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Professor Noggin’s History of Art is available on Amazon here.
Please note that in 2020, most of Noggin’s games were revamped and repackaged so you may find two different “versions” of History of Art. Though there are some small differences, they are much the same and I would not hesitate to recommend either version.
{I purchased this game myself. All opinions are my own!}
Read on for a detailed REVIEW.
There is an entire series of Professor Noggin games. They all have the same simple concept, easy rules and basic materials but each one covers a different educational topic from Wildlife to US History and from Countries of the World to Outer Space and from US Presidents to Reptiles…and then to this edition, History of Art.
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: Professor Noggin History of Art
PUBLISHER: Outset
TIME COMMITMENT: Minimal {15-20 minutes}
PLAYERS: 2+
AGES: 7+
CATEGORY: Art and Artists
SKILLS EXPOSED TO:
- artists
- art pieces
- art periods
- art techniques
SKILLS PRACTICED:
- reading
- listening
- applying previous knowledge of history and time periods
HOW TO WIN: Be the player who collects the most cards by answering the most questions correctly.
CLARITY LEVEL: ♥♥♥♥♥ All of Professor Noggin’s games have clear and simple directions that allow no room for confusion or doubt about how to play the game! CLARITY LEVEL SCORE: 5/5 ♥♥♥♥♥
FUN FACTOR: ♥♥♥♥_ While this game is more fun than worksheets or flashcards as a way to review the history of art, it’s not the kind of fun that will bring the neighborhood kids clamoring to play. But we certainly do enjoy playing this as a quick and simple way to work on understanding and recalling art history. FUN FACTOR SCORE: 4/5 ♥♥♥♥_
EDUCATIONAL LEVEL: ♥♥♥♥_ All of Professor Noggin’s games {that we have played} serve as a great way to review a topic while also exposing players to new material. But as one can imagine, there is no earthly way to make a single game that encompasses ALL of any topic, let alone the history of art. So, it’s important to recognize that this game will only provide a very brief and basic exposure to art. But, considering what it is trying to do, it does a good job! It covers several famous artists, some of the best-known pieces, a handful of art periods and a few techniques as well. Another benefit of playing any of Noggin’s games is that there are always two levels of play, which can be played simultaneously. EDUCATIONAL LEVEL SCORE: 4/5 ♥♥♥♥_
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. And 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 SCORE: 5/5 ♥♥♥♥♥
OVERALL SCORE: ♥♥♥♥_ This game is a winner in our book for many reasons. I’ve always approached our son’s “art history” education with simple, yet intentional exposure. And, this game is a great addition to that method. OVERALL SCORE: 90% ♥♥♥♥_
If you are looking for a quick, simple and fun way to review and/or teach about the history of art, you can buy it here on Amazon.
If you would like to see how to play, continue on….
NOTE: These pictures are of the newer version of the game. The older version is the same except the levels are called EASY/HARD instead of STUDENT/SCHOLAR.
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.
