A few years ago, I thought I would help out the parents of my gifted and talented students by writing about some games, toys, or books that I thought might make good purchases during the holiday season. I called the series of posts, “Gifts for the Gifted,” and I have continued to do it annually on every Friday in November and December. These gifts are suggestions for any child – not just those who qualify for a GT program. Sometimes I receive a free product for review, but I am not paid for these posts, and I never recommend a product that I wouldn’t buy for my own child. For past “Gifts for the Gifted” posts, you can visit this page. Also, you can see last week’s recommendation here.
Rover Control is a part of a series of three coding games released by Thinkfun this year. Like the other two games, Rover Control is “unplugged,” which means that no digital devices are required. My students enjoy all three games, but they seem particularly drawn to Rover Control – possibly because it is the only one that involves using dry-erase markers 😉
The purpose of Rover Control is to color paths on the included Terrain Maps so that the Mars Rovers can find their way. According to the storyline, the original paths were covered by a giant dust storm, and it is the player’s job to re-discover those paths. The 40 challenges are in a booklet, and increase in difficulty as you turn each page.
All three of the coding games in this series have extensive instructions that include explanations of numerous rules and symbols. We learned that it is easier to start playing and look new symbols or rules up as we encounter them than it is to read all of the instructions before beginning to play. We also learned that kids are much better at deciphering instructions than Mrs. Eichholz…
As with many Thinkfun products, Rover Control is designed so that it can be played independently or collaboratively. I have found that it works perfectly in my classroom with groups of three students. They each get a dry-erase marker, and seem to benefit from group discussions as they plan their solutions. It’s important to remind players to stick with the sequence of the challenge booklet. Though beginning challenges may seem too easy, the puzzles are scaffolded in a way that slowly introduces new difficulties; skipping straight to the back of the book will only result in frustration.
With this year’s Hour of Code just around the corner (Dec. 4-10, 2017), you may want to consider adding “Rover Control” to your classroom as a center or to your home as a fun family night activity. For my students in 3rd-5th grades, the game seems to have just right amount of challenge and entertainment. If you are buying this game to be played at home, I recommend that parents play along with the children. It is a good opportunity to model problem-solving and perseverance, since adults can find the puzzles difficult as well.
You can find Rover Control and its two siblings at Target. For more great thinking games, check out my Pinterest Board.
Disclaimer: Every once in awhile, Thinkfun will send a product or two for me to review. These products are used in my classroom, but it is my decision whether or not to post a review on this blog. All opinions in these reviews are based on my honest observations.
