AMIGO Games sent us two of their games for free to include in our Holiday Gift Guide. Opinions of the games are my own. The two games are Carnival of Monsters which was created by Richard Garfield, the creator of Magic the Gathering. This is a longer form game for ages 12+ that concentrates on card drafting and deck building. It takes skill and strategy to win the game. The other game, X-Code, is a more cooperative game where you play as a team, and you level up through 10 missions giving it a sort of video game-esque element.

A few weeks back we had a day off of school. We had nothing special going on so we went and decided to make it a game day. We played both X-Code and Carnival of Monsters. Both were fun. X-Code was fairly easy (We only did the first levels) and fairly quick (About 1/2 total). It was fast paced and fun to play. Everyone had to help everyone else out as we played and there was a lot of interaction. We enjoy games of that nature.

We played Carnival of Monsters for about three hours total and that included going through the rulebook. The rulebook was quite long and complex but we made our way through and played all four rounds of the game. By the second round we were all old pros at it, too. The game is for ages 12+ but both of the kids had no problem playing and they are 7 & 12. You can hear more about the game in the video below.

If you are interested in picking up either game for the holidays for your family then please consider using our Amazon.com affiliate link, it costs you nothing extra but helps out out big time.

Are you looking for new games to add to your classroom or homeschool? Then, you’ll want to try these 7 Educational Games from AMIGO Games and Project Genius.  From word work to addition, these games are a fun way for your kids to learn different concepts. Through game play, your children will also work on important skills such as critical thinking, visual discrimination, problem solving, and much more. Included are a variety of different types too from logic to strategy games so you’ll be sure to find something for everyone to love!

* Disclosure: I received these games from AMIGO Games and Project Genius at no cost. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I only share resources that I would use with my own children and those that I believe other families will enjoy.

CLACK!

Overview:

To play, spread the discs on the playing surface and then roll 2 dice. One of the dice has a color and other one has a shape. Next, race to spot and stack the discs with that colored shape.

Pros:

• Helps improve visual discrimination
• Quick, easy game
• Multi-player or single player game

This magnetic disc stacking game is easy for young children to set-up and play independently. It would be a fun center activity in a classroom or choice tub in your homeschool.

Code Stack!

Overview:

For this game, players will think of a word and stack the colored discs to spell the word using the code. They will then race to guess each other’s words.

Pros:

• Develops critical thinking
• Improves spelling
• Helps with problem solving

Code Stack is one of my favorite games, because it helps children work on so many different skills at one time. It’s great for beginning readers but can be played with children of ranging in age. This would be fun way for kids to work on sight words too.

Connect The Thoughts

Overview:

To play, flip over cards and match the pictures on the cards. When you match 5 pictures in a row, ring the bell to win the round.

Pros:

• Helps improve visual discrimination
• Develops critical thinking
• Easy to differentiate

One great thing about this game is that you can match the pictures or make connections between the pictures. It’s fun to see the creative connections that children can make.

Eye Sea (I See)

Overview:

To begin playing this word game, flip over 9 cards. Then, make a connection between 2 of the cards to create a word or phrase.

Pros:

• Promotes creativity
• Builds vocabulary: compound words, parts of speech, figure language, and more
• Easy to differentiate

This game is such a fun way to work on vocabulary. It would be a great addition to a word work center in a classroom or homeschool.

Fruit Punch Game

Overview:

To play, flip over cards until a player spots five of the same fruit. Everyone then races to squeak the banana and collect the cards.

Pros:

• Practice adding
• Easy to differentiate
• Easy, quick game

This is such a fun game for kids to play. The chance to hit a squeaky banana is a blast! My kids like to do a “banana dance” after winning each round too.

Double Down

Overview:

To play this strategy game, lay a card from your hand onto the pile, add the numbers together, and say the new total. If the total is over 99 or a double number, you lose a chip. The last player with a chip wins the game.

Pros:

• Practice adding to 100
• Improves memory
• Involves strategy play

This is a fun math game for all ages. For young children, it’s helpful to have a piece of paper and pencil for them to add the numbers together and keep track of the total.

If you are gameschoolers or play a lot of games as a family then you probably wear out games like we do. These are durable, high-quailty games that will last a long time. The cards are have a linen-finish, the discs are light-weight with strong magnets, and the logic game is made from wood. Your kids are sure to love these 7 Educational Games from AMIGO Games and Project Genius as much as mine do!

Related Post: Gameschooling: Homeschooling With Game-Based Learning