Home Schooling Gifted Resources

Why Co-operative games for Home Schooling?

Co-operative games produce less aggressive behaviors during and after play and, that as a result, they require less direct supervision by the teachers, it’s a win/win. Read more below…

Games for the Gifted:

Investigators - 2 to 8 Players, Ages 8 to Adult Click for a larger image You are a team of private detectives solving such cases as Theft, Smuggling and Blackmail. You move around the Big City looking for clues, trying to avoid Locked Doors, Guard Dogs, Getting Tied Up, Secret Codes, even Mob Tough Guys — and using Disguises, Fast Moves, a special Tool Kit, but mostly your Quick Wits to get out of Tight Corners. Can we solve the case to get our client out of trouble? Yes, if we pool our strategies, use some intuition and help each other out of tough spots. A quick-moving game with lots of opportunity for sharing, consultation and decision making. Includes: 13 x 18" board, cue cards, big bucks, solution envelope, dice, movers. © 1989 Our customers say: "Tricky but fun!" — Ukiah, CAInvestigators: You are a team of private detectives solving such cases as Theft, Smuggling and Blackmail. You move around the Big City looking for clues, trying to avoid Locked Doors, Guard Dogs, Getting Tied Up, Secret Codes, even Mob Tough Guys — and using Disguises, Fast Moves, a special Tool Kit, but mostly your Quick Wits to get out of Tight Corners.

Sky Travelers - 2 to 5 Players, Ages 8 to Adult Sky Travelers You are visitors from Outer Space whose Scout Craft has crashed on an island. Your Mission is to search the island, the Shore, the Sea, Nearby Forests and even Mountains for the Elements to repair your Craft. The Mother Ship is coming close for a pick up of Scout Craft. Don't let it pass by! On Earth, you meet UTOCs (Ugly Things Out of Control) and use your Powers to deal with them. However, your world is without violence and your people are so deeply peaceful that you cannot harm anyone. If you use a Special Power in a violent way, your Being disintegrates! An exciting game of skill, teamwork and decision making. But remember ... the Mother Ship is on its way, and coming nearer. Includes: 13 x 18" board, movers, traveler chart, travel cards, dice. © 1989 Our customers say: "The completely opposite playing experience to all current violent games! A truly kinder, gentler science fiction game." — Chicago, ILSky Travelers: You are visitors from Outer Space whose Scout Craft has crashed on an island. Your Mission is to search the island, the Shore, the Sea, Nearby Forests and even Mountains for the Elements to repair your Craft. The Mother Ship is coming close for a pick up of Scout Craft. Don’t let it pass by!

Hotel Ritz - 1 to 8 players, Ages 10 to Adult Hotel Ritz Click for a larger image The players are a team of House Detectives coordinating their efforts to prevent a gang of sophisticated Thieves from stealing the Hotel Guests' Valuables, worth Millions. We have Surveillance Cameras, Burglar Alarms, Handcuffs, sets of Fake Valuables, and Brilliant Minds (that's us) to assist in our fight against Crime. With a bit of luck, lots of cleverness, and good Teamwork, losses will be little or nil. But we must not underestimate those Thieves. Just look at their plush Hideout loaded with Goodies. They know how to use the Elevators and Hallways to advantage. They are Specialists in thieving particular Valuables — although there is one who knows no limits and will steal everything. Millions of dollars are at stake, not to mention lots of Reward money. It is up to us to outfox the foxes and teach them that Crime doesn't pay, no matter how slick and greedy you are. Includes: 17 x 17" board, 8 kinds of valuables, 6 thieves, 6 thieves' hideouts, 9 stopper cards, jail, rules for basic and harder games. © 2002Hotel Ritz: The players are a team of House Detectives coordinating their efforts to prevent a gang of sophisticated Thieves from stealing the Hotel Guests’ Valuables, worth Millions.

We have Surveillance Cameras, Burglar Alarms, Handcuffs, sets of Fake Valuables, and Brilliant Minds (that’s us) to assist in our fight against Crime. With a bit of luck, lots of cleverness, and good Teamwork, losses will be little or nil.

Space Future 2 to 4 Players, Ages 9 to Adult Space Future A team of space explorers are together on a dangerous mission. You set up the mission. As in real space travel, each person has an important part to fulfill, and must return safely to Earth. Each must use the craft, equipment and fuel wisely. Keep an alert mind on the controls. Lives are at stake. We have to look after one another, performing daring rescues. A special feature is that players are not static, but grow in wisdom and knowledge. This personal growth affects how well you perform during the mission. A quick moving game, with plenty of strategy decisions. Includes: 17 x 22" board, mission chart, equipment cards, fuel tokens, experience cards, spacecraft, dice. © 1979Space Future: A team of space explorers are together on a dangerous mission. You set up the mission. As in real space travel, each person has an important part to fulfill, and must return safely to Earth.

Each must use the craft, equipment and fuel wisely. Keep an alert mind on the controls. Lives are at stake. We have to look after one another, performing daring rescues.

A special feature is that players are not static, but grow in wisdom and knowledge. This personal growth affects how well you perform during the mission. A quick moving game, with plenty of strategy decisions.

Power Blackout - 3 to 12 players, Ages 12 to Adult Click for a larger image Within 16 rounds or fewer, bring Power to all 100 Populated Centers on the Continent. We are CEOs in control of our own Power Grids on the Continent. Each of us is responsible for bringing and maintaining full electrical service to our Populated Centers. There are Bonus Revenues and other Perks for fully servicing one’s own Area. However, as we have learned from several recent Blackouts, each Grid is interdependent with other Grids, so CEOs must work together for the survival of the Continental Power System. Negotiation and deal-making skills are very important to everyone’s success. Thus, tension is created between balancing the needs of one’s own constituency and the overall good. When is it best to compromise and when is it best to be selfish? The well-being of millions of people are at stake. Includes: 17 x 17" board, rules, action summary cards, 100 tower/blackout tokens, bank notes (1, 5, 10, 20 and 50 million dollars), set of play cards including a CEO card, 12 continental areas, 12 power plants, 16 year/going rates, a variety of good and bad news cards. © 2004 Our customers say: "Wheeling and dealing and hardnosed bargaining while trying to keep an eye on the entire Continent’s situation makes this a very challenging game. The great interaction among the players, often with a competitive edge, makes this a very different co-operative game. We six adults have played 12 times now for an exhausting, exhilarating experience each time!" — Sean, OHPower Blackout: Within 16 rounds or fewer, bring Power to all 100 Populated Centers on the Continent.

We are CEOs in control of our own Power Grids on the Continent. Each of us is responsible for bringing and maintaining full electrical service to our Populated Centers. There are Bonus Revenues and other Perks for fully servicing one’s own Area. However, as we have learned from several recent Blackouts, each Grid is interdependent with other Grids, so CEOs must work together for the survival of the Continental Power System.
[add_to_cart id=”1620″ style=”border:1px solid #000; padding: 5px; margin-top:10px;”]2012 The Mayan Calendar - 1 to 4 players, Ages 12 to Adult 2012: The Mayan CalendarClick for a larger image The Mayan Calendar is much more than a system to mark off the passage of time. It is a prophetic calendar that may help us understand the past and foresee the future. It is a calendar of the Ages that describes how the progression of Heavens and Underworlds condition the human consciousness, and thus the frames for our thought and actions within a given Age. To some people it is predicting the end of the world, December 2012. For others, the Calendar is forecasting the start of a new Era. This game incorporates both views. The object of this game is to create a physical vehicle like a pyramid to focus and spread universal spiritual power. For this task we will need builders, materials, equipment and money. We must work together to build 11 Spiritual Centers around the Planet to ward off the many Destructive Perils entering from many directions. How much of the Earth did we allow to be destroyed? How much new spiritual consciousness did we bring into being? Includes: 13”x18” board, 4 movers, 2 dce, sheet of 55 diecut pieces (13 building equipment, 13 building materials, 16 building personnel, 13 building finances), 8 player roles, 6 centers destroyed, 11 spiritual power markers, 12 destructive perils markers, 1 of which is used as a calendar marker. © 2009Mayan Calendar: The Mayan Calendar is much more than a system to mark off the passage of time. It is a prophetic calendar that may help us understand the past and foresee the future. It is a calendar of the Ages that describes how the progression of Heavens and Underworlds condition the human consciousness, and thus the frames for our thought and actions within a given Age.

JSCH 1 to 5 players, Ages 12 to Adult Click for a larger image The JSCH (pronounced “Ish”) from faraway Planet Erra observe the struggle between Good and Evil Forces on Planet Earth. Which will gain influence over the Minds and Souls of Humans? JSCHWJSCH/JSCHRJSCH mean Kings and Queens of Wisdom in the Plejaran language. The players help each other by clever laying of tiles to make Maps or Areas of Consciousness so the Forces of Light will be in the majority. Each player has an JSCH as a personal E.T. Contact whose spiritual help they can call upon to prevent the Evil Forces from ruling Earth. THE MAPS that develop as tiles are laid are not geographical areas with territorial boundaries, but rather more fluid depictions of how cultures spread regardless of national boundaries. THE EVIL FORCES, symbolized by Dark Shields with a drop of blood shaped like a bomb, represent such Forces as violence, greed, hate, confusion, political and religious conflicts... the destructive elements. THE YELLOW SHIELDS with the UFO-like Eye represent the Forces of Light, which you can interpret as Goodness, Compassion, Living according to Creational Laws... all that is positive in humans. WHITE SHIELDS represent the Uncommitted, who will convert to Dark or Light, depending on which Force is in the majority in that Area. It will take all your strategic skills & the timely help of the JSCH to save Planet Earth from the destructive Forces that threaten us all. Includes: 60 tiles, 5 jsch, 2 influence markers, 1 influence track. © 2005Jsch: The JSCH (pronounced “Ish”) from faraway Planet Erra observe the struggle between Good and Evil Forces on Planet Earth. Which will gain influence over the Minds and Souls of Humans? JSCHWJSCH/JSCHRJSCH mean Kings and Queens of Wisdom in the Plejaran language.

The players help each other by clever laying of tiles to make Maps or Areas of Consciousness so the Forces of Light will be in the majority. Each player has an JSCH as a personal E.T. Contact whose spiritual help they can call upon to prevent the Evil Forces from ruling Earth.

Books: Games Manual, Marble Games, Games Kit, Games Plans

Early Childhood: Bambino Dino, Early Years, Granny’s House, Harvest Time, Sand Castles

Elementary School: Animal Trackers, Berries Bugs & Bullfrogs, Funny Face, Hugs & Tickles, Yard Sale

Geography: Let’s Go Digging, Mountaineering, Somewhere In the Rockies, Explorers, Somewhere in the Honduras, Somewhere in China

Gifted Resources: Investigators, Sky Travelers, Hotel Ritz, Space Future, Power Blackout, Mayan Calendar, Jsch

Social Studies: Community, Our Town, Ploughshares, Then There Were None, Earth Game, New America

Summer Enrichment: Walk In the Woods, Birds of Summer, Let’s Go Hiking, Farmers Market

Thinking Skills: Gridlock, Maze, Zen Blocks, Brainy Games, Blues Away, Diplomatic Mission, Warp n Woof

Why Co-operative games for Home Schooling?

Games make learning fun. But competitive games pit learners against each other, so someone always ends up feeling bad, or left out.

Play as friends, not as enemies! Our games foster the spirit of co-operation. Players help each other climb a mountain, make a community, bring in the harvest, complete a space exploration… They are never against each other.

After all, the initial impulse to play a game is social; that is, we bring out a game because we want to do something together. How ironic then that in most games, we spend all our efforts trying to bankrupt someone, destroy their armies — in other words, to get rid of one another! We soon learn how to pick on the other person’s weaknesses in order to win the game.

In sharing and working together teacher and students foster a sense of community. When there are no winners and losers, aggressive behavior decreases and less time is wasted sorting out disputes.

Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis actually investigated the effects of competitive and cooperative games on aggressive and cooperative behaviors of 70 children (4 to 5 years old) from four classes in three preschools using some of our games including Max®, Harvest Time®, Granny’s House®, and Sleeping Grump® and some of our Cooperative Physical Activities).

The key conclusions of the study are that co-operative games produce less aggressive behaviors during and after play and, that as a result, they require less direct supervision by the teachers, it’s a win/win. It could be argued that they would pay for themselves in saved teacher work-hours.