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Summer time can be super busy for most families, including mine. Between vacations, sports, and pool time? It seems like we are always busy doing something! But what about when the weather is bad outside? I don’t want the kids to always be stuck with their devices! So we decided to add in a few new titles to our game closet. Let me tell you about our rainy day fun with Thames and Kosmos board games!
About Thames and Kosmos
Thames & Kosmos was founded in 2001 by a science museum director and her son, who saw the great need and demand for better science education materials — resources for parents and their children that are more engaging, more effective, more relevant, and more fun.
Thames & Kosmos operates as the exclusive arm of parent company, Franckh-Kosmos Verlags-GmbH & Co. KG — Kosmos for short — based in Stuttgart, Germany. Founded in 1822, Kosmos operated solely as a book publisher until the 1920s, when the company published its first science kits aimed at explaining the world of science to children and young adults by bringing it to life with hands-on experiments.
Generations of European children have discovered their enthusiasm for science through Kosmos science kits. Since 2001, Thames & Kosmos and Kosmos have teamed up to develop science kits for children in the United States and other English speaking markets around the world.
My Thoughts:
Most of my readers know we have a game closet at home. And while we have some standards on hand that everyone probably played growing up, we’re always trying to add to it and keep it fun and exciting. And because the age range of the kids, both my own, relatives, and their friends, I need something for everyone! So family friendly, entertaining, and hopefully educational if I can swing it. Well, here’s where rainy day fun with Thames and Kosmos board games comes into play.
Our First Board Game
The first title that we decided to try is called Word Slam Family. This game requires 3 or more players, but we found it easier to really require 4, two for each team. Each team will have a storyteller and the remaining teammates are the guessers. Both team’s storytellers are given the same word for their team to guess. Then, by using 4 types of cards (verb, noun, adjective, or preposition) to describe the word. For example, if the word is cookie, the storyteller may use words like circle, crunchy, sweet, eat, etc.
This is also a timed event, and the teams are racing each other! There is no acting or speaking allowed by the storyteller, only the cards they have available to play. There are several difficulty levels too so it’s just as much fun for the adults who might be playing. You do need to bring your own timer to the game however. Smart phones are usually the first ones on hand, but kitchen timers work great too! You can easily customize this game to fit the group’s needs to include younger players who may need help reading or extra time. At the end of the round, the points are totaled up and the first team to the agreed upon point level wins! This is a great word game for a group of people to play.
Up Next from Thames and Kosmos
Our second game to play is called Drop It. So think about how to play that red and yellow disc game where you drop the pieces in the slots to make four in a row! But now think about it using different colored shapes. The higher you can stack your piece within the clear holder, the more points it earns you. But you cannot have the same shape or color pieces touch. If you break this rule? You’re game is finished. The player or team with the most points at the end is the winner.
This can be a challenging game! But we found it fit well both for the family as well as having friends over. Even the adults got in on the fun. Plus you can play in teams to allow more people to get in on it. I like that the rules are rather simple and there aren’t dice and cards and such to keep up with. Lose the instructions? Hop on the website and download them for free! Drop It is meant for ages 8 and up with 2-4 players on each side.
And Finally, Egypt
The last two games are actually the original version and an expansion pack of it. The game is called Imhotep and it’s set in ancient Egypt. Players are using their skills to find, transport, and use supplies to build monuments in different places of the country. But it’s not just you building them; you’re up against the other players building their own AND trying to stop you!
In the expansion pack, Imhotep: A New Dynasty, the work on the monuments continues and you’re chosen to lead more projects! But now you have new tools and options to help you, or hurt your opponents, as you all race towards victory. The expansion pack includes new building sites, cards, and adds a lot more playing variations if you combine it with the original version of the game.
Both of these versions of Imhotep are set up for two to four players ages ten and up. We found it much easier to play after a few games when we understood the rules and the point system better. I’d definitely suggest this not only for family game night but even to be used when your kids are studying Egypt!
To Sum Up
Whether you have older kids or a combination of kids like I do, any or all of these games are sure to be a hit! Yes, they are perfect for rainy day fun with Thames and Kosmos board games but they can also go with you on vacations, sleepovers, or even used in school. Check out all the titles they have available and let me know in the comments below what you pick for yourself!
Make sure to follow Thames and Kosmos on social media:
We’ve added Thames and Kosmos to our Celebrate Summer Fun 2019 Gift Guide! #MDRSummerFun Check it out here!