Showing posts with label robot. Show all posts
Showing posts with label robot. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 17, 2015
Rabbit Robot The Sleepover CYBILS Nominee
In Cece Bells book for beginning readers, Best buds Rabbit and Robot are having their first sleepover. Its at Rabbits house and hes fairly hopping with excitement. A bit of a control freak, Rabbit has firm ideas about what should take place at a sleepover and he has a list to prove it.
1. Make pizza
2. Watch TV
3. Play Go Fish
4. Go to bed
As the poet Robert Burns famously wrote, "the best laid plans of mice and men often go astray." Apparently, a rabbits plans too. Robot doesnt want carrots on his pizza; he prefers nuts, bolts, and screws. When he removes all the hardware from the table and chairs, the friends have no place to eat their dinner. Rabbit has a major meltdown until Robot spreads a blanket on the floor and they enjoy an indoor picnic.
Each remaining chapter deals with another item from Rabbits list. Rabbit cant find the remote to watch TV, then Robots batteries conk out while the friend are playing Go Fish, and at bedtime Robot is without PJs and has to borrow a pair from Rabbit. By lights out, Rabbit has manages to ease up enough to suggest that maybe Robot can make the next days to-do list. Maybe.
Channeling Arnold Lobels Frog and Toad characters, Bell creates her version of mismatched friends. While Rabbit always has to have his way, Robot, who resembles an anthropomorphic iPhone, is more easy-going and accommodating. The cartoony illustrations are a lot of fun, especially the ones that show Robot zigzagging around the house on his one wheel. Beginning readers are sure to enjoy this new series. Who wouldnt want a robot for a friend!
Rabbit & Robot: The Sleepover
by Cece Bell
Candlewick Press, 56 pages
Published: September 2012
Monday, March 9, 2015
Robot Turtles
Robot Turtles
Contents:
- 1 Game Board
- 4 Colored Robot Turtle Tiles
- 4 Colored Jewel Tiles
- 4 Colored Bug Tiles
- 4 Colored Individual Code Card Decks (44 cards)
- 36 Obstacle Tiles
- 20 Stone Walls
- 12 Ice Walls
- 4 Crates
Game Play:
The overall game play for Robot Turtles is simple yet complex. After getting a deck of cards to play, the programmer child hands it over to the computer adult to play the move. What makes this game so complex is the difficulty levels.
For example the first time I set up the game, my 2 year old nephew came over and wanted to join. We did the simple game play and all the kids took turns moving around the board until their gems were captured. We did not use any ice walls or crates. This is where the complexity of the game comes into play. For a new programmer player you can chose to place a few crates around the board or you can make a whole complex wall for the programer to navigate. In addition to the setups in the instructions book, you can go to ThinkFun for more game plays and educational ideas.
If this game does not sound great enough, the computer parent has the best part. In addition to moving the pieces around the board, their job is to make all sorts of game sounds. For example if you have to back up you might want to do a beep beep. If you are blasting a laser, a big pop or zip might be needed.
This game is a lot of fun and very educational. It has a lot of potential and calls upon the logic of a child. Although not as much as chess, my girls still need to think a few steps ahead of the game. They are racing to see who an capture their jewel first.
Pros:
- Educational
- Teaches Programing
- Fun
- Logic Needed
Cons:
- I would have liked for ThinkFun to have included an extra booklet with a few setups from beginner to advanced. I am not always around a computer and even when I am sometimes the older kids like to play the roll of the computer. Having the extra booklet would make it easier for the older kids to set up and lead.
Suggestions:
- If you have a two year old who wants to play, use this game as a way to teach them right, left, up and down. Place their colored jewel in the center of the game and have them use the basic directions to get there. As your child hands you the card, have them say the direction out loud as a way to re-enforce the direction. For example when they give you the right arrow, have them say right and then move their turtle to the right.
- If you are playing with a super creative child, first let them get the hang of the game. After they fully understand the rules, have them make the game set up for the game and then invite friends to play.This will be a great test to their logic and creativity.
Age Range:
- 4 and older
- Children who are learning directions
Players:
- 2-5 players
Bottom Line:
As I know nothing when it comes to programing, I thought this game would be a fun way to introduce my girls a new skill. Robot Turtles is just one of those great games. I have to say the beginning was a lot of instructions for the parents to read throughout; ThinkFun was right. The actual game play is really easy. After all, my two year old nephew did invite himself to game and my 11 year old later on played really nicely with me. This is just one of those games that is fun to have around. At the end of playing ThinkFun your kids will have so much fun and not even know they are learning.
*If you would like to purchase Robot Turtles from ThinkFun, feel free to click on any of the Robot Turtles links.
I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.
I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.
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