History | The Wolfe Pack {Reviews+Resources+Suggestions=QUICK & SIMPLE HOMESCHOOL SUPPORT}

Game Review: GLOBAL RANKING {Geography+}

June 27, 2021 by Katherine Wolfe Leave a Comment

{This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our Disclosure Policy for details.}

Global Ranking is available from Simply Fun HERE.

{I purchased this game myself. All opinions are my own!}

Read on for a detailed REVIEW.

If you have never purchased a game from Simply Fun, you are most assuredly missing out! They tend to be a little pricey but all of them are HIGH QUALITY and most are TOTALLY EDUCATIONAL! We have several of the Simply Fun games and our current favorite is Global Ranking. It’s easy and quick to play but jam-packed with learning about 10 categories of 51 different countries.

In addition to reviewing the

FUN FACTOR and the

EDUCATIONAL VALUE,

I will also include info on the

ORGANIZATIONAL COMPONENT,

TIME COMMITMENT,

CLARITY LEVEL

and an OVERALL SCORE.

NAME: Global Ranking

PUBLISHER: Simply Fun

CATEGORY: World Geography

TIME COMMITMENT: Minimum {15-20 minutes}

PLAYERS: 1-6

AGES: 10+

HOW TO WIN: Be the first player to collect 10 tokens by ranking countries based on specific criteria.

CLARITY LEVEL: ♥♥♥♥♥ Though the directions are clear and concise, we struggled to understand a vital part of the game at first, but we soon figured out our mistake. It is a really simple concept. Three country cards are laid out for all to see. Then somebody spins to decide which category to compare. And then all players rank them. See below for more details. CLARITY LEVEL SCORE: 5/5 ♥♥♥♥♥

FUN FACTOR: ♥♥♥♥♥ Though it’s not laugh-out-loud fun, it is very interesting and fast which qualifies as loads of fun in our home! FUN FACTOR SCORE: 5/5 ♥♥♥♥♥

EDUCATIONAL LEVEL: ♥♥♥♥♥ This game is 100% educational! The entire premise is to compare a specific category of three different countries. Some comparisons are easier and more obvious {distance to the north pole} while others take a lot more thinking {GDP per capita} and even some require some true logical reasoning {average life expectancy}. Some of the answers are surprising and eye-opening and open the door for much deeper conversations. EDUCATIONAL LEVEL SCORE: 5/5 ♥♥♥♥♥

ORGANIZATIONAL COMPONENT: ♥♥♥♥♥ One of the things I LOVE about Simply Fun games is the quality! Everything is well-made and comes in a nicely compartmentalized and very sturdy box. The game comes with 51 country cards, a spinner, a bag full of tokens and instructions. ORGANIZATIONAL COMPONENT: 5/5 ♥♥♥♥♥

OVERALL SCORE: ♥♥♥♥♥ We are not great at world geography but we really like this game! You learn so much while playing and some of the facts are very telling and reveal so much more than the 10 categories listed. This game is not geared for younger kids to play without assistance but younger kids could certainly have fun and learn a lot if partnered with an older player. OVERALL SCORE: 100% ♥♥♥♥♥

If you are ready to offer your kids a super quick and highly educational world geography game, you can buy it here from Simply Games.

If you would like to read detailed instructions, continue on….

HOW TO PLAY:

1. Put the pile of country cards {face-down}, the spinner and bag of tokens in the center.

2. Place a 1, 2, 3 ranking tile in the center face-up.

3. Decide who will go first.

4. Player One then flips over three country cards and places one in front of the “1” tile, one in front of the “2” tile and one in front of the “3” tile.

5. Player One spins the spinner.

6. Player One announces which category to consider and also what is being compared. For example, “biggest population”.

7. Each player decides on their own which country has the biggest population.

8. Each player reveals their decisions by flipping over their own number tile that matches the one assigned to the country they think has the biggest population.

9. Every player who is correct, gets a token.

10. Rounds are played until a player earns 10 tokens.

Game Review: PROFESSOR NOGGIN’S History of the United States

June 20, 2021 by Katherine Wolfe 1 Comment

{This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our Disclosure Policy for details.}

PROFESSOR NOGGIN’S HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES is available on Amazon HERE.

{I purchased this game myself. All opinions are my own!}

Read on for a detailed REVIEW.

If you don’t know about Professor Noggin and her array of educational card games presented in a simple trivia game format, it is high time you meet her!

In addition to reviewing the

FUN FACTOR and the

EDUCATIONAL VALUE,

I will also include info on the

ORGANIZATIONAL COMPONENT,

TIME COMMITMENT,

CLARITY LEVEL

and an OVERALL SCORE.

NAME: Professor Noggin’s History of the United States

PUBLISHER: Outset Games

CATEGORY: History

SUB CATEGORY: United States

TIME COMMITMENT: Minimum {15-20 minutes}

PLAYERS: 2+

AGES: 7+

HOW TO WIN: Be the player who collects the most cards by answering the most questions correctly.

CLARITY LEVEL: ♥♥♥♥♥ Just like with all of Professor Noggin’s games, the directions are clear and simple. There is no room for confusion or doubt about how to play the game! I wish all games could be this easy to understand and play! CLARITY LEVEL SCORE: 5/5 ♥♥♥♥♥

FUN FACTOR: ♥♥♥♥_ We find all of Professor Noggin’s games to be a fun way to review certain topics and PROFESSOR NOGGIN’S HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES is not an exception! But, it’s not the silly, crazy kind of fun you might find with Mad Libs or Totally Gross. But it definitely beats boring old flashcards or dry worksheets! FUN FACTOR SCORE: 4/5 ♥♥♥♥_

EDUCATIONAL LEVEL: ♥♥♥♥♥ While Professor Noggin’s games serve as a great way to review various content, they are also a good way to learn new content. Those who are learning more than reviewing may not win the game but learning {and fun} will surely take place. I also like the fact that all of Professor Noggin’s games have two levels. The older version has EASY and HARD while the newer version calls them STUDENT and SCHOLAR. But, both versions make it perfect for players of different levels to play together, which makes it perfect for homeschools and classrooms alike. PROFESSOR NOGGIN’S HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES includes 30 cards that cover topics such as Native Americans, The Constitution, World War One, Life Before the American Revolution, Inventors and more. EDUCATIONAL LEVEL SCORE: 5/5 ♥♥♥♥♥

ORGANIZATIONAL COMPONENT: ♥♥♥♥♥ You cannot get more neat and tidy than with a Noggin game! The box is small {6.5″ x 1.5″ x 5″} and sturdy. The cards are strong and the text is presented well. The entire game consists of 30 cards, one die and a box. And, if your kids lose a card or two, it does not impact gameplay at all. An if you end up with a collection like us, you’ll love how they stack perfectly and store easily! They even kept the same size box with the new version so you can stack the old with the new just as nicely! ORGANIZATIONAL COMPONENT: 5/5 ♥♥♥♥♥

OVERALL SCORE: ♥♥♥♥♥ My son would rather play an educational game for school than do most anything else so I LOVE to find games that truly serve a purpose in our homeschool. And just like with all of the other Noggin games we have played, this one did a great job of providing a quick review in a fun fashion! OVERALL SCORE: 95% ♥♥♥♥♥

If you are ready to offer your kids a fun and easy educational card game that reviews loads of American History content, you can buy it here on Amazon.

If you would like to read detailed instructions, continue on….

NOTE: These pictures are of the older version of the game. The newer version is the same except it has been updated with photographs instead of artwork and the levels are called STUDENT/SCHOLAR instead of EASY/HARD.

HOW TO PLAY:

1. Open box, unpack contents and shuffle cards.

2. Put the cards in a stack in the center.

3. Decide if you are going to play STUDENT {aka: EASY,} SCHOLAR {aka: HARD} or a mix of the two. You can easily play a mix if you have some players who are more advanced than others. Just assign those players the SCHOLAR/HARD questions and the beginner players get the STUDENT/EASY questions.

4. Decide who will go first. Player One rolls the die.

5. Player One draws the card from the top of the stack.

6. Player One shows everybody the topic on the card.

7. Player One looks at the die{1, 2, 3} and reads the corresponding question {1, 2, 3} on the card to Player Two {the person to his/her right.} Player One needs to make sure he/she is reading the assigned level for Player Two.

8. Player Two answers the question.***

9. If Player Two is correct, he/she gets to put the card in his/her own pile.

10. If Player Two is incorrect, Player One reads the answer out loud and then the card is placed on the bottom of the stack.

11. Player Two rolls the die.

12. Repeat steps 5-11 rotating through the Players until all of the cards have been correctly answered {or you decide to stop. It’s super easy to stop at any given point and call the game over.}

13. The player with the most cards at the end, wins the game!

***If a corresponding question is labeled “NOGGIN’S CHOICE”, that Player does not need to answer the question. Instead, he/she gets to steal a card from another Player’s pile and add it to his/her own.

Game Review: SCRAMBLED STATES of AMERICA {Geography}

April 11, 2021 by Katherine Wolfe Leave a Comment

{This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our Disclosure Policy for details.}

The Scrambled States of America is available on Amazon HERE.

{I purchased this game myself. All opinions are my own!}

My kid’s understanding of STATE GEOGRAPHY is well beyond mine but we still love to play this board game, The Scrambled States of America. Or maybe that is WHY he likes to play it with me, haha! Either way, I also enjoy this game. It’s marketed as “the whimsical, mad-dashing GEOGRAPHY game” and we would agree. It is fun, funny and fairly quick. And, of course, it is educational!

But, it’s not quite as educational in the area of GEOGRAPHY as The Game of the States, because it does not spend nearly as much time and energy focusing on the actual GEOGRAPHIC locations of the states. But, it does still hold a lot of educational value. Read on to see just how and why we recommend playing The Scrambled States of America…

In addition to reviewing the

FUN FACTOR and the

EDUCATIONAL VALUE,

I will also include info on the

ORGANIZATIONAL COMPONENT,

TIME COMMITMENT,

CLARITY LEVEL

and an OVERALL SCORE.

NAME: The Scrambled States of America

PUBLISHER: Gamewright

CATEGORY: History

SUB CATEGORY: Geography

TIME COMMITMENT: Moderate {30+ minutes}

PLAYERS: 2-4

AGES: 8+

HOW TO WIN: Be the player to collect the most state cards!

CLARITY LEVEL: ♥♥♥♥♥ The instructions are very easy to read, and more importantly, they are easy to follow. After we read the directions once and then started playing, we never had to go back to clarify anything. Easy peasy! CLARITY LEVEL SCORE: 5/5 ♥♥♥♥♥

FUN FACTOR: ♥♥♥♥♥ With a tagline that includes “whimsical” and “mad-dashing,” FUN is to be expected! We’ve played this game several times and we are never disappointed in that area. It’s always FUN and never frustrating. FUN FACTOR SCORE: 5/5 ♥♥♥♥♥

EDUCATIONAL VALUE: ♥♥♥♥_ As mentioned above, The Scrambled States of America does not do the best job teaching your kids the GEORGRPAHICAL location of each state. It also does not do a stellar job at teaching your kids about each state {other than nickname, shape and capital}. If you are wanting a game that hits those harder, check out The Game of the States. But, what it does do is expose your kids to each state in a silly, whimsical way. It’s actually great for kids younger than the listed 8-years-old because it relies so much on the picture of the state found on each card. Playing the game gives kids a fun and firm exposure to the state shape, nickname and capital along with a decent introduction to the GEOGRAPHICAL location. EDUCATIONAL VALUE SCORE: 4/5 ♥♥♥♥_

ORGANIZATIONAL COMPONENT: ♥♥♥♥♥ It comes in a small, sturdy box that I love! The plastic insert is also sturdy and has held up even after years of play. The cards are both high quality and very colorful. It comes with four little maps, which could benefit from being laminated, and a small “book.” The book explains the background of the game but is not necessary by any means. And it’s really just a stapled packet so if your kids are rough at all, that’ll probably be the first casualty of the game. The directions are printed on a tri-fold of paper. You may not need to reference them often but you also won’t want to lose them because they don’t appear anywhere else. ORGANIZATIONAL COMPONENT SCORE: 5/5 ♥♥♥♥♥

OVERALL SCORE: ♥♥♥♥♥ Though this is not the top game I suggest for learning state GEOGRAPHY, I do highly recommend this game! It is fun for several ages and levels and does a very good job of giving kids a fun and basic introduction to some state specifics. OVERALL SCORE: 95% ♥♥♥♥♥

If you are ready to play “the whimsical, mad-dashing geography game,” you can grab The Scrambled States of America on Amazon HERE.

If you want something that focuses solely on memorizaing state capitals, this States and Capitals Memorization Practice Pack does just that!

If you want to look more closely at HOW to play The Scrambled States of America, check out the rest of this post….

STEP ONE: Make a pile of red cards and a pile of blue cards. Place them both in the middle of the table so all players have access.

STEP TWO: Give every player a map and five blue cards.

STEP THREE: Each player makes a line of their cards in front of them face-up.

STEP FOUR: Each player spends a wee bit of time reading their state cards and familiarizing themselves with the image, name, capital and nickname.

BONUS TIP: To increase the educational value, they should also find the location of each state on the map.

STEP FIVE: One player flips over the top red card for all to see.

STEP SIX: Each player reads the red card and quickly tries to see if they have a state card that matches what the red card says.

STEP SEVEN: The first player to find a match, slaps their blue state card on top of the red card and shouts the name of their state.

STEP EIGHT: That player collects the red card and sets it aside.

STEP NINE: That player also places their blue state card aside and draws a new state card from the pile in the center.

STEP TEN: Repeat Steps Five through Nine until all of the state cards have been played. The player who plays the most state cards is the winner!

ALSO IMPORTANT TO NOTE: There are two types of red cards. The majority are “find it cards” and include directions like “find a state that has seven letters” or “find a state that is purple”. But there are also “go the distance cards” which require an extra step {see directions} but is where the focus turns to actual GEOGRAPHY.

GAME REVIEW: Election Night

October 28, 2020 by Katherine Wolfe Leave a Comment

{This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our Disclosure Policy for details.}

Election Night is available on Amazon HERE.

{I purchased this game myself. All opinions are my own!}

Read on for a detailed REVIEW.

We use a lot of educational games in our homeschool, especially in areas where my son needs extra work {hello spelling and math!} but I also like to find games that help teach topics that we don’t spend every day working on like geography, general science and the often-confusing ELECTORAL COLLEGE.

This game, Election Night, was designed specifically to teach about the ELECTORAL COLLEGE so I figured this was the perfect time to try it out!

Read on for a helpful review of Election Night!

In addition to reviewing the

FUN FACTOR and the

EDUCATIONAL VALUE,

I will also include info on the

ORGANIZATIONAL COMPONENT,

TIME COMMITMENT,

CLARITY LEVEL

and an OVERALL SCORE.

NAME: Election Night!

PUBLISHER: Semper Smart

CATEGORY: Social Studies

SUB CATEGORY: Government

TIME COMMITMENT: Moderate {30+ minutes}

PLAYERS: 2 {or Teams of 2+}

HOW TO WIN: Be the first to claim 270 electoral votes!

CLARITY LEVEL: ♥♥♥♥_ The instructions look a bit overwhelming at first, and frankly, even when you begin to read them, they seem a little complicated. But, they’re not. We decided to read the instructions quickly and then to just start playing. As we played, things made more sense and we were able to reference the instructions as we went. It’s not a speed-dependent game so taking this approach worked perfectly fine. But, it’s probably not a game that a couple of 8 year-olds would be able to figure out on their own based on the instructions alone. SCORE: 4/5 ♥♥♥♥_

FUN FACTOR: ♥♥♥♥♥ This is a rather FUN game! I’ll admit that politics and FUN don’t usually go together in my brain but this game proved me wrong ….at least in one small way. It’s not like I think much else related to politics is FUN but this was definitely a FUN way to learn about an important topic. My son, who is 13, absolutely loved this game and had a blast trying to strategize how to win. He loved it so much that he asked to play two days in a row! We got a lot of laughs when we realized we must sound like real politicians when we said things like,

“I need to alter my focus and try to take California. I cannot win without California. I MUST MAKE CALIFORNIA MINE!”

“Ugh. North Dakota is just not worth it. Isn’t there another state I can claim?”

“I should probably start working on New York…or maybe Florida. I don’t know which. How do I decide?”

“I have absolutely no interest in that state…” as he sacrifices a special card to roll again and try to gain a different state. Poor Wyoming.

FUN FACTOR SCORE: 5/5♥♥♥♥♥

EDUCATIONAL VALUE: ♥♥♥♥♥ With a tagline like “Learn your way to the White House,” I had high expectations of this game’s EDUCATIONAL VALUE. And, I’m happy to report, I was NOT DISAPPOINTED! Not only did this game do a stellar job of reinforcing what my son has been learning about the ELECTORAL COLLEGE, but MATH was used multiple times on every turn and in a variety of ways. And for a kid who does not love MATH, but needs the practice, games that offer FUN opportunities for MATH to be used, are a perfect choice! {BONUS: The gameboard is two-sided. One side is used with ADDITION and the other side is used with MULTIPLICATION. So, it’s GREAT for kids of many levels.} Then there’s the entire concept of STRATEGY. I will admit that I tend to shy away from “strategy games” because they take too much time and are usually slow-paced {which, for me, means not exactly my type of FUN} but with this game, STRATEGY is key {and, thankfully, not too time-consuming.} My STRATEGY was to claim as many states as quickly as possible, even if it meant they were small states with few electoral votes. My son’s STRATEGY was to claim the big states and their bounty of electoral votes. Wanna guess who won? EDUCATIONAL VALUE SCORE: 5/5 ♥♥♥♥♥

ORGANIZATIONAL COMPONENT: ♥♥♥♥♥ Maybe I should be embarrassed by the fact that the way a game, its box and all of the components are organized matters to me. But, I’m not! Organization is important in my home and that trickles all the way down to the way our games hang out on the shelf. I hate when boxes cave in or when pieces are easily lost. But, Election Night ranks 5/5 in this important-to-us category! The box is sturdy and has a strong plastic insert where everything has a designated spot. All of the pieces are high quality, which is especially important because the game requires using dry-erase markers directly on the board. I am sure the red and blue dry-erase markers will eventually wear out but those can be easily replaced. The game board itself is two-sided and very well-made. At first, I was nervous that the dry-erase marks would not erase easily or fully but they did, though I would not suggest leaving the marks on the board for days/weeks/months in between games. ORGANIZATIONAL COMPONENT SCORE: 5/5 ♥♥♥♥♥

OVERALL SCORE: ♥♥♥♥♥ This was a complete hit in our home! Not only was it tons of fun, it was also filled with educational value too. I would highly recommend this to families with kids AND ADULTS of all ages! And though it would be a fabulous choice to play during an election year, it is also a great choice at any time. OVERALL SCORE: 95% ♥♥♥♥♥

If you are ready to offer your entire family a really fun way to learn about the electoral college, you can snag it here on Amazon.

If you are needing other fun ways to teach about the ELECTORAL COLLEGE, check out this PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION FACT PACK. It’s a quick, easy and fun way to teach the ELECTION PROCESS to kids of various ages and levels.

Game Review: PROFESSOR NOGGIN’S U.S. PRESIDENTS {History}

February 4, 2020 by Katherine Wolfe 2 Comments

{This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our Disclosure Policy for details.}

Professor Noggin’s Presidents of the U.S. is available on Amazon HERE.

{I purchased this game myself. All opinions are my own!}

Read on for a detailed REVIEW.

Let me just start by saying that Professor Noggin has a HUGE selection of EDUCATIONAL CARD GAMES. They all use the same premise with the same rules. {They even all come in the same type of box which stack together perfectly.} So once you learn the rules and realize the VALUE in her games, you might get hooked {like us!}

This REVIEW pertains to the President of the United States version but would apply across the board to Noggin’s other offerings.

In addition to reviewing the

FUN FACTOR and the

EDUCATIONAL VALUE, I will also include info on the

ORGANIZATIONAL COMPONENT {because I can’t stand broken boxes},

TIME COMMITMENT {because mine is limited},

CLARITY LEVEL {because I get irritated if I have to translate instructions}

and an OVERALL SCORE.

NAME: Professor Noggin’s Presidents of the U.S. Card Game

PUBLISHER: Outset

CATEGORY: History

TIME COMMITMENT: Minimal {10-15 minutes}

PLAYERS: 2-8

AGES: 7+ {or anybody who has learned some historical presidential facts and/or can read the cards to learn them as they go}

HOW TO WIN: Be the player with the most cards by answering the most questions correctly.

CLARITY LEVEL: ♥♥♥♥♥ The instructions are super simple and explain the game clearly. We never needed to reference the instructions after we started playing. CLARITY LEVEL SCORE: 5/5 ♥♥♥♥♥

FUN FACTOR: ♥♥♥♥_ This is a fun, little game! Turns are fast and simple. And you can modify it to make it fun for multiple ages/skill levels by selecting Easy, Hard or a mixed version. We only scored it 4/5, though, because your kids probably won’t select this for Family Game Night next Friday. But, it is a fun way to practice/learn facts about the presidents! FUN FACTOR SCORE: 4/5 ♥♥♥♥_

EDUCATIONAL VALUE: ♥♥♥♥♥ The entire game is all about historical facts regarding United States’ Presidents so the educational value is high. Obviously, some facts hold more historical significance than others {some could be considered more like “fun trivia”} but everything pertains to the subject of our presidents. Each card has its own topic which includes: Presidential Firsts, Who Was President When, Where Are They From, Slogans,First Ladies and more. Several cards are also specific to one particular president. No matter which card you draw, though, it will pertain to a U.S. President and it will be educational. EDUCATIONAL VALUE SCORE: 5/5 ♥♥♥♥♥

ORGANIZATIONAL COMPONENT: ♥♥♥♥♥ The card game comes in a sturdy, little box that contains one die, 30 came cards and one instruction card. The cards are thick and strong. The components are minimal and very easy to keep organized. ORGANIZATIONAL COMPONENT SCORE: 5/5 ♥♥♥♥♥

OVERALL SCORE: ♥♥♥♥♥ We enjoy many of Professor Noggin’s games as a fun component of our school day and this U.S. Presidents version has been a great addition. It’s quick, fun and educational. And, if, like me, you don’t recall much from your own history classes {way back when,} no worries. Just use the cards as learning tools instead and learn while you play. You’ll probably lose to your kids, but that’s okay. When everybody learns, everybody wins! OVERALL SCORE: 95% ♥♥♥♥♥

If you are ready to offer your kids a fun and easy way to work on their presidential facts, you can buy the game here on Amazon.

If you would like to read detailed instructions {with pics,} continue on….

HOW TO PLAY:

1. Open box, unpack contents and shuffle cards.

2. Put the cards in a stack in the center.

3. Decide if you are going to play EASY, HARD or a mix of the two. You can easily play a mix if you have some players who are more advanced than others. Just assign those players the HARD questions and the beginner players get the EASY questions.

4. Decide who will go first. Player One rolls the die.

5. Player One draws the card from the top of the stack.

6. Player One shows everybody the topic on the card.

8. Player Two answers the question.***

9. If Player Two is correct, he/she gets to put the card in his/her own pile.

10. If Player Two is incorrect, Player One reads the answer out loud and then the card is placed on the bottom of the stack.

11. Player Two rolls the die.

12. Repeat steps 5-11 rotating through the Players until all of the cards have been correctly answered {or you decide to stop. It’s super easy to stop at any given point and call the game over.}