Everyone Homeschools Blog - Games

Bargain Hunter

Fri, 13 Apr 2007 22:32:00 -0400

Over the Easter weekend, we decided to have calm family time and play some games. One of my old, old games is Bargain Hunter. The game came out in the 1980s just as credit cards were becoming increasingly popular. Does anyone remember the old bulky metal credit card imprint sliding machines? You know the ones where they would take your credit card place it in the machine put the carbon copy receipt on top and swish, swish and then the credit card number would be imprinted on the receipt for the charge. Well, this game has a plastic version of that machine. The idea with Bargain Hunter was the first person who bought all 17 or so items on a shopping list with no debt won. Of course there are typical expenses that sap your cash such as visits to the auto mechanic and doctor. As we played the game, our daughter was faced with a challenge of either waiting to buy an item or charging the item and paying 10% interest. Her immediate reaction was that she was going to charge the item but when we pointed out that for that $300 item she would have to pay $30 interest every time she passed payday, she reanalyzed her options. She said she thought interest could only be given for savings accounts. We had a homeschool teaching moment as we proceeded to explain how many people end up in serious debt because of the very high interest rates and that if you don't have the money to buy something then you probably shouldn't. My husband explained how there are only a couple times when borrowing money makes sense. One case when borrowing is justified is if you are buying a tangible appreciable asset such as a house or when you need cash flow to build a business. Of course, these examples also included lessons on borrowing only what you can afford and not just what someone says is ok for you to borrow. We talked about the folks who are in a bind now because they chose variable interest rate loans, what variable interest rates are and how to address this problem. Once she realized that interest could be charged for borrowed money and how it worked, a very bright bulb went off in (and over) her head. In the end, she won with all the items purchased, no debt and an economics lesson taught one-on-one.

Dictionary Game

Sat, 21 Oct 2006 22:49:00 -0400

Recently, our daughter was struggling with looking up words in the dictionary. After discussing the challenge with her, it became apparent to me that she was not connecting with the concept of alphabetical hierarchy. Therefore, I decided to give her a game to play while empowering her to discover/create her own alphabetical hierarchy. I started by asking her to pick out a bunch of words based on things she was thinking of or things she saw in the room. Here is her list: Car
Molly
Multiplication
Kit
Clue
Flecity
Pen
Math
Happy
Latin
Man
Staples
Monkey
One
French
Pencil
Sleep
Map
Blue
Won
There were more words than this, but I only wrote down those so we had a list which (a) had enough words to be challenging but not too many to be discouraging, (b) had at least a few words with the first letter(s) identical, (c) had at least one word with a subset of another word. After writing the words on a blank piece of paper, she cut out the words and began the Dictionary Game! I asked her to put all the words in an order that would make them easy to use. There were no other rules to the game. Of course, I planned to help her along with assessing each decision and arriving at logical conclusions. After a brief discussion, she suggested and agreed that ordering them alphabetically made the most sense because nearly everyone has learned the alphabet in an order that they can easily recall. Had I been doing this game, I would have started with ordering two words and then inserted the other words in the correct location, one at a time, based on my computer programming background. I was pleasantly surprised to see her start in a different way. She immediately started by grouping the words, some by their first letter and others by their position in the alphabet. I found this so refreshing to see a new way of looking at things, especially one which appeared to be more global and holistic, rather than strictly logical! Soon, however, she realized that there were too many to manage this way and decided to begin with the 4 or 5 she had and move to inserting the other words. It was interesting to see her deal with the words "pen" and "pencil" because she had to decide which should come first. After measuring the merit of both choices, she decided "pen" should be first, because it was shorter. She struggled well with the 6 words beginning with "m" as she tried to remember which letter of each word she was comparing. It helped her when I said the letters of each word, starting at the beginning, stopping and emphasizing the one she was comparing. When she finished, she asked if this was the way real dictionaries sort their words. When I told she had figured out exactly the same way, she was elated! Then we looked up a handful of words in the dictionary and we both were very proud of her accomplishment. Afterwards, she was so enthusiastic about the activity that she put all the words into a baggie and labeled it "Dictionary Game by {her initials} and Dad" so she could play it again. I suggested that each time she play, she add one new word to the mix. What a privilege it was for me to spend this time helping my daughter think of her own way to do something, realize that others had already done it that way (confirmation of her thinking), then use this knowledge in a practical way!!

$1.00 or Less Learning

Sun, 01 Oct 2006 13:46:00 -0400

What did you do with the box that you recently received at home? Ever wonder what happens to all the boxes at the stores and grocery stores? When was the last time you used a box? Was it for moving or storage? If you are like most adults, you overlook the measly cardboard box. After all, once it serves its purpose what use is it? There are many uses for a box beyond moving, storage or shipping. A simple box can become an imaginary car, train, sled or ship. It can be used for a table or desk when flipped over. This can then be used for the purpose of an imaginary restaurant, dining room table, or grocery store counter. Larger boxes can be used for huts or tents. Most boxes just get crushed once they serve their purpose so why not ask for a box to bring home. If you are looking for a larger box, check appliance stores. While the main learning experience will be the use of your child's creativity and imagination, many other lessons can be incorporated. If your child is very young you could ask them to tell you a story using their box as a car, for example. You could record their story or transcribe it and help them create a book. Then you could read the story they wrote. If the child is older you could ask them to write a story with a beginning such as: "One day, I sat in a box which magically became ." Now, spelling, creativity, writing, and English can be incorporated. Another option might be to set up a grocery store using the box. Let the child practice selling items and making change with real money. This allows them to practice communication skills, math and entrepreneurship. For older children you could invite them to decorate the box and collect cans for the homeless shelter or treats for the troops overseas. In these situations, they get to use many skills while learning the following: - Communication and persuasion skills can be developed while doing the collecting. - Math can be used for weighing and measuring so that packing can be done properly. - Geography can be used to locate the place to which the box will be shipped. - Current events as to what is going on in that part of the world and why the box is needed there. - Good citizenship can be learned by helping their fellow man. - If they drop off the box to a homeless shelter or food pantry, they can learn about how one can be in poverty, organizations that help individuals who are in poverty, whether it is the government's responsibility to get people out of poverty, and other ways to help. So, the next time you see a measly box bring it home for your kids. You will be amazed at the fun and learning that can take place for less than a $1.00. If you have others ideas of how a box can be used be sure to click on comments and share your ideas!

Modified Games

Tue, 26 Sep 2006 22:19:00 -0400

Whenever I get around my nieces, ages 2 and 3, they often want to be included in the things the grown ups are doing. Remember when playing with pots and pans and pretending to go grocery shopping was cool? There were no concerns about cleaning up or paying for the groceries, just copying what we saw our parents doing. I was recently reminded of this when I visited with my sister and her family. We intended to play some card games and while our daughter could participate, my niece would have been excluded. As I prepared for the visit, I remembered what we use to do with our daughter when she was younger. Simple modifications of the games were made. So, I dug around and found the alphabet go-fish cards that we used to play when our daughter was younger. This game, involves matching a capital and lowercase letter. When I shared with my niece that we had a game she could play she lit up. She played the hand with me and seemed to enjoy playing. At another time, I showed her the Memory card game. While that game is intended for 3 and up, we modified it and used just four matching pairs for a total of eight cards. Once she tried this, she found it interesting to look at the other cards. Rather then insisting that she play the game properly, I let her explore the cards as she began to pull them out. Before long, we were matching the other cards. As she pulled out a card and laid it down, I would pull another and ask if she could find the matching face-up card. It was fun to see her intrigue and excitement as she looked at the different cards, identified them and found their pair. So, remember that while games may be intended for a certain age group or market they can always be modified. Modifications may include: -an adult assisting in the game. -playing with less cards or vice versa. -changing the goal from getting the most points to the least points or vice versa. -just recognizing the colors, pairs or numbers. -allowing the use of a calculator. -playing for less time. -asking for hints. -giving extra time to the younger kids. By being willing to modify a game and break the rules, you can introduce a child to a concept, include them in the fun and help them explore something different.