Category: Guest Posts

Blue Orange goes to Camp

Blue Orange goes to Camp

Posted on by Corinne Marcot-Jones

Blue Orange Games is busy this summer giving kids even more chances for fun at their camps.  Samantha is this summer’s intern and has traveled around the San Francisco Bay Area to host game days at local summer camps.  Read about her experiences as Blue Orange’s Brand Ambassador.

What Is A Camp Game Day?

By Samantha Fry

I was originally drawn to this position because it would allow me to gain experience in the field of marketing as well as build on my experience in childcare.  A camp game day consists of a taking a bunch of our games to camp and engaging kids in board/card game play.  The ages at the camps vary but we are able to accommodate kids of all ages from Pengoloo to BraveRats.  Sometimes the kids are lucky to play with games that haven’t hit the store shelves!

palo alto

These young campers are playing Doodle Quest

Long time camp favorites are Pengoloo, Gobblet Gobblers, and Fastrack.  Luckily, older campers were also able to try out some of our newest strategy games such as Aztack, Battle Sheep, and Niya!

A new favorite with the campers has been our new game Spot It! Splash. It’s just like the original Spot It! but has a fun summer theme with waterproof cards. This was a great compliment to our sometimes messy campers.

It was fulfilling to play with the kids and engage their minds in learning new games this summer.

 

 

Tips for Shaping Gameplay

Tips for Shaping Gameplay

Posted on by Corinne Marcot-Jones

Remember the joy of opening a present?  The visual appeal of the packaging.  The anticipation of opening the box.   The touch and even the smell of a new toy/game.  Now imagine you are a 5 year old child.  Multiply those sensations to infinity.  Alright, it’s not to infinity but it’s pretty high. The act of opening a new game encompasses a child’s senses.  The visual, the touch, and the smell of an newly opened game can make following rules really difficult at first.  I know when I’m playing with my 5 year old son that I initially don’t always follow the rules of the game.  No need to be frustrated.  The experience of teaching your child the game rules can still be fun and a good learning experience.

We recently had a visit from a Board Certified Behavior Analyst, Sam Blanco.  We are a fan of her blog (www.samblanco.com) and how she adapts play for her students with special needs.  She offers some valuable tips on shaping gameplay with your kids.

 

Tips for Shaping Gameplay

by Sam Blanco, BCBA

Whether you have a child with special needs or you are trying to play games with siblings of different ages, it can be challenging to figure out how to make a game accessible for everyone who wants to play.

Here are a few tips for introducing and teaching new games.

• Allow for exploration. Kids can learn a lot just from freely exploring the materials of a game. Chef Cuckoo is a great example of this, because kids get a kick out of exploring all the different ingredients and putting them into interesting and odd combinations. Pixy Cubes is another great example as kids enjoy free time to create their own patterns with the cubes. Becoming familiar with the materials makes it easier for many learners to focus on understanding the rules, rather than trying to simultaneously understand the rules and the materials.

pixycube

 

• Put fewer pieces in play. This simple step can make a huge difference in a learner’s ability to enjoy a game. For example, with Fastrack, instead of having ten discs in play, I might just start with four. Remember the Rule of Three. Before adding a new step or increasing the difficulty level, the child should be able to play the game at the current step three times consecutively with success.  With Fastrack, once a learner has mastered playing with four discs, we’ll start playing with six discs, then eight, etc. This means that it might take a while before you’re playing the game completely as designed.

• Additional rules can wait. I frequently introduce a game without introducing all of the rules. For example, with Chef Cuckoo I challenge learners to create the Best Pizza or Worst Pasta, but don’t introduce the “star system” aspect of the game until later. The Rule of Three applies with adding rules, as well.

• Provide prompts when necessary. It can be useful to provide visual or textual prompts to allow your learner to play a game independently. For example, with Double Shutter I sometimes utilize a visual prompt of index cards with all the different addends that can be used to arrive at a specific sum.

ds         ds 2

 

• Stack the deck. When introducing card games of any type, I frequently set up the deck with only cards I know the learner can understand and play with.  For example, with Speedeebee, I will go through all the cards and remove any that I know my learner cannot respond to based on his/her current skill level. If I’m playing with more than one child who have different skill levels, I’ll create individual stacks of cards and change the rules so that players take turns responding. Over time, as the learner experiences more success with the game, I introduce more challenging cards.

• End the game early. Learners with special needs may have a lower frustration tolerance, so while it may seem counter-intuitive it is often best to end a game at the height of their interest. I’ll also frequently use a timer for games that last a long time, and when the timer goes off we move on to a new activity. Ending a game at the height of interest actually increases the likelihood that the learner will request it again in the future, and as their mastery of the game grows their frustration tolerance will also grow.

Remember that there is great value in playing, even if you aren’t playing the game as designed. The goal is to create opportunities for learners of all skill levels to have fun playing games.

 

sam

Sam Blanco is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst and an ABA provider for children ages 3-15 with autism and other developmental disabilities in NYC. She is dedicated to showing the value of games, play, and technology in special education. You can find much more information on teaching through games at her blog at www.samblanco.com. 

April is National Autism Awareness Month

April is National Autism Awareness Month

Posted on by Corinne Marcot-Jones

logo April is National Autism Awareness Month.   I’m a mother of a child with autism and I, along with so many parents, live with this awareness everyday. The professionals that work with children on the spectrum have dedicated more than their careers towards helping these children.  They have dedicated their hearts as well and I’ve had the privilege to work with great teachers, speech pathologists, ABA therapists, and occupational therapists.  Blue Orange Games is fortunate to work with so many of these professionals and organizations.  We have heard wonderful stories about how many of our games are used as tools for kids on the autism spectrum.

We have a special guest post from one of these dedicated professionals.  Rebecca Klockars is an Occupational Therapist with 10 years of pediatric and geriatric experience.

 

 April is National Autism Awareness and National OT Month

by Rebecca Klockars

It makes sense that these two things are together since Occupational Therapists are often an integral part of the educational and clinical treatment team for a child with Autism.  Now that I have had the pleasure of working with children who are on the spectrum for some time now, I would like to share the top 5 things I have learned from these amazing kids.

5.   Just because I am not looking at you, does not mean that I do not see you.

Children with autism often look at people through their peripheral vision. It is difficult to look at a person directly and take the infinite number of muscle combinations AND listen to what they are saying. So if someone with Autism does not look at you in the eyes while talking, please understand you are a visual complex piece of art, and it is sometimes hard for someone to look and listen at the same time.

4.   That clock ticking in the background is making my head explode.

Things you and I may be able to force to the background, like the clock ticking, a fan humming, a light flickering, may not be the case for someone with autism.  Many times a person with autism is on high alert to the things in their environment.  Their threshold for tolerating the smells, sounds, sights, tastes, and touches of the environment they are in can send their bodies into flight or fight mode.

3.   Show me, don’t tell me.

Visual supports help many people with and without Autism Spectrum Disorder. I love my checklists; it helps me organize my day. But breaking down tasks and expectations with visuals, either words or pictures, can help ease anxiety and help someone with autism be successful at home, school and work.

2.   Give me a minute, will ya?

When I first transitioned to school based therapy from geriatrics, I had the pleasure of attending The Autism Project of Rhode Island’s A Starting Point, which was a multi week learning experience that touched on many aspects of Autism. But one of the most poignant statements was regarding giving time to process auditory requests.  Picture a rotary phone (if you don’t know what a rotary phone is, ask someone at least in their 30s); every time you verbally request something it sets the dial back all the way.  Give time for the dial (aka person) to process it or they will not be make the call.

1.  I am awesome.

There is an amazing person stuck inside that little body, just waiting for someone to make a connection and “get” them.  Sometimes it takes getting them on a swing or blowing some bubbles to get that little smile or laugh.  Then before you know it, that little person is requesting more with signs, gestures, pictures, or words.  Other times, you have to take a sledgehammer to open the door to functional communication just a little crack. But keep working, because there is an awesome little being in there, wanting someone to play with them.

Read more about Rebecca on her blog.  http://www.otmommy.blogspot.com/

Blogger Alena Belleque Recaps ChiTAG 2013

Blogger Alena Belleque Recaps ChiTAG 2013

Posted on by Annika Harper

This year was the first time that Blue Orange Games exhibited at ChiTAG, the public fair put on by the Chicago Toy & Game Group. ChiTAG showcases the best new toys and games and gives people the chance to meet inventors, play in tournaments, enjoy live entertainment and score some hot deals and freebies.

Chicago Toy & Game Group was founded 10 years ago to bring together the inventors, manufacturers and industry experts for a family of annual initiatives that encourage and promote the innovation of the game industry. Our CEO, Julien and Director of Sales, Martin joined our team of game gurus in Chicago to attend the T&GCon as well as the fair. The 2 day conference was jam packed with educational presentations, inspirational speakers, networking opportunities and even an inventors award ceremony.

Here is what our CEO, Julien said about his time at the conference:

“My first T&GCon was a fantastic experience. I was deeply impressed by the warm, familial atmosphere and the smooth execution of the large scale event. So many great companies were represented, and we thoroughly enjoyed connecting with talented new people and seeing familiar faces. The well selected speakers captivated the entire audience, whether you were a game inventor, marketing guru, or running a board game company like myself. We cannot thank Mary Couzyn enough for gathering the game industry every year for an invaluable exchange of ideas!”

 

After the conference, the fun really started when Blue Orange opened it’s booth to the public at the ChiTAG Fair at Navy Pier. In case you weren’t in frigid Chi-Town for the event, we wanted to give you an attendee’s perspective. Alena Belleque of The Homemade Creative posted a great recap of the Fair on her blog and graciously allowed us to repost excerpts and photos here. Enjoy living through her and her adorable daughter Serenity’s adventures! You can also read the full post here.

Getting Our Game On! | ChiTAG 2013
Tuesday, December 3, 2013

There’s nothing so fun as a good adventure. At least I sure think so! I’ve been dying to get into Chicago, and I found the perfect opportunity in this year’s Chicago Toy and Game Fair…

ChiTAG 2013 sign

One of the coolest new toys at the fair was the Crazy Cart by Razor. It’s this awesome motorized cart that spins on a dime, and looks like it would entertain kids (or adults) for hours. The awesome sales rep at the Razor booth gave Serenity a ride!

ChiTAG

She wasn’t quite sure what to make of being handed to a stranger, but she loved riding on the Crazy Cart. Just ask the people who watched her have a huge melt down when she had to get off!

The cart is rated for ages 9+, and I think it would be a really fun addition to a youth group room. Razor makes ride-on products for younger kids, and a huge range of powered and non-powered ride-on products for all ages.

The TDC Games booth had lots of unique games. The Cambell’s Alphabet Dice Game is super popular, and what drew me to the booth. They also have a line of puzzles, and seem to specialize in crazy-difficult ones. The World’s Most Difficult Puzzle is double sided, with no way to tell which side is which until you get it all put together. They also have The World’s Smallest Jigsaw Puzzle – they average 200 pieces, and are the same size as a 4×6″ photograph!

ChiTAG 2013 TDC Games

One of the cool things about the Chicago Toy and Game Fair is that they highlight inventors! I had the pleasure of meeting two inventors who debuted their brand new games at the show.

ChiTAG 2013 Inventors

Samir Lyons is the creator of Daytrader, a revolutionary new game designed to bring “the trading floor [to] your dining room table.” I’ll admit, I’m not sure I’ve ever really thought about the stock market before, but the sleek and sophisticated design of this game drew me in, and suddenly I’m actually interested in learning Our economy is apparently built on this stuff, so a game that makes learning about stocks and trading fun and challenging sounds like a good deal to me!

Tony Aceti is a farmer from Bend, Oregon, who came to the show with his game Lucky Farms. It’s a fast paced “game of action, luck, and making deals”, and is modeled after a roulette wheel. The fun colors and graphics draw you in, and the surprising intricacy of the design – with simplicity of play – promise hours of fun.

Goliath Games had a huge booth, featuring tons of great games, all of which were overshadowed by a huge Gooey Louie. I do not understand that toy, but there sure were a lot of little girls having a blast pulling on his giant booger!

ChiTAG 2013 Goliath Games

We also met Tim Fort, creator of Stick Storm, at the Goliath Games booth. Tim performed on America’s Got Talent, and has won major accolades for his kinetic invention.

The Blue Orange Games booth was bright and colorful, and made me wish I had lots of spending money. The Pengoloo game is so cute, with the little peg penguins! I’m super excited to be featuring three games from this creative brand this month in my Christmas gift guide. Be sure to check back on Wednesday for my review of Spot It! Party, and next week for Twenty Express and Keekee the Rocking Monkey!

ChiTAG 2013 Blue Orange Games

Our favorite booth, by far, was Mayfair Games. If you can call it a booth – they had a Settlers Of Catan game rug that could have easily carpeted the entire ground floor of my townhouse! The Settlers of Catan Worldwide Championship USA Pre-Qualifier took place at the fair, and oh my goodness I wanted to play so bad!! I’m not nearly good enough for that yet, but give me a year or two… *wink*

ChiTAG 2013 Settlers of Catan

We discovered that Settlers of Catan can actually get cooler. Did you know they have Star Trek Catan??? Out of all of the games at the fair, that’s the one Serenity decided she needed to take home (sadly, we didn’t). She’s saying “please” up there in the right-most photo.

ChiTAG 2013 photos

Some of the other games and toys we saw included SET Enterprises, the creators of Quiddler Jr. and other great educational games for children; the inventors of Floppets, collectible wearable pets that are super ridiculous cute; The Un Block by Aha! Concepts, which are wooden building blocks that interlock (check out the photo, above – he’s holding that huge structure up off the table by the top block only!!), and the creator of Shoulder Buddies, the zany mini-friends that stick to almost anything with a magnetic clasp!

ChiTAG 2013 Shoulder Buddies

Serenity and I had a great time at the Chicago Toy and Game Fair, and we’re looking forward to next year. I hope you enjoyed coming along with us on our adventure!