World Geography Fun with Continent Race {A Homeschool Review Crew Review}

Disclaimer: I received a FREE copy of this product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.

I love being able to find educational games to play with the children, because learning is so much more fun while engaged in play. So, when I learned about the award-winning Continent Race game from Byron's Games I was definitely interested. Then I discovered one of the girls' classes at our homeschool co-op was world geography. It was like, oh awesome, perfect timing. And of course, ever since the older girls were doing preschool, I've tried to incorporate map work into our school days, starting with our town and then looking at the states of the USA. Until, with our core curriculum, we were looking at world geography. 

We received this fun geography card game, which was created by a boy named Byron while he was stuck in the hospital for a month being treated for an unexpected illness. It just happens that this was during the Olympic games of 2016 and he had been keeping track of the country medal counts with Mrs. Ellen Donovan from the Family Life Center. She challenged him to create a game that included the flags of the country, and Continent Race is what he ultimately created. 

I was extremely glad for the opportunity to play Continent Race with the children, especially because Hannah and Harold were really too young to benefit from our focus on world geography four years ago. However, as we were playing the game, I realized even I haven't heard of so many of these countries on the other continents of the world. So, this has been a learning experience for all of us. 

The game is primarily a card game that utilizes the huge world map board plus the continent cards. Here is a look at what is included:

The foldable world map board

5 double-sided Continent Cards

• Australia/Oceania 
• The Americas
• Asia
• Europe
• Africa

205 country cards

3 Antarctica Wild Cards

And they even included several rubber bands to help hold the cards together.

Instruction sheet

The double-sided Continent Cards have a map on one side. I love that there is a world map inset in the bottom left corner which highlights where the continent is in the world.

These maps are slightly smaller than the corresponding map on the game board.

The reverse side of the card lists all the countries in the continent alphabetically. At the top of the list, it tells you how many cards from the continent have to be collected during game play.

The cards are the main part of the Continent Race game. The majority of the cards are the regular color-coded country cards which feature the country's flag, name, and capital. Then there are the Antarctica cards which are used as wild cards, seeing as there are no countries on the continent. Finally, there are the 52 Mystery Continent cards for advanced play.

The object of the game is to be the first to collect the required amount of country cards for three continent cards (basic play) or all five continent cards (advanced play). 

The basic game does not include the Mystery Continent cards. These cards are all orange and have a little question mark in magic wand/magnifying glass. They have all the same information as the normal country cards; however, players need to figure out what continent they belong on. As I mentioned, the normal cards are all color coded to match the color of the continent on the maps. So, seeing as the Mystery Continent cards are all orange, the player doesn't automatically know what continent they belong to.

Each player is dealt seven cards, and game play moves around the table clockwise. On his or her turn, a player will draw a card and try to make a continent set of 4 cards (2 for Australia/Oceania). If a set is made, the cards are laid down on the table, face up. The player then replenishes his or her cards and discards one, so as to always have 7 cards in hand.

As the player lays down the cards, the country's name is announced. We also make sure to say what the capital is and what continent it is on, though it isn't required as a part of the game.

I have to say, it has been interesting trying to pronounce some of these countries that we have never heard of.

If a set hasn't been created, the player just discards a card.

In the basic version of the game, Harold would have won in the following picture.

However, even though we aren't playing the Advanced version yet, we have decided we want to have the winner complete sets for all 5 continent cards.

To add to the challenge in the game, a person doesn't technically win as soon as they collect all the sets. They also have to call out the countries on their cards and find them on the map. Younger children are permitted to have help for this step.

As we become more familiar with the game and the different countries, I have decided we will start adding in the Mystery Continent cards a little at a time. I plan to start with countries I have at least heard of, then add it other, less well-known countries. According to the instructions, once a Mystery Continent card is drawn, the player can call out "Mystery Continent" to ask for help locating it. Use of the lists is allowed.

A further challenge for advanced play can be found on certain cards. There is a challenge symbol on several of each of the continents' cards.

If such a card is drawn, the player can challenge another player to see who can say the most countries from that continent. Or, another variation is to take turns saying a country's name until one of the players can't come up with another one. Prior to taking part in the challenge, both players are allowed approximately 15 seconds to study the list or map. The player does not need to challenge anyone, but doing so offers the possibility of being able to draw 3 additional cards to find ones useful to their hand.

I am really enjoying this game and think it is a great way to work on learning the different countries in the world, recognizing their flags, and learning the capitals. Young children can play just by being able to match the colors, and they can have help pronouncing the names and finding the countries on the maps. In fact, even older children can take time in between turns to look at the maps to figure out where their countries are located. I love that they have to locate the countries in order to win the game. The addition of the maps makes this more than just a color matching card game, but instead, a wonderful opportunity to discover where the counties of the world are located.

Another wonderful resource is the Have Fun tab on the Byron's Game website. From here you can find pronunciation videos and PDFs to help you learn how to pronounce the country names. And let me tell you, some of them have really stumped even mommy and daddy. There is also a score card in case you want to play multiple rounds, and flag coloring templates. AND they even have a Continent Race World Puzzle app which is available for iPhones and Androids!

Continent Race from Byron's Games is most definitely a game I can recommend, whether you homeschool your child(ren) or not. It is a wonderful way to learn about this great world we are a part of.

You can find Byron's Games on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Don't forget to click on the banner below to see what my fellow Crew Mates had to say about Continent Race or Connections Stationary Kit (the other product from Byron's Games that the Crew reviewed).

A Fun Way to Learn to Play Chess from Brain Blox {A Homeschool Review Crew Review}

Would you think that chess is a game that could be taught to young children? Years ago, I would have said no, because the game features many different pieces that move in many different ways and you need to be able figure out strategy. There's a lot for young children to wrap their brains around. However, thanks to the Homeschool Review Crew, I was recently introduced to a wonderful game called Fun Family Chess from Brain Blox. Now, I would have to say, yes, young children can be taught how to play chess. 

I asked to review this product specifically to be able to play with Hannah and Harold. They were excited when the game arrived.

Hannah was the one who helped me get into the box to see what it was like.

This chess set includes a wooden chess board that folds and latches, 32 wooden chess pieces with two soft pouches, a Fun Family Chess instruction book, 2 Reference Cards, and a Chess Cube. These Reference Cards and the Chess Cube are what make this game unique. 

The colors and images on the Chess Cube correspond to the colors and images on the reference cards, so it is easy for even young children to identify the pieces. The reference card shows the player how the pieces move. So, once they roll the Chess Cube, they can look at the reference card if needed to see where they can move the piece.

Every piece except the King is represented on the cube. Instead there is a star. If a star is rolled, the player can move any one of their pieces, even the King. However, the King can ONLY be moved if a star is rolled.

The Reference Card is an awesome resource for both younger children and absolute beginners.

As you can see, it lists the rules on the left side, and shows how each piece can move, which piece can jump, and how the Pawn captures another piece.

That isn't the only feature of the game that helps a beginner learn to play. As you can see from the following picture, a child can easily learn to set up their pieces because the images are also on the board itself.

Honestly, this even helped me as I tend to want to switch the bishops and knights around when setting up.

Besides these helpful features, Family Fun Chess helps beginners by not requiring them to worry too much about strategy. The player is required to move the piece that is rolled on the die, unless that piece can not be moved. If it can't be moved, the player may roll again. Of course, most pieces have more than one of their kind, and there may be more than one way even that one piece can move. So, a bit of strategy is needed to make sure you aren't putting your piece in harm's way. That said, unlike regular chess, your piece may remain safe, as the other player is at the mercy of the roll of the die. 

I admit, that part of the game can be a bit frustrating. NOT being able to capture a piece you could have captured if you were playing a regular game. And the Fun Family Chess way of playing will probably seem boring to older children/adults who have experience playing the regular way. But, if you have younger children who are dying to learn how to play chess, this is most definitely a fun way to introduce them to the game and help them learn the moves without having to focus on strategy. 

I played the game first with Hannah, then with Harold. Thanks to the roll of the die, they beat my behind every time. Even times when I was thinking I was doing well, suddenly they roll something that allowed them to capture my King. 

You see, unlike regular chess, you don't have to worry about such things as "Check" and "Check Mate." In order to win you just have to capture the other player's king. 

We've had fun playing chess during our "mommy-time" of our school day.

And even though strategy is not required to the same extent as it is in a regular game, I loved realizing that the children were thinking about the moves. My husband told me he heard Hannah say something about hoping she would roll a specific piece so she could win. 

Once a person is ready to move on to regular, or standard chess, you can flip to page five in the instruction booklet. First the instructions explain how standard chess is different than Fun Family Chess, then it spends several pages looking at the details of "Check," "Checkmate," "Pawn Promotion," "En Passant," and "Castling." The instruction booklet concludes with a few pages of tips and strategies for regular chess. I've found these tips quite informative myself. 

Would I recommend Fun Family Chess? Yes, I most certainly would. It's a neat way for children with no experience to try their hand at this fun game, and get some one-on-one time with a parent or older sibling. Once they understand how to play, they are free to move on to standard chess. And even older children may find the tips and strategies helpful. 

I love that the game board has room inside of it to store all the materials, and that they are secure thanks to the latches. I love the velvety interior and the soft storage bags, as it makes the game feel more luxurious. The Reference Cards are nice and thick, so they aren't going to rip by being handled too often by younger children. And the Instruction Booklet eye-catching, colorful, and easy to understand. There is even a link to go to learn to play, if you learn better by watching. 

You can purchase Fun Family Chess directly from Brain Blox, or you can find it on Amazon.

You can find Brain Blox on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.

Don't forget to click the link below to see what my fellow Crew Mates thought of Fun Family Chess. Plus, don't miss my review of the Brain Blox Building Planks that will be going live tomorrow. 

Taking Memory Matching Games to a New Level With Gigamons {A Review and Giveaway}

Last week I shared that Blue Orange Games had sent us two amazingly fun games to play and share with you. They are Top That! and Gigamons:

Last week I shared my review of Top That!, along with the giveaway. That giveaway is still live, so don't forget to stop by and enter to win a copy of the game for your family. 

Now I would like to share my review of Gigamons, the second game we were sent. 

In this game you are on a quest for magical Elemons. These Elemons are discovered while playing what I feel is a great take on a memory-matching type game. When enough Elemons are found, they will become Gigamons. The player who is the first to summon three Gigamons is the winner.

Here, let's take a look at what is included with this game:

There are: 42 Elemon Tiles (6 of each Elemon), 7 Gigamon Figures with 7 little stands, 3 Rock Tokens, an Illustrated Rules fold out, and 4 Reference Cards. 

The Gigamon figures and the Rock Tokens have to be punched out of the cards before play. The Gigamon figures have the same image on both sides of the sturdy, glossy cardboard, while the Elemon tiles, which are also sturdy cardboard, have the Elemon pictured on one side and the Gigamons logo on the other, as they are to be used as tiles in the memory-type game.

The double-sided Reference Cards are to aid the players in remembering which Elemons have which special powers, and which Elemons become which Gigamons. Each player gets one reference card.

This game is simple to play. The Gigamons and Rock tokens are to be set aside, as they will be needed later in the game. A grid of 9 Elemon tiles is set out face down. 

On each turn, a player will turn over two tiles in an attempt to match the Elemons. If a match is made, the player gets to keep the tiles and two more are taken off of the draw pile to replace them.

Not only does the player get to keep Elemon tiles, a match triggers the Elemon's power.

This Elemon is Electromon and he allows the player to take another turn.

Some other powers include: 

Being able to see the future with Hydromon. 

(In this instance all the other players close their eyes, so the player can flip over 4 tiles to take a peek)

Putting a rock token on top of a tile to keep it safe for the player until his/her next turn.

(This is the power of Geomon)

Floramon allows you to draw an extra tile from the drawing pile.

Pyromon destroys another player's tile removing it from game play.

Aeromon allows you to exchange an Elemon tile with another player

And then there is Polymon. Polymon is like a wild card, it can be matched with any other Elemon to make a match. The only thing is, the other Elemon's power will not be triggered in this instance. So, in the following play, the player was able to take both Polymon and Geomon, but was not able to put a Rock token on a card.

Once the player has three of the same Elemon, they get to summon the Gigamon. These three Polymon tiles summoned Supermon.

And Hannah was so pleased to be the first to summon a Gigamon.

Unfortunately, she wasn't the only one to summon Gigamons. The winner of the game is the one who summons three Gigamons. In this case, that was Amelia.

They loved this game so much, they played it again right away, with Tabitha winning this time:

The children are really enjoying this game. Even though it is for children ages 6 and up, Harold has been able to play with no problem (and he is 4 1/2). If your child knows how to play matching games, Gigamons should be no problem. The Elemons having powers gives it an added level, but not something that makes it trickier, just more fun. It is actually easier than a typical memory game as you are only playing with a grid of 9 tiles at a time.

Gigamons will help a child develop memory skills, as they have to remember where they last saw the Elemon. They also have to learn to pay attention when it is not their turn, or they will not know where the Elemons are hidden.

One quick note, according to the instructions, the players are supposed to be apprentices entering the Wizards' Guild, and this is the final lesson to master. I completely ignored this part of the instructions. I didn't feel the children had to think they were wizards in order to play the game. They are just discovering cute little Elemons and finding matching pairs, making Gigamons when three Elemons are matched.

This is such a cute game. I love that it is a twist on memory matching games. Definitely another fun family friendly game for game nights.

 Great news! I have been given the opportunity to offer a giveaway for one person to win Gigamons

All you need to do is enter in the Rafflecopter form below. 

There are only 2 simple mandatory entries, with the remainder of the entries being optional. 

Remember, you do not have to do the extra entries, but they will increase your odds of winning. 

This giveaway is open to US residents 18 and over. 

The giveaway runs September 5th through September 18th.

Thanks for stopping by, and good luck!

 By entering the giveaway, you understand and agree that your contact information will be shared with the sponsor.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: I received a copy of Gigamons from Blue Orange Games in exchange for my honest review. No further compensation was given. This did not in any way influence my review. I only recommend products I use personally and feel will be a good products for my readers.