Kay Emerson
Zillio Games
www.zilliogames.com
1270 Westwood St
Redwood City, 94061
650-260-2276
Multiplication, subtraction, addition, and even division can be taught and reinforced
with this fun interactive game. There are a variety of games to play on the
Mini Mountain, and they are appropriate for teaching all levels of math. From
simple games that teach consecutive numbers to more advanced multiplication
and division, everyone can use the mountain.
The Mini Mountain is a circular, rotating structure of 12 colorful staircases
that gives a visual picture of multiplication families and number lines. Each
staircase represents one of the number families from 1-12. Each step on the staircase
then represents one of the numbers. The height of the step shows its relation
to other numbers in that multiplication family. At the top of the tower is a
treasure trove with a lid. This is a handy place to keep awards, clues, or the
three dice that come with the game.
Included with the Mini Mountain are 12 colorful foam number cards with tokens
numbered 0-65. On their own, these can be useful in teach counting, multiples,
or sequencing. A game booklet is also included with detailed instructions for
the many games you can play. There is a chart in the back of the book that lists
the games and what type of math they supplement. And there are also ideas for
fun imaginary things you can "win" at the end of the games.
Twenty-one different games are described in the instruction booklet. There are games for younger children that teach number order, simple addition, and the commutative property. There are games that focus on the multiplication facts and ratios. There is a section of "bottom up" games, where the tokens are used to travel up each staircase. Finally, there is a miscellaneous section that includes such games as "Mother, May I" and "Sunken Treasures." Each game gives an objective, age recommendations, and detailed setup and play instructions.
I found this to be a very helpful, highly visual math supplement. When my older
child was able to visibly see the pattern of a multiple family, I saw a marked
improvement in his math work. My younger child made great improvement with her
counting and addition facts from just one afternoon of playing games on the mountain.
And my children really enjoyed playing these creative games. There are a lot
of foam tokens included, but they store nicely in the foam cards. The Mini Mountain
is not a small game; it measures 18" in diameter and is 8" high, and it does
not compact at all for storage. But overall, I found this to be a great supplement
to our math curriculum.
Product review by Charlotte Gochnauer, The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, LLC, October 2009
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