Daylight saving time is right around the corner. So the days get shorter, and a little chillier. Outside playtime for the little ones gets shortened as well. Time to grab a board game!

We all have our mini collection of board games. Could it be time to spruce up the repertoire? Where to start? Have you heard of Rooster Fin Games? (www.roosterfin.com) They’ve combined learning skills with fun, fast paced games that everyone of all ages will enjoy.

Pictured above are just three of the many games they carry. Let’s take a closer look…

This one is called Lumpy Cubes – Hero Edition. The name will make you giggle, but just wait until you start to play. It can be played with up to four players, you can even play by yourself. When you first glance at it you might think it’s a “child” game. To begin, each player gets a color, all four cubes. There is a small stack of challenge cards, shuffle them before you start. On the challenge cards are a sequence of “stacked” cubes. Keep these face down in the middle of the table. Youngest player goes first! Turn over the first card, you get 10 seconds to memorize the sequence; I recommend having a timer for this. Put it face down again, creating a second pile. Players gather their cubes and on the count of 3 drop them on the table. The first person to complete their sequence correctly yells “Lumpy” and wins that round and gets the card.

Sounds easy, but the real fun starts when you drop your cubes and hope you remembered the sequence!!! It’s a great exercise for your brain!

One other game is called “Wizard Roll”. Two to six players can play this one. Wizards and such are always popular, from books to cartoons and pretend play. The object of this game is to “build” a spell. Partially game of luck, strategy comes in as the game progresses. This game is not as quick as Lumpy Cubes, But is just as enjoyable.

Personally, this next game is my favorite; from the name to game play- “Ninja Squirrels “!

Easy assembly, cards and acorns included. It is a four player game. All the cards are distributed among the players. Youngest starts by putting in their card into the center of the circle. Each player places a card, once the card placed matches the first card, it’s a scramble to grab an acorn before the others!

Each game is so much fun! You won’t even notice that it’s helping memory skills!

You may be wondering how did I come across these games? I joined Tryazon! (www.tryazon.com) In cooperation with Rooster Fin Games they sent me these games for free! Though it was free, the learning skills and fun from them are priceless!