By Jim Deacove
Family Pastimes
www.familypastimes.com
R.R. 4
Perth, Ontario, Canada K7H 3C6
613-267-4819
This is a cute little game that is designed to have the players working together instead of against each other. You can play with as few as 1 player or as many as 12 players, making it a great game for even a small group. There are four different ways that this game can be played, but in each of them the players work together as partners to try to form as many good berry patches as they can.
In the Good Berry Patch Game, players need to form as many patches as possible that have more berries than bugs. In the Bug-Free Berry Patch Game, each bug will eat a berry, and only the berries that are saved will count towards your score. There are also two Mind-reader Games, in which the end result is the same as the two previously listed, but these variations are played silently, with each player trying to guess what the other players will do. As an added bonus, the basic mathematical skills of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division are all used, giving your child a beginning understanding of these skills while they are having fun.
The game is intended for children ages 4-7, but my 4.5-year-old had a bit of a hard time understanding it at first. With help, though, he has greatly enjoyed playing it. I really like that it is a cooperative game that has the children working together to reach a common goal instead of trying to outdo each other. I think it is a great idea for building cooperation--as well as math skills--while they are having fun.
Product review by Nicole Teichroeb, The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, LLC, March 2010
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