Circulo

Circulo - A 4-in-1 circular strategy game.

Circulo includes four different games, each played in a tall cylinder shaped tube. The plastic pieces slip easily into grooves so they will stay put once you drop them from the top. Players take turns dropping in one piece at a time. 

There are four different sets of pieces and you can play these four different games: 

The pieces are all the same size.

Try this:

Work on spatial relations, sequencing, visual closure, figure ground, manual dexterity, process skills, socialization skills, executive functioning skills, play and leisure exploration and participation

In the box: Circulo game tube with cap, 1 set of pipe connections tiles, 1 set of 4-in-a-row tiles, 1 set of 4 letter words tiles, 1 set of sum of the squares tiles

Quick Cups

Quick Cups - Sequence stacking by color.

Be the first to grab the colored cups and stack them in the correct color order, depicted on the pattern card, to win the round. Win the most rounds to win the game. There are five colored cups (yellow, green, red, blue, black) for each player and five colored objects on each card. The five color sequence is printed vertically on some cards and horizontally on others. If horizontal, line the cups up on the table. If vertical, stack the cups.

A horizontal card with meerkats and a vertical card with a bird.

My biggest problem with this game right off the bat is that the item on each card that should be printed in black is printed in brown.

If your kids are flexible, you can probably get away with this. As I am trying to teach sequencing with this game I can't say "brown" because the cup is black, and I can't say "black" because the pictures on the pattern cards are printed in brown. I found myself reluctantly saying brownish-black. Doesn't really cut it for me. 

The cups are plastic and not quite two inches tall. I see that there is now a family version of this game and the pattern cards look like they have different images.

Set up: Mix the cards and place them and the bell in the middle of the players. Give each player one set of five cups (yellow, red, green, black, blue)

Play: The first player turns over the top card and all players hustle to put their cups in the order that will match the pattern on the card. Use both hands and stack fast. The first one done taps the bell. If his order is correct, he receives the card. If his line up is wrong, the card goes to the next player who has the correct sequence. Turn over one card at a time and play until all cards have been claimed. The person with the most cards wins the game.

Try this:

• Work on visual discrimination, spatial relations, visual closure, eye-hand coordination, motor planning, manual dexterity, bilateral coordination, social interaction skills, executive processing skills, speed, process skills, play and leisure exploration and participation
• Skip the speed factor. Just present one card at a time and ask the individual to line up the cups.
• Play alongside the individual, modeling the correct sequence.
• Stack the cups on the table top and use just one hand to stack. Or make sure you spread them wide apart and use two hands to reach and grab. Or, hold the stacked cups in one hand as you add more cups with the other hand.
• Play with the horizontal cards and make a long line of cups, repeating the sequence several times, if only one person is playing and there are extra cups.
• Start at the bottom to stack and cover the colors above where you are working if the individual has difficulty ignoring the other colors.
• Use the word "stack" if the individual wants to start the vertical models from the top.
• Use both hands by alternating the hands as you add the cups. Add the first cup with the right hand, second cup with the left, third cup with the right, etc. Plan where to put the cups if you want the player to reach across to grab a cup(s).
• Skip the cards and stack five cups. Use it as a 3D model and ask the individual to make one just like it. Use up to half of the cups (15) to build your model.
• Make a stack according to any one of the cards. Then put that card, along with several others, in front of the individual and ask him to pick the card that matches the stack.
• Ask a player to use one hand only if you have a super speedy person working against a slower moving person. This may help to slow them down a little to even the playing field.
• Incorporate the bell any way you can as a motivator. Kids seem to love to ring that bell.
• Un-stack all the cups and place them randomly in front of you. Now make four stacks as fast as you can. Using two hands, grab two of the same color, place them on different stacks, then grab two more of the same color, etc. Make every stack in the same color order. Time yourself, then play again and see if you can go faster. Stand the cups up, top down, before starting the game for the easiest challenge. Then lay the cups on their side before starting, then stand the cups right side up. The last two will require you to manipulate the cups, in-hand, before your can stack them.

In the box: 24 pattern cards, 30 cups, 1 bell

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