The Scarecrow of Oz (review by Calvin)

This was a great return to the magical Land of Oz. I was a little worried before we started because the last book was a disappointment and I thought maybe the remainder of the series might follow that pattern, but The Scarecrow of Oz brought back all the things I originally loved about these stories. As usual, Calvin gave it an A plus.

The Amazing Mammoth Hunt

Another new game on our shelf, just as highly recommended as the last. The Amazing Mammoth Hunt is a geography game, challenging players to identify a variety of (mostly) countries on the world map; land on a square and properly identify the location of that square's country in order to collect a token, the goal being to collect the most. In general this is my kind of game, but it was a little too advanced for Calvin (something we expected when we ordered it).

We started talking more about continents this week, along with our focus on Africa and African folk lore. This afternoon I got the game out and played we with alterred rules, focusing on identification of continents instead of countries; I asked Calvin to correctly identify the continent of the country on his square in order to collect the token. A few of the countries he's already familiar with, like the US, Egypt, China, and Russia, so I ask him to identify these entirely on his own. We had a great time playing this afternoon and I think it's a great way to build his exposure to map use (and for added fun I keep a globe on hand for clarification).

Becoming pawns

We've been playing with Chess for a while now, getting to know the board, the pieces, the history. It's exposure that counts here, and a fulfillment of Calvin's interest, which is vast in its sweep. He has grasped the goal of the game, and the abilities of each piece, but it will be some time before he glimpses the deeper strategy I think. Right now we enjoy playing for fun. We brought home from the library sale today The Kids' Book of Chess, by Harvey Kidder. The Usborne book we have touched on the game's basics while the book we brought home today joins good story telling and illustrations with a general education on the game. Calvin loved it immediately and I see some King Arthur reading in our near future. He and Jon spent the afternoon creating swords and shields and then chasing each other around the house with them, acting out the role of pawns, better known as pikemen, or foot soldiers. I see the creation of a miter on our horizon as well.

Qwirkle

We've been on the lookout for new games. Snail's Pace Race and Goodnight Moon weren't really fitting the bill anymore. As Calvin gets older we were looking for games that would challenge us all a bit more. We found Camp, which allows all of us to play to our own abilities. We also picked up chess, Hi-Ho Cherry-O, Connect Four, Guess Who, Memory, and a number of others, but I was still looking. Qwirkle came highly recommended by the online homeschooling community so I ordered it.

I'm not a reviewer and I claim no knowledge with which I can rightfully judge these things, but I am really excited about this game. First, the tiles are solid wood so they feel well made and make for a good tactile experience. Second, it not only requires an ability to follow rules but also involves deep strategy; It challenges the player not just to recognize colors and shapes but also to consider complex categorization and grid formation, and offers a challenge that will grow along with the player's skill set. I see us playing a lot of Qwirkle around here.

Sick day–art in bed

A sore throat, a sore head. A bed piled high with armfuls of favorite books and art supplies. An entire afternoon with no phone, no distractions, just books, imaginations, and snuggles. We read book after book and created our own illustrations for them. We spent the entire afternoon right there, book after book, picture after picture. I was tired and achy and this was a better way than I could ever have imagined to spend the afternoon, having fun together and still getting the requisite rest.

Time Flies

Great Lakes Great Ships

We spent a good hour with the D'Aulaire's Norse Gods and Giants (now their Book of Norse Myths)

And because we're going to see African Sky on stage tomorrow, Bringng the Rain to Kapiti Plain.

And of course we couldn't forget our newest Oz, The Scarecrow of Oz.

I'm linking to Saturday's Artist at Ordinary Life Magic. I love the virtual parade of art there.