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Does your family enjoy playing games together? Would you call yourselves gamers? We are by definition, gamers. My crew love games. It doesn’t matter if they are board games or online games; my crew are in it for the win. They laugh and shout as they play together. I also love that now that most are married, they still get together and have game nights with the other siblings. We recently added a couple of new games that bring intrigue and challenges to family game night.
Thames & Kosmos
Thames & Kosmos currently offers more than 140 kits containing a total of more than 3,000 experiments and projects, and more than 5,000 pages of rich, colorful manual content.
The science kits are organized into thirteen categories: Chemistry, Physics, Alternative Energy, Electrical Science, Biology, Earth Science & Natural History, Multi-Subject, Astronomy & Space, Historical Science, Construction+Engineering, Robotics, Crystals & Materials, and Arts & Crafts. In 2015, T&K expanded upon its goal to inspire comprehensive, hands-on learning experiences by introducing a curated selection of German-style board games from world renowned authors and designers.
Word Slam Family
In the family version of Word Slam you will find all the same fast and wild play on words as in the original Word Slam game but in a streamlined, compact format.
The set includes four difficulty levels so everyone can participate. There are easier, family-friendly answers that most 10 year old children would understand.
An app is used for this version and each team has a storyteller that gives clues to their team. But there is a twist; the storyteller may not speak or act out the word. They can only use the word cards available. The team that gets the answer the fastest wins a point.
Visit Thames and Kosmos for more information or to purchase Word Slam Family.
EXIT: The Game – The Sunken Treasure
Get ready for an adventure sailing in dangerous waters. Your mission is to find the legendary treasure of the Santa Maria. While you are scouring the mysterious shipwreck, you realize that you are trapped inside! Will you and your crew be able to solve the riddles left there in order to find your way out?
In order to escape, you must solve a series of riddles or puzzles to unlock doors which will reveal new riddles to be solved. Each correct solution brings you closer to being able to escape. You will have to use your creative problem solving and logical thinking skills in order to get out. That’s because the rule book is only to get you started. You are on your own from there and have to find the clues and solve the puzzles.
EXIT: The Game is set up to be played only once because you must markup, fold, and tear the game materials to solve the riddles and escape.
EXIT: The Game is constantly expanding with additional story lines for your enjoyment. (Dead Man on the Orient Express,The Abandoned Cabin,The Forbidden Castle,The Forgotten Island,The Mysterious Museum, The Pharaoh’s Tomb,The Polar Station,The Secret Lab,The Sinister Mansion, and The Sunken Treasure).
Now you are not totally left to your own devices. This game has a super cool app that you can download. In the Kosmos Helper App, you can find animated explanations of the instructions and other helpful tips. The App is available for iOS and Android devices and can be found by searching “Kosmos Helper App” in the iOS App Store or in Google Play.
Visit Thames and Kosmos for more information or to purchase this version of EXIT: The Game.
Make sure to follow Thames & Kosmos on social media:
Authentic Agility Games
We believe that together we can change the world. A portion of proceeds from your purchase will go to organizations that advance education and entrepreneurship. We hope our game will help facilitate important conversations in your schools, communities, and families.
Knowledge is Power – Twenty Percent is the amount a woman’s earning potential increases for every year of schooling she completes.
Empowerment is the key to success – There are 400 million children living in extreme poverty.
Literacy is the foundation of a democratic society – Currently 1.3 million students drop out of school each year.
How Do You See the World?
This card game pushes you outside your comfort zone while helping you understand how others view the world. Each player will answer questions on one of five categories: Reflections, Relationships, Aspirations, Life’s Purpose and Beliefs. It is available for purchase on Amazon.
To understand the “why” behind the game, check out this video by the developer:
See why Cathy developed Authentic Agility Here: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=692395074464427
See how to play the game:
Make sure to follow Authentic Agility Games on social media:
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube
smART sketcher® by Flycatcher
Flycatcher is a young UK company that creates innovative tech toys for kids. It was founded in 2014 by Shay Chen, an Israeli developer who previously ran two successful technology businesses before focusing his attention on toys. As a father as well as an inventor, he saw how his own children seamlessly moved between digital and physical worlds, learning how to navigate their complicated 21st century world through play. “Technology was like a magnet for them,” says Chen. “But I wanted to make sure that they also played offline and learned the social skills that are often missing with screens.” Flycatcher aims to capture online and offline synergy by creating toys that engage kids in new and meaningful ways. All Flycatcher toys are app-connected. However, they incorporate physical play with the same kind of seamless energy that Chen admired in his children.
The smART sketcher® Projector raises the bar on integrated play.
This app-enabled toy puts the fun of sketching, drawing, and writing into the hands of kids using photos from any mobile device, step-by-step drawing packs, and curriculum-based writing and spelling activities that bridge the gap between schoolwork, homework, and play.
Our goal is to use emerging technologies to embrace STEAM learning, while nurturing creativity, fine motor skills, and basic story-telling,” says Chen. “All of our products–those existing as well as those in development–balance physical and digital activities, and encourage interaction between kids and adults.
smART sketcher™ Projector
Combine promoting artistic ability, fine motor development, and STEAM education skills with the smART sketcher™ Projector. This projector encourages users to transform photos taken from their smart devices into a sketch.
Through the smART sketcher app, your pictures are transferred via Bluetooth to the projector. Now you can draw anything you can snap a photo of around you. The smART sketcher Projector comes loaded already with a variety of activities including step-by-step drawings, learn-to-write letters and numbers, early spelling skills, and so much more. You can use additional SD cards to add a new set of drawings.
To be able to use your own images, you will need to download the FREE app.
It is available at the Google Play, Apple App Store, and on Amazon.
Make sure to follow smART sketcher™ on social media:
Facebook | Instagram | YouTube
My Thoughts
Family game nights have been a long standing tradition in our home. But now that most of our crew are married we have been looking for games that the siblings would find intriguing and challenging.
Most of enjoy visiting those escape rooms, and I have to say the EXIT: The Game – The Sunken Treasure was a hit. The only down side is that you can only play the game once. At first I thought it was strange but then when the crew played it, I understood the reason. Not only do you know the escape requirements (so why play it again), but in order to escape you have to use the materials included in the game. My crew says they can’t wait to play the other editions of this game since it requires them to work together in teams in order to win and that isn’t something they get to do often enough as adults.
While the adult siblings were playing their escape game, Hubby and I played Word Slam Family with the rest of the group. This game is A LOT harder than I was expecting! Not hard and is you entire family can’t play, but hard because my brain isn’t as fast as the younger ones and they can get the answer out before I can visualize the item being described in my mind! Seriously, this is a great game to play when you have a wide age span on players.
Have you ever played games while waiting for your meal or when traveling?
Our younger ones love to play games like this and honestly, I love how it helps to pass the time and keep them entertained. And I have learned so much about them and their ideas just from listening to their answers. So, when the How Do You See the World? game arrived it was quickly opened and the questions started flying. The game comes with a die that you roll and it determines what category of question you have to answer. This is great when you have older players or adults, but for the younger ones I just ask them one of the questions on the card. Then sit back and listen to them answer the question. If you give them enough time to really complete their thought, you will be quite surprised at their answers.
And for those budding artist or those that just love to draw, the smART sketcher™ Projector will keep them busy for hours! Who am I kidding…I was like a toddler when this projector arrived! “Mine Mine Mine” was running through my mind. However, I did share it with the others but quickly put it away..I am just kidding. I can’t draw a straight line with a ruler but this projector makes drawing fun even for me. According to our 5 year old Colton, “the bestests part is being able to take piterers and draw them” (he is just five and is missing a front tooth so he does talk a little funny. I agree, although the unit does come with a ton of images and step by step drawing lessons, being able to use one of our own pictures is pretty cool.
So, if you are looking for games that will bring intrigue and challenges to family game night; I highly recommend these products. Don’t forget Spring Break is coming up quickly and these items would be great for keeping the masses entertained.
We’ve added these fun Family Game Night games from Authentic Agility Games, Thames & Kosmos, and smART sketcher™ to our Fun Spring Gift Guide! #SpringFunonMDR Check it out here!