Callapidder Days

I love to play boardgames. And in my ongoing quest to play more boardgames, I’ve found that one effective strategy is to force invite my children to play games with me. With C(11), it’s pretty easy — he’ll play any number of fun games with me as long as he’s in the right mood. But it’s a little harder with L(3). Not because he doesn’t want to play games, but because there are very few fun games that are targeted at the preschool crowd. (Please don’t mention Candyland to me. I have banished that game from my home after one too many endless episodes of it.)

However, with persistence, we’ve managed to find a few gems suitable for preschoolers, the most recent one being Can You See What I See? Finders Keepers Game, a Gamewright game based on the popular Can You See What I See? (and the similar I Spy) book series.

Read on to learn more about it.

Can You See What I See?

Can You See What I See? Finders Keepers Game is a quick, fun little game that takes the concept of the I Spy books and turns it into an engaging card game accessible to even the youngest of gamers. The box says it’s for ages 4 and up, but L. was playing this game at just over 3 years old (and I think that even 2-year-olds could have fun trying to find and match objects in lieu of playing the full game). One game lasts about ten minutes, and the game accommodates 2-6 players.

At the start of the game, each player receives 12 Keep Me cards (fewer if you’re playing with 5 or 6 people). Keep Me cards are rectangular tiles containing an I-Spy-esque collage of cute and colorful objects. Players arrange their cards in front of them so they can easily see them all.

A face-down draw pile of Find Me cards is placed in the middle of the table. Find Me cards are square tiles, each containing one object.

During each round, one Find Me card is flipped and placed face-up on the table. Players examine their Keep Me cards to see if any of them contain the object on the Find Me card. If a player finds that object on any of his or her cards, they flip over those Keep Me cards and keep them face-down on the table for the rest of the game. Once everyone has flipped over their matching cards for that round, a new Find Me card is turned over and play continues with players searching their Keep Me cards for matches with the new Find Me card.

The first player to find matches for, and flip over all of his or her Keep Me cards wins the game.

Simple, right? Right. Perfect for the little ones.

The rules also include a more advanced game for older kids that involves score-keeping and requires a little more thinking, so it’s definitely a game that can grow with your kids for several years.

Why do I like this game?

• Well first of all, I have to admit that I’ve always been a fan of the I Spy and Can You See What I See? books, so any game based on them is going to score some points with me. I love how they encourage kids to concentrate and really examine a picture. And watching a child get that feeling of accomplishment when they find all the objects on a page (all by themselves) is priceless. The Finders Keepers Game does all of that, just in game form.
• The games are short. Ten minutes? I can handle that. In fact, when L. and I play Can You See What I See?, I find that I’m happy to play multiple games in one sitting. I’d rather play 3 or 4 games of Can You See What I See? Finders Keepers than one game of Cand– the game that must not be named.
• It teaches little ones some of the basic principles of gameplay, which will come in handy in many areas. Though the game involves simultaneous play (so there’s no real “taking turns”), kids still learn about order of play, structure, organization, observation, and winning & losing.
• It’s a game the little kids like. Just as in the I Spy books, the pictures in Can You See What I See? Finders Keepers are engaging, bright, interesting, and fun. A variety of objects keep the kids intrigued and also lead to conversations about the objects and their uses/features.

In summary:

We are a game-playing family. And while my husband and I often choose to play games that involve lots of strategy and deep thinking, I have to admit that sometimes, a crazy, quick, no-thinking-involved game is the one that really hits the spot. Especially if there are kids involved.

And it seems that our son, C. (10), particularly enjoys dexterity games (games involving balancing, flicking, stacking, or some other physical skill).  So recently, I took the opportunity to pull a relatively new game, called Hula Hippos, off our shelf. C. and I enjoyed it so much that I decided to give away a copy this week…to one of you!

But first, let me tell you a little about the game, so you can decide if it’s one that your family will enjoy. Hula Hippos is a game published in 2008 by Gamewright (my favorite maker of short, fun, family games). The game is made for 2-4 players, age 5 and up, though younger children can definitely have fun playing along. One game takes about 10-20 minutes.

The components of Hula Hippos are very simple: inside the box you’ll find 1 wooden hoop and 24 hippo-shaped wooden disks (6 hippos in each of 4 colors).

Gameplay is also simple.  Just give each player all six hippos in his or her color of choice, and have players line the hippos up in front of them on the table. Then, to begin a round, start the wooden hoop spinning in the center of the table.

Immediately, all players should begin flicking their hippos across the table, toward the spinning hoop. Each hippo may only be flicked once, and players must flick all their hippos before the hoop stops spinning and falls to the table.

Once the hoop has hit the table, take score:  If one of your hippos ends up inside the hoop, or under the edge of the hoop, that hippo is out of the game and you score 1 point. Continue playing rounds until one player has earned four points (in other words, four of their hippos have been trapped in or under the hoop). That person is the winner!

Hula Hippos does not present players with the opportunity to think deeply about every move. Instead, it provides wacky, and sometimes wild, hippo-flicking fun.

Though younger children will have a difficult time perfecting their flicks in order to get their hippos near the spinning hoop, it often doesn’t matter — they’ll be just as happy watching the hippos zip across the table, crash into each other, and occasionally go flying across the room. Older kids will take on the challenge of learning to flick their hippos just right — with just enough oomph — while trying to predict where the spinning hoop will finally land.

And what about the grown-ups? If grown-ups enjoy a light, zany game, they’ll have fun with this one too. I certainly did.  But even if it’s not exactly your cup of tea, remember: it plays quickly, so you can get in a quick game of Hula Hippos with your kids and then move on to another activity. (I have played games of Candyland that have gone on Forever, so I certainly appreciate a kids’ game that doesn’t overstay its welcome.)

Does Hula Hippos sound like a game your family would enjoy? If so, just leave a comment on this post for a chance to win a copy of Hula Hippos. I’ll randomly draw a winner on Saturday, January 31, and announce that winner here. And I’m sorry to my international visitors, but this giveaway will be for U.S. mailing addresses only, please.

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This giveaway is part of the Bloggy Giveaways Carnival being hosted over at Bloggy Giveaways. Be sure to visit the carnival headquarters so you can check out the tons and tons of great giveaways going on this week. Just click the graphic below!

Melanie from Bloggy Giveaways is hosting her quarterly Bloggy Giveaway Carnival this week, a chance for the rest of us to have some fun giving away (and, of course, trying to win!) lots of cool stuff. Be sure to visit the carnival headquarters to see the many items that are being given away this week.

But while you’re here, let me tell you about my giveaway.

I’m giving away a new, shrink-wrapped copy of the the game Ka-Ching! from Gamewright Games.

Ka-Ching! is a fun little game for two players that takes about 15 minutes to play. The box says it’s for ages 10 and up, but my son, C., has been playing Ka-Ching! since he was 7 or 8, so I think that age is flexible.

Not sure if you’re interested? Let me tell you a little bit about the game.

At the start of the game, each player is given $20 (play money, of course), and 35 “stock” cards are arranged on the table in 5 columns of 7 cards each. The stock cards come in five different colors, and vary in numerical value from 2-6.

On your turn, you may either buy or sell.

To buy, simply choose a card from the bottom of one of the five columns, and pay face value for it. For example, if it has a numerical value of “3,” you’ll pay $3 to the bank. You can buy any color, any numerical value, as long as you have the money to pay for it. Place this card in front of you; it’s now yours.

To sell, you must choose two cards of the same color from your supply (i.e., cards that you bought on previous turns). You’ll turn these cards in to the “bank” and collect money. To find out how much money you collect, simply multiply the numerical values of the two cards together. For example, if you turn in a blue 3 and a blue 6, you’ll collect $18 from the bank.

Each player is also given a wild card which they may use once during the game, combining it with another card of any color when they’re ready to sell.

That’s it! The game ends when you’re down to only two columns of available stock cards. Each player makes one final sale, and then adds up their money. The player with the most money wins.

C. really enjoys playing Ka-Ching! with me, and I like it too. Not only does it play quickly and give kids a chance to learn how to develop some strategy (biding their time, trying to buy the high-value cards so they can cash in on a big profit), but it’s also a sneaky way to reinforce some multiplication facts. But shhh!! Don’t tell C. that part.

Does Ka-Ching! sound like a game you’d like to play? Just leave a comment on this post for a chance to win! I’ll choose a winner Saturday, August 2nd. Please be sure your comment provides an easy way for me to contact you (preferably via email). U.S. mailing addresses only, please.

To visit the Bloggy Giveaways Carnival, click HERE. To read more of my game reviews, click HERE.

If you’re looking for a quick, easy game to play with the kids, you might be interested in one of the two games I’m reviewing today. Below you’ll find two mini-reviews of new games from Gamewright. Both are easy to learn, quick to play, and take up very little room, so they’re perfect for packing along on a trip or setting up on the table when you’re faced with a rainy day.

Pounce! is a cat-themed, fast-moving game of card collection. It works with 2-5 players, ages 6 and up.

At the start of the game, each player receives a set of 5 Cat cards, one card for each of five different rooms in a house (kitchen card, bathroom card, etc.). Then, five face-up stacks of Room cards are placed in the middle of the table. Each stack represents one room of the house and each stack consists of five cards. So there will be a stack of five kitchen cards, a stack of five bathroom cards, etc. — with the five stacks corresponding to the five cards that each player holds.

Finally, a Bruno the Bulldog card is given to the last person to pet a cat.

Each player keeps their cards hidden, and secretly chooses one Cat card to place face-down on the table — picking the card that matches the room they’re going for. When all players are ready, they flip their cards over simultaneously, shout “Pounce!,” and race to slap the Room stack that matches the card they chose. If a player successfully slaps his goal stack first, he may claim the top card of that stack and place it in front of him on the table.

The game continues, with players choosing cards to go for, slapping the stacks, and hoping to win additional Room cards. (Whoever holds Bruno the Bulldog can choose to block a stack on his turn, instead of going for a card, in an attempt to thwart another player’s plans.)

A player wins by collecting either four of the same Room cards, or four different Room cards. A game typically takes 15 minute or less, and kids seem to enjoy all the yelling and the card-slapping. When C. and I play, L. climbs up to the table and slaps the table along with us, shouting “Pounce!” as loudly as he can.

Go Nuts! is a crazy dice game that introduces kids to the concept of “push your luck.” It supports 2-4 players ages 8 and up. It’s part of Gamewright’s 12-Minute Game series and really does play that fast.

The game consists of a scorepad, pencil, and 9 custom dice.

At the beginning of the game, each player is given a “dog die” — a 6-sided die where 5 sides have houses and 1 side has a dog.

The remaining 5 dice are given to the starting player. These dice (the “squirrel dice”) are also standard 6-sided dice, with 2 sides showing acorns, 1 side showing a car, and the remaining 3 sides showing squirrels.

On your turn, begin by rolling all five squirrel dice. Any die that shows a car is immediately removed from play. Any die that lands on an acorn scores you 1 point. At this time, you may re-roll any dice that landed on acorns or squirrels. For every roll during your turn, you have two options:

1) Keep a running total of all acorns rolled so far on your turn and keeping rolling any dice that land on acorns or squirrels (placing cars off to the side); or

2) Stop rolling, taking as your score the total number of acorn points you’ve accumulated.

The push-your-luck aspect comes into play because if, at any time, you roll all cars, your turn ends immediately and you lose all accumulated points for that turn. The key is collecting as many acorn points as possible, while stopping before you roll all cars.

Now, what about those squirrels? So far, they’re just sitting there.

If you happen to roll all squirrels, you lose all points accumulated so far in that turn, but you immediately start a “Go Nuts round.” Shout “Go Nuts!” (we treat this as an optional response) and grab the squirrel dice you just rolled. Roll those dice over and over as fast as you can, adding up acorns as you go. Cars don’t matter — just keep going. Now…while you are rolling like crazy, all other players must roll their dog dice as quickly as possible, over and over, until they roll a dog. Once everyone has rolled a dog, you must stop rolling and record the total number of acorns rolled during the Go Nuts round as your score. It can get pretty loud and crazy!

Pass the dice to the next player. The game continues until one player reaches 50 points. Naturally, you can adjust this goal to make a shorter or longer game.

I thought Go Nuts! was a great way to introduce kids to the concept of pushing their luck. It’s not too stressful, since the crazy “Go Nuts! round” pops up regularly and almost guarantees points, but it really makes kids think about whether they should stop and keep their points safe or roll “just one more time.”

In summary:

Pounce! and Go Nuts!

Number of Players: 2-5 (Pounce!); 2-4 (Go Nuts!)
Time required: 12-15 minutes
Ages: 6+ (Pounce!); 8+ (Go Nuts!)
Where to buy: Pounce! and Go Nuts! are both available from AreYouGame.com
Callapidder recommends it: Anytime you’re looking for a quick, light (and sometimes noisy!) game with your kids.

Read more of Callapidder’s Game Reviews by clicking HERE.

With the sun shining (most days) and the warm weather (some days), my kids are dying to be outside at all times. So I was thrilled to see that one of Gamewright’s new games, Boochie, is perfectly suited for outdoor family play.

If you’ve every played Bocce, you’re well on your way to knowing what Boochie is all about. And if you haven’t…don’t worry, you can be up and playing Boochie in just a few minutes.

Boochie arrives in a handy plastic storage bag and comes with everything you need for 2-4 players to play this “Whole New Ball Game.”

Before you get started, give each player a bean ball, a tossing ring, and a wrist score-tracker, all in the same color. Everyone should put their wrist score-trackers on, and set their score to zero. Now establish an invisible line in your yard as the “don’t step past this line when you throw” line, and pick a starting player (the rules say the player with the cleanest shoes starts, but in our house, that could be difficult to determine).

Here’s how the game works. The starting player takes the orange 12-sided Boochie Ball (shown in the picture above) and tosses it out into the yard. The rules suggest throwing it about 12 feet, but you can modify that based on who’s playing, or eliminate the restriction altogether and just toss it. Now, players take turns standing at the throwing line and tossing one of their items toward the Boochie Ball, trying to get as close to it as possible. After all players have tossed their first item (either ball or ring), they then take turns tossing their second item. You can throw either one first, but as you’ll see, it might be beneficial to save your ring for last.

After everyone has thrown both of their items, it’s time to take score.

• The player with the object closest to the Boochie Ball scores 2 points.
• The player with the second-closest object scores 1 point.

But wait, there’s more! Each side of the Boochie Ball has special instructions which can result in one or more player scoring additional points. For example, one of the sides says “+2 ball furthest away.” In this case, the player whose ball is furthest from the Boochie Ball scores 2 points. The key is, you are not allowed to read the Boochie Ball before you toss your items, so the bonus scoring is always a surprise.

A few more opportunities for scoring are:

• Score 1 bonus point if your ring lands around another player’s ball.
• Score 3 bonus points if your ring lands around the Boochie Ball.

[Note: In all the tossing and throwing we did, we never had a ring land around a ball, so I'm thinking these bonus points, while certainly possible, will be rare.]

Finally, all players advance their wrist trackers by the number of points they scored that round. And here’s where things get even more interesting.

Each score on the wrist tracker includes special instructions for how you must play as long as you are on that score. You might have to throw backward, toss your items under one leg, or even lie on your back while you throw. Though each wrist tracker has different challenges, one thing remains the same: the closer you get to winning, the more challenging your instructions become.

Continue the game, taking turns tossing the Boochie Ball to begin each round. The first person to 11 points wins!

We had a great time playing Boochie, and I’m sure it’ll get a fair amount of play-time this summer. Granted, it’s difficult to play with a one-year-old who wants to abscond with the Boochie Ball, but we just got creative (in other words, we took “his” color items and threw them as far as we could, then quick played a round while he chased them).

One other bonus of Boochie is that the items are soft, so it can be played indoors as well, as long as your kids can be trusted not to hurl the Boochie Ball into a window or TV. So rain or shine, you can break out Boochie and have some fun with your family.

In summary:

Boochie

Number of Players: 2-4
Time required: 15-30 minutes
Ages: recommended for 8 and up (though in my opinion, younger kids could definitely play along)
Where to buy: Boochie is brand new, and stores are still getting ready to stock it. It will eventually be available online at places such as FunAgain Games and AreYouGame

Callapidder recommends it: For families who want to get outside and do something together. Great to take to picnics and get-togethers, too!

Read more of Callapidder’s Game Reviews by clicking HERE.