Super Big Boggle (Game Review)

Yes, this post is coming a little late today. But better late than never, right?!

Life is busy, busy and we're running a bit ragged. But today has been a good, quiet, calm day at home. Despite the busy, we've made time for school which has included some game playing. I introduced Bookworm1 (age 6 1/2) to Super Big Boggle. Now, you regular readers must remember that I'm not a huge fan of games and I particularly dislike word games. So it should be noted that introducing my son to a word game was sacrificial.  (Yes, note the sacrifice. Thank you.) However, that said, I realized after playing it with my son that if I must play a word game it's a good idea to play it with a six year old. I'm about at that level when it comes to finding words. (Bonus for mommy? I win every time!! This makes me feel more inclined to play several rounds of Boggle in quick succession. Yes, I do like winning.)

So for all you Boggle players out there, what's great about Super Big Boggle? Well, it contains 36 letter cubes for one thing. There are two special cubes: one which contains six double-letter combinations (e.g, "th" and "qu") and a second cube which includes "blanks" which create spaces between letters, eliminating hidden word possibilities.

In all other respects, I-who-am-not-an-avid-Boggle-player assume the set-up is roughly the same.

How do you play?

First of all, you put all of the lettered cubes into the grid and dome and shake them around to "shuffle" the letters. This is a super fun activity if you are six. (Admittedly it's also fun if you are 30-something.)

Once the cubes have settled into the grid, you start the sand timer running. Each player has four minutes to find words consisting of four letters or more. When you find a word, you write it down. Players receive points for the number of letters per word and the player with the highest score wins.

Roughly explained, this is how you play the game.

There are certain particulars such as the rule that players cannot both count points towards the same word. For example. if both players find the word "Boggle" then they both must cross it off their list and no points are assigned for that word. You can also play an advanced version in which each player must look for words of only five letters or more. According to the directions you can also play the "Handicap" version wherein "less experienced players look for words of only 3 letters or more." That suggestion would have been made especially for my benefit and it also suits beginning readers and burgeoning spellers! (Guess which way we played?)

I asked Bookworm1 after we had played three times (per his request) if he much liked the game. His response?: "Yes, can we play it again?!" I took that for a yes. And because I am his mother and I love him I said yes and we played again.

Irony for me is that I have given birth to a chess player who likes word games. (My world! My world!) Heh.

Many thanks to Winning Moves for sending a copy of the above game for us to check out and share our opinion of. Our opinion is that this is a fun game. Also, that it is much more exciting for a young kid/student to feel like they are playing a game that is designed for adults rather than a cartoonish spelling game that doesn't stretch their minds very much. Children want to be challenged and Super Big Boggle offered a challenge to my youngster. Thanks for that!

5ive Straight {Game Review}

Time for another game! This one is new to us, even though 5ive Straight is marketed as being a long-time family favorite. It made its debut appearance back in 1968 and has recently been re-released by Winning Moves Games. (Really you ought to click on their website and check out their catalog. They have a lot of classic games.)

The game can be played by 2, 4, 6, or 8 players who are equally divided into teams. Or it can be played with 3, 6, or 9 players divided into three opposing teams. We have played with 2 and 3 players and - as the rules of the game suggest - the game is indeed more exciting with all three colors being played at once. However, we've had a good time in 2 player games as well. The game is deceptively more challenging that it initially seems.

The object of the game is to be the first player or team to successfully place five pegs in a row (straight, vertical, horizontal or diagonally).

The rules of the game are very simple. It is at this point that I should note that I am not a person who finds reading, comprehending and teaching rules of games to be a particularly easy task. When handed the sheet of paper which contains the rules of a game, my mind generally goes blank and my eyes cross. However, in the case of 5ive Straight it was easy to comprehend and teach my children to play with me.

- The dealer shuffles and deals 4 cards to each player, face down. The remainder of the deck remains face down near the game board.
- Players can look at their own cards but should not show them to any of the other players.
- On the player's turn, they can play a card face up on the table and put a peg in the square having the same or higher number than the number on the card. (E.g., if you play card "75" you can place a peg on any number on the board 75 and up.)
- A turn consists of either playing a card and placing a peg or of drawing a new card to add to your hand. You can only have 4 cards in hand.
- A card can becoming a "dead" card by being played out on the board. For example, if you are holding card "92" in your hand and all spots on the board from 92-99 have already been filled, then "92" is dead. You cannot dispose of it. You do not want four dead cards in your hand or you will automatically lose the game.

This game does involve a little strategy. Lower cards are the more valuable as they allow you to play in the most places. Whether you decide to play a peg or draw a card affects the outcome of the game.

It is a very easy game to learn and a very easy to play. Because of the ease when you first begin to play it seems as if it requires little to no strategy. However, once the game is underway you begin to recognize the challenges faced in getting five in a row. My enthusiastic game playing brother-in-law started playing with my six-year old, complained that the game had little strategy, but ended up being beaten by his nephew. When my husband sat down to play it, he was skeptical as well but ended up declaring it a really fun game and a great one to play with the kids. All a kid really needs in order to be able to play is number recognition from 0-99. After that, it's straight forward enough. My four year old is unable to recognize all of the numbers but we help him out and he managed to block my pegs and keep me from winning. (So he's not allowed to play anymore. I jest. Sort of. And no, I'm not at all competitive.)

Ultimately we've had a surprising lot of fun with 5ive Straight - I've even enjoyed playing it! - and we highly recommend it!

Thanks to Winning Moves Games, Inc. for sending a copy of this game to our family to check out in exchange for our honest opinion. We honestly recommend it!

Classic Sorry

Last week I mentioned that I'm coming around to the idea that games are fun and that they are enjoyable thing to play with my kids. Up to this point, Daddy has been Chief Game Player in the home but I'm making an effort. Thanks in part to Winning Moves Games, I've been provided with an opportunity to introduce my kids to the types of (simpler) games that I enjoyed playing as I was growing up. This week we played Sorry Classic Edition Board Game.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with this game, the rules are simple:

Each player is given four pawns which they have to move in a clock-wise direction around the board, moving their pawns from their individual "start" locations into their individual "home base." The first player to successfully move all four pawns into their home base wins. Each player draws a card on their turn which dictates how many spaces and/or in what manner they are allowed to move their pieces. The name of the game comes from the "Sorry!" card which, if drawn, allows a player to move any one pawn from Start to a square occupied by any opponent, sending the other person's pawn back to its own Start. (This would be my six year old's favorite card and my least.) Certain card numbers require you to move backward for your turn and other cards allow you to split your play up between two pawns. There is some strategy (minimal) involved in working your pawns safely around the board. Furthermore, the game always seems to be moving forward - even if you do have to move a few spaces back) - unlike Chutes and Ladders which feels endlessly futile. (Can I get an Amen? Chutes and Ladders made a mysterious disappearance from our house some time back after I thought that might lose my mind if  I had to play it again. And for the record, I had only played it once!)

Sorry is designed for ages 6 and up but there's no way my 4 year old is going to sit quietly by on the sidelines so we taught him to play it as well. He had a few difficulties in learning to count out the squares and the cards had to be read to him at first. Within a game or two he had picked up the rules and memorized the card instructions well enough to play without a lot of prompting. It should be noted that there is very little reading required to play this game. Number recognition is the big requirement as is playing with someone old enough to read the cards. For example, the number 4 card directs you to move back 4 squares instead of forward.  You won't know this unless you can read the card.

When I play with my 4 and 6 year old it takes roughly 30 minutes to play a game from start to finish.

As an interesting historical note, the game of Sorry! as we know it was first designed and played in England. It was trade-marked by William Henry Storey in 1929. The British manufacturer of the game sold it in in 1934 and that same year Parker Brothers picked it up. The history buff in me also compels me to tell you what world events were happening when this game was first introduced.

In 1929:

- The St. Valentine's Massacre occurred.
- The Vatican City gained its independence from Italy.
- The first Academy Awards were hosted in Los Angeles.
- The Geneva Convention was held in Switzerland, discussing the treatment of POWs in WWI.

And, of course, there was also that great Wall Street Crash which turned the United States upside down.

Now you know. You're welcome.

Winning Moves has reissued the game with its classic look which, as I also mentioned last week, has great appeal to me. When I'm going to sit down with a game I'm not looking for flash and dazzle but simplicity. This classic version provides just that which is important, so that we can play and concentrate on learning to count out squares! (Who knew this was an issue, right?! You forget about having to learn these things as a kid.)

Thanks to Winning Moves for providing a copy of Sorry Classic Edition to my family in exchange for our honest thoughts. We honestly found it to be very enjoyable!

The Fun of Games

Truly, I cannot believe that I, Carrie, am writing a post with the above title. The truth is: I don't much like games. (I like them a little but not very much.) I've confessed this before. Sitting down and playing a game is not really my idea of a good time. Usually. When I'm with other people, I prefer talking to them than playing a game with them. Usually the only games I'll go for are the ones that you can talk over.

As I've also said before, I happen to have married into a family of gamers. No. I mean serious gamers. My brother-in-law was the national high school chess champion in 2006. My other brother-in-law creates his own games which he tries out on other people who are not me. My husband enjoys a good game involving strategy whenever he finds the time for it (which is rarely). Whenever my husbands side of the family is together, we always have games on hand.

At first I thought I would be bothered if my children liked games much. I am not really fond of the idea of games being all-consuming. However, now that I have children myself I see the value and the benefit of game playing. My oldest enjoys the strategy involved in games and has shown a recent interest in learning chess. Daddy and Uncle are teaching and playing. Bookworm1's ability to problem solve has increased since beginning to play games. Also, he has learned is learning to be a good sport and congratulate the winner of the game (which is usually not himself) and be happy for the other person. He is also learning the value of thinking a little harder than he might normally be used to and working hard in order to win. (And it does require some hard work on his part.)

My second born, Bookworm2, flat out dislikes learning if it is couched in the form of a lesson. However, he loves playing with other people and games are just as great an opportunity to be with people as any. We tried and tried to help him to visually recognize his numbers (0-10) and colors (gaa!) but no dice. He had no interested in applying himself to learn these things until he watched his brother and Daddy play a game of Uno. The rule was that Bookworm2 wouldn't be allowed to play until he agreed to learn his colors and numbers. And just like that, he put his brain to work and managed to remember that red was read and 2 was 2 and now he is able to play all manner of card games with his family.

I have discovered games really do help to teach kids how to patiently take turns, encourage one another kindly, even when its to their own disadvantage, and to be a good sport.  They've learned numbers, colors and how to follow rules. Furthermore, the kids have had fun! So I guess I have little to complain about.

Just one problem: I generally dislike games. With few exceptions.

One exception though is the game of Clue. (The classic edition of this game is the one I've linked to and it is available from Winning Moves Games. I like the classic look as it is far less sensual than these newer releases. I just want to play the game! Not be distracted by Miss Scarlett's wardrobe . . . or lack thereof.)

I've been waiting and waiting for my oldest to be old enough to play Clue with me. Now that he is reading and able to problem solve a bit more, I pulled out an older edition of the game (not the Winning Moves one, but close) and we played. And he enjoyed it. He also won which I found a bit annoying and so we had to play it several times more until I had won more than I had lost. (Ahem.)

You know what? I had fun playing Clue with my boy. It was just him and me sitting in a room trying to out think and out maneuver the other player. We each, with a mystery to solve, enjoyed some friendly smack talk and time together. There was value in that. There is value in that. Apparently games can indeed be a source of quality time. (Who knew, right?!) We were together with a plan for fun. That's not something to be quickly dismissed.

Then recently, when our family was here visiting, the adults played a game of Patterns which is sort of like Psychiatrist except in Patterns the guesser is trying to figure out what the pattern is that people are following instead of an ailment. We totally stumped my brother-in-law and father-in-law by selecting patterns which were hard to distinguish and that, too, ended up being a source of entertainment. There was plenty of time to talk and fellowship with one another and also laugh. relax, and enjoy each other's company. I begin to think games aren't so very bad after all. In fact, dare I say it, I even begin to like them. (In moderation! Everything in moderation!!!)

And so I have purposed to learn how to play more games and to spend more time playing them. Reading books is a fun thing to do with my kids but so is taking time out to play. As games are something everyone else in the family enjoys, I suppose I ought to learn how to enjoy them for myself. For the sake of family. For the fun of the game.

Here I go.

Taboo Game & Giveaway

There's a new Taboo! Well, sort of anyway. Hasbro games has re-released Taboo with new word/clue cards and a few new twists and turns that you can add into the game to spice things up a bit.

I remember when Taboo first came out. My friends and I played in constantly. It's still my favorite group game (when I'm playing group games, that is.) I love that we have new word cards because anyone who has played Taboo as frequently as I have knows that you become so familiar with the words in the box that you start giving clues like, "Remember that time I was trying to get you to guess this word and you guessed ____ but you were wrong and it was so funny!" Play Taboo on the same team as a best friend and the other team is going to feel the pain when it comes to scoring points! (I used to love playing this on the same team as my best friend, but once the others caught on to the fact that we would pull out all the stops using inside jokes and books that only the two of us had read, they forced us to play on separate teams. I suppose that's fair and all, but it wasn't as fun.)

To add an interesting twist to the game, Hasbro has included a special die which, if you choose to include it as part of your game, can make things more interesting. Roll the die and you might win two rounds with the timer instead of your traditional one. You might also roll the option to select only one player from your team to guess the word while you frantically holler out the clues. Or, perhaps, both teams will have the freedom to guess (with the word point going to the team who guessed correctly.) You can still play the "normal" way, of course, but this just opens up the possibilities for play when you revisit this tried and true game.

Have I mentioned that I love Taboo? And that if you ever invite me over and suggest a team game, the best way of convincing me to play is by suggesting Taboo?

I was excited when Hasbro offered me the opportunity to check out this new updated version of the game, but I'm even more excited to say that they've offered up a copy of Taboo to one of my readers here at Reading to Know!

Care to win? Simply leave a comment below including a valid e-mail address so that I can contact you if you are selected as the winner. (If your name is selected, I will need a fast response from you in an e-mail in order to send Hasbro your contact information in a timely fashion.) This contest is open to U.S. residents only and will be open through Monday, February 13th. I'll select a winner on Valentine's Day!

THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED. THE WINNER (as selected by Random.org) IS #10 - RubynReba! Congrats!

Thanks, Hasbro, for your generosity in sending me a copy and also for providing one for one of my readers here.

The Kids of Carcassonne

If you're a fan of the game Carcassonne and if you've been waiting to introduce your children to this game, then you're in luck! Rio Grande Games recently released The Kids of Carcassonne which is a simplified version of the adult game.

The basic idea is still the same - you are building roads and paths. You take possession of certain areas. However, in this particular version or edition of the game, you are trying to capture animals that have been released in the town and return them to their pens by the end of the day. You do not keep score in this kids' version. Rather the first person to use all of their figures wins the game.

As you might have gathered from yesterday's post, this game falls into Daddy Territory. He is the Chief Kids of Carcassonne Game Player in this household. I asked him what his impression of it was after playing it with our boys (aged almost 3 and a definite 5 years old) and he said that it was fantastic. He said that it was perfect for their age level, that our five year old could fully comprehend the rules of the game and plays it well. Our almost three year old enjoys playing it also (although his full comprehension might be called into question.) For our family this game is perfect to play with the children. It involves a bit of skill, a bit of thinking, and is just plain fun.

(If you say that you are playing Carcasonne it likely makes you feel more like you are an adult instead of saying that you spent your evening playing Candy Land which just makes you feel like a parent. Not that there's a good/bad distinction to be made here. Just sayin'!)

The game can be played with 2-4 players and generally lasts for about 20 minutes. This is a good time frame for our five year old. (I did read some other reviews of this game online which indicated that it worked well for four year olds also. The game is earmarked for ages 4 and up.)

While the packaging/cover art isn't likely to impress your average four year old, I would say that this is a more thoughtful and interesting game to play than you generally see about town. We're glad to own it. Daddy has spent the past month playing this with the boys off and on and it is enjoyed, every time, without fail. This one comes highly recommended.

******

In the spirit of Carcassonne games, Rio Grande Games also released New World: A Carcassonne Game which is a variation on a theme.



Instead of building roads and taking possession of land in medieval Europe, you are placing yourself in the New World (ta da!), building towns, roads, etc. This is kind of a fun-themed game when studying Columbus and other explorers of the New World. Just a fun idea to toss into the mix.

Thank you, Rio Grande Games, for allowing us the opportunity to check out some of your newer releases. It's been a great deal of fun for our family!

Simon Flash (Game Giveaway)

If you know me personally and well, you know that I am not really a game person. If I'm going to play a game, I like it to be the sort that will allow for conversation to happen over and around it. Either that, or I like a good game of Solitaire. Games do not generally equate to fun in my book. (So how did I marry into a gaming family? Well, I just simply don't know.)

My oldest son (Bookworm1, age 5) would seem to take after his father though and loves games. When he wants to play something more heady, Daddy plays with him. Call Mommy in for games like Candy Land, Hi Ho Cherrio! or Don't Break the Ice. (Those types of games. I like those types.) When I saw an e-mail come through asking if I would like to review a copy of Simon Flash I thought it looked like something I would have fun playing with him so I said I'd be happy to take a look at it.

Simon Flash arrived and judging by the looks of the box I wasn't so sure it would be a winner in this house. First, my husband eyed in suspiciously. (That's always a bad sign.) I figured it would be up to me to introduce the game. My moment came last week when all five of us simultaneously came down with a cold. I figured this game might prove diverting and so out it came.

The basic idea is this, shamelessly stolen from Amazon:

Featuring four brainteaser games to challenge your child's memory, speed, and logic, Hasbro's Simon Flash is a high-tech twist on the legendary Simon game. Four electronic cubes utilize light, sound, and changing colors to keep your child having fun and learning new skills during each game. Revolutionary Wonder-Link technology allows each cube to know where you've placed it, when you win a round, and keeps track of the score.

There are four ways which you can play Simon Flash:

1. Simon Classic - the classic Simon game where you correctly repeat an increasing sequence of colors;

2. Simon Shuffle - you solve each puzzle by lining up the colors in the original order displayed;

3. Simon Lights Off - you solve each puzzle by lining up the cubes in the correct order so that all the lights turn off; or

4. Simon Secret Color - you solve the puzzle by figuring out the order to place the cubes in.

The game says it is for ages 8 and up but, as I mentioned, Bookworm1 is 5 and this game is perfect for him. The kid thinks in patterns and numbers though so I think that helped to make the Simon Classic version of the game approachable and easy. (He actually beats me when it comes to following the color pattern for the longest period of time.) Now, Bookworm1 has a hard time with Simon Shuffle because you have to move the lit squares around fairly quickly and his hand-eye coordination is not that great.

The great thing about this game is you can compete against others (given that each individual game with the cubes last from 90 seconds to 2 minutes in length) or you can play it all by yourself. (Hello, Mommy and her love of solitaire!)

Bookworm2 (age 2 3/4) really, really loves this game but he stinks at it. Definitely need to be older than two to play it, no matter how fun it looks. (Bookworm3 - age 9 months - is also a huge fan of the color flashing cubes and would like to eat them.) The good thing about Bookworm2 wanting to play it, however, is that it encourages him to learn his colors so that he can actually win the games! Because the game is all about colors and flashing lights, it is hugely attractive to younger people. As it is a game of speed and pattern (but is somewhat simplistic in nature) it holds appeal to those of us who do not wish to expend too many brain cells when playing a game, but will occasionally accept a minor challenge in this department.

On the whole, this mom is going to give this game two thumbs up. (It was also a perfect game to have around when everyone was sick and down and out. Bookworm1 laid on the couch for awhile playing the Classic Simon version of the game and we just passed it back and forth between us.) It's a low-key, low stress game and I like it very much for that. I don't know that I would have purchased it outright for our family because it just doesn't look like much from the packaging. My husband, being infinitely suspicious of new games, would have definitely passed it by. But I think it is surprisingly usable in teaching colors and patterns in a fun, flashy sort of way.

The great news for YOU is that Hasbro has offered to giveaway one copy of Simon Flash to one of you!

To win? Simply leave a comment below. This contest will be open through Wednesday, December 21st and is open to U.S. Residents only. Please leave a valid e-mail address along with your comment so that I can easily contact you, should you be selected as the winner.

(The games will be shipped post-January 6th so please do not expect to receive your copy before Christmas, should you be selected as the winner.)

Usborne Activity Cards

One final note before the weekend....

Last year I reviewed these Usborne Activity Cards:

The other day we were playing outside and I pulled the cards out and we played with them on the deck. There is such a huge variety of cards to choose from (50 double-sided cards in the pack!) and we had fun making funny faces and working through mazes. These cards are fantastic things to stick in your purse, or in the backseat of the car when you need something fun to do. (Or, in our case, just pull them out on a sunny day when you are getting tired of running around and want to cool off!)

I'm sure you are getting tired of me saying this but -- when I was at the Book Expo -- I came across the EDC Publishing/Usborne Books booth and I was amazed at the wide variety and assortment of activity cards that they offered from this series. (I didn't realize their was such a long line of cards!) They kindly sent me some samples and we have been looking through them and enjoying them.

We took the 100 Animals to Spot at the Zoo (Spotter Cards) with us on our zoo trip a week ago. On the way up I handed the cards over to Bookworm1 and he was entertained by looking through the cards and guessing at which animals we might see on our visit.

When he wanted to know more about a particular animal, he would hand the card over and we would read the information the card provided. The cards told us where the animals originated, what they like to eat and certain behaviors. At age three, I only read Bookworm1 the pertinent information but there was plenty of details for older kids as well. I would say that these cards are probably best suited for ages 4-10 but they suited our purposes quite nicely. We did not take them into the zoo, although that is their intended purpose. They are designed so that you can walk the zoo with them and learn from them as you go. We used them more as preparation and entertainment as we drove to the zoo and that worked great for us. I'm sure you can come up with your own ways to use the cards as well. They were quite fun.

After celebrating Space Day - I was very curious to check out 100 Things to Spot in the Night Sky. Now these cards are over our head but that didn't stop me from flipping through them and explaining constellations and meteors to Bookworm1. I'm going to definitely hang on to these cards and use them on some summer evening when Bookworm is old enough to stay up until after it is dark so that we can do some star gazing from our deck together. These cards are AWESOME and guide the user to find constellations in the night sky. There is a "Starting Star Spotting" card to get you going, as well as a Northern sky map. Each card then provides you with something to look for and a description to help lead you along. Look for things like Canis Minor and learn about the phases of the moon. Use a telescope or don't, but these cards make star gazing a little more exciting and entertaining.

Definitely something to have on hand for the next Space Day!

Lastly, we checked out 50 Science Things to Make and Do. This is a particular awesome deck of cards to have around during the summer time. It offers a variety of activities you can do with your kids (and they can potentially do on their own!) to explore their world.

Ideas:

* Visual exercises to see how your brain can trick your eyes
* Separation of colors
* Making "gloop"
* Learning about water power
* Learning about bugs
* Learning about inertia
* Making a rubber band paddle boat

There are plenty of things to do and because they are all a bit over our heads as well, and because the Book Expo has given us plenty to keep us occupied with, I'm going to offer to send this set of 50 Science Things to Make and Do to one of you! I do think these things look awfully fun but why should we sit on them when one of you can be USING them!

Enjoying exploring the world with your kids this summer! Hope you have fun.

Thanks, EDC Publishers, for allowing me to check out your cards. You guys do an awesome job creating quality products and this mother is grateful for you!

THIS POST WAS ORIGINALLY POSTED AS A GIVEAWAY. THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED.

It's bean fun!

(Pardon my idiotic sense of humor. But if you'd been watching the Youtube videos WE have on bean sprouting....well!)

Check this out!!!!!



We must have watched the one above at least five times. The first time all three of us (Bookworms 1 & 2, plus myself) watched in fear and wonderment. The second time around I couldn't quit laughing, Bookworm1 was laughing and trying to mimic the words he THOUGHT they were saying, and Bookworm2 engaged in nervous laughter. The third time we watched it, we all laughed and then went to go and soak some beans.

For the record, our only plan is to plant some beans in some jars and see how they grow. Here is our container of freshly planted beans (which, for the record, have not made an appearance top of soil as of yet and we've been waiting for close to three weeks.)

Of course, all of this ties into a book. I was actually not the one to make the connection because our activity and this particular story. Bookworm1 said we were growing beans, "Just like Mickey and the Beanstalk!" And so we are. Only I would like to keep my feet planted firmly on the ground, thanks, and watch our beans grow without the threat of giants.

Of course, once Bookworm1 made the connection for Mommy, we started talking about beans and seeds and other stories which can foster the concept.

(For the record, we haven't watched the movie version of this particular story about Mickey just yet. Unfortunately the book mentions that the giant "growls" and that has put Bookworm1 off for the time being. At the moment, we merely read the story.)


On that note, we were also able to try out a game to accompany the book! The game was provided to us by Winning Moves (which I personally think is an awesome name for a game company!)



The basic idea for the Jack And the Beanstalk Game is this:

1. Up to four players can work their way up the beanstalk and back down again, in a quest to collect three treasures: golden coins, the goose that laid the golden egg, and the singing harp. You go up, you come down.

2. There is a giant (of course!) who can also travel down from his castle at the top of the beanstalk to give chase to Jack and recollect treasures. If he lands on your space, then you have to give up one of your priceless possessions.

3. The first player who makes it back down the beanstalk with all three treasures wins the game! You can lose treasures along the way via the giant, as mentioned previously, or by another player being given the opportunity to trade treasures with you, thereby eliminating your ability to form your collection of three treasures too quickly.

I thought the game would be simply and easily won, but it ended up that a second trip up the beanstalk was a perfectly valid threat in order to claim the requisite singing harp. Bookworm1 had successfully gathered both the golden coins and goose but was lacking the harp before making it back to the starting position.

The game is designed for children ages 5 and up, but Bookworm1, being 3 1/2, understood the concepts and we had no troubles in playing it together. He definitely still needs some adult supervision when playing, but we were able to play against one another without too much confusion (on the part of either one of us!) and so I considered our venture with the Jack And the Beanstalk Game to be a success! Except (!) he is still young enough to play the game literally and expressed some serious concerns about the giant landing on his space. ("What will he DO to me!?") Heh . . . I love literal toddlers in a strange and amusing way!

We liked this game and appreciate Winning Moves providing us with the opportunity to play it! (They apparently also make a Princess and the Pea game which, if we had a girl, I'd be curious to play at some point! I'm liking this whole 'storybook theme' game idea!)

It's also true that we like the sun and water and are hoping against hope to see some sprouts appear in our little "pot" in the very near future. How long should we be expecting this to take anyway? Not that we're impatient or anything...

Any bean and sprout books/games/video recommendation for us? Let us know!

Board Game: Race for the Galaxy

Guest post from "the husband"... on a suitably non-reading subject this time...


Race for the Galaxy (another Rio Grande production) is an unusual game for our us -- it's an interesting hybrid of a traditional family game, and the more complex, card-based strategy games that I've always assumed were just for the "hard core gamer" types.

(Warning: Geek Alert!) Back when I was a teenager, I had a great time with the complicated, long-running strategy games (Risk, Axis & Allies, Civilization, etc.) where things could go on and on. But, my attention span and habits changed considerably when I began having to maintain a Real Life™, and now having an active two-year-old has reduced me to the point where any activity lasting more than 10 minutes is a real uphill climb.

Anyway, Race for the Galaxyincorporates some of the same strategy elements as those more complicated games, but it's pretty attainable, and much more fast-moving in gameplay. It only takes 30 or 40 minutes to get through a round, and it plays well as a 2-player game as well as with more people. (Oftentimes games like this lose a lot of appeal with only two players where things become too predictable.)

If you're up for a bit more complexity and strategy than typical family game fare offers, this is a good choice! Players build up their empires by colonizing planets, developing technologies, producing goods and expanding their military. These yield "victory points" which, at the conclusion of the game, determine the winner. (This can be a surprise sometimes, as the end of the game can reveal an unexpected disparity in points between one player and another!)

I also like the fact that the players are primarily focused on building up their own empires, and not so much in head-to-head competition. Choices that one player makes can directly affect other's gameplay, but the ultimate winner is one who most skillfully manages his own resources and empire, rather than sabotaging or interrupting his competitors.

When I looked around online for more opinions on Race for the Galaxy I discovered many other fans... It's hard to find a negative review! The accessibility and depth of gameplay are very appealing, and I hope to discover more games like this in the future.

Puerto Rico Board Game

guest review by Carrie's brother, Christopher

As I've said before, Jonathan likes games and I do not. However, as I've also said, I'm particularly fond of all the games I've played (so far) by Rio Grande Games. I had a few to try out so I asked my brother, Christopher, and his wife if they'd like to play Puerto Rico "for" us and see what they thought of it. They gladly obliged and here is Christopher's review:

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Puerto Rico is an engaging game that really can become quite addictive. It is designed for 3-5 players, of ages 12 and up. Once you have learned the rules, playing time averages 90 to 150 minuets.

My wife and I have now played Puerto Rico with two completely different sets of friends, and in both cases our friends have become hooked and are now looking for their own copies of the game to purchase. Part of what makes Puerto Rico a great game is that there is no one way to win. Everyone who has played board games knows that in most cases, there is a single path that the winner must take to achieve victory, and whoever is most successful in accomplishing that one predetermined set of goals will be the ultimate winner. Not so with Puerto Rico.

The way to win Puerto Rico is to come to the end of the game with the most victory points – which doesn't sound terribly profound, until you realize that there are three completely independent elements in the game that can bring it to an end. Moreover there are two different ways to earn victory points, and at least a dozen different ways to manipulate the amount of points earned by purchasing various privileges during the game

Another positive element in Puerto Rico is that every player has the opportunity to play the various roles that are offered in the game (e.g. Mayor, Builder, Captain, etc.) and to enjoy the privileges that come with playing those roles. This keeps game play fluid and intriguing.

Puerto Rico is a game of strategy and economics. There is just enough chance in the game to keep you on your toes and from knowing what will happen, but the goal of winning will ultimately be achieved by the player who has thought ahead and planned their moves accordingly. You have to keep your thinking cap on for this one, folks.

The only difficulty my friends and I experienced in playing Puerto Rico was in understanding from the directions how game play was to begin. The game was originally developed in Germany and I think that perhaps the difficulty was due in some part to translation issues which made the directions somewhat opaque when starting out. However, I have to say that once we figured out how to begin playing, the directions became very helpful as they do clearly answer questions that arise without having to dig through a lot of useless data.

Overall, I would give Puerto Rico 9 out of 10.

If you would like to play the game, I would also recommend going to the website Board Games with Scott and watching Scott's video on Puerto Rico to learn more.

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Carrie here again: I guess we can safely say that Rio Grande Games are a hit with our family. So far, no strike outs!