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Game News, 2009 - 2010
School Year
Greetings to all Game
Lovers:
We are now in our 19th
year of offering educational services and products locally, for
the Cincinnati and Washington D.C. areas - as well as, via the web.
If you are familiar with Odyssey, you know that currently our emphasis
is on games - the best of exciting, educational games available
- that have lasting value for children, parents, and classrooms.
This year, we have found several great new games to add (see below).
We continue to focus on games featuring: math concepts and skills,
strategy building, individual puzzles, spelling/vocabulary building,
and most recently, educational/family games for the younger set
(3 - 5 year olds). As always, we have a wonderful selection for
all game players - 3 to 99.
Check out our new game
additions:
For the younger set
(3 - 6) We found games that are fun to play for all ages - and
therefore, a great choice for families with several age children
and parents who love the thrill of an enjoyable game.
A long time favorite
puzzle, Hoppers, is being
replaced with Hoppers Jr..
It is colorful, attractive and has large pieces (frogs) for small
hands. There are many challenges for young players, but progresses
in difficulty (40 challenges).
Another puzzle for ages
4 and up is Clever Castle. Young children love the intrigue
of castles and knights. The concept of determining where each "guest"
belongs is easy . . . but as difficulty levels progress, children
gain confidence in their problem solving skills, making this an
important tool for building critical thinking.
S'Match is a memory
game, with 1 - 3 players taking turns with a category spinner, and
then finding a match among picture cards placed face down. It is
great for building awareness of memory building in the very young
- and keeps adults on their toes.
You may be familiar with
Walter Wick's I Spy books. Can
You See What I See uses this concept of "spying" cards in
the draw pile to match a player's "face-up hand" to build "keep
me" piles. With 2 - 6 players, it becomes an active search, good
for ages 3 - 6.
Two new board games
are great fun for young players and their families. Ticks
Tacks Toes (2 - 4 players) is a take off on - you guessed
it - Tick Tac Toe. It is unique in that each player has random pieces
and can use all board pieces to create "3 in a row" to receive a
token. In Ducks in a Row (2 players), each player tries to
line up 4 ducks in a row without jumping any. It is a quick, simple
strategy game.
The last game we feature
for the young set is Too Many Monkeys (2 - 6 players). It
is fast paced with players switching cards drawn with those in their
face-down hands of 6. The object is to order these cards, 1 - 6.
Strategies include using wild cards and getting rid of obstacle
cards timely.
For Players 8 and
up:
Word Storm is
a tile-grabbing, crossword-style word race that is fun for all.
Since everyone plays at the same time, it becomes even more exciting
and hectic with many players (2 - 6). My own testimonial is that
I feel as though I am competing against myself rather than other
players.
We have added 2 math
games. Sequence Numbers is a board game (similar to Sequence)
that features cards with addition or subtraction equations and players
place chips on the correct answers. I picture this game as popular
in classrooms since there can be 2 - 6 players. Hexago Continuo
uses the table-top or floor as each player matches colors and/or
numbers to the growing maze. The goal is to receive the highest
score per round. There are a number of twists in this game that
make it uniquely different from its cousins, Continuo and
Continuo Rhombo.
Finally, we have Crosswise,
a strategy game with all of our favorite characteristics: easy to
learn, fun to play, and difficult to win. It is clever: from setting
up the board - to taking pieces out of a grab bag - to changing
values when scoring. Check this one out! The last game we have added
is Wise Alec. It is a board
game featuring a "Trivial Pursuit" format that encourages
multi-generational family fun for a variety of ages and abilities.
There is playful, positive interactive enjoyment for all.
So, what are you waiting
for? There is a game here for everyone on your list. Order that
special game today that will bring a smile to the recipient's face
over and over. (You can rest assured, however, that learning is
happening at the same time). Let's not forget grandparents who need to continue to exercise their brains- and provide enjoyable social times with their friends.
For those of you in classroom settings, I encourage you to find exciting educational games for
free time or indoor recess.
Keep educational games
in your life!
Dr. Joan Bock
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