The following games are recently published or will be published soon.  These products can be located using either the browse by content or grade level links on this web site.

FOCUS™

Research has shown conclusively that the two treatments that are most effective in improving attention spans for children diagnosed as ADD or ADHD are medication and behavior modification.  A combination of both treatments usually works better than either one alone.  Focus™ is essentially a behavior modification program in a box.

Focus™ is a game that children have fun playing.  It is structured to encompass the essential elements of behavior modification and designed to have the greatest positive impact on attention.  In behavior modification children receive specific positive reinforcement for accomplishing a task within an appropriate time frame and without being distracted.  The rewards are usually in the form of tokens.  This game provides two ways for players to win tokens – with or without a distraction.

The game has 3 sets of task cards that describe tasks that the players have to complete in order to earn their tokens.  Each task requires concentration and continuing attention and includes:

1.  Categories:  Players have to list things that belong in a specific category, such as listing five fruits that have one large pit in the middle.

 2.  Forward and Back:  Players have to recite things forward and/or backwards, such as reciting the alphabet forwards and backwards from A to F.

3.  Problem Solving:  The game comes with various cut out shapes and cut out words.  Using shapes, the players have to create a specific design, like a triangle similar to the pattern on the card, using the shapes provided.  Using words the players have to create a sentence, like a sentence in which someone throws something to someone else.

A player can elect to perform the task without distraction and win one token or with distraction and win two tokens.  The distraction is optional.  The distractions are provided by one of the other players, who pick a Distraction card.  This card may ask the distracting player to hum “Happy Birthday” or tap fingers on the table while the other player is trying to accomplish the task.  Players can earn more tokens when they attempt a task while distracting events are taking place.  Distractions are the most common reason people lose focus on the task at hand.  This game gives players much needed practice that improves their ability to stay focused on tasks, even with distractions.

There are both competitive and cooperative versions for grades 1-12.  There are three decks of Task cards with varied levels of difficulty: easier, regular, and challenge.  The key is for the players to be able to complete the task most of the time if they concentrate and are not distracted.  Difficulty of the tasks can also be varied by imposing a time limit and permitting the use of paper and pencil for certain tasks.

Playing Time:  Flexible from 25 minutes to 50 minutes.           

Players:  2 - 5

Grades 1-12 (three sets of cards: Easier -grades 1-5, Regular - grades 6-8, and Challenge – grades 9-adult)

Publication Date:  July 2009

Learning Objectives - Players:

1.  improve their ability to stay focused on tasks until they are completed;

2.  learn to do a better job handling frustrations;

3.  learn to anticipate distractions and create strategies to overcome them;

4.  learn the benefits and rewards of focusing;

5.  learn to tune out distractions and keep focused.

 

Play-2-Learn Dominoes®:  Cyber Smart

Play-2-Learn Dominoes: CyberSmart is an educational domino game designed to teach young people how to navigate the dangerous waters of the Internet, including wireless devices such as cell phones, PDA's, and MP3 players. Major topics covered include Internet predators, Internet bullying, scams, viruses, and the practice of pro-social Internet behavior.  It is designed for students in grades 3 - 7.  It also can be used as high interest material for students who are less savvy than their peers about the Internet and its dangers.

Before playing a domino, a player picks a card from one of the four decks and either answers a question or practices a skill.  The Mystery Cards pose scenarios that the players have to resolve, True-False Cards are questions with a distinctly right or wrong answer, Multiple-Choice Cards give several answer options to choose from, and Opinion Cards are open-ended questions in which a second player gets a chance to agree or disagree with the first player's answer. 

Playing time:  Flexible from 30 minutes - 45 minutes       

Players:  2-5

Grades: 3 – 7

Publication Date:  July 2009

Learning Objectives - Players will:

1. learn the dangers of predators on the web and specific steps they can take to stay safe;

2. learn how to deal with the epidemic of on-line bullying, and specific steps they can take as a target of bullying or a bystander;

3. learn about scams and guidelines on how to avoid them;

4. learn strategies for avoiding worms, viruses and unwanted age-inappropriate materials;

4. learn how the dangers and problems of the Internet has spread to wireless devices such as PDA's, MP3 players, Blackberries, and cell phones;

5. learn how to be a good Internet citizen and practice pro-social skills such as courtesy, “Netiquette” and caring when on line.

 

Bully Safe ™

Bully Safe™ is an educational card game that teaches a systems approach to reducing bullying behavior.  All children have been involved in bullying incidents, whether as a target, a bully, or a bystander.  Players learn that everyone can play an important role in reducing bullying.  The target of the bullying will become the victim if he/she cannot stop the bullying attempt.  In addition, the bystander who laughs when the bully makes fun of another student is unwittingly rewarding the bully with the status he/she seeks and encouraging more bullying.

Like other behavior, bullying behavior is not random, rather it is motivated by specific goals.  Most bullying is motivated by social goals, such as status, popularity, power, having fun, etc.  The game emphasizes that all students in the school community have the ability to support bullying or to discourage it.  Students learn concrete, non-violent skills to use in bullying situations.  In addition to the game's systems approach, it differs from most other approaches to bullying in two important respects.  First, it pays attention to the potentially positive role of the bystanders.  Second, it gives bullies positive skills to use to achieve their goals without resorting to bullying behavior.

The game box includes rules for both cooperative play and competitive play.  In each version players read Situation cards that describe typical middle school bullying behavior.  Players then offer advice to the target, the bystanders, or the bully (on how the bully can achieve goals using pro-social skills instead of bullying).  Players earn tokens for their sound advice.  In order to facilitate learning and help the players give sound advice, the game includes a list of non-violent skills that targets and bystanders can use to reduce and stop bullying.  Players also learn when it is appropriate to seek help from a trusted adult. 

Playing time:  Flexible–from 25 minutes to 50 minutes.   

Players:  2 - 5

Grades:  5 - 8 (two sets of cards: red Situation cards and blue Advice cards)

Publication date:  July 2009

Learning Objectives - Players:

1. learn that all students have an important role to play in preventing bullying;

2. learn skills that they can use to prevent and discourage bullying if they are targets of bullying;

3. learn skills that they can use to prevent and discourage bullying if they are bystanders, whether they are present at the bullying or hear about the bullying before it takes place or later on;

4. learn that people use bullying behavior to achieve certain goals and what those goals tend to be;

5. learn positive skills that former bullies use to achieve their goals without bullying.

 

Splitsville™

Children are faced with many challenges when parents separate/divorce.  Splitsville™ introduces children to the six skills they will need to successfully navigate a parental separation.  The game uses ice cream sundae pieces to teach important coping skills. 

At the start of the game and along the way they read poems on road signs that bolster confidence and set a positive, optimistic tone to the game. 

Players start with a sundae cup and add all parts of the sundae by spinning and answering questions in each category.  Each delicious topping helps teach an important coping skill, and each topping is represented by a deck of cards.

Bendable Banana teaches the importance of flexibility as children adjust to the rules, routines, and expectations of different households.  Cool Down Ice Cream introduces calming techniques and Ooey Gooey Feelings gives children healthy ways to manage upset feelings. Rainbow Sprinkles reminds youngsters to look for the positives in their daily lives, while Nutty Nuts encourages children to talk out problems if setbacks do occur. Finally, Cheerful Cherry promotes a favorable attitude toward the future. The game is completed when all parts of the sundae have been collected.

Playing Time:  Flexible from 25 minutes to 50 minutes.   

Players:  2 - 5

Grades: 1 - 6

Publication Date:  July 2009

Learning Objectives - Players will:

1.    recognize how rules, routines, and expectations vary among different households;

2.    identify trusted people to rely upon during times of change;

3.    learn relaxation strategies and healthy ways to manage upset feelings;

4.    communicate to trusted adults if feelings become overwhelming;

5.    look for and appreciate the positives in daily life;

6.    identify aspects of life that can be controlled;

7.    recognize the benefits of focusing on positive thoughts, feelings, people and events;

8.    identify when to seek adult help with problems.

 

Remote Control Anger Control™

Anger is a feeling or emotion that ranges from mild annoyance to intense rage.  While the feeling of anger is a normal human response to unmet goals or unfair treatment, uncontrolled anger becomes a problem when it is felt too intensely, or too frequently, or is expressed inappropriately.  Learning how to control angry feelings is a vital aspect of healthy social and emotional development.

The Remote Control Anger Control™ game is a set of four card games that address these findings by focusing on three essential skills for controlling anger:

PAUSE and identify additional feelings.

REWIND and learn from past mistakes.

FAST FORWARD and think ahead about potential consequences.

The game uses the above remote control symbols to facilitate learning the skills.  There are both competitive and cooperative versions for grades 1–5 and for grades 6–9.  The two age groups have separate decks of cards.  During the game players read brief case studies adapted from the angry behavior of real kids.  Players then practice one of the three essential skills:  they PAUSE and describe an additional feeling that they might have along with anger in the scenario, or they REWIND and describe a time in the past when they have been successful calming their angry feelings, or they FAST FORWARD and describe a typical angry response or behavior that might follow the scenario and the probable consequence if the angry behavior is acted on.  All players practice all three skills during the course of the game.  In addition to practicing the three skills, players practice planning ahead and social skills as well as exercising frustration tolerance.

Playing time:  Flexible–from 25 minutes to 50 minutes.  

Players: 2 - 5

Grades: 2 – 9 (two sets of cards: grades 2–5 and 6–9)

Publication date:  July 2009

Learning Objectives - Players:

1. learn to profit from previous mistakes;

2. learn to anticipate consequences;

3. learn to stop and think before acting;

4. learn to strategize and plan ahead;

5. learn to do a better job handling frustrations;

6. work together cooperatively;

7. improve problem solving skills;

8. learn the value of anger control.

 

Bridge Over Worried Waters™

Anxiety disorders are the most common mental health problem during childhood and adolescence.  It is estimated that approximately 13% of children and adolescents ages 9 to 17 experience some kind of anxiety disorder. 

Anxiety affects normal day-to-day activities and causes considerable emotional and physical distress as well as impaired academic and social functioning.  The recommended treatment approach for anxiety is overwhelmingly Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT).  CBT helps children learn to handle their fears and worries by modifying the ways they think and behave.  Techniques included in CBT are relaxation, positive self-talk, and coping behaviors.  Bridge Over Worried Waters™ is essentially a CBT program in a box that incorporates all of these techniques.

To start the game, players place a Worried Waters raging river sheet in front of them. Then they choose a Situation card that describes an anxiety-producing situation.  Players then decide on an appropriate Solution card to use as a positive strategy to address the anxiety in the situation.  Solution cards include:

▪ Self-Talk Cards−challenge self-defeating thoughts by replacing negative thoughts with positive, optimistic thoughts.

▪ Relaxation Cards−calm down by using deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, guided imagery, and meditation.

▪ Coping Cards−distract by diverting attention away from anxious feelings to fun or effortful activities.

When the situation has been successfully solved with one of the Solution cards, the player then tosses the Situation card into the “Worried Waters”, and the Solution card is used to create the foundation or top of a bridge. The object of the game is to build a bridge that carries the player across the “Worried Waters” to the safety of the other bank by successfully using the CBT techniques they have learned in the Solution cards.  Players actually build a bridge using the two types of Solution cards (see above) for supports and the bridge roadway.  The support cards stay upright using stands provided with the game.

There are both competitive and cooperative versions for 2-5 players.  In the competitive version, players will each separately construct a bridge with 5-7 cards.  In the cooperative version, players all help one another build one bridge that may be more than one level high or very long with up to 20 cards.

Playing Time:  Flexible from 25 minutes to 50 minutes.  

Players: 2 - 5

Grades: 1 - 8

Publication Date:  July 2009

Learning Objectives - Players:

1.  better understand situations that trigger anxious feelings;

2.  learn a variety of cognitive (self-talk) strategies to decrease anxious feelings;

3.  learn a variety of behavioral (relaxation and activities) to decrease anxious feelings;

4.  develop improved emotional competence;

5.  improve self-esteem and self-mastery as a result of increased emotional competence;

 

The Respectful Workplace Game™

Bullying, harassment, and verbal abuse are not only painful for the targets of such behavior, but also there are serious negative consequences for the organization - reduced productivity, reduced creativity, increased turnover and absenteeism.  The Respectful Workplace Game™ is designed to give all employees, both supervisory and non-supervisory the skills they need to handle even the most difficult problems, such as an employee performance problem, in an effective and respectful way.  Players learn and practice six Principles of the Respectful Workplace so that their actions could never be interpreted or misinterpreted as bullying or harassment. 

Players also evaluate case studies and make recommendations how to prevent or end bullying and harassment.  This game is not specifically about sexual harassment, but rather about learning how to deal effectively and respectfully with everyone at work.  This simulation is appropriate for business courses in high school and college as well as for seminars and training at the workplace. 

Time: 40-60 minutes

Grades:  9 - adult.

Publication date:  July 2009

 

Out of Your Mind™ (a new game from the creator of the Ungame)

One of the greatest problems in helping children is the difficulty of knowing what is really going on in their minds–the thoughts, the feelings, the fears, the desires.  This therapeutic game will help you draw all of these out of their minds in a way that is fun and educational.  This non-competitive game has two sets of winners: the counselor or therapist wins by drawing important information out of the players’ minds, and the players win by learning important social skills.

Players will enhance their communication skills, their listening skills, and their decision making skills.  They will improve their ability to understand others and experience empathy.  Activities are designed to make sure that all this takes place in an atmosphere that is emotionally safe and supportive.

Rhea Zakich, the creator of the Ungame, has developed and refined exercises that she has used in seminars, workshops, and speaking engagements throughout the country.  She has worked with Franklin Rubenstein, Ph.D. of Franklin Learning Systems this past year to combine some of her most effective activities into a new board game with impressive synergistic results.

Grades:  1–adult   

Playing Time:  flexible    

Publication date:  September 2008

Boundaries Baseball™

Boundaries are essential for positive relationships with peers and adults; children who act out are often asking for the security of clear boundaries and the skills needed to respect them. 

Boundaries Baseball utilizes a baseball diamond format as a visual reminder for not going out of bounds.  As part of the action of the play, students will also have opportunities to toss a “ball” so that it stays within the boundaries of a “strike zone.” Game cards teach four kinds of boundaries: (1) Saying and accepting “No,”  (2) Managing strong emotions (called feelings in the game), (3) Respecting personal space and property,  and (4) Relationship/communication limits (called friendship in the game).

Players use a special spinner to see what happens for each pitch.  For example, they could get a strike, a ball, a single, or a pop fly out.  Players move their pawns, counterclockwise around the diamond.  Their pawns are the baseball player’s picture above.  The players then advance according to the instructions on the spinner and pick and answer cards that match the color of the space landed on.  For example, a strike results in going back one space, a ball advances the player three spaces, and a single brings the player to the next base.  The four decks of cards correspond to the four categories of boundaries mentioned above.   When players reach home plate, they add one to their score on the scoreboard, which is pictured at the top of the game board.  A summary of the rules of baseball is included for those players not familiar with the game of baseball.

Grades 1 – 6

Playing Time:  flexible - 25-60 minutes

Publication date:  December 2008

Remote Control Impulse Control™

Recent research strongly indicates that impulsive children have difficulty (1) learning from past mistakes, (2) reflecting on the potential consequences of their actions, and (3) inhibiting dominant responses (impulses) in order to initiate subdominant responses (appropriate behavior).

The Remote Control Impulse Control™ game is a set of four card games that address these findings by focusing on three essential skills for inhibiting impulsivity: 

         STOP and redirect behavior.

         REWIND and learn from past mistakes.

        FAST FORWARD and think ahead about potential consequences.

The game uses the above remote control symbols to facilitate learning the skills.  There are both competitive and cooperative versions for grades 1–5 and for grades 6–9.  The two age groups have separate sets of cards.  During the game players read brief case studies adapted from the impulsive behavior of real kids.  Players then practice one of the three essential skills:  They STOP and say what they would do instead, or they REWIND and tell about a similar impulse that they had and learned from, or they FAST FORWARD and describe the possible negative consequences of the impulse.  All players practice all three skills during the course of the game.  In addition to practicing the three skills, players practice planning ahead and social skills as well as exercising frustration tolerance.

Playing time:  Flexible–from 25 minutes to 50 minutes

Grades: 1 – 9 (two sets of cards: grades 1–5 and 6–9)

Publication date:  December 2008

 

TeamPower™  

Teams and other task-oriented groups are pervasive in the workplace as well as in everyday life.  The role of teams is becoming more and more important as organizations learn the great benefits of putting the power of teams to use.  The ever accelerating speed of technological change is creating an environment where teams are needed to bring the expertise of several organization members together.  Learning about teams and how to function successfully in a team is no longer an option.  Like understanding new technology, it is becoming indispensable for success in a career and in life.

TeamPower™ is an educational board game specifically designed to teach important skills and concepts for working in all kinds of groups and teams.

Players learn four sets of skills: Task skills (for getting the job done), Interpersonal Skills (for cooperating effectively with other team members), Self-Management Skills (for maximizing their own contributions), and Leadership Skills (for members who want play a leadership role in helping the team achieve its goals.  2-6 players or teams  Grades 8-adult

Publication date: April 2008

 

The Networking Game™  

Networking is the most effective way to learn about and get jobs.  This new game gives players the confidence and skills they need to make relationships, energize their networks, and get those all-important interviews.  The Networking Game uses a three pronged approach: learning the six Principles of Networking, learning the skills, and practicing the skills to gain confidence and fluency. 

Publication date:  April 2008

The six Principles of Networking are:

  1. Get organized and stay organized.

  2. Be clear about who you are and what you want.

  3. Make better use of your social network.

  4. Build relationships outside of your social network.

  5. Think of networking as a lifelong process.

  6. Believe in yourself!

Players pick from four decks of cards as they learn networking skills: Key Cards explain networking activities that are keys to success.  Bridge Cards describe activities that can be bridges to new contacts and networks.  Take a Risk Cards give examples of actions that can bring networking to a new level.  Bonus Cards reinforce the proper use of interpersonal skills while networking.  2-6 players  Grades 8-adult

 

The Big Top Game (for children with PDD (autism, Aspergers, etc.)

The Big Top Game™ is designed for individuals with Pervasive Developmental Disorders (PDD) and Non Verbal Learning Disabilities (NVLD).  The three most common disorders in the PDD group are Autism, Aspergers Syndrome, and PDD not otherwise specified (NOS).   The game is designed additionally to help those who care for and interact with these individuals by helping them gain understanding, develop empathy, and improve interpersonal relationships with the individuals.  Players who can benefit include individuals with the disorders, parents, siblings, and friends.  

Publication date:  April 2008

The learning objectives are:

1.    increasing interpersonal and communication skills;

2.    learning empathy; 

3.    improving skills in expressing feelings;

4.    improving self-esteem.

5.    Developing more insight into themselves and their condition.

The Big Top Game™ has been developed with special attention to the needs and learning styles of PDD and NVLD children.  In order to accomplish this goal, the game employs  (1) Effective Sensory Stimuli, (2) Behavioral Reinforcement, (3) Social/emotional development, and (4) Educational skills development.  The theme of the game is that the animals have escaped from the circus, and the players have to work together to rescue them and return them to the circus.  Grades 1-6 and older children when appropriate.

 

Play-2-Learn Dominoes:  Empathy Counts   

In this new game, players have fun playing dominoes while learning to consider the feelings of others and take positive actions based on empathy.  There are four decks of cards, each covering a different aspect of the players’ lives: Friendship, Activities and Hobbies, At School, and All about Myself.  The game takes an incremental approach, teaching basic skills and moving on to more complex skills.  There are three ways of playing in order to make the game age appropriate for players in grades 2–7.    2–5 players.

Publication date:  April 2008