Ocean Limbo

Explore

What Does Child Do To Use Skill In The Game?
Children explore the spaces available, the Undersea Shapes that may fit those spaces, and which direction is the best.

How Parents Can Assist Learning
Adults can bring the child's attention to the different attributes of each piece. For example, the child may notice the size, but not the orientation. Helping children notice all the important attributes is a key to problem solving skills, especially in Ocean Limbo.

Learning Implications and Educator Support
Ocean Limbo is a great way for children to explore the scientific properties of motion, gravity and force. To encourage scientific curiosity and experiential learning, allow children to explore how the game works by placing and dropping Undersea Shapes randomly to see what happens.
It also involves spatial reasoning and cause and effect analysis. Educators can bring the child's attention to the different attributes of each piece. For example, the child may notice the size, but not the orientation. Helping children notice all the important attributes is a key to problem solving skills, especially in Ocean Limbo.

Determine

What Does Child Do To Use Skill In The Game?
On each turn, players decide where to place the Undersea Shape in a way they hope will drop to a desired location. Additionally, players determine the height of their puzzle pieces and their resulting score.

How Parents Can Assist Learning
To help children analyze options and consequences prior to making placing a tile, parents can ask children to explain their thinking while they are planning their approach. Asking questions such as, "If you place the seahorse here, where do you think it will land?", helps children think about inter-relationship among parts.
Help children compare the numbers at the top to see which player has the higher number. On Rounds 2 and 3 children determine their score after adding or subtracting the appropriate number earned.

Learning Implications and Educator Support
To help children analyze options and consequences prior to making placing a tile, educators can ask children to explain their thinking while they are planning their approach. Asking questions such as, "If you place the seahorse here, where do you think it will land?", helps children think about inter-relationship among parts.
How does one thing I do result in something I do not expect? Many fine motor games, including construction and puzzle solving require this type of study. Educators can encourage children to think about various aspects: placement of Undersea Shape, orientation of the Undersea Shape, and the location of previously played Undersea Shapes.

Compare

What Does Child Do To Use Skill In The Game?
Children compare the shapes of the pieces to the shapes of the spaces. They also compare scores for higher and lower numbers.

How Parents Can Assist Learning
Parents can help children to pay attention to the attributes of the pieces and the spaces. You can say, "Look at the nose on the dolphin. Where could that go?" Or, "There is a bubble up here. You need a tall piece."

Learning Implications and Educator Support
Children are comparing the outcomes related to the motion and ultimate location of Undersea Shapes for each turn. This supports learning the scientific principles regarding motion, gravity and force. Ask children to compare turns that were successful and turns that were not. What happened with each?
In order to help children score the lowest, educators help children to pay attention to the attributes of the pieces and the spaces. You can say, "Look at the nose on the dolphin. Where could that go?" Or, "There is a bubble up here. You need a tall piece."

Predict

What Does Child Do To Use Skill In The Game?
Children mentally predict where the pieces will fall.

How Parents Can Assist Learning
Children will utilize mental modeling skills as they try to image where a Undersea Shape will land after s/he lets go of it. Children learn that the trajectory of a falling object may not be as predicted. Parents can encourage children to think about why a certain piece did not fall straight down as placed.

Learning Implications and Educator Support
Predicting in Ocean Limbo involves skills like analysis, observation and recall, as well as an understanding of science principles like force and motion. Educators can prompt children to practice predicting by asking questions like "what do you think will happen if I play this Dolphin like this?"
Additionally, children will utilize mental modeling and spatial reasoning skills as they try to image where a Undersea Shape will land after s/he lets go of it. Children learn that the trajectory of a falling object may not be as predicted. Educators can encourage children to think about why a certain piece did not fall straight down as placed.

Plan

What Does Child Do To Use Skill In The Game?
Children plan where they want pieces to fall and position the pieces so they will fall in a predicted trajectory, although they do not have complete control over the ultimate outcome.

How Parents Can Assist Learning
Parents can help children analyze the spaces as the bottom of the game and select Undersea Shapes that are the right size or shape. For example, this is a skinny space, what could fit in here?

Learning Implications and Educator Support
Educators can help children to visualize different options for orienting and playing Undersea Shapes for maximum points. Help children manage impulsivity and plan more thoughtfully by asking them to "Wait. Look. Think." Using such cues can give children a model for future play.

Experiment

What Does Child Do To Use Skill In The Game?
Children experiment with speed and height of drop, and position of the piece.

How Parents Can Assist Learning
Parents can encourage children to analyze results and not just keep dropping Undersea Shapes without a plan. Children can be encouraged to play independently so they can experiment with how the pieces fall if held in different ways.

Learning Implications and Educator Support
Ocean Limbo is a great way for children to explore the scientific properties of motion, gravity and force. They will also be learning about cause and effect as they drop Undersea Shapes and observe what happens. To encourage scientific curiosity and experiential learning, allow children to explore how the game works by placing and dropping Undersea Shapes randomly to see what happens.
Educators can also encourage children to analyze results and not just keep dropping without a plan. Discuss the results of a drop, helping the child discover what worked well and did not turn out as expected.

Practice

What Does Child Do To Use Skill In The Game?
Children practice orientation, location, and speed of drop for accuracy of predicted landing.

How Parents Can Assist Learning
No special parent support required.

Learning Implications and Educator Support
Beyond practicing simple addition and subtraction, this game helps with children practice spatial reasoning and application of motion and force.

Solve

What Does Child Do To Use Skill In The Game?
Children add and subtract to find their scores.

How Parents Can Assist Learning
Parents can support math problem solving by using the number line on the slant board. For example, as the end of the game discuss the results, "How high do your animals go? . . . 14. Now how many bubbles did you cover? . . . 1. That's 2 more points. Can you count 2 more from 14?"

Learning Implications and Educator Support
Educators can support math problem solving by using the number line on the slant board. For example, as the end of the game discuss the results, "How high do your animals go? . . . 14. Now how many bubbles did you cover? . . . 1. That's 2 more points. Can you count 2 more from 14?"

Review

What Does Child Do To Use Skill In The Game?
Players may review if encouraged. See How Parents Can Assist Learning.

How Parents Can Assist Learning
During game play, when a child makes a particularly good move, stop and review what s/he did that made the move successful. In this way, children learn how others think and plan and may learn from each other. The parent can also review the goal of the game and how the child can choose a Undersea Shape (or play one that was chosen by another player) in a way that will help achieve the goal.

Learning Implications and Educator Support
During game play, when a child makes a particularly good move, stop and review what s/he did that made the move successful. In this way, children learn how others think and plan and may learn from each other. The parent can also review the goal of the game and how the child can choose a Undersea Shape (or play one that was chosen by another player) in a way that will help achieve the goal.

Demonstrate

What Does Child Do To Use Skill In The Game?
Players may demonstrate if encouraged. See How Parents Can Assist Learning.

How Parents Can Assist Learning
A great way to support children is to say, "Show me how you did that! You were great!" Children love to show off their skills. Demonstrating or verbalizing what they did makes children evaluate, which helps them remember what worked.

Learning Implications and Educator Support
Educators can encourage children to talk about their winning approaches, techniques and strategies. Telling others what you did helps reinforce the learning, and sharing knowledge builds social connections.
Learning to be a leader involves learning how to support others. Educators can encourage children to share what they are learning with others. For example, the child might say "I'll pick a Dolphin instead of a Seahorse because the Dolphin shape will be a better fit for the space I have open on my board."

Cognitive

Suggestions for How to Modify Play Experience
Assist the child with cognitive delays by helping them to focus on different aspects of the game. For instance, once a couple of pieces are dropped, help the child examine the space, look at the remaining pieces, and determine what piece might fit if it fell in a specific spot. For example, "Here is a skinny space on this side. What piece has a skinny part?" Remind the child that they want the pieces to fit into a small space so the top of the pile hits a low number.
Let the child with cognitive delays see how few pieces they need to drop down the middle to get to the top of the board. Count how many pieces it took. This demonstrates how the piled pieces add up to a bigger number. Use this game to illustrate that the goal is to NOT make a big number. Drop pieces randomly to show that they can make a lower number by spreading out the pieces and trying to fit them into a small space.
When playing the game, let children have two tries if they want. Children with cognitive delays will learn about space more quickly by comparing their own efforts. After dropping a piece down the slide and seeing where it lands, players get to decide if they want to leave the piece where it landed or try again. The second try does not get a "Do Over."

Communication

Suggestions for How to Modify Play Experience
Have children say the names of the animals as they drop them. This will give them practice with new vocabulary.
Turn the slant board on its side so that it creates a visual shield. One player selects a piece and hides it behind their screen. The player to the left then asks a question about the animal. The lead player answers yes/no questions without giving the name of the animal. For example, "Does it have blue on it?" " No."
Each player asks another question until someone takes a guess. If the player is right, they get a point. If wrong, they lose a point. Then it the next player's turn to pick an animal or plant tile and questioning begins again.
Turn the slant board on its side so that it creates a visual shield. A player selects six pieces and lines them up behind the shield so the other players cannot see. This player ("Player 1") then describes the pieces one at a time, without naming the item. "This is a gray animal. It has a short nose." The other players select the pieces as they are described and line them up behind their screens. They are trying to match the six pieces described by Player 1. They cannot ask questions. When all six pieces have been described, all players lift their screens to see if they have the correct pieces in the right order.

Sensorimotor

Suggestions for How to Modify Play Experience
No special modifications needed.

Social Emotional/Behavioral

Suggestions for How to Modify Play Experience
Work in pairs as a team. Together decide which piece to drop and where to drop it. Take turns with the drop. This involves discussion, comparison of point of view, negotiation, and turn-taking. For example, if players disagree about which piece to play, they might decide to take turns deciding which to drop.
One player places the animals on his/her slanted board any way desired. Depending on the children's ability level, modify the number of pieces placed on the board from 5-15. This player then give directions to the other players about where and how to place their pieces. For example, "Put the dolphin on the bottom right corner with his nose pointing upward." Players can ask questions to clarify. "Is the nose pointing straight up?" When all the selected pieces are placed, players compare their board to that of the player who was giving directions. The player whose board most closely resembles that of the player giving directions wins. The winning player then creates the puzzle, etc.
Play the game as in the directions, but add an additional aspect. Each player drops a piece in turn instead of all at once. The player to the left then gets to decide if that turn stands or if the player needs to have a DO OVER and drop the same piece again! This will make for fun, as children will negotiate whether they want to have their friend let them "keep" their drop or let them DO it OVER.

Vision

Suggestions for How to Modify Play Experience
Low vision children may need some assistance with which piece to use and where to drop it, but they should be able to play the game.
Hold up the piece that is to be dropped so all can see it.

Hearing

Suggestions for How to Modify Play Experience
This game should be fine for hearing impaired children as long as they understand the directions. Directions can be illustrated through demonstration.

*Data compiled from CCSSI ELA Standards, WA Science Standards, and Washington Social Studies Standards

Extra Ways to Play the Game
This activity involves following spatial directions. One player places the animals on their slanted board any way desired. This player then give directions to the other players about where and how to place their pieces. Players can ask questions to clarify. When all the selected pieces are placed, players compare their board to that of the player who was giving directons. The player whose board most closely resembles that of the player giving directions wins. The next player then creates the puzzle, etc.
With young children, start by using only 5 pieces. Add more as the children get more skilled at the game.

Materials Needed
No additional materials are needed.

Developmental Benefits
This game requires children to describe location and direction in relation to the animals and plant and their parts. It teaches children to be precise and clear about their directions. Children also gain practice in how to ask questions for clarification.

Extra Ways to Play the Game
Turn the slant board on its side so that it creates a visual shield. A player selects six pieces and lines them up behind the shield so the other players cannot see. This player ("Player 1") then describes the pieces one at a time, without naming the item. "This is a gray animal. It has a short nose." The other players select the pieces as they are described and line them up behind their screens. They are trying to match the six pieces described by Player 1. They cannot ask questions. When all six pieces have been described, all players lift their screens to see if they have the correct pieces in the right order.

Materials Needed
No additional materials are needed.

Developmental Benefits
This game is a great way for children to learn to use language to describe what they are seeing. If children end up with the wrong animals discuss what led them to pick the animal they did. What else could the lead player have said to make the description more clear?

Extra Ways to Play the Game
Turn the slant board on its side so that it creates a visual shield. One player selects a piece and hides it behind their screen. The player to the left then asks a question about the animal. The lead player answers Yes/no questions without giving the name of the animal. (For example, "Does it have blue on it?" " No.") Each player asks another question until someone takes a guess. If the player is right, they get a point. If wrong, they lose a point. Then it the next player's turn to pick an animal or plant tile and questioning begins again.

Materials Needed
No additional materials are needed.

Developmental Benefits
This is similar to the above game, except the lead player can only answer questions with a "yes" or "no." Other players must ask questions and only guess the animal when they have enough clues to think they know what the animal is.

Extra Ways to Play the Game
All players use all 15 pieces on their slant boards. Each tries to fit all of the pieces together in such a way that all are used, but in the smallest amount of space possible. The person whose arrangement reaches the lowest number is the winner. Repeat. Encourage players to try to place their pieces so they are at a lower number the next time. For an added element, for each round limit it to one minute

Materials Needed
No additional materials are needed, unless you are using a timer to add an extra challenge.

Developmental Benefits
This game requires players to plan carefully. They need to study their pieces and experiment with which pieces can go in the spaces they create. Children need to consider size,shape, and orientation.