Category: Blue Orange Products

Spot It Stories: New Ways to Play!

Posted on November 6, 2013November 16, 2013 by Corinne Marcot-Jones

Spot it! is one of the most popular card games on the planet right now. It is a high speed matching game in which players race to find the same image on two cards. Playing the game is a great way of improving the brain’s processing speed while having good ‘ole fashioned fun (no tech required!). And it is such an irresistibly versatile game that people are coming up with new ways to play all the time. Last month, we told you about one of our secret variations called Ducks In A Row. In case you missed it, check out the article here.

We recently discovered another creative fan-made variation that involves combining the car

ds from Spot it! with the rules from the popular storytelling game Dixit Jinx. It’s called “Spot It Stories.” Here’s how to play:

3 x 3 grid of cards

Spot It Stories Rules

Put nine Spot it! cards face-up in a 3 by 3 grid.
The first player tells a short story (one or two sentences long) alluding to three icons on one of the face-up cards in the grid, without explicitly saying any of the names of the icons.
One at a time, the other players then guess which card the storyteller is talking about by pointing at it.
If you point to the correct card, you add that card face-down to your scoring pile.
If you point to an incorrect card, the storyteller scores it instead. Players then continue guessing until either:
1. The correct card is chosen.
2. Three incorrect cards are chosen. In this case, the storyteller does not score any of the cards, and loses one additional card from their scoring pile, placing those cards in a separate discard pile.
Fill in the empty space(s) from the remaining cards and pass the storyteller role on to the next player (clockwise).
Once the last card from the tin is placed on the table, the final round begins.
The winner is the player with the most cards in their scoring pile at the end of the game.

For even more fun ways to play, check out these links to the official game rules:

Leave a comment below if you have your own ways of playing. We would love to hear from you!

What’s Trending in Holiday Toys

Posted on October 30, 2013October 25, 2013 by Blue Orange Games

The media, pop culture, technological advancements, and the nation’s collective emotional state can all shape the trends that influence people’s buying decisions. Toys, like fashion and music, are subject to trends, and at no other time are toy trends more evident than during the mad rush of the holiday shopping season.

We received our first glimpse into this 2013’s toy trends at the American International Toy Fair in New York City last February. After the show, the TIA made the following observations which we’ve seen carried out through the year. It’s safe to guess that the products that fall in line with these themes will sell the best in the next few months.

Toys with tech

Did you get the memo? Geek is now synonymous with cool. In an age when 3^rd graders have smart phones and toddlers are more adept with an iPad than their grandparents, technology is changing how kids experience their world. Toy companies have responded by integrating technology into new products, not only to hold kids’ attention and keep up with the times, but to enrich the quality and potential of play. Many toys that work together with tablets and apps have risen in popularity, along with products that create 3D interaction, that are powered by robotics and remote-control, and that blend real and virtual worlds.

Holiday toys to look for: Popar Toys 3D Adventure kits, The Explorer Globe from LeapFrog Enterprises, LEGO Mindstorms EV3 robotics kit, Skylanders Cloud Patrol App Sets

Blast from the past

Hot Holiday Toys — Easy Bake Oven (now available in gender-neutral black/silver!)

As our ultra connected, high tech lives become the norm, the past becomes more and more attractive and romanticized. Classic play appears novel to the millennial generation. Vintage styling and nostalgia have been hot for the past several years, and now even playthings are going back to basics. Kids are discovering the classics of their parents’ and grandparents’ youth, who are delighted to share in the fun. And for the first time, the 90’s is long enough ago to be a decade to bring back. Just take a look at the new crop of Furbies, introduced onto the market to much fan fare in 1998. Hitting an emotional note with families, retro toys are proven hits that will last for generations to come.

Holiday toys to look for: Wooden doll houses, marble runs, The new Cabbage Patch Kid Dolls, classic board games, Easy Bake Oven, Lincoln Logs, Spin Around Kids, Play Doh

Teens want more than screens

Trends in Holiday Toys — Traditional games like Gobblet are refreshing

Treading the teen and tween market has always been a slippery slope. In response to the realization that Millennials are growing up a heck of a lot faster than preceding generations, the toy industry sought to reach this audience with what they knew best: technology. But as we’re seeing with the Retro trend, what’s old is new again, and suddenly no-tech is refreshing! Whether they are aware of it or not, kids are craving the physical. Given the rise in playing board games among kids and adults, we’ll say this is definitely starting to show. Hey, even the web company Match.com got on board and now host in person mixers where eligible men and women get to know each other over games like Spot it!

Holiday toys to look for: tabletop games, licensed figurines & collectibles, outdoor action toys, and extreme sports equipment.

Talent Showcase

Reality competition shows have been rocking the air waves over the past few years and with a positive effect. TV shows like Chopped, Project Runway and American Idol that celebrate every day peoples’ skills have inspired kids to pursue their talents. The toy industry was listening. Crafts and DIY kits are ever popular, along with hands-on toys that encourage creativity, role playing, and performance.

Holiday toys to look for: Creative Toys Haute Couture Fashion Studio, Small World Living Toys Young Chef Cookware Set, VTech – KidiJamz Studio, ALEX® Toys – Do-it-Yourself Wear! All Duct Out, DIY Rubber Band Bracelets Loom Kit

Going Beyond Blocks

Construction toys received a huge demand in the past few years and show no sign of slowing down. Classic sets like Erector and Lego are still going strong, but the new kids on the block are bringing innovation to sets that are interchangeable, eco-friendly, electrically powered, or licensed. Manufacturers have become mindful of appealing to kids across gender, age and ability. No doubt, the rise in construction toys has been fueled by the recent attention advocates of STEM education (science, tech, engineering, math) have received.

Holiday toys to look for: Play Sets by Roominate, HexBug, GoldieBlox, Keva, Hanz, Eitech

Guess who made Amazon’s 2013 Holiday Toys List?

Browse the list and see if you can spot it….

Dragon Face Rules Explained

Posted on October 23, 2013February 26, 2014 by Corinne Marcot-Jones

Dragon Face plays similar to Chess and Checkers, but adds an exciting twist – captured pieces join the opposing team instead of being removed from the game!

Since Thierry Denoual created Dragon Face in 2011, we have had an overwhelmingly positive response from our community of players, but some have asked for clarifications regarding the rules. So, here is an updated version of the Dragon Face rules that will hopefully clarify any questions you have about the game. And if there is something we didn’t cover, please leave a reply at the bottom of the page and we will address it!

2 Players

Ages 8 to Adult

The Game Mat:

The game mat is divided into 99 squares, consisting of the Territories and the Sacrifice Zone.

The Territories are the 63 inner squares, where most of the game’s action takes place.

The Sacrifice Zone is composed of the 36 border squares, where pieces are trapped when their move takes them outside the bounds of the Territories. (See: Playing the Game)

The Pieces:

The Emperor moves like the king piece in Chess, in any direction, one square at a time.

If your Emperor is captured, you lose the game.

The Ambassador moves like the queen piece in Chess, as far as you want it to, along a straight line.

The Governor moves similar to the pawn in Chess. It can only move forward, one square at a time (straight or diagonally), and may only capture diagonally. The first time a Governor moves, you may move it two squares (in the same direction) rather than one.

IMPORTANT:

Pieces cannot move over other pieces except when capturing.

Pieces cannot change direction mid move.

Set Up:

Each player chooses an empire (light or dark) and flips all their pieces (1 Emperor, 6 Ambassadors, 7 Governors) to the corresponding side, and places them as pictured:

Object of the Game:

Capture your opponent’s Emperor.

Playing the Game:

The player using the light colored pieces moves first. After this, take turns moving one piece at a time.

On your turn, you may move any of your pieces in the Territories, according to its description. (See: The Pieces)

Capturing pieces:

You may capture any of your opponent’s pieces that you can reach with one of your own pieces. To capture it, move your piece as normal (except for the Governor who can only capture diagonally), and place it in the square immediately on the other side of the piece you wish to capture. If the square behind that piece already has another piece in it, then it is protected and you may not capture it.

When you capture a piece, it is flipped over and immediately becomes part of your empire, and you can choose to move it on your next turn.

Capturing Summary:

Move your pieces as normal to capture.
The Governor can only capture diagonally.
There must be an available square on the other side of the piece you wish to capture.
Captured pieces are flipped and become part of your empire.

Immunity:

You may not capture a piece which was captured on your opponent’s previous turn. You must wait at least one turn to recapture any of your pieces.

The Sacrifice Zone:

Pieces can only enter the Sacrifice Zone when capturing another piece.

Once a piece enters the Sacrifice Zone, it is stuck there for the rest of the game.

The only exception to this rule is the Ambassador piece, which can return to the Territories if you reach (or cross over) your opponent’s back line with one of your Governors. At this point, you may choose to reactivate one of your Ambassadors in the Sacrifice Zone by placing the Governor that just reached your opponent’s back line underneath it. The Ambassador is now free to move back into the Territories on any of your future turns, but the Governor you used to activate it must remain in the Sacrifice Zone for the rest of the game.

Note: Pieces stuck in the Sacrifice Zone still prevent other pieces from moving into their square, which means that you cannot perform a capture move that would take your piece into an occupied square in the Sacrifice Zone.

Sacrifice Zone Summary:

If a Governor enters the Sacrifice Zone, it is trapped there for the rest of the game.
If an Ambassador enters the Sacrifice Zone, it is trapped there until you can free it by moving one of your Governors into your opponent’s back line.
An Emperor MAY NOT enter the Sacrifice Zone

IMPORTANT:

If you are able to capture your opponent’s Emperor on your next turn, you do NOT need to let them know. (No need to say, “Check!”)

Teach Good Sportsmanship to Kids

Posted on October 11, 2013November 16, 2013 by Corinne Marcot-Jones

Unfortunately, It’s Not Always Fun and Games…

Losing a game can be a difficult, frustrating experience for a young child. It can turn a previously enjoyable experience into a discouraging disappointment, making them not want to play again. Learning to cope with disappointment is a valuable life lesson, and developing good sportsmanship is an important part of a child’s maturation. In order to help your young ‘un lose with grace and composure, we recommend you try the following ideas.

games teach good sportsmanship — Don’t try this at home!

Cooperative Games

Not all games call for a winner and a loser, some are more collaborative in nature — encouraging cooperation and teamwork skills rather than competition. These types of Cooperative Games have seen a recent surge in popularity because they teach the types of collaborative life skills that players need to succeed in the adult world. Games like Zimbbos and Tell Tale are great examples of how cooperative games encourage players to work as a team instead of as separate entities.

Games teach good sportsmanship

Change the Rules

Here at Blue Orange Games, we encourage players to make up their own variations on our rules. If you are playing with someone who doesn’t like to lose, try taking out the timed nature of the game. For example, in Speedeebee, instead of racing to answer, just wait for everyone to come up with their answer — then have players answer in order of age, with the youngest player going first (or vice versa, depending on the game/players). This removes the frustration of not being as fast as other players, and creates a more relaxed playspace, where the emphasis is on participation (not competition).

Challenge Yourself (Not Others)

Point based games like 20 Express or Sumoku are super versatile because they can be played competitively against other players, or just against yourself. If you are interested in playing without singling out a loser, just have players aim to improve their own previous scores, rather than beat the scores of others. This way, players still retain a sense of competition and engagement, but none of the frustration of losing to others.

Teach Good Sportsmanship by Example

Lose by example! The best way to help a loss-averse young-un, is to show them they can still have fun while losing. Purposefully lose a game (or two) and show your child that you are still having fun. Exaggerate and play it up! Be sure to compliment their winning performance while making fun of your own. Showing them that you are still having fun while losing will help them understand that winning isn’t the only way you can enjoy playing a game.

2013 Potrero Hill Festival

Posted on October 11, 2013 by Corinne Marcot-Jones

Blue Orange Games is delighted to announce we will be vending and playing our eco-friendly games at our local neighborhood festival. Come out and enjoy independent and local food vendors and chefs, artists, musician, children’s entertainment and more at this free, one of a kind community experience!

2013 Potrero Hill Festival

This year’s festival is a benefit for The NABE, which is the Potrero Hill Neighborhood House that has been in operation for over a century! The NABE offers a safe and common area where community members can educate, entertain and inspire.

The 24th Annual Potrero Hill Festival takes place on Saturday, October 19, 2013, 11:00 am -4:00 pm on 20th Street between Wisconsin and Missouri Streets. Experience the “flavor” of the Potrero community, featuring local food vendors and chefs, artists, musicians, historians, homegrown entertainment and much more! Join us for this one-of-a-kind community event for all ages! http://potrerofestival.com/

Educational Games in the Classroom – Sumoku

Posted on October 11, 2013 by Blue Orange Games

Educational games can be great tools to get kids to exercise concepts and use their critical thinking skills while still having fun. Teachers know this (those smart cookies!) and will sometimes adapt existing games to their lesson plans or create a whole new game entirely. Just check out the games category on Teachers Pay Teachers for some awesome examples.

Not only do we focus on an all around fun experience, but we want our educational games to help improve cognitive functions and reinforce learning. This is why we love it when we hear from teachers who are fans of our games and use them with their students. But sometimes a game may not feel appropriate for a classroom setting, whether it’s due to noise level, lack of organization, or the addressing of lesson concepts. When using games as learning tools, we encourage teachers and parents to break the rules! With a little creativity, you can turn existing games into a classroom or homework activity that targets the lesson at hand.

Last year, we were fortunate to have a teacher in Pennsylvania with over 20 years experience in elementary school education design lesson plans using our educational games. Since there are quite a few, we are going to continue this post as a series divided by game.

Educational Games We’ll Cover

Sumoku
Tell Tale
Speedeebee
Spot it!
Double Shutter
Dragon Face
Speedeebee
Pixy Cubes
Chickyboom
Pengoloo

First up, we have Sumoku!

Practicing Math with Sumoku

Sumoku is a crossword style mathematics game with 5 different ways to play included in the rules. In the basic version, players roll a die to get a key number. Players try to arrange the longest row or column of numbers that add up to a multiple of the key number, without repeating tile colors. The total of your tiles is your score for that turn. Sumoku is perfect for practicing multiplication but it can be used to teach younger kids too.

Grade Level Application: 2nd

Skills: Math concepts, such as addition/subtraction fluency and skip counting, attention to detail

Suggested Lesson Plan

Small Group: 4 children
# Of Games Required: 1 per group
Noise level: Low

Practice Addition
Use a math worksheet with addition equations that have blank boxes to write in. Each student draws 4 tiles at a time to create 2 two-digit numbers. Using those numbers, they fill in the blank boxes to create an equation to solve. For example, if you pull tiles 3, 2, 4, 4 it could be 32+44=_ or other combinations of the 4 tiles.

Practice Subtraction
Use a math worksheet with subtraction equations that have blank boxes to write in. Each student draws 4 tiles at a time to create 2 two-digit numbers. Using those numbers, they fill in the blank boxes to create an equation to solve. For example, if you pull tiles 3, 2, 4, 4 it could be 44-32=_ or other combinations of the 4 tiles. This means the student must understand to put the larger number first.

Small Group: 4 children
# Of Games Required: 2 per group
Noise level: Moderate to low

Practice Skip Counting
Have a draw pile on the table 1 bag per 2 students. Then have them each race to be first to create a string of numbers skip counting 2 up to 20 or 3 up to 30.
(Zeros can be represented by flipping a tile over showing the blank side or using a similarly sized object such as a penny.)

Grade Level Application: 3rd

Skills: Math concepts, such as addition/subtraction fluency, multiples, attention to detail

Suggested Lesson Plan

Small Group: 4 children
# Of Games Required: 1 per group
Noise level: Low

Practice Addition & Subtraction
Use a math worksheet with addition equations that have blank boxes to write in. Each student draws 6 tiles at a time to create 2 three-digit numbers. Using those numbers, they fill in the blank boxes to create an equation to solve. For example, if you pull tiles 3, 2, 1, 4, 4, 5 it could be 321+445=_ or other combinations of the 6 tiles.

You can do the same exercise with subtraction. For example, if you pull tiles 3, 2, 1, 4, 4, 5 it could be 445-321=_ or other combinations of the 6 tiles. This means the student must understand to put the larger number first.

Small Group: 4 children
# Of Games Required: 2 per group
Noise level: Moderate to low

Practice Multiples
Have a draw pile on the table 1 bag per 2 students. Then have them each race to be first to create a string of multiples of 3 up to 30 or 4 up to 40.

(Zeros can be represented by flipping a tile over showing the blank side or using a similarly sized object such as a penny.)

Grade Level Application: 4th

Skills: Math concepts, such as multiples and multiplication

Suggested Lesson Plan

Small Group: 4 children
# Of Games Required: 2 per group
Noise level: Moderate

Practice Multiples
Have the students create a draw pile of one tile of each digit from 2-9 and place them face down. The rest of the tiles are face up. Each student take one face down tile, flips it, and immediately begins building a string of 10 multiples.
(Zeros can be represented by flipping a tile over showing the blank side or using a similarly sized object such as a penny.)

Practice Multiplication
Use a math worksheet with multiplication equations that have blank boxes to write in. Each student draws 2 tiles at a time and then fills in the blank boxes to create an equation to solve. For example, if you pull a 3 and a 2 tile it would be 3×2=_.

Grade Level Application: 5th

Skills: Math concepts, such as multiples, multiplication, division, and prime/composite numbers

Suggested Lesson Plan

Small Group: 4 children
# Of Games Required: 2 per group
Noise level: Moderate

Small Group: 4 children
# Of Games Required: 1 per group
Noise level: Moderate

Practice Division
Use a math worksheet with division equations that have blank boxes to write in. Each student draws 3 tiles at a time to create a one digit divisor and a two digit dividend and then fills in the blank boxes to solve for the quotient. For example, if you pull a 3, 4, and 8 tile it could be

34 / 8 =_.The quotient could be written as 4.25, 4 ¼, or 4 remainder 2.

Practice Prime/Composite
Each student draws 20 tiles. Have them sort the tiles by prime and composite numbers.

New Games Win 29 Awards

Posted on October 11, 2013October 11, 2013 by Blue Orange Games

We were thrilled to have 7 new Blue Orange games recognized this year by trusted awards institutions and industry authorities.

These seals of approval help parents make more informed decisions when it comes to selecting the best media and playthings for their family. And with Christmas and Hanukkah just around the corner (yep, I said it, don’t hate me!), stumped holiday shoppers can consider these award winners as fool-proof choices for friends and family.

Among our notable winners is this summer’s release Spot it! Party, which took home Dr. Toy’s coveted 10 Best Games and The National Parenting Publications Awards (NAPPA) Gold Seal. Our latest sustainably made wooden game, Keekee the Rocking Monkey earned Dr. Toy’s Best Green Product award and Nada received the Silver Seal from NAPPA.

We always feel extra special when Playonwords.com recognizes our games with the Play Advances Language award. Inherent skill building in our games is something that we aim for, so we were proud to have licensed speech-language pathologist Sherry Artemenko award Ooga Booga and Spot it! Basic English for their language learning value.

Here’s a complete round up of our winners including stand out quotes from the test reports. Click on the award institution to read the full report.

Ooga Booga

Dr. Toy
• Best Vacation Products Award 2013

Parents’ Choice Foundation
• Fun Stuff Award 2013

Playonwords.com
• Play Advances Language Award 2013
“Silly and engaging, this game is unlike any you have ever played.”

Tillywig Toy Awards
• Laugh Out Loud Award 2013
“This is the funniest party game we’ve seen in a very long time.”

Major Fun
• Party Award 2013

National Parenting Publications Awards (NAPPA)
• Honors Award 2013

Spot It Sight Words Matching Game

Spot it! Basic English

Playonwords.com
• Play Advances Language Award 2013
“This game is so fun kids might not even ‘spot’ the educational component!”

20 Express

Tillywig Toy Awards
• Top Fun Award 2013
“A delicious balance of skill and luck that keeps players coming back for fun, again and again.”

The National Parenting Center
• Seal of Approval 2013

National Parenting Publications Awards (NAPPA)
• Honors Award 2013

Major Fun
• Party/Family/Kids Award 2013
“To have a game that is a great party game and a great solitaire game at the same time is something special.”

Dr. Toy
• Best Picks Award 2013

Flash

Dr. Toy
• Best Vacation Products Award 2013

Dr. Toy
• Best Picks Award 2013

Parents’ Choice Foundation
• Fun Stuff Award 2013
“This is a keeper!”

Tillywig Toy Awards
• Best Family Fun Award 2013
“Fun doesn’t get any more rapid-fire than Flash.”

The National Parenting Center
• Seal of Approval 2013

Nada

Dr. Toy
• Best Vacation Products Award 2013

Dr. Toy
• Best Picks Award 2013

Parents’ Choice Foundation
• Approved Award 2013
“Nada is pure fun, something that kids living in a complicated time can use.”

Tillywig Toy Awards
• Best Family Fun Award 2013
“As dice games go, this one has it all – speed, fun, excitement, and lots of dice.”

The National Parenting Center
• Seal of Approval 2013

National Parenting Publications Awards (NAPPA)
• Silver Award 2013

Keekee the Rocking Monkey

Dr. Toy
• Best Green Product 2013

Parents’ Choice Foundation
• Approved Award 2013

Tillywig Toy Awards
• Brain Child Award 2013
“Preschoolers find the game exciting and stimulating, and its colorful, charmingly designed all-wood components add significantly to the fun.”

Spot it! Party

Tillywig Toy Awards
• Top Fun Award 2013
“This edge-of-your-seat fun is a blend of intense competition and silliness that makes for a rollicking good time.”

National Parenting Publications Awards (NAPPA)
• Gold Award 2013

Dr. Toy
• 10 Best Games Award 2013

Spot It Stories Rules

Toys with tech

Blast from the past

Teens want more than screens

Talent Showcase

Going Beyond Blocks

Guess who made Amazon’s 2013 Holiday Toys List?

Contents:

The Game Mat:

The Pieces:

IMPORTANT:

Set Up:

Object of the Game:

Playing the Game:

Capturing pieces:

Capturing Summary:

Immunity:

The Sacrifice Zone:

Sacrifice Zone Summary:

IMPORTANT:

Unfortunately, It’s Not Always Fun and Games…

Cooperative Games

Change the Rules

Challenge Yourself (Not Others)

Teach Good Sportsmanship by Example

2013 Potrero Hill Festival

Educational Games We’ll Cover

Practicing Math with Sumoku

Grade Level Application: 2nd

Suggested Lesson Plan

Grade Level Application: 3rd

Suggested Lesson Plan

Grade Level Application: 4th

Suggested Lesson Plan

Grade Level Application: 5th

Suggested Lesson Plan

Ooga Booga

Spot it! Basic English

20 Express

Flash

Nada

Keekee the Rocking Monkey

Spot it! Party