Reviews for 8-11 years old
Strategy games don’t tend to invoke fits of laughter. Head scratching, huffing and puffing, or contemplative silence — perhaps. But laughter? Not usually. That’s why a new game called Jishaku, the Japanese word for “magnet,” is so much fun. The game features finely polished hematite magnets as playing pieces that get placed in available spaces on a foam game base. The strategy is to use the magnets’ force (their North & South poles) to repel the magnets closest to them on the base without forcing them to connect with other magnets. There are three variations of the game but the most popular (and simplest) is “I’m Out,” where the goal is to get rid of all of your magnets. As described above, when other magnets connect with yours during your turn you must take all of the magnets back with you. The first couple of turns are easier because there is plenty of space to spread the magnets out. But the fun starts once things get more crowded. You and your grandchildren will be constantly surprised when the magnets instantly snap together without warning. And then the laughter starts. It’s so much fun that you almost don’t mind losing! Although Jishaku is intended for players age 8 and up, it’s possible to play with slightly younger grandchildren depending on the child (the magnets must not go anywhere near a child’s mouth!). Older grandchildren and adults will enjoy the challenge of mastering the power of magnetic force. Jishaku is thoughtful, yet surprising and fun!
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We’re convinced that the best way to learn new concepts is to make games out of them. Whizizzle Phonics Games are a fun and effective way for children ages 4 and older to learn to read — and a wonderful way for you to be involved in the process. Each card deck (decks 1-3 and 4-6 are sold as 2 separate sets) teaches different sounds. For instance, Game 1 teaches short vowel sounds in consonant-vowel-consonant (CVC) words — “leg,” “sad,” “cup,” etc. The game-playing rules are similar to other card deck games. Each player is dealt 7 cards that include “word” cards and “action” cards — such as “Leap Frog,” which means the next player’s turn is skipped, or “Turn Around,” which reverses the direction of play. There is a draw pile and a discard pile. The person whose turn it is must choose a card from his or her own hand to match the vowel or consonant sounds on the card face-up on the discard pile. For instance, if the card on the discard pile features the word “red,” your grandchild can choose to match it with a card that features the words, “rag” (the beginning sound), “pen” (the middle sound), or “dad” (the ending sound). The word and the sound they’re matching (vs. the letter) must be uttered to complete the turn. An “action” card can also be played if there is no matching “word” card, or to simply make things more interesting. It’s fun, portable, and one more way to help your grandchild learn to read. Play it and watch what happens!
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Joy is the Greatest Gift, the first in a new series of inspirational children’s books by Focus Friends, intends to teach young children to appreciate and find happiness in the people and things around them, and spread this joy to others. Joy is the Greatest Gift simplifies concepts found in countless books for adults who want to live more fulfilling lives, allowing them to be understood and implemented by young children (ages 2-9). The author recognizes that like adults, children can experience times of sadness and anger, and though they can not necessarily change the circumstances prompting those feelings, they can be encouraged to recognize and embrace the things that make them happy or “joyful” every day. In essence, it introduces the power of positive thinking. All of the outdoor and indoor delights are highlighted — flower gardens, butterflies, puddles and starlit skies — as well as favorite toys, snacks and cozy naps. And, of course, the powers of positive relationships are emphasized, including those with parents, grandparents, and good friends. Joy is the Greatest Gift is a 32 page, 9 x 11 hardcover book with a jacket, and is beautifully illustrated by an award-winning artist. In addition to this book about beauty and joy, the company plans to publish more books with “focused messages,” such as appreciation, wisdom and inspiration.
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Are we there yet? When it comes to a family road trip, this is surely the most frequently asked question. Eeboo’s Travel Bingo game offers one solution (and while it may not resolve the problem for the entire trip it will surely help out). This beloved and easy-to-learn game has been transformed to be played in the car. Four easy-to-hold square pads (pencils included) display drawings of things that are commonly spotted while driving, such as: stop signs, bridges, dogs, motorcycles, flags, stoplights and gas pumps. Just like traditional bingo, your grandchild (and whoever else is playing) mark the item/spot when they see it and the first one to complete a row and yell, “Bingo!” wins. It’s great for all ages, although younger children may want to team up with someone since it’s harder for them to spot things as quickly. The game comes in a nicely-designed box and was awarded the Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Best Toy Award. Eeboo also sells a travel version of their matching game and color dominoes.
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We love the simple premise of Family Talk and Grandparent Talk — card deck games with questions that provide the perfect spark for conversations among family members and peers. The games include 100 diverse question cards clipped together and small enough to bring anywhere where it might be helpful and enjoyable to pass time or become lost in memorable conversation. The questions have been developed for ages four and up — the younger set will need help reading the cards, of course. In Family Talk, questions are as simple as, “What is your favorite color?” or can get as detailed as, “What is one of the most important things your parents taught you?” Grandparent Talk is designed to help deepen intergenerational relationships among family members and keep family history alive. Questions range from: “Did you have your own bedroom growing up?” and “Who was your favorite teacher and why?” to “Are you afraid of anything?” and “What do you think about kids today?” Writing about this makes me want to turn back time to play this game with my own grandparents. Both games (as well as a Family Talk 2 version) come in the portable clip format or in a tabletop jar format. The Founder of Around the Table Games is a working mom who enjoyed learning all she could about her grandparents and great grandparents — and who knows how today’s busy lifestyles can prevent us from enjoying these types of valuable interactions. The games are great gifts for kids and their families, or for yourself — to keep at your home for when your grandchildren visit. Your “talks” will never be the same again!
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The latest and 6th installment of the Mia Adventures is chock-full of learning objectives, cleverly layered within 12 engaging activities and one giant adventure that allows you (or your grandchild) to jump right into a movie of sorts, manipulate its main character (Mia), and play a decisive role in the ins-and-outs and outcome of her adventure. And, oh, by the way — you’re grandchild will learn plenty in the process. You can’t really compare this DVD-ROM to other reading software for this age group (grades K - 3) because the graphics alone make it stand out. It is movie-quality with unique characters, sets, props and game ideas that will make you chuckle and scratch your head, thinking, “How on earth did they come up with that idea?” Suffice it to say that the experience is refreshing. The DVD-ROM is split into 2 parts: Activities and Mia’s Adventure. The activities require less of a commitment, and your grandchild can hop from one game to the next fairly easily, choosing levels of play from 1-4. Each game or activity has stated learning objectives, such as reading comprehension, upper and lower case, singular and plural, rhyming, verb tense, word recognition, etc. We’ve found that some will be easier for the younger-aged audience (Kindergarten and Grade 1) to play than others. For instance, the activities focusing on rhyming, word-letter associations or letter sounds might be less intimidating for this set. Furthermore, they will most likely need your assistance with the Activities — even though each activity does begin with instructions and demos by amusing characters — and most certainly with the Adventure portion of the DVD-ROM. At first, the Adventure will seem like you and your grandchild are watching a movie, as it is story-based. Mia is a mouse who lives in an old Victorian house where many generations of her family have lived. The new twist in this game is a collection of amusing pests (the Bugaboo Bugs) that have also moved in. The objective is to help Mia send the bugs on their way. Each adventure that your grandchild starts can be saved and re-selected. It will likely take a little while (and viewing the demo and instructions) to get used to the nuances of the game, including how to use the mouse to manipulate Mia. Again, the younger children will need your assistance. But once the basics are mastered, it truly is an adventure! For very good reasons this collection of Mia DVD-ROMs continues to grow in size and popularity. Enjoy!
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Our family loves tangram puzzles, so we were excited to find Tangoes Jr., which is a wonderful tangram puzzle “kit” for children as young as four. What I like most about Tangoes Jr. is its packaging. The sturdy cardboard puzzle cards are neatly tucked away in a flip-top briefcase about the same size as a small laptop computer. Then a drawer slides out from the right side holding each of the seven puzzle pieces in its own place. The cards, puzzles, and puzzle pieces are the perfect size for young hands, large enough to prevent fine-motor frustrations. The puzzle pieces are also lightly magnetized — again, helping to avoid frustrations from slippage. This feature, in addition to the packaging, makes the game a perfect car and travel activity. Tangoes Jr. comes with twelve 2-sided puzzle cards (the twelfth card is blank so your grandchild can create his/her own tangram puzzle). The other 11 cards (totaling 22 puzzles), have one version of a puzzle on one side (Level 1), and another version on the reverse side (Level 2). The Level 1 sides display the seven shapes, each shape clearly outlined, with all of the shapes combined to form the overall tangram puzzle shape (such as a sailboat, a house, a cat, etc.). In Level 1, matching shapes is the essential skill. The Level 2 sides do not show the dividing lines — only a silhouette of the shape. This level tests memory skills, spatial and visual discrimination, and important mathematical principles — the beauty of tangrams! Tangoes Jr. are a wonderful activity for you to do with your grandchildren, allowing you to guide them as they move on to some of the more challenging puzzles. Some of the Level 2 puzzles may even have you scratching your head. You can also purchase extra Tangoes Jr. Puzzle Packs when the original cards are mastered. For older grandchildren, be sure to check out Classic Tangoes, and the other Tangoes sets.
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The Magic School Bus - Soaring Into Flight Science Kit$19.99 at Amazon.com |
We like the Magic School Bus flight science kit series for several reasons. First, it’s geared to children as young as 5, and, with some guidance from you, they can actually do the experiments and learn a thing or two. We also like the instruction booklets included in the kits. Your grandchildren will enjoy following along because they feature Ms. Frizzle, Ralphie and all of the Magic School Bus characters they already know and enjoy. You’ll appreciate the easy-to-understand, yet informative curriculum provided, as well as the format of the booklet. For instance, each experiment follows the same format: 1) Question; 2) Hint; 3) Hypothesis; 4) Materials Needed; 5) Methods 6) Results; and 7) Conclusions. There is also supplemental information included with each experiment in the form of dialogue from each of the Magic School Bus characters. Clever! My little scientist at home was thrilled to test the Soaring Into Flight kit. This is a perfect Spring or Summer activity — however, these experiments can also be conducted indoors, with guidelines and plenty of space. The kit is ideal for children who enjoy airplanes or anything that flies. Twelve age-appropriate experiments explore basic concepts essential for various types of flight, such as: air pressure and resistance, wings, Newton’s third law of motion, gas pressure, spinning rotors and gravity. Your grandchildren will build and fly paper airplanes and gliders, conduct a balloon experiment, launch tiny rockets, propel spinners, compare the effectiveness of different-sized parachute sails, and more. Soaring Into Flight is one in a series of several Magic School Bus science kits, including: The Secrets of Space, A Journey Into the Human Body, and The World of Germs. The Series was created by The Young Scientists Club, who also sells its Young Scientist Series and Adventure Science Series. The company’s products are designed by a team of Harvard graduates, scientists, educators and parents — and have won all of the top educational toy awards.
These live butterfly garden kits provide an awe-inspiring activity for children and grownups alike. My two children and I observed the butterfly metamorphosis process at their preschool last fall, and each of us had a chance to set a beautiful Monarch butterfly free. We found ourselves mesmerized throughout the entire process. This popular kit by Insect Lore comes with an observation chamber, feeding supplies for the butterflies, an instruction booklet that includes butterfly facts, and a certificate for 3-5 “painted lady” caterpillars. Once you choose the right time for the project (during warmer months), you simply send in your certificate and the caterpillar larvae arrive in a small container with all of the nutrients they need for their trip. The metamorphosis from larva to butterfly takes about 3 weeks from the time you receive the larvae. During this process, you and your grandchild will be able to watch the larvae grow, form chrysalides, and transform into beautiful butterflies that you can set free together. It’s a little bit like watching your grandchildren grow, only faster! Note: the butterflies shouldn’t be set free in temperatures lower than 55 degrees Fahrenheit. This is an intergenerational activity that’s sure to engage children of all ages!
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When I first played with Think-ets at the 2008 Toy Fair in NYC, what initially interested me was the game’s tiny size and simplicity — a travel pouch that easily fits in a pocket, filled with 15 intriguing little objects gathered from around the world. However, after playing it for a while with my kid-testers, I soon realized that although the game is small, and it’s materials simple, the brain-exercising activities they promote are endless. Think-ets includes a small pamphlet describing 11 games, including “What’s Missing,” where 5 or more trinkets are laid out, one player looks away while the other takes a trinket away. The player who looked away needs to guess which object is missing. In another game called “What’s Your Story,” imagination rules. The first player chooses from a few trinkets and begins a story highlighting that item. Then the next player chooses another trinket and continues the story using that item as the next subject, and so on. The inventors encourage kids and their families to devise new games and email them along to the company. The trinkets in Think-ets are purposely timeless (a tiny copper goblet, satin flower, wooden alphabet block, donut, gold band, etc.) making it a thoughtful game that transcends generations — perfect for playing with your grandchild. You can choose from one of 3 games, each with a different-colored pouch containing different trinkets — or buy all 3! The manufacturer recommends ages 8 and up (and of course, advises you to keep the game away from children under 3), but Think-ets are also fun for younger children, whose memory skills are constantly being developed and whose imaginations run wild. The game’s size makes it wonderful for restaurants and vacation travel — or for fun, thoughtful time at home with your grandchildren. Enjoy!
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