Sounds like you're doing a great job, Chris! And I'm sure your daughter is having a wonderful time. :o) As for other games to try with her, I would think Aquarius might be the best for now. There's almost no reading (she should be able to memorize the few cards that do require reading), and there is some strategy involved, as well as spatial skills, which are important to foster at that age. Q-Turns may be another possibility. Outside of the Looney Labs games, she might enjoy the paper-and-pencil game Dots. Or Buzz (or Buzz Fizz if you want to make it harder). Or there's lots of good card games--War, Crazy 8's, Rummy, I Doubt It... The Cranium people also have several good games for young people, though I'm not sure how much strategy or logic they involve. Another possibility would be the games in the kindergarten version of Everyday Math (see everydaymath.uchicago.edu). Logic is also developed through vocabulary development, especially categorization and seeing the connections between ideas. How about "I Spy" or the chanting version of Concentration (not Memory) in which you have to keep the rhythm while naming items in a category. Players create a rhythm by slapping knees twice, then clapping twice and repeating while chanting: "Con-cen-tra-tion, concen-tration now be-ginning. Keep the rhy-thm, keep the beat. Category: _______ (maybe types of toys, or boys' names, or animals)" Play then moves from person to person, each one calling out a name on the claps. If they can't think of one fast enough, they're out. Some of these may be too easy for her, and some too hard. Kids are so varied in their skills and interests at that age. But hope this gives you some more ideas. :o) Laurie --- Chris Palmer <scp-fluxx@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote: > Greetings, > > So, I have been introducing my soon-to-be 4 year old > daughter (bday on > Xmas eve) to Fluxx. So far, she loves it (it > definately passes the "Let's > Play Again" test.) I would like to share how I am > easing her into being a > game geek like her dear-old-dad, and get some ideas > from you folks on the > next steps if you have done something similar (or > just to hear if you have > any improvements on my methods.) > > She has no clue about a "hand" of cards. I have been > trying to teach this > by playing "Go Fish" with her. So, for now, we are > just using "Draw 1, > Play 1" with no hand as the only rules with a 3.1 > deck. We go around the > table drawing cards and playing them immediately. If > it is a Keeper, you > just throw it down in front of you. If it is a Goal, > that's the new goal > for the game. I have pretty much removed all of the > New Rule and Action > cards (except for "Reverse Order" and Take "Another > Turn,") so it is > largely just a game of chance ;) . But what the hey, > we still have tons of > fun and she is learning the basics of the goals. > > Here's the list of what we have been playing with: > > Keepers: > Time > The Sun > The Toaster > Chocolate > Bread > The Brain > Cookies > Death > Dreams > Television > Milk > War > The Rocket > Love > Peace > The Moon > Sleep > Money > > Action: > Take Another Turn > > New Rule: > Reverse Order > > Goals: > Squishy Chocolate > Night and Day > Toast > Death by Chocolate > Bed Time > Hippyism > The Brain (No TV) > Rocket to the Moon > Rocket Science > 5 Keepers (we just play through this one normally > since we are just > dumping keepers out of the deck and normally have > tons in front of us) > Baked Goods > War = Death > Peace (No War) > All You Need is Love > Chocolate Milk > Winning the Lottery > The Appliances > Time is Money > Hearts and Minds > Chocolate Cookies > Milk and Cookies > Dreamland > > We have also been playing a modified "no hands" > version Kinder Bunnies and > a game I made up with 3 six sided slot machine dice > where you throw a coin > or glass counter into an old Magic: The Gathering > deck box with a dragon > on it before you roll. When the dice match (three > cherries, lemons, etc.) > you have successfully stolen all of the dragon's > loot. ;) I know... it's > lame, but she has a blast with it. > > I am looking for more games that we can have fun > with where no reading is > required, but will teach her strategy, numbers, > logic, whatever. I have > never played with Icehouse, is this a candidate? > > Regards, > -- > Chris Palmer > scp-fluxx <at> cryptical <dot> net > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > Fluxx mailing list > Fluxx@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx > http://lists.looneylabs.com/mailman/listinfo/fluxx > __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com