Saturday 3 September 2011

Strategy Game - family game, board game


I asked for this game for my 38th birthday--believe it or not! Every time I would take my 2 children into the local toy store I would stand and play this game which they had on display. Honestly, it is a great educational game for both my 6 and 9 year old children--you have to add up the dice and then figure out which combination of numbers is best to flip down. It really is fun and very addictive. I knew my kids would love to give it to me since they always saw me play it, and I also knew they would enjoy it and not realize they were having to do math! Double Shutter Tin

My daughter's 4th grade friends had fun competing with each other, trying to "shut the box" or get the lowest score. For my 1st grade son, it was a fun way to reinforce his addition math facts. All the kids liked it. We've purchased a couple more sets for birthday presents for friends. This version (Double Shutter)is a better made product than it's "junior" counterpart. This rendition has nice "shutters" (they are made of something similar to domino tiles),the box is felt lined and everything snaps shut into the tin. The only thing I don't like is the retail price. We've tried to purchase it on sale, which occasionally you can find it for 20 to 25% off at some stores (much better value then).

Our 5.5 & 7 year old girls enjoy playing Double Shutter. It's self contained, requires some thinking, can be played with one player, and travels well. I had never heard of the game but I enjoy it also.

This is a great game! It is really good as a car game, solo game, or a game between a couple of people. It is even helpful for younger ones to help develop adding skills and the ever important logic/strategy skills.

Great game! My 7 year-old was playing with it and our friends' 15 year-olds couldn't get enough of it. They wanted to know where I bought it so they could get one as well. Another friends 3 1/2 year-old was playing it as well. A good way to get your younger children playing a game while practicing simple math addition and number partnering.

Another Christmas gift for our three children and a hit with all of them. We've had the classic shut the box game for two years and unfortunately the game took a beating from our youngest child, currently 5. Their grandparents gave this version to them this year and it is not only a hit with all three of the children (10, 7 & 5), but is just as big a hit with adults. The fun thing about the original version and this game is that it can be played for long periods of time alone or you can create competitions with larger groups of players. Unlike the classic wooden version of shut the box, which was aesthetically pleasing but not too durable, this is very durable and definitely better with three younger kids (and friends) playing with it.

My family (husband, myself, and 7-year-old son) all enjoy playing this game together frequently. The quality of the game itself is high, with a felt-lined area to roll the dice in, sturdy tiles, and a tin container and lid. The object of the game is to get the lowest score by rolling dice, and then flipping down tiles in any combination to add up to that number (e.g., If you roll a 10, could pick 8+2, 7+2+1, etc.). You continue your turn until you are unable to flip down any more tiles and then the next player goes. Double Shutter encourages practice of addition facts for the younger crew: 1-12 for rolling the dice, and double-digit addition when adding up your score. For the parents/adults, it is addicting in attempting to beat yours and others' lowest scores! Highly recommended for families, adults, and children who are able to do simple addition for both fun and honing those addition skills.

I bought this game when my wife and I were on vacation near Washington D.C. At first she was a little skeptical, but that afternoon over drinks and snacks, I dragged it out and we started to play. Now, my wife is not much of a game player, but she loved it instantly, and we played for a couple of hours. After that, it became our afternoon "tradition" for the rest of the vacation.

Now, just last week, my grandson started to play it with me (he's 7.5), and he took to it and understood it immediately. We played at least 15 games, and he loves it. So far he's still counting the numbers on the dice, but I'm confident that very soon he'll be adding them at sight. Even my 5 year old granddaughter likes flipping the pieces up and down, though she hasn't quite caught on to the concept of the game yet.

One of the things I like best about it is that set-up is instantaneous--just tilt the box and the pieces flip up ready for a new game. Too, there's nothing to lose except, maybe, the dice, but they're pretty easy to replace anywhere.

This game is very durable, well-made, quiet, quick, and loads of fun.

I never played "Shut the Box" before getting this one. I thought after reading the description of the game that it wasn't going to be much fun. I bought this solely on the positive reviews. I am pleasantly surprised! I actually love this game. I bought this for my 7 year old daughter's birthday and what an excellent education tool it has been for her addition math facts. Basically, you try to shut the box on your turn by rolling the dice, adding the numbers together, then deciding which tiles you want to shut down. You keep doing this until you roll a number that cannot be added on the tiles. Whatever is left is your total for that turn (only count numbers that are showing, not those covered on the second row). Then it's the other person's turn. Keep score. The person who reaches 100 first loses. Another way to keep score is to give the winner of the round 1 point. The first one to 5 wins.



I've shut the box one time, my daughter twice... what an exciting event that is!! :) - Classic Games - Board Game - Strategy Game - Family Game'


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