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Game Review: ECOSYSTEM {Science}

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

Ecosystem is available on Amazon HERE.

Or, you can go here to get it directly from Genius Games. And use code TheWolfePack to save 20%!

{This game was provided to me free of charge, however all opinions are my own!}

Read on for a detailed REVIEW.

My 14 year-old son was super excited when we received Ecosystem. He loves games. And he especially loves science games. But he extra especially loves science games that are based on biology. And he double extra especially loves science games based on biology that focus on animals! So, Ecosystem was expected to be a hit in our house. And it did not disappoint!

In addition to reviewing the

FUN FACTOR 

and the

EDUCATIONAL VALUE,

I will also include info on the

ORGANIZATIONAL COMPONENT,

SKILLS EXPOSED TO & USED, 

CLARITY LEVEL

and an 

OVERALL SCORE. 

NAME: Ecosystem

PUBLISHER: Genius Games

TIME COMMITMENT: Minimal {15-20 minutes}

PLAYERS: 2-6

AGES: 14+ 

CATEGORY: Science

SUB CATEGORY: Biology

SKILLS EXPOSED TO: 

  • various habitats
  • wide range of animals 
  • importance of diversity
  • basic concept of an ecosystem

SKILLS PRACTICED: 

  • logic
  • strategy
  • addition
  • multiplication

HOW TO WIN: Earn the most points while completing a diverse and thriving ecosystem by strategically placing cards into a 4×5 grid. 

CLARITY LEVEL: ♥♥♥♥♥ Though the instructions are clear, they seem confusing until you play. But, I find that true for most strategy games and don’t find fault in a publisher trying to spell things out step-by-step. The instructions are definitely necessary but so is simply experiencing the game. Once you get going, it makes perfect sense and the more you play, the better you can plot and plan. There is also a video link that shows you how to play included in the instruction book and posted below.    CLARITY LEVEL SCORE: 5/5 ♥♥♥♥♥

FUN FACTOR: ♥♥♥♥♥ We thoroughly enjoyed this game, though I will admit I was not thrilled when my son first tried to explain it to me {It’s his job to read the instructions and get things set up for us.} Like I mentioned in my review of Periodic, I am not usually a fan of strategy games. They  tend to want me to think too much. 😉 But apparently, when given an opportunity to strategize over how animals will survive and thrive, my preferences change. I really enjoyed playing this! The fact that it’s not a long game {another reason I don’t usually love strategy games,} added to my enjoyment. AND the fact that the premise is fairly simple to understand, made it a blast! {And the fact that I beat my son on the very first game didn’t hurt either!} And, my son, who was totally excited to play this game, totally loved it!   FUN FACTOR SCORE: 5/5 ♥♥♥♥♥

EDUCATIONAL LEVEL: ♥♥♥♥♥ If you consider the art of strategy an educational aspiration, you’ll love this game! And while you do not need to know anything about biodiversity and ecosystems before playing, the  more you do know, the faster you will catch on how to win.  But, like with most educational games, the more you discuss AS you play, the more your kids will learn about the subject matter. Knowing that you get points if an eagle is placed near a trout is explained in the instruction book…knowing WHY that scores you points is really only learned through discussion. This game might serve as a nice complement to a biology curriculum, but it will not serve as a substitute for one. But, it does make for a great opportunity to expand their knowledge in a hands-on, fun way! EDUCATIONAL LEVEL SCORE: 5/5 ♥♥♥♥♥

ORGANIZATIONAL COMPONENT: ♥♥♥♥♥ If you know me from my other game reviews,  you know I sincerely appreciate when a game comes in a sturdy box that is easy to keep organized. And, if it’s a small box, all the better!  And Ecosystem offers all of that! Ecosystem is packaged in a very sturdy box that measures just 8.5″x4.5″x1.5″. Inside there are 130 cards, a scoring pad, six player aids {reference cards}  and a small set of instructions. Like everything we have seen from Genius Games, all of the components are high quality and also beautiful. The cards are very small which makes them hard to shuffle and easy to lose, but considering the way the game is played, the petite size is a necessity.  ORGANIZATIONAL COMPONENT: 5/5 ♥♥♥♥♥

OVERALL SCORE: ♥♥♥♥♥   Ecosystem is a total winner for us because it takes on a big concept in a fun and fast way! OVERALL SCORE: 100% ♥♥♥♥♥

If you are ready to offer your kids an opportunity to “build a one-of-a-kind ecosystem, striving to balance the delicate connections between all living things” while also working on strategy skills AND having fun, go here to get Ecosystem on Amazon or here to get it straight from the publisher {and don’t forget to use code TheWolfePack to score 20% off!}

If you would like to see how to play, check out this video that features the founder of Genius  Games. The video actually shows two games, but you can scroll to 14:45 to see how to play Ecosystem. 

 

Game Review: PERIODIC {Science}

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

Periodic is available on Amazon HERE.

Or, you can go here to get it directly from Genius Games. And use code TheWolfePack to save 20%!

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

Read on for a detailed REVIEW.

Periodic was recommended to me by the ever-so-helpful Amazon algorithm that correctly ascertained that I was on the hunt for some new science games.  The fact that it was not only a science game, but a chemistry game had me instantly intrigued.  Though another game we already owned and often played,  Valence, was also a chemisty game, it’s more of just a small card game. Periodic looked much more involved so I decided to give it a try with my 14-year-old who will be starting Chemistry this fall. 

In addition to reviewing the

FUN FACTOR 

and the

EDUCATIONAL VALUE,

I will also include info on the

ORGANIZATIONAL COMPONENT,

SKILLS EXPOSED TO & USED, 

CLARITY LEVEL

and an 

OVERALL SCORE. 

NAME: Periodic

PUBLISHER: Genius Games

TIME COMMITMENT: Moderate+{40-60 minutes}

PLAYERS: 2-5

AGES: 10+

CATEGORY: Science

SUB CATEGORY: Chemistry

SKILLS EXPOSED TO: 

  • entire periodic table of elements
  • specific qualities of elements including atomic number & atomic mass
  • periodic trends including ionization energy & atomic radius
  • history and current use of some elements

SKILLS PRACTICED: 

  • strategy
  • reading
  • adding & multiplying

HOW TO WIN: Earn the most points in a variety of ways including researching elements, moving along the academic track and strategically using your agenda card.

ORGANIZATIONAL COMPONENT: ♥♥♥♥♥ Between the feel of the substantial box and the smell of newness as I opened it, I suspected I would find a high quality and highly organized game inside. And, I was not wrong! Periodic  consists of a variety of thick and sturdy pieces, a colorful and solid fold-out gameboard, three sets of glossy cards and two full-size booklets of info.  When new, some of the game pieces need to be punched out of a cardboard sheet. But unlike many other games, these pieces popped out perfectly and without any difficulty! And, the box even contained extra baggies to organize and store the pieces {THAT is a first for me!} Everything fits neatly in the box with a cardboard insert that helps keep the baggies of pieces and cards in place.  And the gameboard and booklets fit perfectly on top and it all gets secured with a tight-fitting lid.  I also need to acknowledge the aesthetic design of Periodic with its beautiful color palette and theme. It definitley has a full-on high quality vibe to it! But, our game wasn’t perfect; we did receive two green flasks and no pink flask, which was no biggie for us at all, but I suppose some siblings might find this as an excuse to fuss {similar to “he got the bigger piece of cake,” which I just consider an opportunity to adapt and grow…maybe that was the Genius Game’s intention, ha!}   ORGANIZATIONAL COMPONENT SCORE: 5/5 ♥♥♥♥♥

CLARITY LEVEL: ♥♥♥♥♥ I won’t even try to sugar-coat this; the instructions are massive for this game.  The rulebook is ten pages of full-sized paper filled with loads of steps and images. Granted, everything is organized and laid out logically with titles and sections. It’s just so much!  As my son was reading the rulebook to me, my brain was seriously doubting my decision to purchase this game. My son, on the other hand, was not discouraged and just kept going. He set the entire game up, which took at least 15 minutes in itself, and then he launched into trying to learn how to play.  I tried to follow along for a while and then I half-listened for a bit and eventually, I just settled on hoping that it would all make sense AS we played. And that’s exactly what happened! After reading it all, my son went first and walked us both through the steps he was taking. Then, when I took my first turn, we did the same thing. We actually continued to talk our way through the entire game because it helped us to not forget a step. We did have to reference the rulebook more than I care to admit,  but after a few turns, we knew enough about the game that the rest of the instructions made perfect sense and it all fit together. It really is a simple game to follow once you start.  Just know that as you read the rulebook, if you are feeling overwhelmed, don’t worry. It should all make sense as you play. And, though the information provided seems like it might be too much, it’s not. I applaud the team at Genius Games  for spelling it all out step-by-step, especially in such an organized fashion and with a generous font.  They also have an awesome 12-minute video that shows you how to play. But, I really want to reiterate…it’s MUCH easier to play the game than to try to understand the explanation of the game! CLARITY LEVEL SCORE: 5/5 ♥♥♥♥♥

FUN FACTOR: ♥♥♥♥♥ Both my son and I enjoyed this game a lot! For him, I think he took great pleasure in plotting and planning how he could win. For me, I was just elated that I understood how to play and managed to not lose too badly. But, no matter the reason for our fun, we both definitely enjoyed playing! I’m not sure you’ll want to break this out for your next neighborhood block party but it is certainly a fun way to supplement your science lessons! FUN FACTOR SCORE: 5/5 ♥♥♥♥♥

EDUCATIONAL LEVEL: ♥♥♥♥♥ Even if you just go through the motions of playing, you’re sure to soak up some of the basics of the periodic table of elements. But, if you choose to pay closer attention to the actual moves you are making on the table of elements gameboard, you should pick up on some of  “the  fundamental principles in chemistry that can be derived from the structure and function of the periodic table,” as the publisher’s website says. Basically, as you move, you are either increasing/decreasing atomic number, increasing ionization energy, increasing atomic radii or increasing/decreasing atomic mass. It’s also a strategic game, which I do not usually enjoy, but of which my son is a serious fan! I’ll admit that if I had noticed the “strategy game” part of the description before buying it, I may have skipped it altogether. But, as it turns out, I actually really enjoyed it! Now, I did not apply very much strategy to my gameplay for our first attempt because just playing the basics was enough for my brain to manage, but my son went all out strategizing and thoroughly enjoyed it. {Guess who won?!?!} In addition to the rulebook, there is also a second booklet, The Science Behind, that is an awesome way to fortify  the educational value of the game. EDUCATIONAL LEVEL SCORE: 5/5 ♥♥♥♥♥

OVERALL SCORE: ♥♥♥♥♥  Though Periodic  requires more time to set-up and play than a lot of other educational games, making it not something you’ll throw at your kids when they finish lunch early and have 20 minutes to kill, my son and I both believe it’s well worth the extra time and energy spent.  It’s rather fun, somewhat different and definitley educational! OVERALL SCORE: 100% ♥♥♥♥♥ 

If you are in need {or want} of a “strategy board game designed around the periodic table of elements, as well as some of the most fundamental principles in chemistry that can be derived from the structure and function of the periodic table,” go here to grab it on Amazon or here to get it directly from the publisher {use code TheWolfePack to score 20% off!}

And if you would like to see how to play, check out the video below!

Game Review: PROFESSOR NOGGIN’S Wildlife of North America {Science}

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Professor Noggin’s Wildlife of North America is available on Amazon HERE.

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

Read on for a detailed REVIEW.

If you like educational games but don’t know Professor Noggin, let me introduce you! She 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 Wildlife of North America version but would probably speak fairly well of all of her games.

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 messy boxes},

TIME COMMITMENT {because I have the patience of a three-year-old},

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

and an OVERALL SCORE.

NAME: Professor Noggin’s Wildlife of North America Card Game

PUBLISHER: Outset

CATEGORY: Science

TIME COMMITMENT: Minimal {15-20 minutes}

PLAYERS: 2-8

AGES: 7+ {or anybody who has learned a few animal 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 very simple and explain the game succinctly. 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 Student, Scholar or a mixed version. We only scored it 4/5, though, because it’s not laugh-out-loud kind of fun!  But, it is a fun way to practice/learn facts about North American wildlife! FUN FACTOR SCORE: 4/5  ♥♥♥♥_

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 ♥♥♥♥♥

EDUCATIONAL VALUE: ♥♥♥♥_ The entire game revolves around nothing but facts related to the wildlife of North America so the educational value really depends on how much you value that topic. In our home, with a son who wants to eventually get a Ph.D. in Zoology, we value anything that adds to his knowledge on animals. Your family may not feel the same way, but with the huge variety of topics that Professor Noggin covers, there is likely a topic that your family would appreciate. EDUCATIONAL VALUE SCORE: 4/5 ♥♥♥♥_

OVERALL SCORE: ♥♥♥♥_ We enjoy many of Professor Noggin’s games as a fun piece of our school day and this Wildlife of North America version has been a fun addition. It’s quick, fun and educational. And, if, like me, you don’t recall much from your own science 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: 90% ♥♥♥♥♥

 

If you are ready to offer your kids a  fun and easy educational card game, you can buy it 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 STUDENT, SCHOLAR 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 questions and the beginner players get the STUDENT 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 {Student/Scholar.}

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: VALENCE {Science}

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

Valence is available on Amazon HERE.

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

I bought  Valence when my son was doing elementary level chemistry. I thought it would be a fun way for him to learn the periodic table of elements, {and it was} but it turns out, Valence does much more than that. It does so much more that we plan on playing a lot more of this game when he ventures into a live, online Chemistry class for his Sophomore year. Check out this review of Valence to see if it might be something fun for your budding scientists, both little and big!

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: Valence

PUBLISHER: Science Ninjas 

CATEGORY: Science

SUB CATEGORY: Chemistry

TIME COMMITMENT: Minimal {20+ minutes}

PLAYERS: 2-4

AGES: 8+ 

HOW TO WIN: Be the first player to collect enough molecules to earn 10 points!

CLARITY LEVEL: ♥♥♥♥♥ I won’t lie and say Valence is the easiest of games to understand. I mean, really, it’s chemistry after all! Nothing related to chemistry is easy in my mind. But, I will say that considering the topic and the educational objectives, the directions are clear and concise. My only issue, and this is totally just because I need a new contact prescription, is that the font on the instructions is fairly small. But, that’s on me! And, it just means my kid has to read it all to me!  CLARITY LEVEL SCORE: 5/5 ♥♥♥♥♥

FUN FACTOR: ♥♥♥♥♥ Valence’s tagline is “Advanced Chemistry+Simple Rules+Ninjas!” They don’t actually say what those three things are supposed to equal but my son and I both think they equal fun! I will admit that my son has more fun than I do because he gets all tricky and uses the “attack cards” and “vulnerable cards”. This allows him to increase his chances of winning by planning ahead and making strategic decisions. For me, it’s too much thinking to try to use those against him so I stick with the easy way. But that’s fine by me!  He has to apply more chemistry knowledge to make it work so that’s a win-win! FUN FACTOR SCORE: 5/5 ♥♥♥♥♥

EDUCATIONAL VALUE: ♥♥♥♥♥  Just about any resource that attempts to teach chemistry while having simple, safe, unmessy fun is a winner in my book!  And Valence does just that! As mentioned above, I tend to play the easy way while my son uses more advanced tactics. But, even if you just stick to the easy way, you can’t help but learn some important base-level chemistry along the way. With every turn, you have to try to make molecules by balancing out the valence numbers. Then, if you accomplish that, you get to see which kind of molecule that is {acid, base, salt, etc. } And if you use the more advanced route, you have to apply your knowledge of which elements will cause detrimental changes to others. Like I said, it’s a wee bit too much thinking for me, but my kid manages it just fine. If you can read and follow directions, you can do it! And, there is lots of detailed information on each card. It would be super easy to add extra learning by insisting kids read the info out loud before they can play the card. Or keep a Table of Elements close by so the player has to locate each element before he/she can play it. And, finally, there is lots of math taking place with each turn!   EDUCATIONAL VALUE SCORE: 5/5 ♥♥♥♥♥

ORGANIZATIONAL COMPONENT: ♥♥♥♥♥  Valence comes in a cute sturdy little box with a simple divider insert and two stacks of durable cards. Add in the instructions, and that’s all ya have to worry about! Easy, peasy and organized! My kind of game for sure! I will note that the box color in the Amazon picture seems to have changed. My version is white and the current one is blue. I am assuming the quality is still the same but can’t know for sure.   ORGANIZATIONAL COMPONENT SCORE: 5/5 ♥♥♥♥♥ 

OVERALL SCORE: ♥♥♥♥♥ This is an all-around winner in our home! I’m not sure my son could’ve played it or enjoyed it at 8 {like the box says} but he has been playing it since he was 10 and loves it! And, like I said in my intro, we plan to play a lot of it while he’s  taking Sophomore-level chemistry this fall!  OVERALL SCORE: 100% ♥♥♥♥♥

If you think your kids would enjoy “Advanced Chemistry+Simple Rules+Ninjas” now, you can buy Valence here on Amazon.  

If you want to look more closely at HOW to play Valence, keep reading….

STEP ONE: Organize the MOLECULE CARDS into stacks in the middle of the table. You should have 8 stacks with varying amounts in each. 

STEP TWO: Shuffle the ELEMENT CARDS.  

STEP THREE: Deal each player 6 ELEMENT CARDS.

STEP FOUR: Each player places their cards face up in a row and familiarizes themselves with each one. 

STEP FIVE: Place the remaining ELEMENT CARDS face down in the center. This will be your draw pile. 

STEP SIX: The player with the highest atomic number goes first {don’t worry, they make it clear what that means in the instructions.}

STEP SEVEN: Player One draws the top of the draw pile. He now has seven  ELEMENT CARDS. 

STEP EIGHT: Player One looks over his ELEMENT CARDS to find combinations that equal 0 {don’t worry, they make it clear what that means in the instructions.}

STEP NINE: Player One then finds the MOLECULE CARD that matches what he just created {again, this is easier than it sounds…it’s actually color-coded, no worries!}

STEP TEN: Player One takes that  MOLECULE CARD and places it in front of him {this is the start of acquiring points…10 is needed to win.}

STEP ELEVEN: Player One discards the ELEMENT CARDS he used to create that molecule {this is the start of the discard pile.}

STEP TWELVE: Player One continues to make as many molecules as he can/wants to in that turn. 

STEP THIRTEEN: When he is finished making molecules, he discards one ELEMENT CARD. 

STEP FOURTEEN: It is now Player Two’s turn. He can draw either from the draw pile or the discard pile to begin his turn. 

STEP FIFTEEN: Repeat Steps 7-14 until somebody acquires 10 points. 

NOTE: There are other plays that can be made…these are the advanced moves I spoke of above. The instructions provide a lot of details on how to make those moves! 

Game Review: TOTALLY GROSS {Science}

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

Totally Gross: The Game of Science is available on Amazon HERE.

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

I love science but have always struggled to be motivated to do the prep work and clean-up. An hour’s worth of work for a 30-second volcano “eruption” hardly seemed worth it, especially when you have only one kid! But, my kid loves science so much that he plans to major in it so I’ve tried to do right by him. But, I sure as heck took some shortcuts at times! And, one of the easiest ways to have some science fun is with the game, Totally Gross! It’s fun and educational for all ages and does not require much prep or clean-up at all! And here’s a handy dandy review so you can see how fun it really is!

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: Totally Gross

PUBLISHER: University Press

CATEGORY: Science

SUB CATEGORY: General

TIME COMMITMENT: Moderate {30+ minutes}

PLAYERS: 2-4

HOW TO WIN: Be the first to score ten points, then land on the LAB space and complete one small, short, simple lab experiment. 

CLARITY LEVEL: ♥♥♥♥♥ The instructions are concise and clear. The game is very simple and they keep the instructions simple as well. As is with many games, you learn a lot by just playing it. We read through the instructions once and then just got started. As we came across something we didn’t understand, we just quickly looked up the answer.  CLARITY LEVEL SCORE: 5/5 ♥♥♥♥♥

FUN FACTOR: ♥♥♥♥♥ This is a super duper fun game! When it arrived from Amazon in October, I’ll admit I was a wee bit sad that I needed to hide it away until Christmas because the colorful box with silly directions made it look very enticing. And, when my son chose to play this during our first day back to school in January, I was NOT disappointed in the amount of fun it had to offer! It was well worth the wait! True to the title, it is TOTALLY GROSS at times but it’s all in the name of science so my son was granted loads of flexibility in ignoring our typical manners {sniffing pits, burping the ABCs and listening to one another’s tummy sounds were among the GROSS OUT challenges.}  My son is 13 so is the prime age for TOTALLY GROSS fun but it really would work for ANYONE! My 77 year old mom lives with us and she witnessed us playing the first round and then requested to play the second round with us. And she had a blast too! I’m very confident that little kids would love it too! FUN FACTOR SCORE: 5/5 ♥♥♥♥♥

EDUCATIONAL VALUE: ♥♥♥♥♥ It’s not just TOTALLY GROSS fun! It’s also highly educational. Each player’s turn {no matter the type of card you draw} is an opportunity for learning a weird scientific fact.  Yes, most of the facts are at least semi-GROSS but they all hold some level of educational value. My son, who LOVES science and plans on majoring in it, knew a lot of the info already but by no means did he know it all. {And I certainly did not.} But, even if he knew it, reading the fact and the why behind was still very educational and well worth the time we spent on the game. EDUCATIONAL VALUE SCORE: 5/5 ♥♥♥♥♥

ORGANIZATIONAL COMPONENT: ♥♥♥♥♥ The box is sturdy and the pieces are high quality. I don’t always leave the cardboard inserts inside my game boxes because they can be more of a mess-maker than not but this one is sturdy enough that it actually adds to the overall organization. It would be nice if there was an individual bag for each stack of cards {so they don’t get mixed up when the game gets put away} but that’s easy enough to solve with little snack bags. ORGANIZATIONAL COMPONENT SCORE:  5/5 ♥♥♥♥♥

OVERALL SCORE: ♥♥♥♥♥ This was a total hit with both my son and myself {and heck, my mom too!} It was loads of fun but also chock-full of educational value too. I would HIGHLY recommend this to families with kids of all ages! OVERALL SCORE: 100% ♥♥♥♥♥ 

If you are ready to offer your kids a really fun way to learn some general science facts with a few hands-on activities mixed in, you can buy it here on Amazon.

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

HOW TO PLAY: 

1. Open box, unpack contents and sort the three types of cards. 

2. Decide which person and color each player will be. Place that color on the top LAB spot. 

3. Give each player a small glob of snot {aka: Slime.} Have each player knead it so it is good and stretchy.

4. Have each player place his/her snot on his/her person.

5. The youngest player is Player One. Player One rolls the die and moves clockwise that number. 

6. If Player One lands on a colored bubble space, Player Two needs to draw the top card from the pile of Question Cards and read one of the questions out-loud. If Player One answers correctly, he/she earns the number of points found on the colored bubble {1, 2 or 3}. He/she then moves her snot that many spots. Turn is over. 

7. If Player One lands on a Gross Out space, he/she is asked to do one of two tasks on the card. If the task is attempted, he/she gets one point and moves his/her snot one spot. Turn is over. The task can also be turned down which just means no points are given and the turn is over. 

8. If Player One lands on a Lab space, nothing happens and his/her turn is over. 

9. Player Two rolls the die and repeats steps 6-8. 

10. Play repeats until at least one person reaches 10 points of snot.

11. When that happens, that player keeps playing until he/she lands on a Lab spot. At that time, the player needs to draw the top Lab card, complete the lab experiment and then wins the game!

{Above is the winning lab experiment! David had to wrap the TV remote in tin foil and see if it would still turn the TV on/off….then the dog needed to check it out, ha ha!}

For more GAME REVIEWS, you might want to check out:

Four Way Countdown {Math}

Game of the States {Geography}

After Words {Spelling and Vocabulary}

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