Baffle Gab, LLC
www.bafflegab.com
211 Taylor Street Suite 401 A
Port Townsend, WA 98368
888-385-2498
"So what's your story?"
This is the question the creators of Baffle Gab ask families. What's our answer? Why, the sky is the limit, and the sillier the better! Just open the bright purple box and let "Gabby--The World's Wordiest Dog," teach you creative writing skills!
Inside, you'll find a box of colorful cards containing nouns, verbs, and adjectives; an hourglass timer; little orange pencils; and pads of paper to get you started. Let's not forget the "Bone Bucks," for the object of the game is to win 100 of them! I like the fact that the whole game fits easily into a small box and that it has a convenient handle.
The object of this game is to learn and to have fun, and that we did! The rules are clear and easy to follow, and set up is a snap, taking just a few minutes. While the game is recommended for ages 7 and up, even little ones can participate in some way. The instructions include suggestions for modifying the game to suit the needs of younger children or to challenge older or advanced children.
To play the game, you start by choosing the Bone Yard Banker. This person is the keeper of the "Bone Bucks." This was a great job for my little one who isn't reading yet but loves to be a part of things. As he counted the Bone Bucks and passed them to each player, it exercised his math skills, which was an educational bonus.
Next, the player going first selects five cards. The timer is set, and the player must use the words on the cards to create an original story. (He or she can get double points for using all five words in just one sentence.) The time limit is one minute, so players must think fast! When the time is up, the player reads his creation. It must make sense, use all the words, and be punctuated properly to count.
Every time we play, the kids improve in their vocabulary, grammar and punctuation skills. Players are even able to challenge each other and therefore catch mistakes. This game is a wonderful learning tool! If you are proud of your creation, you may submit it to the Baffle Gab website for possible publication! The website is also a fabulous resource for ideas on how to modify the game.
Another thing I love is that I can incorporate other subjects. For example, let's say we are studying our history or science lesson and I want to reinforce a concept. I might have the children write a silly story that pertains to that particular subject or theme. You can even use the cards to create story problems for math. What a wonderful way to review several subjects at once! We enjoyed it so much, but I wanted to see how other children would react. So I took Baffle Gab with us for our Thanksgiving holiday. As I expected, the children (all boys) really enjoyed playing, and there were lots of giggles!
My children beg to play this game! It's a wonderful warm-up exercise before we start our studies or in between subjects. The shortness of the rounds promotes quick thinking and creativity and keeps the energy level high. I've really seen my children grow in their language skills, and these are boys who felt that creative writing was a chore. This is truly one of the best educational games we've tried, and I highly recommend it. It's in the $30.00 range, which is comparable to other family board games. To me, it's worth every penny. We agree with the makers of Baffle Gab: "It's the most doggone fun you'll ever have with words!"
Product review by Amy Christy, The Old Schoolhouse Magazine, LLC, November 2006
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