", I wasn't sure what to expect. Then the game arrived...Can I just say, "Holy Buckets Batman!"
I knew my vocabulary skills were limited, but I had no idea how limited until I began playing the game with my husband and daughter. For the first few turns, I couldn't even get a single word card correct, but as the game progressed, I am happy to say that my brain started to catch on.
Still, we were all a bit slow when it came to beating the timer and there was no way we were going to be able to play the more difficult version, which required naming off x number of synonyms before the sand ran out. In fact, at one point during the game my husband and I looked at each other and said, "If it weren't so funny, this sure could make a person feel dumb."
It just goes to show you how laid back and laxed we've gotten as a society.
This is definitely one of those games that the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) should have a fundraiser for... to make sure there is at least one game in every classroom!
As for the game, I have to tell you that I was really impressed with quality of the product. The game comes in a cellophane wrapped box. Inside the box, is a plastic card holder with compartments for every game piece with the best part being the fact that all 400 of the cards are made of a thick cardstock which are then laminated to protect from spills and rubbings.
Usually, when we purchase a board game, with cards for playing pieces, my husband has to go out and buy some card sleeves to protect the pieces from getting ruined by too many fingers. I can happily say that was not the case with Synonyms
.
So how does one play the game?
Each player rolls a die, then moves that number around the board. When the player stops on a colored letter, he picks a card with that color. Each color represents a level of difficulty. On the front of the card is the word. On the back of the card is a list of synonyms. The player must then attempt to name the synonyms within the alloted time. If the player can achieve this goal, the letter his game piece is on is marked off on the tally sheet. The first person to spell the word, "Synonym", wins.
The game can be played with up to 8 players, but it can easily be played by more players if you break your group up into teams. For instance, a classroom of 40 children could be broken into 8 teams of 5 or 5 teams of 8. The key would be to mix the groups up so that there is an even number of players who are strong (and weak) in word vocabultary. It would certainly make it easier to come up with the allotted number of synonyms before the timer ran out!
Now, if you're looking for a gaming experience full of excitement and laughter, you're not going to find it with Synonyms--unless you have a good sense of humor and can laugh at yourself
. If, on the other hand, you love word games, cannot get enough of Scrabble
, thrive on crossword puzzles, and love to confuse people with big words, then you are going to LOVE this game.You can order from Amazon.com
for $29.99.Oh, and one more thing... According to the press release, the game--as a learning tool-- helps children improve general word recognition, increase active vocabulary, enable critical thinking skills, and build verbal skills that help with decision making and reasoning.
Disclaimer: The reviewer received a complimentary copy of this game for review purposes.
© Alyice Edrich, All Rights Reserved. www.alyiceedrich.net
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This post was sponsored by The Dabbling Mum.
For more articles geared towards busy parents, check out The Dabbling Mum eMagazine.
is like the hip, new version of "
and I cannot stop laughing! I am so glad Netflix put it on instant streaming, I've been waiting forever to see this show and it was totally worth the wait.
" is about a newlywed couple who are just getting to "know each other" after having been apart for three years, due to the war. When the husband, Jim, returns from the war to start his writing career back up, he is shocked to discover that his bride, Connie, has taken their savings and purchased a tenement house--a money pit.
" he was not thrilled. "Oh, no... not another chick-flick!" But then he heard it was written by Nicolas Sparks, the creator of the much endeared, "
" and agreed to give it a whirl.
is a great primary for anyone looking to start his or her own freelance writing career Bly goes into great detail to help beginners gain a competitive edge, including how to close a sale, keep clients satisfied, finding markets, and setting your fees One of the things I admire about Bly's writing style is that he is straight-forward. He doesn't sugar-coat things, and he doesn't hide "trade secrets." 
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" came out in the theatres, my daughter begged to see it. Unfortunately, by the time we got around to seeing it, it had already left the theaters so we had to wait until it hit DVD.
came out. But oh that wasn't a child's film... I couldn't even bring myself to buy it for my tween daughter. 
on 
, I wasn't too keen on watching it. But the other day I discovered it on Netflix's instant stream and decided, "What the heck...let's give it a try". 
is such a sweet film.
or 
comes to life in Blu-Ray. It’s depth of colors makes the film jump right off the screen, giving the film new life and I couldn’t be more pleased.
Sunny Koch has been a working artist for fifteen years and an illustrator for the past ten years. She believes that success comes in many forms, not just the elusive-or not so elusive-paycheck. To Sunny, success is in the balancing of listening to and hearing one's own intuition, the ability to create, the completion of goals, the making of friendships, and most importantly the ability to make a difference with ones' art-regardless of how large or how small.
by Melody Carlson, readers are treated to the kind of lifelong friendship between four women that lasts. The Four Lindas – Linda Jane, Linda Caroline, Linda Abigail and Linda Marlene – are all 50-something women with memories of love, laughter, heartache and family struggles that tie them together in the oceanic town of Clifden, in Oregon. In order to avoid “Linda confusion,” they all go by their middle names, but refer to each other as “the Lindas” from time to time. I have not read the first book in The Four Lindas series, yet I enjoyed reading this novel all the same. It is such a heartwarming, inspiring story that I treasured in my heart long after I finished reading the last page. Reading this novel also made me want to seek out the other books in this series, as well. Even though I am younger than the main characters, I still found their stories of discovery, friendship and faith to be a pleasure read because their wisdom and strength are so inspiring.
