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Game Review: FOUR WAY COUNTDOWN {Math}

September 24, 2019 by Katherine Wolfe 4 Comments

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

Four-Way Countdown has been renamed and repackaged as Shut the Box and is available on Amazon HERE. 

 


 

We LOVE nearly all types of board games and we will often spend a weekday afternoon playing an educational game. And since my son HATES math,  I often supplement his math lessons with a fun math game. Now, I won’t pretend that playing a math game is nearly as fun as playing Uno Dare or Uno Attack {because both of those games are super duper fun!} but I will say that playing Four Way Countdown is a rather enjoyable way to practice all four mathematical operations  at one time. 

So, let me tell you all about one of our favorite math games!

In addition to reviewing the

FUN FACTOR and the

EDUCATIONAL VALUE, I will also include info on the

ORGANIZATIONAL COMPONENT {because I cannot stand messy, broken down game boxes or games that include 8,000 pieces which then escape those boxes},

TIME COMMITMENT {because who has two hours to play a game on a Tuesday morning}, 

CLARITY LEVEL {because tears from the kids or Mom equals no fun}

and an OVERALL SCORE. 

 


 

NAME: Four Way Countdown

PUBLISHER: Ideal

CATEGORY: Math

SUB CATEGORY: Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication, Division

TIME COMMITMENT: Minimal {10-15 minutes}

PLAYERS: 2-4

HOW TO WIN: Be the first to flip all of your wooden keys down by solving simple math problems with the numbers rolled on the dice. 

CLARITY LEVEL: ♥♥♥♥♥ The instructions are concise and clear. The game is very simple and they keep the instructions simple as well. Score 5/5 ♥♥♥♥♥

 

FUN FACTOR: ♥♥♥♥♥ One of the things that makes this a FUN game is the fact that it is NOT based on speed at all which means UNequally matched opponents can play well together. It does not matter how quickly a player identifies the possible answers to flip down a wooden key. As long as the opponents have some semblance of patience, each player can take as much time as needed. Plus, there is a way to sabotage an opponent so even the least-skilled player can easily dominate. But, be careful, there is also one way to sabotage yourself. Instead of skill, luck has a lot to do with who wins! So, it can truly be fun for ANYONE! Score 5/5 ♥♥♥♥♥

EDUCATIONAL VALUE: ♥♥♥♥♥ The  best part of this game is that it allows practice of  all four  operations: ADDITION, SUBTRACTION, MULTIPLICATION and DIVISION. Few games can boast that players will be able to practice all four operations at once so this game definitely ranks as high as possible in its educational value. The instructions also include a Junior Version of the game which modifies it for younger kids so it truly would be educational for all. Additionally, we modified the game to be more challenging by adding numbers 11-20 to the wooden keys. This allowed us to utilize more complex math equations {but it did mean we permanently modified the game so it can only be played by two people, though there is probably a way to do add those numbers temporarily. More details on that below.} Score 5/5 ♥♥♥♥♥

 

ORGANIZATIONAL COMPONENT: ♥♥♥♥♥ The box is wooden with a great lid that easily slides on/off. The keys are built in and well made. The dice fit inside of the center of the box, along with the instructions. Granted, the dice roll around and the instructions could get lost but the box’s construction is outstanding and very secure. I seriously wish all of our games were contained in wooden boxes! Score 5/5 ♥♥♥♥♥

 

OVERALL SCORE: ♥♥♥♥♥ As I have shared before, math is not my son’s favorite subject so I try to implement math games as often as possible. This allows for practice of the necessary skills but in a fun, non-threatening  way. We have a variety of math games but Four Way Countdown is the only one that allows practice of all four operations {ADDITION, SUBTRACTION, MULTIPLICATION and DIVISION} at one time. The value of that is incredible! It is also a very fun and quick game that both my son and I enjoy so it receives the highest rating from us both! Score 5/5 ♥♥♥♥♥ 

If you are ready to offer your kids a really fun was to practice all four math operations while having fun, you can buy the game here on Amazon.

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

 


{PLEASE NOTE: These instructions include our own modified version, which we created by simply assigning TWO rows of keys to each player. One row remains 1-10 but the other row is modified to include keys 11, 12, 15, 16, 18, 20 with 3, 4, 7, 9 staying untouched. This allowed for more complicated math calculations while adding another level of complexity due to the change in probability of rolling specific numbers. If you choose to do this, please note that ONLY TWO PLAYERS can play. If you choose to leave the game “as is,” the instructions below still remain applicable…you’ll just need to ignore the Sharpied-numbers on some of the keys.}


 

HOW TO PLAY: 

1. Open box.

2. Decide which row of keys will belong to each player.

3. Roll to see who will go first.

4. Player One rolls the dice. 

5. Player One rolled 5 and 2.

6. Player One needs to complete all four math operations using 5 and 2. 

2+5=7     5-2=3     2×5=10     5/2 = NA

7. Player One decides to flip up the 7 key. 

8. Player One’s turn is over. 

 

9. Player Two rolled 4 and 5.

10. Player Two needs to complete all four math operations using 4 and 5. 

4+5=9     5-4=1     4×5=20    5/4 = NA

11. Player Two decides to flip up the 9 key. 

12. Player Two’s turn is over. 

 

13. Player One rolled 4 and 6.

14. Player One needs to complete all four math operations using 4 and 6.  

4+6=10     6-4=2     4×6=NA    6/4 = NA

15. Player One decides to flip up the 10 key. 

16. Player One’s turn is over.

 

17. Play repeats until a player flips all of their keys up BUT….

18. if a player rolls 6 and 6, that player must flip ALL of his keys back down and start over.

 

19. But, watch out! Because if a player rolls 5 and 6, that player can choose     to flip up the 1 (6-5=1),

flip up an 11 (6+5=11) or

make another player flip ALL of his keys back down. 

20. The first player to flip all of his/her keys up, is the WINNER! 

Four-Way Countdown has been renamed and repackaged as Shut the Box, but it is the same game. Check it out below!


For more GAME REVIEWS, you might want to check out

Professor Noggin’s Presidents {History}

Wordical {Spelling}

Filed Under: Games, Math, REVIEWS Tagged With: Educational games, Four Way Countdown, Game Reviews, Gameschool, Homeschool, Math Games

GAME REVIEW: Flip It {Math}

August 4, 2019 by Katherine Wolfe 43 Comments

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

Flip It is available on Amazon HERE. 

 


 

My family has always loved board games so using them in our homeschool was a natural fit but finding good educational games  isn’t nearly as easy as one might think.

The Christmas toy catalogs and my FaceBook feed are always filled with fun, trendy board games for the family including new versions of classics  {Star Wars Monopoly} and weird, silly things {Pie Face Showdown} but it’s very rare to find  educational  games  being promoted outside of homeschool catalogs.  And, if you’re like me, when I am pouring over a big stack of homeschool catalogs, it’s agonizing enough to find the right curricula choices. I have no extra brain energy to find fun educational games too. 

So, let me make it easy for you and share some of our favorite educational games!

In addition to reviewing the

FUN FACTOR and the

EDUCATIONAL VALUE, I will also include info on the

ORGANIZATIONAL COMPONENT {because I cannot stand messy, broken down game boxes or games that include 8,000 pieces which then escape those boxes},

TIME COMMITMENT {because who has two hours to play a game on a Tuesday morning}, 

CLARITY LEVEL {because tears from the kids or Mom equals no fun}

and an OVERALL SCORE. 

 


 

NAME: Flip It

PUBLISHER: Card Board Learning 

CATEGORY: Math

SUB CATEGORY: Multiplication

TIME COMMITMENT: Minimal {10-15 minutes}

PLAYERS: 2 {no variations}

HOW TO WIN: Be the first to flip all 12 of your cards over by finding the matching multiplication factors. 

CLARITY LEVEL: ♥♥♥_ _  The instructions are concise but only somewhat clear.  I did some research and discovered the company is based in India so I am assuming the lack of clarity is due to the fact that English is not the primary language. But the concept of the game is very simple and once you start playing, there is very little room  for confusion which means kids can play without supervision. And once you learn how to play, the directions become a moot point and you won’t need to reference them again. It really is a simple concept with little to no allowance for misunderstanding, though it would be nice if the grammar was correct, of course. At the end of this post, I do provide detailed instructions on how to play, complete with pictures.  ♥♥♥_ _ 

FUN FACTOR: ♥♥♥♥♥ It’s a fast-paced game, which is always fun unless one person is a pro at the necessary skill and the other is an amateur. The beauty of FLIP IT is that your  skill set is put to use for yourself but is NOT in competition with the other person. So, if you have a great turn, it’s because you had good luck while practicing your multiplication facts. If you had a bad turn, it was simply bad luck {and you still practiced your facts} but it had nothing to do with the other person having better skills. And the multiplication facts can be found directly on the card so even the newest beginner can be successful. So, it is truly fun for EVERYONE! ♥♥♥♥♥

EDUCATIONAL VALUE: ♥♥♥♥♥ As the game promises, the entire focus  is to practice multiplication facts. And it does just that! There is no fluff of earning points or twaddle of silly characters. It’s simply numbers on cards and multiplication facts. And it covers ALL of the multiplication facts {1-12}, which most games don’t. So, not only can you tailor it to different skill levels for different kids, you also focus on ONLY one set of facts at a time. ♥♥♥♥♥

ORGANIZATIONAL COMPONENT: ♥♥♥♥♥ The box is very sturdy with handy tabs to secure the lid. The individual boxes inside are color-coded, clearly labeled and fit snugly inside the main box. We’ve played this game dozens of times and none of the cards are bent, nothing has required duct tape repairs and everything still fits perfectly inside the pretty purple square box. There is no wasted space for things to roll around and get lost. It’s as close to perfect as you can get with a game! ♥♥♥♥♥

OVERALL SCORE: ♥♥♥♥♥ Math does NOT come naturally to my son AT ALL. As a result, we’ve struggled to find the right math curriculum for years and we’ve had to play a lot of catch up. In an attempt to help him not HATE math, we play a lot of games to make math fun while also trying to cement the imperative concepts along the way. We’ve tried out several different games and this one is, by far, the favorite of both of ours. I would recommend it for kids of all ages and skill levels. I would suggest it to families with multiple kids and families with only one at home. I believe it would make a great summer review game for public school kids but I also know it works perfectly for homeschool kids. Flip It is a great game for anyone and everyone! ♥♥♥♥♥ 

If you are ready to offer your kids a really fun was to cement those pesky multiplication 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. Pick which facts to work on {1-12}. We’ll “play” with the 2 facts right now.

 2. Shuffle well.

3. Deal twelve cards to each player. 

4. Set the remaining cards aside. This will be the draw pile. 

5. Without looking at their cards, each player needs to make two rows of cards {six in each row} in front of them. Cards need to remain facing down. 

6. It helps to think about the cards as positions  1-12.   I labeled each position to help with these instructions. Now you are ready to play.

7. The first player flips over the top card from the draw pile. 

8. It’s a 10, which is the product of 2x5. So, the player now gets to flip over the card in the 5th position. 

9. It’s a 4, which is the product of 2x2. Now the player gets to flip over the card in the 2nd position. 

10. It’s a 14, which is the product of 2x7. Now the player gets to flip over the card in the 7th position. 

11. It’s a 12, which is the product of 2x6. Now the player gets to flip over the card in the 6th position. 

12. It’s a 2, which is the product of 2x1. Now the player gets to flip over the card in the 1st position. 

13. Uh oh! It’s a 2 which is the product of 2×1 and that position has already been flipped over. Player One’s turn is over for now. 

14. So, now Player Two gets a turn. He flips over the top card from the draw pile. 

15. It’s a 24, which is the product of 2x12. Now the player gets to flip over the card in the 12th position. 

16. It’s a 22, which is the product of 2x11. Now the player gets to flip over the card in the 11th position. 

17. In the 11th position, the player flips a 14 over. So, he now gets to flip over the card in the 7th position. 

18. In the 7th position, the player flips over a 2. So, now he gets to flip over the card in the 1st position. 

19. There he finds an 8 so he gets to flip over the card in the 4th position. 

20. There he finds a WILD card which means he can choose a card in ANY position to flip over. 

21. He chooses the 8th position where he finds an 18.

22. So, now he gets to flip over the card in the 9th position, where he finds a 16….and so forth and so on. 

23. The players take turns flipping cards over until somebody flips all of their cards over. That person wins! 

 


Filed Under: Games, Math, REVIEWS Tagged With: Educational games, Educational Tools, Gameschool, Homeschool, Math Games

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