Education Outdoors: “Games That Grow With You”

CAMP

2012 Holiday Gift Guide Selection

     Board games are one the most fun family activities we like to do together on a weekend night.  It’s great to all gather around on the floor, pull out a game and have some fun.  As a mother and a teacher, it is even better when you find a game that is not only fun for the whole family, but is educational too!  So when I first heard of a company named Education Outdoors, I was highly intrigued!  For starters, all of the games they sell are educational games meant to teach children and adults about the wonderful outdoors.  And goodness knows trying to get a child to do anything that concerns the outdoors in this day of video games and computers is near impossible! As a teacher I know that the best way to engage a child is to make learning fun and to appeal to all types of learners.  The games made by Education Outdoors do just this!
   The first game ever created by Education Outdoors is their most popular game called CAMP.  It sold over 1000 copies in its first month alone!  CAMP is a game for both children and adults to play where everyone will learn fun facts about the Great Outdoors.  It is designed with four different levels of questions, so people of all knowledge levels can play together, and as one’s knowledge grows, he or she can advance to the next level.  Education Outdoors was generous enough to send me a copy of CAMP to review.  I couldn’t wait until it arrived! 



    CAMP arrived quickly, so we didn’t have to wait long to try out our new game!  It is recommended for ages 4 and up, and up to 8 people can play at the same time.  With me, my husband, our 9 year old son and 11 year old niece, we were able to play on a variety of levels all at the same time.  It came with one game board,  8 game characters, each of which represents a different animal including Michael the Mouse, Bruce the Moose, Bobby the Beaver, Susie the Salmon and more.  There is also one large die, 199 game cards (400 Camp Question cards, 99 Fun Fact cards), 1 decoder to see the answers on the CAMP Question cards, 16 Level cards and 1 Compass card.



   The object of the game is to be the first one who makes it from the starting line of the game (the campfire) completely around the board by following the footprints and makes it back to the campfire (camp).  You start the game by having all players chose a game piece and place it on a seat by the campfire.  Each player should then chose which level they would like to play, select the corresponding Level Card then place it in front of them where all can see.  This is so everyone will know who is on which level when it comes time to answer a Camp Question.   Level I is the easiest and is suggested for beginners, while Level 4 is the hardest.

LEVEL CARDS, PLAYER CHOOSES THEIR LEVEL & PLACES THE CARD IN FRONT OF THEM

   The youngest player starts the game and players take turns clockwise.  Once the youngest player rolls the die, he or she then moves their card the correct number of spaces.  If they land on white-colored footprints, it is then the player to the left’s turn.  If the player lands on a set of green colored footprints, that player has to answer one of the CAMP card questions that corresponds with the level on which they are playing.  If the correct answer is given, that player gets to roll the die again, if not, the turn moves to the next player on the left.  If a player lands on a Camp Clubhouse symbol, he or she goes immediately to the Camp Clubhouse and gets to read a Fun Fact card aloud for all to hear.  That completes the turn.

EACH CAMP CARD HAS 4 QUESTIONS, ONE FOR EACH LEVEUSE THE DECODER TO SEE THE CORRECT ANSWER

FUN FACT CARDS ARE EXACTLY THAT, FUN FACTS. READ WHEN A PLAYER LANDS ON CAMP CLUBHOUSE

   There are a few Camp Cards that have a picture of a Compass on them.  If a player answers one of these questions correctly, he or she is awarded the Compass Card which allows that player to take the special shortcut back to the campfire once he or she gets to that spot.  Only one player may possess the Compass Card at a time.  If one player is holding the card and another player answers the next Camp Question card with a compass on it,the Compass card then changes hands.  However, if the original holder is already on the shortcut when another player takes the Compass Card, the first player may continue along the shortcut.

COMPASS CARDS ALLOWS A PLAYER TO USE THE SHORTCUT BACK TO THE CAMPFIRE

Once a player arrives back at the campfire, he or she is declared the winner!  Other players may then choose to continue until all player reach CAMP.
   Everything seems very well made and sturdy from the thick and sturdy game board, to the laminated cards to the character pieces which are made from thick cardboard and have little plastic holders you fit onto the bottom so they can stand upright.  It is a visually attractive game that uses all the colors found in nature and has very well-written questions and interesting Fun Facts which holds your attention while teaching about the Great Outdoors at the same time.

GAME CHARACTERS ARE MADE OF THICK, STURDY CARDBOARD

FIT THE PIECE INTO THE PLASTIC HOLDER ALLOWING IT TO STAND UPRIGHT

   The night we played we all had a great time! We actually wound up playing a total of 3 times so each of the children would have a chance to win. The questions were very interesting and made you think, and if a wrong answer was given, it was no big deal, we learned the correct answer and moved on. Since the questions are based on an individual’s skill level, no body was left out or bored because something was either too hard or too easy. CAMP really is a fun family game that makes learning fun!

         

   The holidays will soon be here, and in my opinion, these games would make an excellent gift!   Education Outdoors also offers 6 other games, as well as a CAMP activity/coloring book, a CAMP Booster pack with additional CAMP cards and Fun Facts, and the CAMP Travel Edition.  You can find all of their products available for purchase through their website.  You can also find their games at many retailers around the country.  You can find a list HERE as well as a search feature to see if there is a store near you.  Be sure to check out Education Outdoors on Facebook so you can keep up with all the latest games, win giveaways and more!