Monsterland

Working at home on my computer yesterday, while tending to my sick 7 year-old, afforded me a post idea for today!  Luc was snuggling next to me in our recliner, as he usually does when he is under the weather.  I was navigating the internet in search of online math resources to share and just happened to be playing one that caught this first grader's eye.  I had noticed him watching me, so I kept playing, curious as to his true interest level in what I was doing.  After only a minute or two, he asked if he could try.  I handed over my laptop...and didn't get to use it again for the next twenty minutes.

The game which caught his eye was from one of the math links I posted upon launching this blog only a few days ago.  The name of the game is Monsterland Jr. vs. Sr. (click to play).  This game is a colorful physics puzzler with 32 levels. In each level, you have to pop blocks to safely guide the red square onto the sleepy red rectangle. You won't necessarily need to remove all of the blocks in a level. Removing fewer blocks and completing each level's task quickly will result in a higher score.  As simple as this may sound, higher level reasoning skills are honed in order to move to the next level.

The skills required to successfully accomplish a level include perseverance, prediction, cause/effect, reasoning, problem solving...just to name a few.  Give it a try!  And I'll bet most children (and children at heart) will enjoy this free, online activity!  Have fun!