NADA!

NADA! Match, Snatch and Win.
By Blue Orange Games

About the game

There is always a match until…Nada! Scoop up the dice and let ‘em roll. Quick—scan the array for matching symbols between the orange and white dice. The first to call a match collects all the dice showing that symbol. No matches? No problem! It’s another chance to win. Shout “Nada!” to snatch up all the dice. But speak too soon and you’ll pay the price. This dice game has 3 play variations. Think sharp and act fast to match, snatch, and win!

My Thoughts

Two colors – orange and white –, thirty-six cute little dice and a travel bag. That’s all it takes to play a game of NADA!.

Mostly geared for ages 7 to adult, you can play with 2 to 4 players for about 10 minutes each times.    The game will allow the players to develop skills of focusing, fine motor, visual perception as well as speech/language. 

Quick thinking and rapidity are the words that comes to mind when I think of this game.  Why?  Well it takes both in order to win.   You need to be very observant and be able to shout rapidly before your opponents spots the same thing as you.

To play you need to take twelve dice from the bags – six oranges and six whites.   Once you have selected the dice, roll them and let them go on the table.   At the same time, all players have to search for a symbol appearing on at least one orange and one white die.   If you spot a match, you have to be the first to call it in order to collect the points.   The points are simple – one point for each dice sporting the image you called…  If there is no matches, you need to be the first to shout NADA! and put your hand flat above the dice to collect all the remaining dice.    When the dice have all been collected, you can start a new round.   After three rounds, the player with the most dice wins!

But wait!  that’s not all…   There are penalties in this game.  If you make a wrong call, roll the dice again and sit out until the start of the next round.   If there is a tie and can’t decide who made the first call, you have to roll again.    The instruction sheet also suggest two variations of the game as well as a multiple games option.  

As a homeschooler, I can see this game being used to provide a break in between two lessons or to simply had some fun time during our homeschool.   The game is quick to play and fun at the same time.   All the kids can play together and I can be the referee if needed.  

This game is also perfect for a trip, camping or when your child goes to camp.   It’s a great way to spend with friends and family in order to make memories.  

NADA! is available at your favourite toy store, even at amazon.ca and amazon.com.

  

Disclaimer: Thanks to Blue Orange Games for sending the product mentioned above for review purposes. I was not monetarily compensated for this review. Please note that the review was not influenced by the Sponsor in any way. All opinions expressed here are only my own.

FLASH!

FLASH! The Lighting Fast Game
By Blue Orange Games

About the Game

Watch the sparks fly in this lightning-fast dice dash! Players race to complete eight challenges and try to rack up the most points. With three play variations, Flash is the go-to dice game for electrifying fun. Straightforward and quick, you can go at it again and again. Every one of all ages gets bit by the competition bug and has a fair shot to victory.

My Thoughts

The first thing that attracted me to this game was the bright colored dice.   However, there is more to this game that you might think.   Once you open the box, you will see a nice bag, a pad to calculate the points and even a small pencil (always nice to see one included in a game).   As the title suggest it, the goal of the game is to achieve the highest score as quick as the lightning bolt.   

The game is quite easy to play – depending of the number of players (a maximum of six), you have to use the same number of scoring chips.   For example, if you are four players, you will use chips 1, 2, 3, and 4.  Each player takes six dice from all the same color (either blue, red, orange, green, yellow, and purple).

Once you are ready to play (and all the players’ name is on the scoring sheet), the first player chooses a challenge from the scoring sheet and everyone has to try to achieve the dice combination picked.   On the count of three, all players roll their dice at the same time.   Put aside the dice you want to keep and quickly roll again until you achieve the desired dice combination.   If you complete the challenge, you have to shout “FLASH!” and take the highest scoring chip available.   The other players continue until everyone has collected a chip.  (Can you feel the tension during a game?)  Whoever wins the challenge picks the next one to complete.

The game ends when all the challenges on the scoring sheet have been completed.   The player with the highest total wins the game.  

There are eight challenge in all:

• Six-of-a-kind: all six dice show the same number.
• 3 pairs: three pairs of dice show the same number.
• All even:  all dice show even numbers.
• Four-of-a-kind and 1 pair: one set of four dice shows the same number and one pair of dice shows the same number.
• All odds: all dice show odd numbers.
• 2 three-of-a-kind: two sets of three dice show the same number.
• Straight: all six dice follow each other.
• FLASH: all dice show Flash symbols.

Note that the FLASH symbol is also a wild side which can represent any number you wish.

What is also interesting with this game is the fact that you have two variations of the game which are included in the instructions.   This quick fast pacing game will allow you to develop various skills in order to ameliorate your focus, your fine motor, your arithmetic as well as your probability.   The game is mostly geared for age 7 and up.   It would take about 10 minutes to play and it can accommodate 2 to 6 players.

You might find that there isn’t enough scoring sheets in the package but don’t worry, you can download additional scoring sheets at Blue Orange Games for free. 

I think this would be a perfect stocking stuffer for the person in your life who likes games.   It’s also a perfect game to bring at camping or on a trip.  

   

Disclaimer: Thanks to Blue Orange Games for sending the product mentioned above for review purposes. I was not monetarily compensated for this review. Please note that the review was not influenced by the Sponsor in any way. All opinions expressed here are only my own.

Playmobil Children’s Club with Disco

Playmobil Children’s Club with Disco
From Playmobil

I was recently approached with an opportunity I couldn’t refuse.   For a couple of years now, I had tried to contact Playmobil with the opporutnity to review some of their products to no success.   However, this year, I was offered to be part of a Playmobil blogging offer and had to pick between two of their new themes – Police Station and Large Furnished Hotel.    We are no stranger to Playmobil as we have been introduced to them when our boys were a bit younger.  However, we don’t have a lot of Playmobil for our girl so I jumped on board and requested something from the Large Fursnihed Hotel Theme.   I will admit that I secretly hoped that we would get the big hotel for Jasmine but at the same time I knew that whatever we would get she would be delighted with it.

Finally, last week, I received the box of the Playmobil set I was to review.   The Children’s Club with Disco will allow your child to have the Playmobil figures dance on one of two dance songs incorporated in the toy.  But wait that’s not all, you can plug your MP2 player or iPod for more music because on your own personal favorite that could be played through the set built-in speakers.    The disco ball will also flash colored lights in order to obtain the full club effect.   Move the characters around the club on the rotating dance floor, which can also be converted into a board game. The set includes three figures, board game pieces and die, costumes, palm tree, and other accessories.

Honestly I couldn’t ask for a better fit for our dancing girl.  She loves to spin and twist.  She even took some dance lessons this year – ballet, jazz, hip hop….  Though she prefers ballet, I can already picture her dancing while listening to music with this set.   The little game board included in this set reminds me a a mini version of Parcheesi.   I know that this would bring a great one-on-one time with her brothers when they play together.   Having a game included in a set is pretty ingenious…  Even my husband was impressed with this ad-on feature on the set we have received. 

The set is part of the Playmobil Large Furnished Hotel theme.  You can follow Playmobil Canada on facebook!

Playmobil sets are definitively great ideas to give for Christmas.   Check out the two new themes from Playmobil – Police Station and Large Furnished Hotel for this Christmas.

Playmobil Police Station

Playmobil Hotel

The Playmobil Children’s Club and Disco is available at your favourite toy store even on amazon.ca and amazon.com.

  

Disclaimer: Thanks to Creative Bube Tube and Playmobil for sending me the above mentioned product for review purposes . I was not monetarily compensated for this review. Please note that the review was not influenced by the Sponsor in any way. All opinions expressed here are only my own.