Games that combine relationship experience with learning

These are items I discovered on my own and purchased.

My kidlet and I played this one for the first time today: K-9 Capers -- it's a variation (in RDI we call that "same but different") on the old "Concentration" or "Memory" card matching game, where you turn all the cards face down, but instead of matching like cards when you turn them over, you are looking for sequential numbers. You can't put a card in your pile unless you find them in order, starting w/ one. There is a die included that goes up to three, and whatever number you roll on the die is the number of cards you get to turn over on your turn. Pretty cool! You can sneak in some spotlighting for thinking ahead (there's the FOUR, I'm going to need that one after I find my THREE) or some referencing if you remember the location of the card your partner needs. And a much higher objective would be to try to distract/fool your partner to choose the WRONG card as part of your strategy. Oh, yeah, *wink*, there's some counting to practice in the game, too. There are many stores that sell this game; I believe I ordered mine from here: http://www.reallygreattoys.com/default.aspx

K-9 Capers Product Description:
The Pick-Up-Pooches Memory Game
Nine pooches are dressed to the nines in this card game where the dogs steal the show. Roll the die and use your memory to find performing pooches hiding in the game board. The only catch is that you must collect them in numerical order! Round up all nine canines to win.
Ages: 6 & upPlayers: 2 to 4Playing time: About 12 minutesContents: 36 cards, 1 die and Rules of Play

We also played "What's Gnu" again today. If you're planning ahead for holiday gifts, I thought I'd share some of the games we've been playing and how we're using them. I have a different version of What's Gnu than the one pictured here: http://www.brainydays.com.au/product_info.php?products_id=31 My version has a card of three rows, and each row has one letter filled in and two letters blank, and my version is by Discovery Toys.

The uncertainty (in RDI, we're all about "productive uncertainty") of which letters you're going to draw is gentle, and you have to rely on a bit of creative thinking as you combine the letters on the card with the ones you drew, and there's a bit of forethought combined with creative thinking involved as you place consonants and vowels in strategic places that will allow for more word combinations. It's a great place for the guide to model some self talk as you spotlight how you decide where to place lone consonants and vowels in order to maximize the chances that you'll fill in that blank later.

Oh, yeah, *wink* there's spelling and vocabulary practice as a background, too, and even some referencing, like the time I spelled "O A K" and my daughter said "that's not a word!" and we talked about oak trees, and then my daughter asked me if "F I R" is a word, and we talked about a fir tree. (We had a tree theme today, I guess *grin*).

Penny