I have been a kindergarten/first grade teacher for 12 years. I have this game and school and wanted to order another one for my own grandchildren. It is a great game that practices addition and subtraction while having fun. I highly recommend it. Sum Swamp Addition and Subtraction Game
We bought this for my boys and they really enjoyed it right from the start. There is addition and subtraction practice and the concept of odd and even numbers, but the kids don't care because it's fun. The target ages are about 4 to 7, but it's fun enough that Mommy doesn't mind playing it again and again.
I have 3 small children and we love playing this game as a family! Grantedm my 2 year old just likes to roll the dice but it is great at reinforcing the math concepts that I am teaching the kids in homeschool. My 4 year old is starting to be able to add and subtract and my almost 6 year old is gaining confidence in her ability to add and subtract. Not only does it reinforce math concepts but also helps to teach them to be good sportsmen, taking turns, and gives parents the opportunity to help them deal with disappointment if they don't win. The best part is that this this game is a lot of fun and they have no idea that they're learning all of these great things!
Sum Swamp isn't *so* much fun that, say, they'd ever want to make a movie about it. I don't think you're going to see Liam Neeson and Jennifer Lopez starring in a summer blockbuster thriller about a magical swamp where you have to roll dice and get through it, and need to find the magic combination to get out of the "endless" loop.
On the other hand, playing games with your kids and teaching them basic math can be pretty mundane, if not boring, if you don't have some sort of story. So, as far as an activity goes to make this easy and fun, Sum Swamp fits the bill. The are charming aspects to the board, for instance, that make it play a bit like Candyland (possible "short cuts").
The game is remarkably simple. A board, two numbered dice, a plus/minus die, and four character pieces for the players. Theoretically, you could build this game on your own if you were so inclined, say, with a bunch of toy cars or ponies and call it Sum Race. The plus/minus dice would be hard to procure, though.
The best part, though, kidding aside, is that my kid actually asks to play this game preferentially over, say, other lame-u-tational games like Sequence, SuperWhy ABC Letter Game, etc.
Part of the charm, also, is that the game takes maybe a grand total of 5-10 minutes to get through a game, if you're efficient about it. So it's not going to stretch on and on without some sort of redemption, like a bad movie might. More reason why they probably shouldn't turn Sum Swamp into a movie. Unless, maybe, if they had Samuel L. Jackson in it.
Here are the directions straight outta' the box:
- Each player chooses a game piece and places it on start. Players roll a number die and the player with the highest number goes first.
- The first players rolls all 3 dice and creates a number sentence by placing the highest number die first, the operation die second, and the smallest number die last.
- The player then adds or subtracts the numbers, and moves ahead the sum or difference. For example, if a player rolls 3+2, he/she moves ahead 5 spaces. If a player rolls a combination that equals 0 (5-5=0), heshe does not move. Then it is the next player's turn.
- The first player to reach the finish space is the winner!
Special spaces on the board
"Evens" or "Odds": if a player lands on one of these spaces, heshe rolls one die. If a player rolls an "even" or "odd" number as indicated on the game board, he/she moves ahead that number of spaces. If an evenodd number is not rolled, the player must wait until his/her next turn and try again!
Number Space: If a player lands on a number space, he/she rolls the operation die. If the player rolls a +, he/she moves ahead the number indicated on the space. If the player rolls a -, heshe moves back that number.
"Short Cut": If a player lands on one of these spaces, he/she follows the arrows as indicated on the board.
"Endless Loop": All players enter the loop as the arrow on the board indicates. Players continue moving counterclockwise around the loop. If a player lands on the space marked "exit", he/she can exit the loop on his/her next turn.
My daughter has begun her basic arithmetic, and this game made "studying" fun and relevant. It is also good family time! I highly recommend it for the first grader (or earlier, if that is the case) who is practicing their early math. Too bad the numbers only go up to six (the dice only go to six).
I bought this for my 4 year old son as he HATED math with worksheets and flashcards. He wanted to play this game 10 times a day. He LOVES it! Before we bought this game, he was SLOWLY and reluctantly finger-counting addition. He can now add and subtract 2 numbers (1-6) by memory. He also now understands even and odd. We've owned this game for 6 months, and he still loves to play it. My only problem is the durability. The box has been crushed flat, and the ink on the die rubbed off before the first month. I occasionally use a Sharpie to re-write the numbers and plus and minus. I still think it's a great game and have purchased them as gifts.
My grandson found this game so exciting one just has to say "Sum Swamp," his eyes light up and he is clamoring to play. He has played it so much with other kids and adults, our family will have to start looking for a more expanded version that will move our grandson to add or subtract higher numbers than what is currently involved in this game. This is truly a great learning game for pre-school and kindergarten children. Watching those little fingers raised for additions and "take-aways," then looking at kids' faces stomped when they run out of fingers---it is difficult for adults to hide their giggles and laughter. The game board and the box are made of surprisingly durable material. The animal character pieces used to move over the board are made of good rubber material which help avoid sliding, slipping, and getting easily misplaced. - Mathematics - Childrens Games - Board Game - Fun Math'
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