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Sunday, November 11, 2012

Who's Counting Giveaway!


Today I'm giving away a fantastic find that recently came my way--a math game called "Who's Counting?" I was immediately intrigued because one of the areas that I fall short in my homeschooling is making math fun. I can make grammar and spelling fun, but math is an area where I lack creativity, so I have to rely on things other people have come up with to make it really have that "spark" factor. After playing the game with my husband and kids, we all declared the game a winner, and Matty, the winner of the game! We will definitely be incorporating this into our school activities, but it was an excellent way to spend family game time! What a great find!

In the box: a thick deck of cards, score pad, and directions
The game is a card game that could best be compared to UNO in its concept--there are cards that can be played for points and cards that other players can play against you to thwart your progress. Once the rules are mastered, it can be as fast-paced as the ability of the players will allow. At first glance the game looks promising--we're thinking this looks fun and engaging, and the premise is appealing to kids--math-loving Whozits in the land of Wherezit are threatened by a green goo. The players stop the green goo by using their best math strategies.

The directions are simple enough that my 11-year-old son was able to explain them to us. In brief, each player is dealt 7 cards that include green number, white operation, blue "power-up" and red "who's counting?" cards. Players attempt to use the cards in their hand to build an equation (whole numbers only) that will add up to the most possible points. They may also play a blue "power-up" card that may double their points, provide them with a wild card option, or stop another player from playing a "who's counting?" red card. The object of the game is to reach the highest number of points in 20 minutes or 500 points, whichever comes first.





 
The game is for 2-6 players and the recommended ages were from 8 to adult. My 7 year old daughter played on a team with Dad, which was a great approach because she cannot multiply and divide yet. She thoroughly enjoyed the game and used her addition, subtraction and skip-counting skills to their maximum (She can skip count numbers through 12, and is starting to understand how this leads to multiplication). My 11 year old son had no problems at all, and kept exclaiming, "This is really fun!" We decided to ditch the 20-minute rule because we forgot to set a timer, but we were also having so much fun that we wanted to get to 500.

There are several reasons this game was a huge hit. First, the concept was simple--build good equations, try to have as many operations as possible for bonus points, and get the highest score possible. Second, the game had variables in it to keep it interesting. The blue cards were fun because we could double our score or help ourselves with a "choice" card which could be any number or operation. The presence of red cards kept us biting our nails to see if we would be thwarted when we asked, "Who's Counting?" Finally, as we played the game we began to see strategies that would really help in scoring higher points, even when we had only subtraction or division cards in hand. Math skills, logic, and strategy? Bonus!

My husband, who is not a game person at all was skeptical at first, but found himself thoroughly enjoying the game and time with the family. The kids wanted to play another round, but it was getting past bedtime, so we'll be playing again very soon!

A few more points...This is an award-winning game by Teacher's Professional Resource, LLC, that does what it says it does--builds math skills. If you are interested in CCS (Common Core Standards) the game aligns with CCS to build mental math skills, collaborative problem solving, construction of viable arguments, mathematical decision making and estimation, attention to precision, and abstract and quantitative reasoning. Even if you are not interested in CCS, the game still does all that! 

So...Here's the deal. This game is for sale on Amazon for $24.99. I have a brand-new game in the shrink-wrap to give away for free. If you would like to receive this free game, leave me a comment with the ages of your kids and what subject you enjoy teaching the most. A winner will be picked this Friday, November 16th, so enter, and pass it along! Good luck!

16 comments:

  1. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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    1. Thanks for the comment, Keri! I have you entered, even though your comment isn't showing up here. :-)

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  3. Hi Kelly! I heard about your free giveaway at the WTM site (I'm ~AprilMay~....waving at you!). Wow...what an awesome looking game! I love the actual look of it...the artwork is so cool. My youngest is 9 and would absolutely LOVE this game. My son is 17, and let me tell you he really struggles with math and is behind. I think this could be a great game for him too (any help he can get!). My favorite subject to teach, this year, has been Adventures in America. Dd and I have really been enjoying it. BTW, I love your blog!

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  4. I have a 4-year-old and a 7-year-old. While I do not stay home to homeschool my kids, I supplement what my kids learn at school with my own lessons. I am a full-time homeschooler during the summer, but a part-time homeschooler during the school year. I am a Spanish teacher at a local high school, but definitely math is my favorite subject to teach to my own children.

    --Pamela

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  5. This game looks like fun! I saw your post at WTM (I'm fraidycat :) ).

    My kids are 10 & 6, and we love playing games. My favorite subject to teach would have to be Latin, with History being a close second. It's probably because I am learning right along with them on these subjects, so that makes it new and fun for me, too. Like you, I have a tendency to forget to, or not really know how to make math fun, so any extra "tools" for fun are definitely a bonus.

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  6. My kids are 8,7,and 3. Hmmmm...I love teaching so many classes - it depends on the day. We incorporate a lot of games into math - so I guess that would be my most favorite. I have never seen this game and think my kiddos would love it - thanks for reviewing it! I am on the WTM forum quite a bit, looking for advice - glad to find yout there - from Suzanne at realfunhomeschool.

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  7. My kids are 10 and 7. We love games a lot.

    My favorite subject teaching would be history.

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  8. My kids are 6,4, and 2. I don't think I could choose one subject that I enjoy teaching more than any other. Honestly, the whole role of being Teacher just rocks. I love being there with my kids and being able to witness all the steps taken in their educational process. Seeing light-bulbs go off and their "a-ha!" moments click for them is really more rewarding than any one particular subject.
    And that doesn't even begin to touch upon how much teaching has taught me. I think a good teacher has to balance her role with also being the student and I am glad to say I am learning right along with my girls as we go.

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  9. Hi, Kelly! Saw your thread on the WTM forum. :) My kids are going on 6, 4, 2, and 1 (they all have birthdays in the same month). We are a family who loves games. I just started teaching history (SOTW) and am thoroughly enjoying that. Have a great day! ~Amy

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  10. I was just looking for some new games for my kids for Christmas. It would be mostly for the older 2 (ages 9 and 7, but I also have 4 and 2 year olds) and they love math. Not sure if this counts as a subject, but I love the read aloud time we have with the kids. We are also loving Latin right now- and I am learning just as much as the kids which makes it fun to teach! Thanks so much for the opportunity to win!

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  11. This game looks so fun! We love learning through games :) My kids are almost 14, almost 8, almost 7 (all three Christmas week EEEKKKK) and 3 1/2. My favorite subject to teach is probably science because we get to make a mess. My next favorite is math because the program we use (McRuffy) has lots of hands on activities.

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  12. We love math games around here! My kids are 19, 18, 11, 9, 7, 5 and 2 months. We enjoy history and math, but science is our all time favorite. The more hands on (and messy) the better!

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    1. Charlene you have been chosen! Email me with your mailing address and I will send the game right out to you!

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  13. Hi! Love following your blog. Found it while researching TOG and then saw it on WTM. My kids are 9 and 3. I thought my favorite subject to teach would be history, but it, and everything else, has become a challenge. The math game looks great. Thanks!

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