Live Wire
It takes a steady hand and nerve to move the handle from one side to the other without touching the Live Wire. A LED light flashes red when contact is made. If it flashes Red you are Dead! Just kidding.
Street Racer
This game is a head-turning draw-card. Everybody wants to see how far they can roll the ball down the track. The further you roll, the more points you score. The track speed can even be set to slow, medium and fast for a greater challenge.
Stop Ball
All you need to do in this game is stop the ball in the middle. Sounds easy… but it’s not! This game requires a gentle touch, with the best results coming from an understanding of momentum.
Roller Ball
How fast can you roll the ball to the bottom of the ladder without falling off the edges? This is a physical game that develops eye-hand coordination. It is also great exposure to risk and reward. The faster you roll, the harder the ball is to control. So do you progress slowly like the Tortoise or race like the Hare?
Bull Ring
Be the first to swing the ring onto the hook. It should be an easy task – but it’s much harder to do when the pressure is on. Bull Ring is always very popular. It’s fun to play and fun to watch.
Space Mouse
Help Space Mouse transport his cargo through the planet of cheese to his base. This game is both a mental and physical challenge. Players need to comprehend that moving the handles in and out together moves the cargo up and down, and moving the handles in and out independently moves the cargo from side to side. To travel along the path takes beginners an amazing amount of focus.
Tutti Frutti
This game is all about muscle memory and fine motor control. The ball needs to be rolled hard enough to clear the first mound, but not so hard that it returns. Players need to make very subtle changes to their strength each roll, which is difficult when they are in a race. It’s an exciting game that evenly pairs combatants of different ages.
Shake, Rattle and Roll
This game is a unique challenge that develops fine motor control, focus and adaptive learning. The goal is to roll the 8 numbered balls into the handle in the correct order. Players must learn on the fly what techniques do and dont work well. They most overcome the frustration of having captured balls roll back into the arena if they are not careful. It’s an exciting challenge, even though the best results come when the player is calm and steady.
Noughts and Crosses
This classic game always gets a lot of love. Although simple, it’s the perfect game to introduce the concept of strategy to beginners. They transition from trying to place 3 pieces in a straight line, (which is easy to see coming and ends in a draw), to developing strategies that give them two options to win. The light bulb goes Ding when they pull off their first few strategic moves and start winning more games.[/one_half]
Quatro
This game is called Quatro because the winner is the first to get 4 of their pieces in a row. But it’s more than just a beefed-up noughts and crosses. Each player has pieces of 3 different sizes, and can use their bigger pieces to capture the opponents smaller piece. As well, at any stage you can play a piece from your reserves or the playfield. It takes layers of thought when planning strategies. I have no greater game for developing perception. With so many variables it’s very easy to miss a threat or an opportunity.
Pack a Box
This is a game of 3D Tetris. The goal is to pack all of the little boxes neatly into the larger box. Most players start with a flurry of trial and error. Without success they then try to process a solution with thought. Some people get there solo, but it usually takes a hint to get people to the finish line. They are always well pleased with themselves regardless.
Battle Bridge
It takes strategy and math to win this battle. Two players take turns. They can choose to pick up either 1, 2 or 3 sticks each turn. The battle is won by forcing the opponent to pick up the last stick. Then you are Battle Bridge Master!
Peg Solitaire
This game was recorded in history in 1697. Apparently King Louis XIV was a big fan. The game is played by jumping one peg over another and removing it from the board. The challenge is to remove as many pegs as possible. When no more moves are possible, that is your score.
This game can be played repeatedly against yourself, or by comparing your score to an opponent. If you need inspiration, King Louis could play this game and leave one peg remaining in the centre hole.
Flip It
Flip It! Flip it real good! This is a fast and fun math game that keeps the brain firing. The goal is to flip over as many tabs as possible. This is achieved with a roll of 2 dice. If you throw 2 x 4’s that score is 8. You can then flip any combination of tabs that add up to 8. 1 and 7, 2 and 6, 3 and 5, or just the 8 alone. Then you roll again and try to flip that number. The game is over when you dont have the available tabs to flip that add up to the dice total. Add the tabs and that is your score. The lower the better. This game can be played repeatedly against yourself, or by comparing your score to an opponent.