At the NY Toy Fair last month, I had to pleasure of meeting Reisa Schwartzman, one of the creators and founders of Griddly Games. I spent a good chunk of time playing her creations at the Griddly Games booth. I was hooked! So, this week I bring you two games that stood out for me that you can play with your children.
I love any game or exercise that promotes hand-eye coordination. As a young child, I had a severe eye condition that nearly caused me to go legally blind, but it was my parents’ perseverance in having me play various hand-eye coordination games that helped me after my eye surgery to get to the point where I am today. Your children needn’t have an eye condition to play hand-eye coordination games- they are good for everyone!
5 Stones was actually the game that inspired Jacks. You take turns attempting your own tosses or try to catch the stones as they bounce, spin, and roll away. How will you catch the stones? There are endless ways to play. After only a few minutes of playing this game, you will feel your coordination strengthen… right before your, um, eyes. Players can build upon their moves and create their own rules for play, leaving this game open-ended and super fun. If you are more traditional, instructions for regular play are included. The object of the game is to be the first to successfully complete all 5 outlined stages without dropping any stones.
I love this game for many reasons. To play, you call out words in categories where the “1st, 2nd or last” letter match one of the letters on the dice rolled. For example, if you have the category of “Spices” and you roll “1st” and the letters C, D, T, you will call out “Cumin”, “Dill”, and “Thyme”. This is a great quick game to boost vocabulary and test your skills in a low-pressure (but still fast-paced) word game!
Check out the other games Griddly Games has to offer, turn off that TV or iPad, and have fun!
*DISCLAIMER: Any opinions stated are strictly my own. I was sent the above items by Griddly Games to help facilitate my review. All photos used in this post are courtesy of Griddly Games.*
Reisa Schwartzman
Thursday 12th of March 2015
Hi Kathy, It was great to meet you as well. We are thrilled that you enjoyed our games! Looking forward to playing more with you in the future!!! Enjoy the play! Did anyone get a Kwan during play????
Katherine G
Wednesday 11th of March 2015
These sound like two really great games.i think my kids would enjoy these games.