new for us friday: ‘take the cake’ game (and giveaway!)

I wanted to jump for joy when my friends at Gamewright sent us Take The Cake, a perfect game for younger ones.   We’ve been playing it for three weeks straight now, and I have to admit, it’s right up my sweet-tooth alley!

Usually Owen’s my ‘game guy‘ but this time, it’s my little Cora who has fallen hard for this great game that teaches colors and shapes, all in the name of one of our favorite sweet snacks–cupcakes!

This New For Us Friday, I’m sharing Take The Cake–and giving one game away to a teach mama reader–just in time for the holidays!

• Take The Cake: The premise of this game is simple–players shake the sprinkle shaker, and out come tons of tiny, different-colored shapes.  Players match the shapes that poured out to the shapes on the cupcake cards, and when they complete a card, that cupcake is theirs to keep!

The first time we played, we weren’t sure how to shake the sprinkle container properly, but we soon mastered it, and now Maddy, Owen, and Cora are expert cake-decorators and shape-matchers.

Cora prepares to shake the sprinkles!

What I really love is that Cora’s firming up her knowledge of shapes and colors, and working her fine motor skills along the way.  And Maddy and Owen are interested in playing, too, which is fab because they can work on their game-playing etiquette and fine-motor skills as well.

Yes, this is a simple game, but the basic concept along with the hands-on matching of colors and shapes to everyone’s favorite snack is an overall great combo in my book. It’s a super game for any little guy 3 years on up  (and even the big brothers and sisters–okay, and parents–enjoy playing!)

Owen’s trying to match his sprinkles to a cupcake.

GIVEAWAY: One Take the Cake Game (woo-hoo!)

Do you want to win your own Take the Cake game, (just in time for the holidays)?

• Leave a comment here (along with your email address) simply sharing your favorite Gamewright game.  (Check out the Gamewright site if you need some ideas!)
  

• For extra entries,  you can share this post with a friend (just tell me who you shared it with!) OR Tweet this: Win @Gamewright game Take the Cake on @teachmama http://teachmama.com/?p=547 #ece

This contest ends on Friday, November 18, 2010 at midnight ET and is open to US residents only.

A little New For Us Friday fyi:

For long time now, I’ve tried to introduce my family to something ‘new’ every week.  That something new could be an activity, a game, a toy, a pet,  a food, an experience–anything.

I’m grateful for the many businesses that have caught on and have generously sent me items to try out or use for our New For Us Friday, so for the next few weeks–until the holidays hit–I’ll try to share some of the things that we really have enjoyed and would recommend to others.

Please consider checking back to previous New For Us Fridays or even the posts I’ve tagged ‘we love’ in case you are looking for gifts for those little guys in your life.  Next year, when I’m a little more organized, my goal is to work out a more formal Gift Guide for my friends to use.  (Someone remind me in July…)

fyi: Many thanks to Gamewright for sending our family a Take the Cake game and several other super-awesome ones that I hope to share in the next few weeks.  Gamewright also generously provided one Take the Cake game for one teach mama reader.  This is an unsponsored post, which means I wasn’t paid to write it; I just love these games so much, I chose to do it for nothin’.  Need some game ideas for the bigger guys? Gamewright has tons on their site, or take a look at the most unique puzzle ever!