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Around here, we are always up for a new game! This one, Skyjo, was a gift to me for Mother's Day! Little did we know when we began playing it that my youngest grandchildren would be able to catch on to it so well! Skyjo is a great game for old and young alike!
Skyjo is a card game with numbered cards from -2 up to 12. The object of the game is to end up with the fewest points. The lowest cards are shades of blue and green and the highest are yellow up to red. My 3 year old granddaughter learned quickly that blue and green are "good" cards and that yellow and red are "bad" and those are the ones that you want to get out of your hand! After one time of playing "partner" with her mom, she was ready to have her own cards and play independently. She has beat me way more often than I have her!
Playing Skyjo takes 2 things. Luck, or in other words, the luck of the draw literally! It also takes a certain amount of strategy and problem solving skills. You have to know what cards to replace when you draw and if it is worth replacing already fairly good cards with even better ones or taking the risk of switching out the unknown. I have been so surprised at how quickly even my youngest grandchildren have begun to figure out some of the more subtle strategies!
Educational value of Skyjo:
While the competition of the game alone makes it fun, there are so many great skills that kids can take away from it!
- For the youngest: Number and Color Recognition
- Recognizing less and more when it comes to numbers and what they are worth in points.
- The value of zero!
- Negative numbers are introduced
- Adding and subtracting! My 8 year old grandson has become a whiz at figuring out points at the end of the game. And actually, he checks people's points through out the game and has figured out his own strategies.
- Problem solving and strategic moves! Little ones know that they have to get lucky enough to draw a "good" card to get rid of the bad ones. Everyone has to figure out if they want to finish first or take the time to trade out for lower points.
During these hot summer months in Phoenix when playing outside isn't really an option unless there is water involved, it is so great to have games to play that we can all enjoy and give the kids a way to play something besides electronics! Cooperative play is so important! Not only that, if they are having fun playing and secretly learning at the same time, that is a terrific bonus! Math skills are something that all kids should have reinforced! Skyjo fits the bill!
Are you playing any great games this summer? Let me know what they are! I can always use suggestions!
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