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CM . . .
. Volume XII Number 20 . . . .June 9, 2006
excerpt:
Recommended. Gail Hamilton is a teacher-librarian in Winnipeg, MB.
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Informative, educational and fun, these card games, part of a set of 26, are designed for 2-8 players and are recommended (by the manufacturers) for children aged seven and up. Each boxed set is comprised of 30 illustrated question and answer cards, a die and an instruction sheet. The box is about the same size as a box of greeting cards, perfect both for classroom and home use or for taking along on a plane or car trip, and, of course, it takes up very little storage room. Simple instructions describe the play in which each person rolls the die, picks up a card from the central pile and asks a question of the next player. Each question corresponds to a number on the die. If the player answers the question correctly, he or she gets to keep the card. If not, the correct answer is given and the card is returned to the bottom of the central pile. Play continues until all of the cards in the central pile are gone. (There is also an opportunity to take another player’s card without having to answer a question. This can occur if a die roll corresponds to a “Noggin’s Choice” symbol on the card.) The person with the most cards wins. All players are well advised to listen to and remember the correct answers because the cards might come up again.
There are six questions on each card, three of which are in the “easy” category and three in the “hard” category. Players can decide which version of the game to play beforehand. Having two categories also allows for younger children to play the game with parents or older siblings or students - the younger kids can answer questions from the easy category, while the older players can answer the more difficult questions. “Noggin Busters” are the most challenging questions of all and appear occasionally. Questions range from the true/false variety to single word answers and short phrases and sentences. Answers are provided along the side of each card. What is particularly beneficial is that the answer to a true or false question is explained. For example, “Q. Halifax is Canada’s most eastern provincial capital. A. False. The most eastern capital is St. John’s.”
The illustrations on the cards are bright, colourful, and educational. Each illustration is different and offers another opportunity for learning. In the geography set, for example, cards pertaining to the provinces display a map showing the relationship of the province to the rest of Canada along with the provincial flag.