will light up to let you know.

Here are the eight games (one for each side of the four sheets):

• The intruder. There are three items pictured inside each large circle, you pick the one that does not match. For example, a strawberry, a pear and a backpack. Put one terminal in the hole for this large circle and look for the backpack on the right and left columns. When you find it, put the second terminal in it's hole.
• How many are there? There are groupings of identical pictures in the middle. For instance 10 orange juice bottles and 5 cars. Down the columns are numbers. Find the number that matches the number of items.
•  What does it belong to? Random pictures in the middle. Find a picture on the column that would go with each picture. For instance a fishbowl in the middle and a fish on the border.
• Additions and subtractions. The middle is full of math problems. Numbers in one problem are either both single digit, one single digit and one double digit or both double digit. For example, 30 - 5 =. Find the answer for each problem on a column.
• What is missing? Pictures in the middle have a missing component. For instance sunglasses missing one lens and a motorcycle missing a tire. Find the missing piece on a column.
• How do you dress? Four kids are pictured in the middle, one at the beach, one camping, one skiing, one in the city (see image above). There are black lines pointing to different parts of the body. Find the item on a column that you would wear there.
• Logical sequences. In the middle are patterns with three or four items followed by a question mark. Find a picture on the column that will replace the question mark to continue the pattern.
• Which animal does it belong to? There are 30 animals in the middle. Down the columns are close up pictures of a small part of the animal or its fur.

Top half of the What is Missing? sheet.

 

My main problem with this game is that the light doesn't always light up when you are correct. Sometimes you have to move the terminal around on the dot a few times before it will light up. That downfall is a biggie for me, because it may look like the answer is wrong when it is really correct. The second thing that struck me right away was how busy the sheets are. For most pictures there is also a black line that is drawn between that item and its hole. Since the pictures are already crowded on the page, this is a lot to look at.

UPDATE: It is easier, position wise, to anchor your hand on one of the columns first, and then look for the picture in the middle. By picking a picture in the middle first, you will be blocking some of the pictures in one of the columns with one arm and may need to cross over with the other arm if the picture you need is in the opposite column. Of course the question would change then. Instead of asking "What is missing?", you would ask something more like "What does this belong to?"

Try this:

• Be ready to reinforce correct answers if the bulb does not light up.
• Scan for the answer quickly and prompt the individual which column it's in if it's too much to look at everything. 
• Work on visual discrimination, figure ground, visual closure, counting, addition, subtraction, matching, sequencing, vertical scanning, coordinated use of both hands, manual dexterity, problem solving, executive functioning skills, process skills, play and leisure exploration and participation

In the box: A base, battery box, 4 double-sided picture sheets

 

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

Monkey Bingo

Monkey Bingo - A 3x3 grid card with a unique calling card dispenser.

With a 3 X 3 grid card and a monkey theme, Monkey Bingo is a great game for beginners. From the makers of the ZINGO line, Monkey Bingo also has a unique animal tile dispenser (see images) that kids have fun using. Why just look at all the fun the monkeys are having on the box cover, and I am very likely to point that out before we even start. (With some kids I have to start "selling" an activity as soon as I walk in the door - "Wait until you see what I brought today! We are going to have SSSOOOO much fun!"). You probably know what I mean :)

The tile dispenser, chips and animal tiles are all hard plastic. The animal tiles each picture two different animals, so you will be looking for and covering two animals on each turn (see image below). With a 3x3 grid, and calling two animals per turn, games clip along pretty fast.

The bingo cards measure 5" x 6" and are laminated and printed on both sides, with a different line up of animals on each side. Each square on a grid shows a simple picture of one common animal. There is no theme to the animals and some of the animals are seal, bear, mouse, panda, frog, duck, fox, snail, crab, cat, bat, horse, camel, lion, penguin, and owl.

The dispenser consists of a monkey sitting on a green platform and he is looking at a yellow box labeled "bananas". The yellow box lid lifts off and the animal tiles are stored inside. To dispense one tile, push the monkey toward the box and the bottom tile in the box is pushed out.

Left: Tile dispenser, bingo cards and chips.  Right: Tile dispenser and one animal tile.

I like to use bingo with kids who are working on figure ground and spatial skills because you must find a specific pattern in a busy background to win. I start by watching for a pattern in one orientation, on one row or column only. I always start with horizontal, as left to right is how we move to read, write, etc. So I typically start with the top horizontal row. Once they can recognize that, I move to two or all three horizontal rows. As kids are learning, I usually set out cards for a reference, with each of the options we are looking for highlighted (see image below).

Object:
Be the first to get three in a row and say BINGO.

Set up:
Fill the dispenser with the animal tiles. Each player chooses a bingo card and takes a few bingo chips.

Play:
Take turns pushing the monkey forward to dispense a tile. Look for one animal at a time, checking your whole card. Scan each row (or column) with your eyes, looking for a match. If you have the matching animal on your card, put a green chip on top of it. Check to see if you have made a bingo. Now look for the second animal and cover it if you have it. Keep playing until someone has covered the appropriate pattern on his card. Yell bingo and win the game.

If you like the looks of this particular troop of monkeys, check out Monkey Blocks and Monkey Mixup. I have used them both with success.

Other ZINGO games I have blogged about:
Zingo Number Bingo 123
Zingo to Go
Zingo Sight Words 
Zingo Word Builder
   
Try this:

• Work on visual discrimination, visual closure, figure ground, spatial relations, manual dexterity, coordinated use of two hands, in-hand manipulation, executive functioning skills, process skills, play and leisure exploration and participation
• Play alone. Place several cards on the table and dispense a animal tile. How many of each animal can you find and cover? Keep going until you have a bingo in one orientation, then another orientation, etc. Or play until all animals are covered.
• Use a piece of clear transparency and cut it to the size of the card. Lay it on top of the card and use a highlighter to cover three in a row. Let the individual play on top of the card to help him recognize when he has a bingo.
• Let the individual load the dispenser with the animal tiles. Place them on the table in different orientations so they can pick them up and orient them in-hand to place in the dispenser. Tiles are more rounded on the top than the bottom, so they can only fit into the dispenser one way.
• Practice recognizing a bingo when you start looking for more than one row or column. Use several cards and embed one bingo on each card. Include other random chips on the card, but only one bingo. Ask the individual to find the bingo on each card.
• Dispense one tile at a time but don't let the players see it. Give clues and let them look at their card and try to guess the animal. Confirm once someone has guessed it so they are not covering the wrong animals. For instance, this animal is black and white, or you might see this animal in a tree or you can ride this animal.
• Cover one side of the animal tile with your thumb and show only one animal at a time, if the player will be confused seeing two and then trying to look for two at the same time. 
• Play one orientation at a time until the individual can watch two. Then after success with that, introduce three.
• Look over the card periodically and ask the player where they have two in a row and may win soon.

In the box: 1 tile dispenser, 8 double-sided bingo cards, 16 animal tiles, 80 green monkey bingo chips

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