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How to Use Classic Board Games as a Fun Way to Do School Review

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

Whether you take a summer break or school year-round, all kids can benefit from these fun ways to review content using classic games you probably have at home right now! Read on for ideas on how to use four different board games to do school review! 

YOU’LL FIND ADDITIONAL SUMMER IDEAS AND ACTIVITIES AT THE END! 

SCRABBLE: This is probably the most obvious and easiest choice to turn into a review game. And there are several ways you can put this CLASSIC BOARD game to extra use!

1} PARTS OF SPEECH SCRABBLE:  Instead of playing regular SCRABBLE, players can only spell specific parts of speech. You can play an entire game of just adjectives or you can change with every round and work on verbs, nouns, and more. It’s a simple change and requires no additional prep work on your part! And it allows for kids of all ages to review parts of speech at their level.

2} SPELLING LIST SCRABBLE: Print off a list of whatever spelling or vocabulary words you used during the year. The rule can be that players can only spell those words, which might be kind of limiting. Or, for an easier time, you could make it that anybody who plays one of those words gets bonus points. And if you have different kids with different lists, this is a really fun and easy way to help everybody review spelling and/or vocabulary at their own individual level. 

3} MATH SCRABBLE: Instead of using letter tiles to spell words, players use number tiles to form math problems. For this, you’ll need to either buy a couple of sets of number tiles {which are surprisingly inexpensive and could also be used for a ton of different math activities,} print off the free tiles found in this pack or deface the SCRABBLE tiles you already have by writing numbers on the backside. But no matter which you do, it’s super easy to turn SCRABBLE into a math game! Everybody draws ten number tiles, the first person creates an equation, if they can, and the next person has to use one of the previously played tiles in his/her equation. And so on and so forth. You can adjust the plan as you go to fit your players. One easy-to-implement adjustment would be  to make the function {+ – x / =} tiles free and swappable. You would just lay out all of the function tiles and players could use them in a new equation or even replace what’s already on the board to make their own equation work. This would even allow kids of different skill levels to play together and work on their math skills!

HEDBANZ: This game has endless possibilities to use for review. Instead of using the cards included in the game, you’ll need to make your own but the effort this takes pays off when you consider the fact that you can fully customize the game to review anything…history, science, geography, foreign language, grammar, literary elements, Bible stories, states & capitals, anything! You can simply use index cards or print the free blank game cards found here to turn the game into anything you need it to be! HEDBANZ uses images and text,  which makes it great for all ages/levels,  but if all of your players can read, you can skip the images and only use text. This will cut down your prep time considerably. And another easy alternative is to use pre-printed flashcards, which are available on dozens of subjects! 

PICTIONARY: This is another game with an infinite number of ways to review school! Just print the blank cards found in this free pack, fill them in with the subject matter and play PICTIONARY as normal!  

JENGA: Again, this one can be fully customized to review literally any subject! And it’s simple! On the end of each block, use a Sharpie to write a number from 1 to 54, assuming your JENGA set has 54 blocks. Make sure you write the same number on both ends of every block so that no matter from which angle you are looking at the stack, you can see numbers. Then make a list of 54 questions that review your desired subject and number them 1-54. Before a player can pull the block he wants, he must answer the corresponding question correctly. If he knows the answer, he can pull the block. If he pulls it successfully, he gets the number of points from the block. If he doesn’t know the answer, he can’t pull the block and misses his turn. OR if he doesn’t know the answer, he still has to pull the block but gets those points deducted from his score. There are so many fun options with JENGA! And, if you want an easy-to-print blank list, you can find one here. 

 

 

CHECK OUT THESE OTHER GAME POSTS

AND CHECK OUT THESE SUMMER IDEAS AND ACTIVITIES FROM MY HOMESCHOOL BLOGGIN’ BUDS!

1. With a few creative ideas and twists, you can make the most of your summer days while still learning! 10 Unusual Ways to Homeschool Over the Summer from In All You Do 2. Summer is the perfect time to try a new Subscription Box or two! And some of these boxes have fantastic coupon codes for first time buyers! STEAM Subscription Boxes for Summer FUN! from Homeschool On the Range 3. This collection of fun summer STEM activities for kids ages 4-19 is a fun way for parents to encourage problem-solving and critical thinking skills while also having fun! Summertime STEM Activities from Hess Un-Academy 4. Want to avoid hearing, “I’m bored!” this summer?!?!?! Grab your printable Summertime Bucket List Checklist and keep those kids inspired all summer long! 40 Boredom Busting Summer Ideas and Activities for Families from Geez, Gwen! 5. Don’t stop all learning for the summer! Here are some educational summer ideas for kids + teens to get you through the next few months. Educational Summer Ideas for Kids from Making Room 4 One More 6. Heading to the beach!?!?! Here is a collection of easy no-prep printables to help your family enjoy learning about seashells together! Fun Seashell Identification Activities for Kids from Homeschooling 4 Him 7. Having the right items in your travel backpack will make the difference between success and failure with your child with autism. Pack The Perfect Backpack for Special Needs Summer Adventures from Our Crazy Adventures In Autismland 8. For a different type of summer experience, check out this post and learn about a summer homeschool schedule in Canada’s subarctic that focuses on foraging, northern gardening, homesteading, and self-reliance skills. Homeschool Schedule: Our Summer Routine from An Off Grid Life 9. Kids have the summer off but Mom has to work from home? Here are 21 ideas to keep them busy so you can work! 21 Fun Summer Homeschool Ideas for Work From Home Moms from Thrive at Home 10. Summer is the perfect time to learn all about plants! Have fun with these 5 ideas! 5 Awesome Ways to Learn Parts of Plants for Kids from Julie Naturally 11. Do your kids need motivation to read over the summer? Watch the pages turn with these fun and creative ideas! 7 Ways to Encourage Summer Reading from Heart and Soul Homeschooling 12. Want to have some fun without breaking the bank?!? Look no further than these ideas for budget-friendly summer fun! Budget-Friendly Summer Fun (for you and the kids!) from Hope In The Chaos 13. Planning on staying home much of the summer? Get this printable Summer Bucket List with 12 fun & mostly free educational activities to do at home. Homeschool Summer Bucket List from Whole Child Homeschool 14. Summer is the perfect time to catch up on practical (but fun) life skills for kids. Find the ultimate list of fun activities for life skills here! Life Skills Mega List for Kids from Stand Up, Reach Out 15. Here’s a simple solution to keep your kids engaged in learning over the summer so those wheels stay greased and the cries of “I’m bored!” stay at bay. Use Morning Time to Beat the Summer Slide! from Everyday Graces Homeschool 16. You’ll find 12 music lessons in the “Summer Music Lessons for Holidays & Special Days” online course–each one only 15 minutes in length and perfect for elementary ages. Each lesson contains the music lesson, videos, a printable, and an online quiz that relates to the special summer holiday. Summer Music Lessons for Holidays & Special Days from Music in Our Homeschool 17. Summer is the perfect time to cool down with a great book with your kids. Take a look at some of these great books to read aloud this summer! Summer Read Alouds for Kids from Simple Living Mama 18. Summer is the perfect time of year to explore the tiny world of bugs and insects! This great list of activities and crafts will help you and your child learn about these fascinating little creatures. Insect & Bug Activities for Kids from My Joy-Filled Life 19. This Summer Activity Pack is stuffed with games, treasure hunts, worksheets and more for reading, writing, math and critical thinking. Summer Slide Activities for All Ages from The Homeschool Cafe 20. Who wants to slave away over a hot stove all summer long? No stove required for these delicious, nutritious, cheap and EASY summer meals! 25 Cheap & Easy Summer Meals for Families from Orison Orchards 21. Looking to get out and about with your large family without sacrificing your family’s savings? Check out these great tips! How to Take Inexpensive Road Trips with a Large Family from With the Huddlestons 22. Stop the dreaded words… I. Am. Bored!… before they even start! Here are 6 summer family activities to keep learning fun. 6 Summer Family Activities to Keep Learning Fun from This Bit of Life

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 Rulses+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! 

Classic Board Games with a Christmas Twist

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

If you’re anything like our family, you have quite a collection of BOARD GAMES taking up space in your basement cupboards.

We love BOARD GAMES so much that I tend to buy too many. So many, in fact, that there are several that have not seen the light of day in years. And, just like with many things in life, it’s the old, classic versions that get neglected while the hip, cool versions get played.

So, in an effort to make space for new BOARD GAMES during the upcoming gift-giving season, I’ve been going through our game cupboard. 

But, much to my neat-freak husband’s disappointment,  instead of finding some to get rid of, I’ve found new ways to reinvigorate some of the old classics for this holiday season!

And we had so much fun with these CHRISTMAS-TWISTED BOARD GAMES that I wanted to share with y’all! 

ONE: UNO

UNO is such a great game for several reasons, not the least of which is it’s easy for all ages to play! And, it turns out that UNO  has nearly endless possibilities of ways to give it a fun CHRISTMAS-TWIST. 

Here are just a few suggestions:

  • Play a red card =  get a red M&M
  • Play a green card = get a green M&M
  • Play a 2 on top of a 5 {25} = get a Hershey Kiss
  • Play a red card on top of a green card = get a mini candy cane
  • Play a green card on top of a red card = take a sip of hot cocoa 

Or if sweets are not your style:

  • Play a red card =  sing Rudolph
  • Play a green card = wear the Santa Hat until somebody else plays a wild card
  • Play a 2 on top of a 5 = speak in an elf-voice for the rest of the game
  • Play a red card on top of a green card = move an ornament on the tree
  • Play a green card on top of a red card = act like a snowman melting in the sun 

TWO: SCRABBLE 

SCRABBLE is a staple in most homes but it is probably often over-looked as too educational {aka: boring} for some. But, with this CHRISTMAS-TWIST, everybody will be asking to break out SCRABBLE this holiday season! 

Play SCRABBLE like you normally do but every time a word is played, the player needs to use that word in a CHRISTMAS-TWISTED sentence. Your family can decide if the sentences need to make sense or not {personally, we like nonsensical things around here but we do expect the parts of speech to be used appropriately.} You can come up with your own sentences or use these suggestions:

  • For Christmas, I really hope Santa brings me a ____.
  • It’s so cold outside that I am ____.
  • The Christmas carolers are ____ on our porch!
  • ____ will be our new Christmas tradition. 
  • Oh my gosh! Look! Santa stuffed your stocking with a ____.
  • All I want for Christmas is a/an/the ____.
  • Rudolph, with your nose so bright, will you ____ my sleigh tonight?
  • This Christmas, we’re only going to hang ____ on the tree. 
  • For Christmas morning, we are going to eat ____.
  • I’m going to leave Santa some milk and ____. 
  • Instead of a tree, let’s hang ornaments on a ____. 
  • Frosty, the ____ man was a jolly, happy soul. 
  • Jingle ____, jingle ____, jingle all the way! 
  • Santa put your present ____ the tree. 
  • Oh, we wish you a ____ Christmas!
  • I wrapped all of the presents with ____. 

THREE: PICTIONARY

Whether you have the classic version or the new one that includes small whiteboards, using CHRISTMAS-TWISTED PICTIONARY cards is an easy and fun way to rejuvenate this classic game for the holiday season.

You can snag a CHRISTMAS-TWISTED PICTIONARY PACK here for FREE. The cards are color-coded to work with all versions of PICTIONARY but can also be used with your own family’s homemade version of the classic picture-drawing game. 

FOUR: TWISTER

TWISTER is never boring, that’s for sure, but with these CHRISTMAS-TWISTED ideas, your family will surely enjoy the game like never before!

  • Play the entire game with knit gloves on!
  • Everybody has to wear a Santa hat and keep it on their head or they’re out!
  • Or everybody has to wear a Santa hat but it doesn’t matter WHERE you wear it!
  • If you are touching a red spot, you must sing Frosty the Snowman until you move from that spot.
  • If you are touching a green spot, you must sing  Jingle Bells until you move from that spot. 
  • If you are on a green and red spot at the same time, you must say “ho ho ho ho ho” until you move from one of the colors

FIVE: HEADBANZ

If your family doesn’t own HEDBANZ, you should seriously consider getting it! My son has outgrown the original intent of the game but we still use it for spelling and vocabulary review all the time {with our own words}.

And with the CHRISTMAS-TWISTED HEDBANZ PACK, it’s super easy and FREE to turn this silly game into a great option for the holidays. You can grab the CHRISTMAS-TWISTED HEDBANZ PACK here.

So, whether you decide to try out CHRISTMAS-TWISTED 

UNO, 

SCRABBLE, 

PICTIONARY, 

TWISTER

or

HEDBANZ, 

your family is sure to enjoy making some new memories with some old games! 

And for some other great CHRISTMAS ACTIVITIES, check out these posts from some of my amazing fellow homeschool blogging mamas…

1. Don’t let your learning stop over the holidays. My teenage kid will DEFINITELY be doing some of these Holiday-Themed Science Projects from Homeschool On the Range! 2. And, here’s a GREAT math printable for the littles! Christmas Cakes One More One Less Printable Worksheet from The Art Kit. 3. I collect natitivies so this might be TOO CUTE to eat but we definitely want to make one of these Gingerbread Nativities from Hess Un-Academy! 4. We use our fireplace ALL THE TIME during fall and winter so I really hope my teenager wants to make me some of these DIY Firestarter Gifts from Making Room 4 One More. 5. I LOVE grapevine wreaths and have many sizes to use for different seasons. And after seeing this craft, I want to get some teeny ones to add to my collection! Such a cute ornament from Woodland Birds Ornament from Heart and Soul Homeschooling! 6. Whether you NEED new Christmas traditions because 2020 just ain’t allowing for your norm or you WANT to add something new, you should consider this Cultural Family Night: Christmas edition from Stand Up, Reach Out! 7. Are you BIG stocking stuffer people? We are! My husband often wonders if we spend more on stuffing stockings than we do stocking the pantry for the holidays, but it’s so hard NOT to scoop up all the cute little things! This year I plan to use some of these ideas for Easy, Cheap, Stocking Stuffer Ideas for Kids from Julie Naturally! 8. I’m always looking for cute, personalized ornaments but this year, I think I will MAKE them. Check out how stinkin’ cute these are! Scrabble Tile Christmas Ornament from I Choose Joy! 9. I’m one of those moms who takes the easy way out and buys the expensive Star Wars Lego Advent Calendar each year but I REALLY WISH I could make the switch to something like this Simple Christmas Family Traditions: An Advent Tree from Whole Child Homeschool! 10. Here’s another SUPER CUTE handmade ornament to hang on your tree this year! Handprint Candy Cane Ornament from Homegrown Motherhood 11. If you live in a cold-weather climate, here are some great ideas for how you can STILL get your family outside! Outdoor Christmas Activities for the Whole Family from An Off Grid Life 12. I collect nativities, and they’re not always cheap nor CHILD-FRIENDLY, so I really wish I had known of this option when my kid was little! Nativity Set for Kids to Make and Play With from Orison Orchards 13. If you love all of the creative and clever ideas to make the holidays happy and bright but you are short on TIME, check out this great list of Simple Christmas Activities for Busy Working Homeschool Moms from Thrive at Home! 14. How about THIS for an original yet meaningful craft!?!?!? How to make a fork painted manger set from Our Crazy Adventures In Autismland 15. Again with the TOO CUTE nativities! This one is not only cute, it’s easy to make and you probably have every single item sitting in your craft tub right now! Heart Nativity Paper Craft from My Joy-Filled Life

GAME REVIEW: Election Night

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{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. 

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