Today was an early dismissal day and with it being rainy and chilly outside, I thought  we would beat the boredom blues with testing out some new board games. From the moment we opened the games, I got super stoked to share all about them. I’m sure your family will love these games just as much as ours; especially when you see how much fun combining coding and board games can be!

THE IMPORTANCE OF STEM

What I love best about this game is that it promotes STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) without a heavy focus on electronics. STEM has really become the  next big thing and for good reason. With a high demand of technology driven careers and technology being an integral part of ours lives, it’s importance to advance our kids knowledge in these topics.  Technology provides new avenues and allows us to use, computers, GPS, 3-D printers and robots that can perform surgery. I want my kids to be technology savvy but not technology addicted . The two games Code Master and Robot Turtle are designed to teach the fundamentals of computer programming logic to young children without needing a computer.

CODE MASTER

Code Master, is a single player game meant for ages 8+. However, my son who’s 6 caught on super fast and loves the game. In Code Master, your Avatar travels to an exotic world in search of power Crystals. Along the way, you use programming logic to navigate the Map. Think carefully, in each level, only one specific sequence of actions will lead to success. Once you collect all the Crystals and land at the Portal, you win!

Playing Code Master helps children develop and apply logic to solve problems, gives children a visual for  the outcome of a series of events and make adjustments to their plans when a sequence is not right. We learned quickly that you don’t always get the correct path on the first try. This coding game provides an opportunity for kids to challenge themselves to think like a computer, make a plan, test a plan, and rework a plan until it is right.

For more information about Robot Turtles click here. If you would like to purchase the game you can find it on amazon.

 

ROBOT TURTLE

Robot Turtles is a board game for kids ages 3-8. It is the perfect game to engage kids in learning through play. Preschoolers can learn programming one turtle move at a time. Robot Turtles takes seconds to learn, minutes to play and provides endless learning opportunities. Through fun play and Code Cards, players move their Robot Turtles around the game board to reach a prized jewel. With every move preschoolers learn programming, from coding to functions, and get a jumpstart on 21st century thinking skills. This might be a coding board game for little programmers, but the entire family will love playing it, too.

The game takes kids through steps needed to program.  The basic concept of the game is for kids to learn to code by using the cards that give simple directions. You level up and learn new skills as you go.  One of the unique rules of the game is that the kids get to control the grown-ups! The little programmers put instruction cards down, driving the turtles through the maze, but the grown-up is the computer, executing commands on the board.

For more information about Robot Turtles click here. If you would like to purchase the game you can find it on amazon.

 

PLAYFUL PARENT APPROVED

Being an educator myself and my husband being a computer programmer, we both found this to be an awesome game for kids to learn coding. Both my two boys were over the moon about this game and ask to play it everyday since opening it. This game will be available to play at the next family board game night this May 2019. Details to come soon!

***Thank you Think Fun for donating these games for the family board game night library. All information provided is based on my own non-biased opinion.***