The first TBT post has Halloween flavor as well. Children of the 80’s may remember Monster Mash, a loud but fun visual discrimination game. I was lucky to find a $2 copy at an indoor charity yardsale outside Albany, NY. The box was toast, but it contained all the components! My preschoolers loved this game; we used it as a filler in small groups often. I would love to find more of the hand components, they are great for DIY selection games.
Components: 4 ‘thwacker’ hands with suction cups, 27 monster cards with every combination of the 3 elements (3x3x3), and 1 push-button rotational yellow monster machine.
Standard Play/Setup
Each player receives a thwacker hand. If you playing pairs or teams, the hand must be rotated between players on a team.
Thwackers arrange themselves around the playing area. The 27 monster cards are scattered face up randomly in the playing area. Make sure all thwackers can reach all of the cards.
Players may rotate turns pushing the button on the yellow monster machine, or the game leader may choose a button pusher from waiting students.
Once the rotational bars stop spinning, the thwackers attempt to locate the card matching the picture on the yellow monster machine, thwacking it with their thwacker. If it matches, they keep the card.
If the yellow monster machine displays a monster that has already been thwacked, then the next button pusher may reset the display, etc., until a new combination is displayed that can be thwacked.
Play can continue until a team/player has found 3 cards, or until a timer set by the teacher/game master rings. The timer is especially helpful when many students want to play, but shouldn’t be used until students can be trusted with independent play or under a student game master.
Variations
1) As mentioned above, players may play in teams of 2-3 with rotating turns on each new card search for cooperative play. Teams may be allowed to help teammates verbally, or silently according to the game master/teacher.
2) For younger or advanced players, students may be challenged to find all the cards that share 2 of the elements (touching or not) shown on the yellow monster machine as well as the exact match. This speeds up the game immensely.
3) Use the thwacker hands in any small group game or activity that requires picking up or finding a card. Students LOVE the thwackers, and they still attach to glossy cards after 30 years!
DIY
If you figure out how to make a DIY monster machine, please post pictures! Otherwise, you can make your own set of images and matching dice in your choice of theme. This is especially cool when you are studying adaptations or animal/plant characteristics. Student could even make their own sets; though you may have to hunt for fun “thwackers.”
Paradise's Playroom 