Game Night! Games for Kids, by a Kid

Wyatt is always asking me what I am doing when I blog. I tell him I am blogging but he better understands it if I refer to it as “work”. So I am working. Lol. I thought it would be fun to ask for his input on what I should blog about, and his response was games. He is really into playing games right now, so it was not a big surprise. Books and games, that is what we do these days! It works though, it has been such a weird summer for us.

Note: This post does contain Amazon Affiliate links. I will make a small commission if you were to purchase anything from the link, at no extra cost to you.

Anyway, back to games. These are Wyatt’s current favorites! Some of them are super simple, that pretty much even the youngest child could play, but they work really well for Wyatt’s occupational therapy and speech therapy goals. Good thing he loves the games she chose – so much, that we had to buy them for home. One especially has grabbed his attention… Pop! the Pig

I can’t tell you how often everyone, and I mean, everyone, in our family has played this game with Wyatt. His speech therapist introduced this game to him, and we have all had to play it a million times. But it helps him so that is good! We have him follow the same requirements his speech therapist wants from him, multiple words strung together, so every time we play, it is just more speech! Win! Basically, you roll the dice, find the burger that matches the color, read the number on the back, feed the pig, and push down on his hat that number of times. As you feed him and push on his hat, his belly gets fuller and fuller until his belt pops! Then you just push his head to deflate him. (I wish it were that easy for me to flatten my belly!) I told his therapist that we had to buy this game because he loved it so much in her office, and she told me that so many other families have told her that as well!

He loves Pop! the Pig so much, that last weekend Billy and I picked up a similar game, Chompin’ Charlie. This one is actually a little better at honing his fine motor skills, because the acorn game pieces are pretty small, and it’s a little difficult to stuff them in the squirrel’s face. He loves this game, but misses the more physical part of pushing down on the pig’s head from the other.

Next is Pop-Up Pirate – a variation on a theme here. Another simple game but one that allows him to work those fine motor skills. You stick the pirate down in the barrel, and take turns shoving swords into the barrel in the slots until the pirate pops out. And he really pops up, higher than you expect so don’t have anyone’s face over the top! We actually bought this for Wyatt for Christmas because he loves pirates so much. It was more about the pirate than the game, then it became a favorite. Wyatt loves the anticipation and when the pirate pops, and we like it because first, he loves it, and second, it is a quick and fast game to play when you want a quick and fast game!

This next game was a reward for summer reading, in June. It is called Ghost in the Attic from Peaceable Kingdom and it is so fun! The best part is that it glows in the dark, so it is super fun to play at night, or camping. We are going to take it on our family trip at the end of the month so that Wyatt and Mermaid Girl can play together. It is a cooperative game, which means everyone plays together toward the same goal. We are actually big fans of all the Peaceable Kingdom Games, even though Wyatt is sort of outgrowing some of his earlier ones. We play them now mostly because they are old favorites. 

Outfoxed is another favorite! He got this for Christmas and it is a cute “whodunit” type game for kids. This is another one we are taking with us on our trip!

Finally is the game My First Dragon Adventure, an adventure fantasy type game by the company Jumping High Five! They are a brand new company just getting started, and they are so sweet! We also have another game by them called Candy Train, which is also fun, but Wyatt just happens to love the dragon more, even though he is a huge train fan these days.

And there you have it! Wyatt’s top favorite games of the moment!

Book Review: Outfoxed by Melinda Metz

Publishers Summary:

Visit the charming community of Fox Crossing, Maine in this witty, feel-good story about small town life, the power of belief, the importance of community, and one very special fox whose appearance heralds second chances, luck – or best of all, love. Animal lovers, fans of Hallmark happy endings, and those who enjoy smart, uplifting, heartwarming stories with a twist will be delighted by the latest tale from internationally bestselling author Melinda Metz.

The town of Fox Crossing, Maine, has something special—a legendary fox with a knack for bringing fortune, love, and happiness to anyone lucky enough to see it…
 
THESE TOWNSFOLK MAY THINK THEY’RE PRETTY SMART
 
Victoria Michaud has lived in Fox Crossing her entire life without encountering the fabled fox. And then, on the day of her thirtieth birthday, she spots a beautiful, golden-eyed vixen . . . right before she also recognizes Bowen Gower, the guy who made her high school years hell. So much for good luck. Victoria already has enough to deal with, between running her Junk & Disorderly antique store and refereeing her divorced, still-bickering parents.
 
BUT IT TAKES A SLY FOX TO SHOW THEM THE WAY
 
There are a lot of things Bowen doesn’t remember about growing up in this town on the Appalachian trail, and some he’s chosen to forget. Back to settle his grandfather’s estate, Bowen soon realizes it won’t be easy to make amends to those he wronged. But he’s eager to convince Victoria to give him another chance.
 It’ll take some doing—and perhaps more luck than one fox sighting can provide. Then again, sometimes one look is all you need . . .

My Thoughts:

To me, these are January books. I have read the first two books in January, and I loved them both. Then I tried to read this one, the third one in the series, before it’s NetGalley archive date in October. And I did, I read it, but I didn’t really give it a fair shake because I wasn’t in the mood for it at that time. So, this month I thought I would revisit this story at a time that felt better. I am such a mood reader! And I am so glad I did this because this time around I loved it!

This story deals with two sets of of siblings, Bowen and Tegan, and Victoria and Henry. Bowen and Tegan grew up in the town of Fox Crossing, as the grandchildren of the mayor but only recently returned upon his death. Victoria runs an eclectic antique store, while Henry has also been living out of town. He comes back to help his sister celebrate her birthday, and with all the central players now in town, the rest of the story can begin.

Romance is in the air in this little town, yet there is just so much baggage they all seem to be carrying around that needs to be dealt with before any of them can fully trust. And to me, in my opinion, that is what this book is really about. Letting go of the past, fresh new starts, second chances. Self-awareness, self-love. Bullying. The undercurrents of this book simply swirl with trauma and emotions that have not been addressed and it all seems to be coming home to roost (I feel like there is a pun in here).

The characters in this one are particularly interesting, with their flaws and eccentricities. I especially like Victoria and her crazy fashions – she just sounds like so much fun! And Tegan and her found art sculptures and statues, Henry..well he is sort of just typical I guess. Bowen is eccentric in that all work and no play way, but he is able to read people very well, so despite seeming like he shouldn’t be a people person, he kind of is.

And of course, there is the fox.

Overall this was a wonderful return to Fox Crossing, Maine, and I am so glad that I gave this book a second chance. Thank you to NetGalley for the original ebook in exchange for an honest review, although I did end up purchasing this book on Amazon this month.