Empowering Bright & Gifted Children

 

 

Ages: 8+
Puzzle Difficulty: 2 (Scale: 1-5)
Type of Puzzle: Logic, Deductive Reasoning
Number of Players: Single Player

 

 

 

Product Awards:

 

 

 

Box Size: 8.9" x 8" x 2.5"
Box Weight: 0.9 lbs

 

 

A particularly fun and tactile logic puzzle. I have a soft spot for logic games, they are my personal favorites. This game is particularly appealing because of the chocolate pieces. The puzzles are quite easy for beginners at the beginning, yet progress to puzzles where clues need to be combined in order to figure out the answers. It is a way to engage younger kids into logic puzzles.

 

Appealing to younger kids than 8+. Although this puzzle game is rated for kids 8+ years, my experience is that this is better for gifted kids that are younger. I think a better age guide is 6-9 for gifted kids. By the time they are 10 or 11, the feedback that I get is that the puzzles "seem" too easy to the kids and they are less likely to play it. (Actually, the more advanced puzzles are OK for this age, sometimes I think boys just think the chocolate theme is too young for them.) However, the candy aspect IS very enticing to younger kids, because they are seldom allowed to play with candy so there is a "it is so fun to play something that is forbidden" aspect that is engaging and fun!

 

Appeals to teen girls! I've been surprised how often this game is picked by tween and teen girls to play, all of whom are in math classes that are at least 1-2 years ahead of grade level. Particularly, girls that haven't played with logic puzzles before. There is just something about the chocolate theme that works for them!

 

The magic of Velcro circles. I happen to keep a sample of this puzzle and others in my car so if my kids or their friends want to play they can. A younger boy (6 years old) was playing with this puzzle and as we turned a corner a few pieces fell out of the puzzle and out of reach onto the floor. Justifiably, there was disappointment in having to stop before solving the puzzle.

 

I thought about it, and wondered if velcro would work. I put some velcro circles in each of the 9 spaces on the puzzle board and underneath the puzzle pieces (soft velcro side under the chocolate pieces), and it worked great for the car! Kids love the whole velcro thing. The next time this 6-year-old was in the car, all of a sudden he was solving the puzzle upside down over his head! What fun! Upside down play could be a very fun twist - I can envision the puzzle with velcro underneath a bunk bed, play table, and so on. Adding more play to puzzle solving is always a good idea!