Make Math Fun at Home - When to Play Math Games With Your Children

Parents absolutely can grab the opportunity to play math games with their children when everyone is at home, and they should not avoid it!. Popular board games and card games are easily adapted for use with those fact flash cards cards. Unique and interesting printable games for kids loaded and saved on your computer allow for a never ending supply of educational entertainment so parents can make math fun at home.

Here are some suggestions of good times parent can play math games with their children:

On a no homework night. It is simple to pull out a game, and have some fun while reviewing facts. Use the flash cards the children bring home with the spinner or dice. Whatever number rolled is the number of flash cards the do. Some printable games for kids can be adapted so multiple skill levels are played at one time.

When your child is home sick- Parents are always worried about missing work when their child is sick, but the child is too sick to work! Often a sick child has trouble concentrating on make up assignments, particularly if they missed the explanations in class. Playing a fun game, that uses their math skills, but is not too taxing will give them time to think about math without the pressure.

A Rainy Sunday Afternoon- This is a great low key kind of time to sit and play a fun games with children. Using some creative printable games for kid at this time will get extra practice

Snow Days! That one is self explanatory! Particularly when it is the second or third day at home! Do not forget about Hurricane Days, Flood Days, and No Electricity Days

School Vacations- This does not mean a vacation where the family is away on a trip, but a vacation from school that lasts a number of days or weeks. Having a supply of printable games for kids to make math fun while away from school will solve those, "I don't have anything to do!" moments. Playing these games will keep their skills current and help prevent the frustrating vacation memory loss that teachers always notice.

Using these different opportunities to play math games with children at home will help make math fun for all. So it becomes important to search for a high quality resource, written by a teacher and actually used in classrooms. Then they can be downloaded to your home computer and parents will have a supply of printable games for kids as well as and other activities that will be ready to use for years with children of all ages.

It is absolutely possible for a teacher to make the material and activities they use challenging and still have fun in their classroom. Keeping the students interested, active and engaged makes the biggest difference in their overall learning experience.

Top Gifts for Big Boys That Love Toys

When it comes to finding gifts for men it can be a lot easier than you think, you just need to look for the right stuff. Toys for Boys give them something gadgetry and they'll be playing with it for days on end, which make them ideal. Believe it or not Big Boys Toys are practical and fun, and that's what it's all about, being useful to them, getting excited, as well as having the latest stuff that all their mates will drool over.

With technology booming there's almost something exciting out every month, especially with stuff like mobile phones, LCD and plasma TVs, MP3 and portable video players, the list goes on and on. Along with this expensive stuff you now find the same with the more fun and practical boys toys and gadgets, someone out there is developing the next best thing that will hit the shelves.

On occasions it's hard to keep up, however there are useful 'latest' gadget magazines or gadget blogs that can help. Putting aside the more expensive consumer electronics there is plenty out there for 'Boyz Toyz' gifts. Looking at fun stuff you can choose from a good range of radio controlled indoor helicopters, silly joke stuff and USB gadgets for computers.

Indoor helicopters are great affordable gifts, they are ready to fly straight out the box, easy to get the hang of and provide hours of entertainment and thrills in the home or outdoors in good weather conditions.
Silly joke stuff is also a must for boys toys, there's nothing better than them playing a prank on their mates while down the pub just for a giggle on someone else's expense.
USB Gadgets can be used almost everywhere on a daily basis, computers have taken over this world by storm. USB Toys are great for taking a break from work and having a little fun, probably this time at the bosses expense!

On the practical side there's also a lot to choose from for big boys toys such as spy gadgets, novelty alarm clocks and outdoor gadgets to name a few. They're useful in a boys kind of way and can look really cool.

Spy Gadgets are great for doing a bit of surveillance in a discreet kind of way, maybe they want to know who's up to what by using a spy camera in their bedroom or at the front door.
Novelty alarm clocks make it fun for waking up in the morning, with silly clocks like those that run away when it's time to rise or extremely load alarm clocks that will even wake the dead, there's no way of a lazy bloke waking up late.
Outdoor gadgets such as walkie talkies are a must for any outdoor enthusiast; they'll be able to keep in touch with you or their mates without the cost of the usual telephone call or if they lose mobile phone signal.

Classroom Activities

Developing lesson plans must be one of the toughest tasks of our nation's teachers and professors. With the technological revolutions of the past decade or two, attention spans have shortened, and distractions have infiltrated classrooms. Text messages and access to social networks through classroom computers decrease the likelihood that students will be as interested in classroom activities, lecture and discussion.

Of course, these challenges increase as the students grow older. When polls ask children what would help improve their learning experience, answers typically consist of some variation demanding to include fun classroom activities interspersed throughout their lessons. This is too broad of a suggestion, and does not give teachers much material to work with. There are strategies that teachers can implement to hold fast to their authority inside the classroom; however, developing lesson plans that are refreshingly entertaining and/or up to current fads is one of the best ways to ensure the interest of students.

For example, a Biology teacher in High School incorporated the theory behind the game of Jeopardy into her lesson plan every time she wanted to assess how well her students had learned material, and to help them prepare for exams. Adding the edge of competition into classroom activities ensured that students' attention was not only captivated, but future games of Jeopardy were awaited with enthusiasm.

Another method that could be incorporated into regular classroom activities would be to have a different group of two or three students teach the day's lesson every Friday throughout the semester. This may not be as fun and entertaining for the group lecturing, but it will give them an insight into the difficulty of teaching and potentially increase their respect and interest for your methods as a teacher.

Suggestions from students typically include activities like playing games, drawing, painting, and free-lance activities that could be used as a break from the regular lesson plan. These are often good fosterers of creativity in the students, but are rarely taken as serious educational tools by parents and administration. A fun activity that would be both educational and fun (and which I have not heard employed among classrooms of late) is the classic "Spelling Bee."

Competitions would drive students' desire to become stronger contestants, while simultaneously improving prospects for developing a continued interested in achieving higher education. Having a strong vocabulary is a skill that opens doors throughout whole lives. Perhaps the forgotten Spelling Bee should make a comeback!

Make Math Fun at Home - Play math games with your children

Parents can definitely an opportunity to address math games with their children, when everything is at home to play, and should not avoid it!. Popular board games and card games can be easily adapted for use with the current flash-cards. Unique and interesting games for children printable loaded and stored on your computer allowing an infinite range of entertainment such as education, parents can make fun of math at home.

Here are some suggestionsgood times, parents can play with their children in mathematics:

In a night without homework. There is simply pull out a game and have fun, while checking the facts. Use flash cards to bring the children home with a spinner or dice. Who is also diced always be the number of flash cards. Some printable games for kids can be adapted, multiple difficulty levels to play at a time.

If your child is sick parents at homeare always worried about losing their jobs when their child is sick, but the child is too sick to work! Often a sick child has difficulty concentrating on tasks, make-up, especially if they have missed the explanation in class. A fun game that uses their math skills, but not too much work time on mathematics without considering the pressure.

A rainy Sunday afternoon - This is a great low-key kind of time to sit and play with fun games Children. With some creative printable games for young people at this time for additional practice

Snow Day! That explains it! Especially if it's in their second or third day at home! Do not forget Day Hurricane, Flood Days, and Days of electricity

This is not school holidays, a holiday where the family is traveling, but a vacation from school, that a certain number of days or weeks, continues. With a range of print> Games for kids to make fun of math, while away from school to solve this: "I have nothing to do" moments. In these games, keep their skills current and to avoid the frustration of the loss of holiday memory that teachers always end.

Play with these different modes of mathematical games with their children at home will help make math fun for everyone. So it is important for a high quality resource, written by a teacher in research and effectively useClass. Then they can be downloaded onto home computers and parents will be a series of printable games for children and other activities and be ready for use for years with children of all ages.

And 'quite possible that a teacher materials and activities they use to make it even more challenging and fun in its class. Keeping students interested in an active and committed a difference to their learning experience in general.

Goodie Bags Make Good Gifts

Almost any child's party needs goody bags coordinated to the rest of the theme party decorations. Goody bags have their place at adult parties as well. It may well be possible that no party is complete without some version of this time treasured favor.

Easter bags for pastel wrapped candies or Egg party favors and toys are a given. It is hard to imagine a birthday party for a six-year-old that doesn't include a goody bag with at least a few party cookies or pencils. These can be colorful and inexpensive but still make each child feel that his or her presence at the party is appreciated.

Adult party ideas may include the use of goodie bags used instead of place cards. None of the usual small static cards unless they are attached to the bag to assign seating for the sake of encouraging conversation. When boy, girl, boy, girl and so on seating are planned the items in the goody bags can be used as novelty conversation starters. Bags at wedding receptions can contain disposable cameras, wine glass charms, or other trinkets to commemorate the occasion.

Goody bags for a Halloween party can contain wax lips or other simple costume elements. These goody bags can contain home baked treats for distribution at a scout meeting or other club in which all are invited and know the hostess. If the goody bags are meant to be passed out to strange children at trick-or-treat or other similar community activity it would be best to use purchased individually wrapped treats within the loosely sealed goody bags.

Perhaps the best use of goody bags is at adult sales parties. If invited guests are given the party gift in a goody bag with other small samples it is that much nicer and easier to contain on the way home from the get together.

Increase Your Child's Reading Proficiency Through Sight Words

You may have heard educators mention the phrase "sight words" or "high frequency words". Do you know what they are or how they can help your child with reading? If not, you're not alone.

Sight words, sometimes referred to as high frequency words, occur frequently in the English language. They can comprise between 50-75% of text, making them important to learn. They are often exceptions to phonetic analysis and many are service words that do not provide a visual image. For example, can you picture an image for the words "of" or "the"?

Learning sight words can help your child become a better reader. Studies show that children who have a good grasp of sight words can increase their reading fluency (the rate at which they read), and reading comprehension. When your child spends less time sounding words out, he or she will have a better understanding of the material read.

Typically, children are taught a list of sight words at school that coordinate with their grade-level, or language arts program. If your child is school-age, ask for the list that the teacher is using. Otherwise, you can refer to commonly used lists such as Dolch Sight Words or Fry's Instant Word List.

You can begin teaching your child sight words before mastery of letter sounds, or alongside the learning of letter sounds. Knowing a few will allow your child to read simple and predictable stories, allowing him or her to practice and build confidence in reading.

Games and activities can promote sight word knowledge in a fun, easy way. Start with 2-3 basic words. You don't have to teach them in order. It's actually more helpful to choose ones that form a simple sentence such as, "I", "like" and "the" or "I", "see" and "my". Introduce additional words after your child has mastered the previous ones.

15 Fun Games & Activities

1. Read sight word stories.

2. Label common objects in your home, or child's bedroom, such as bed, door, lamp, dresser, etc. This is easily accomplished using index cards and a black marker.

3. Play a sight word bingo game. As a variation, use a wet erase marker to trace the words, instead of using plastic makers when it is called out. This works best on laminated bingo cards.

4. Use Sight Word & Picture Cards to build sentences.

5. Create a picture dictionary that contains familiar items, objects, animals, or colors and label the words. This can be a great reference for future writing activities.

6. Practice spelling with magnets on your refrigerator, or metal cookie sheet.

7. Lay out an array of familiar word cards. Instruct your child to point to the words as you say them
aloud. This is a great way to assess your child's mastery.

8. Play a word search game after reading a story. Ex. Point to the word "for". Can you find the word "like" on this page? How many times can you find the word "blue" on this page?

9. Turn dead-time into a learning-time. Car games such as I Spy can help your child practice sight word recognition on the road.

10. Write stories and illustrate them. Ex. I love my mom. I love my dad. I love my cat. I love my grandma. Wouldn't Grandma love to receive that in the mail?

11. Create puzzles on tag board or blank puzzles from the craft store.

12. Play a game of concentration. Print two sets of sight word cards on your computer to create a matching pair. Laminate or cover with clear Contact paper for durability.

13. Play a game of Sight Word Snowman (a friendlier version than its Hangman predecessor). Guess the correct word, by guessing the letters, before the snowman is complete!

14. Develop fill-in-the-blank game. I like ___ dog. (the, or, to) or ___ can go play. (We, Have) It may seem simple, but helps children analyze which word makes sense in the sentence.

15. Find or develop easy sight word search games to reinforce learning.

Games and activities can make learning fun and enjoyable for your child. Use flash card drills sparing and your child will thank you with cooperation and smiles!

Keep It Exciting With Christmas Games

Christmas is a time for gatherings of all kinds and Christmas games. Whether it is an office Christmas party, a Children's Christmas Party, or a family celebration, Christmas games add fun and spread the Christmas spirit!

No matter what type Christmas party you are planning, one Christmas game that is always fun is the forbidden word game. You have probably seen this game many times, and variations on it are always popular at baby showers, wedding showers, etc. It works just as well as a Christmas game, and your guests are sure to be laughing all the while.

Simply hand out some type of token as guests arrive, so that each one has one. A good suggestion is a simple garland necklace. Choose one Christmas theme word ahead of time. Tell each person that they must not use this particular word all day long. Some good examples are "tree" or "present" but most any word will do. Anytime one person hears another person using the forbidden word, they get to take their necklace (or whatever token you have handed out) and at the end of the party, the person with most necklaces wins a present!

Christmas Games

Christmas at the Office is a perfect time for a Christmas Carol Contest!
A good choice for Christmas games held at the office is a Christmas Carol contest!

Choose a few contestants ahead of time to judge the competition. Let everyone showcase their talent by singing with or without music. Give winners gag gifts, novelties, or computer generated certificates, and let the winners have several categories such as "Best Singer" "Best Dancer" "Worst singer" "Most Original" "Most Humorous" and whatever else you can come up with.

The most important element for enhancing your Christmas party with fun games for everyone is to consider the ages of your guests and make the games simple enough so that even the youngest guests have a chance to win, and everyone keeps smiling while they are enjoying your get together!

The Principles Behind Using Printable Math Games to Make Math More Fun

There are many times parents and teachers alike will steer away from using games in the classroom as they get it into their heads that the need to teach not play games. Printable math games that are geared directly to the math concept being taught can actually enhance the whole learning atmosphere by providing motivation for the students, and avoiding the negative stigma to math by making math more fun. Incorporating these games into the lesson, and treating is as part of the lesson takes that wasting time with a game stigma away.

Here are Four Basic Principles of making math more fun with printable math games

Reinforcement of Skills

Consistent drill repeatedly over a numbered of days or even weeks is the best way for facts to be memorized and concepts learned. Playing a game provided more drill opportunities than flash cards alone. When playing a game, the same fact can be seen twenty times and the student will not bat an eye as they are focused on the game. Just try showing them the same flash card twenty times and see the reaction.

Forces the Use of Pencil and Paper

The digital world has forced educators to frequently abandon pencil and paper for online activities. This is what the kids expect. Printable math games force the children to use the pencil and paper when doing activities. Pencil and paper is a powerful reinforcement tool, your brain remembers what you write longer than what you type.

Cost Effectiveness

Having printable games and activities on your server, that can be printed out whenever you want and what quantity you need it much cheaper than buying workbooks. Many of these kinds of games can be adapted and reused for a variety of concepts. A board game for example can be played over and over again using different cards to pick up before rolling the dice thus helping to not only make math more fun, but build a health attitude towards math as well.

Positive Attitude=Positive Learning Environment

People of all ages respond better when they are having a good time. Having fun activities to do individual, in small groups or as a whole class contributes to a positive math learning environment. The students are going to want to come to class, or want to do their homework because they know there will be some elements to the lessons that are fun

Creating a math classroom whose lessons include a combination of traditional drill, board work, text book work, hands on manipulatives, challenging pencil and paper puzzles, riddles, and cards and board games will keep the math class interactive and overall just plain make math more fun. Imagine the fun a family will have when the homework assignment is to play a card game!

Cool Stuff - Icy Novelties For Really Cool Parties

Ice is funny old stuff. Who'd have thought that a bit of frozen water could make such a difference to a party?

But it's not just for plopping into drinks. Crushed ice can be used in buckets to cool bottles of champagne, or in cones with a splash of something sweet as a lower-calorie alternative to ice cream on a hot day. Ice can be molded, it can be sculpted - it can even be made into buildings, like the famous Ice Hotel in Sweden which melts back into the nearby river every spring.

Making a party venue entirely from ice is not an option for the majority of us. But we can still have a bit of fun on a smaller scale by creating unusually shaped pieces of ice for drinks, and ice sculptures as table decorations. Here are a few of our favorite novelty ice products to help you throw the coolest party in town.

Gin and Titonic Ice Mould

Create frozen miniature ocean liners with icebergs and watch them collide in your glass. Each Gin and Titonic Ice Mold will turn out four ships at a time, and an iceberg to go with each.

Fossiliced Dinosaurs

Fill the Fossiliced T-Rex or Stegosaurus mold with water, freeze, and then turn out your collection of frozen dinosaur bones into your drink. You don't have to be a palaeontologist to enjoy Fossiliced Dinosaurs - but we bet Ross from Friends would love them...

Frozen Smiles

These novelty frozen dentures are sure to raise a smile or two when your guests find them floating in their drinks! Each Frozen Smiles mould makes four sets of frozen teeth.

Quack Quack Ice Tray

Create cool party drinks with little icy ducks swimming in them. The Quack Quack Ice Tray makes eight cute little ice ducks at a time.

Fishbone Ice Tray

Add something fishy to your drink with the Fishbone Ice Tray, which makes blocks of ice shaped like fish skeletons. The Fishbone Ice Tray is made of high quality silicon and creates four fishbone-shaped blocks.

Heart Ice Tray Twin Pack

Two heart-shaped ice moulds, which each make ten little icy hearts at a time. Heart Ice Trays are perfect for Valentines drinks - try adding cranberry juice instead of water for really unusual - and romantic - Valentines treats.

BoneChillers Ice Tray

Shiver someone's timbers with these novelty skull and crossbones shaped novelty ice trays. The BoneChillers Ice Tray is perfect for cooling down a pirate party, and it's great for Halloween parties too.

Cool Shooters

Don't just give your party guests ice to put in their drinks... give them shot glasses made entirely from ice!

The Cool Shooters ice mold creates four very cool shot glasses, which you could make with plain water or with juice for a splash of color.

Cool Jazz Drinks Stirrers

Now here's a really cool alternative to plastic drinks stirrers... make them from ice instead, in the shape of little guitars!

Each pack of Cool Jazz Drinks Stirrers contains guitar-shaped ice molds and plastic guitar necks. Fill the molds with water or juice, add the guitar necks, freeze and then turn out your cool-as-anything guitar shaped drinks stirrers and get stirring.

Cool Jewels

Add a touch of sparkle to your party drinks with Cool Jewels. Unlike diamonds, these jewel-shaped ice blocks won't last forever - but they'll keep your drink a lot cooler than a diamond would!

Ice Invaders

Relive your misspent youth with ice cubes in the shape of space invaders. These little frozen aliens are an excellent novelty for 1980s parties, and the durable silicon mold can be used again and again.

Ice Swan Mould

Trick your party guests into believing that you've discovered that you have a hidden talent for ice sculpture, by making ice swans as table decorations. The Ice Swan Mold makes a swan that's 29cm x 23cm x 8cm, making a beautiful centerpiece for your party table.

Novelty Surprises and Ideas For a Hens Night

A hens night is a great event for the bride-to-be as well as her girlfriends, and should be as memorable as possible. This is why the night calls for many surprises and fun games to have the best of time. In this case, the more novel the surprise, the better and livelier it is.

It is the thinking up of surprises and novelty ideas required for the most part of the organising process of a hens night. You can do something fun not only on the hens night, but also in the morning or afternoon of that night. You can arrange some surprise activity or something else like that, in which everyone can contribute in some way.

You could stay home and cook something or even make chocolate and then enjoy having it with friends. Music and song recording in a studio can also be a good and enjoyable activity for spending a memorable time. You can get a CD of the music made and listen to it.

Another great surprise for a hens night can be a day at the spa, relaxing and getting pampered. For spending the day of the hens night party, you can choose one of the many treatments in the spa and spend your day in bliss. One of the many benefits of indulging in something during the day of the party is that you are able to set the mood for an enjoyable night.

For the hens night party, there are comedy clubs, where you can go and choose one of the comedy packages. You can have a great laugh with your friends and enjoy refreshments and drinks at the club. If you like to dine in fine places, you can always book one of the restaurants, where there is a theme, and you can do everything according to that.

Whatever you are doing on the hens night, and whatever the venue is, you can hire a limousine for the night and use it to get to the party. Another idea can be to dress up alike in some kind of a uniform. You can always get an especially designed uniform for the occasion. You can also get t-shirts made with something special on them.

Another thing that can be a great surprise on a hens night is to go abroad or to any other place inside the UK. This will open up a whole lot of opportunities for you for some great and enjoyable activities. You can also bring in novel ideas for the games played on the hens night. You can always play truth and dare and come up with some great dares to make the night enjoyable and full of new ideas. Using hen night sash can make a party more colourful.

You can also arrange a special photo session as a surprise and get the prints of the photos with different effects and backgrounds etc. and make a special photo album, which you can give to the bride as a present later on. The best thing about a great hens night is that you can always look back to the time and remember the good time you had.

Keyboarding Games For Kids - Is it Helpful For Kids Typing

There is lot of free games available for your kids to learn how to type. Some websites offer free online typing lessons right from familiarizing with the keyboard. However, to master this important skill, it is vital for your kids to keep on practicing and keyboarding games is indeed one of the best ways to do so. As the saying goes, "practice makes perfect"!

When looking for keyboard games for your kids, you have to ensure that what you have selected fits your child's age and maturity. If your kids are above 10 years old, it would be boring for him to practice if the games are designed for those who are below 8 years old. Similarly, if it is for advanced learner, then younger children will get frustrated and discourage to continue it because it may be too difficult for them. Furthermore, for those kids who are below the age of 8, it is preferably to introduce them with the placement of keys first before getting them to start playing keyboarding games. This is in view that hand placement is fundamental to learning how to type.

Below are some of the websites that offer free software for your kids:

Free Online Typing Games - this website offer not only free keyboarding games, but free tests to measure your typing ability. This site requires sign up (quick one) before you can participate. By participating, your kids get the chance to practice their keyboarding skill!

FreeTypingGames.us - games that you can find in this free site are mostly for entertaining purposes. They are fund and are most suitable for beginners.

FreeTypingGames.net -this site contains 30 different lessons! Your kids can learn to type using free software without having to attend traditional based typing lessons. You don't have to download, sign up or register for these games.

So if you are looking for free keyboarding games for your kids, look no where, the above are considered some of the quality websites that offer freebies for your kids' practice.

Fall Floral Design! How to make a deal with party

Autumn is a wonderful time of the year for floral design. There are many beautiful flowers in bright colors. provisions of Thanksgiving and Halloween are especially fun. Use fresh flowers and new design make fun of Halloween on Halloween! Or let the news of Halloween for Thanksgiving. Some flowers that are beautiful to use for the fall: Bird of Paradise, Alstromeria, Gerbera, roses, Chrysanthmums, cloves, Coppertip (Crocosmia) and an orange thistle.leaf leather, Salal, and gold bullion are just some examples of foliage that goes well with these flowers. Curly willow also adds an original touch to the design autumn.

Use a pumpkin for a vase of your design. To design an agreement in a pumpkin, clean the pumpkin. Sprinkle flower food in it, this will help your carved pumpkin last longer. They are then coated plastic insert in your pumpkin do. floral foam is a good way to anchor your design. AfterSaturated floral foam in warm water, you are ready to begin! The flowers of the above will be great in this design.

Some suggestions for the design:

- You pay for this bird of paradise! Make sure you can see it! If you use flowers expensive or unique, you should not hide behind him foliage or flowers cheap.

- Use the "hat" of the pumpkin as part of your project, this can be fixed with a wooden pole.

- Add fall leaves to your design.

- For more than aThanksgiving looking for, including zucchini, vegetables and other Thanksgiving.

- To enhance your design and make it more suitable for Halloween, Halloween make news in it, like ghosts, spiders, cobwebs, or witches!

- Forget the new Halloween is not purple. With purple flowers and leaves can add variety in each agreement year, and help your flowers orange and red do not mix.

Math Bingo Games

Math Bingo games are fun and interesting classroom activities that many teachers are there to help, with time, to teach mathematics. The games are simple enough to suit almost all students, except perhaps the smallest, and are quite flexible to be a fraction, easy to teach a wide range of mathematical topics such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, decimals, rounding, etc. ..

The way these games will be played asfollows: -

1. Before the lesson, the teacher selects a set of mathematical problems on the chosen theme. Problems can be as simple as hard as the teacher deems appropriate. The only criterion for the selection of problems (a) you must have enough problems, and (b) of each problem should have a different answer.

2. The teacher then prepares a series of bingo cards that contain a per student, a different provision of answers to math problems. This may seem like a lot of work, butis actually quite simple. The teacher is simply the answer to math problems in a Bingo Card Maker program on your computer and the software automatically print the bingo cards as needed.

3. Each student is given a bingo card, and the class then plays the game of bingo. The teacher assumes the role of the bingo caller, but instead of calling the numbers on bingo cards, called the problems of mathematics (or write on board). L 'The student has the responsibility to solve any problem and then see if you find the answer on their bingo card.

Times Tables Bingo

I certainly remember learning my multiplication tables ("times tables"), when I was in school, and I expect you do too. multiplication tables was one of those things that teachers have considerable efforts to ensure that we have learned, because they knew that it would be useful for courses in advanced mathematics, and the second in our lives. The world can be changed a lot since my teenage years, can most people in Western countries now have access to computers and calculators, butYou know the multiplication tables is an important skill and useful.

Even if your multiplication table can be a time of learning, the way they are taught by teachers went further. Once upon a time, was the main method used to teach times tables, always the class act again and again. Although this remains an option for teachers, many are now looking for interesting and engaging activities to use in their classrooms. Though of course there is almostinfinite variety of possible activities in the classroom, an activity, it is more accessible and more popular the game of bingo.

Bingo is very well suited for use in the classroom can. There are many reasons, including the fact that the game is very easy for children to learn, but also sufficiently flexible so that teachers can adapt the game to their needs.

Chances are that sometime in your life you have alreadymet the standard or the traditional game of bingo which is played using bingo cards printed with numbers. Educational versions of the game are played in a substantial manner, as the same, but instead of bingo cards that are printed with numbers, the player (student) taught the bingo cards printed with aspects of the subject. In the case of bingo times tables, then the cards would be the last of the problems multiply. The purpose (of course) for use BingoCards with math problems, is to get students to solve - and the teacher should have students write in the answers rather than simply tick problems.

The last point to be discussed is where to find time bingo cards. Once upon a time, you will probably have to write off are a specialized editor. Today, however, can simply print custom bingo cards on your computer - if you download a software bingo card maker from the Internet, youwill be surprised how easy it is.

Teaching sight words

How children are taught sight words? Children learn sight words through practice, repetition by repeated exposures. Since the class time is rarely enough time to teach a child sight words at him / her should really master of his word lists, use the parents every opportunity to exercise their children at home and help outside the classroom . Children should learn to recognize and spell these words.

There are many games for sight words and activitiesavailable to assist in teaching these important words. There are many words list view Dolch Word List and Fry's word list. sight word activities and educational games such as flash cards, bingo games and online learning are great ways to help your child to recognize and spell words lists more quickly - and your child will ultimately help readers develop a more effectively and easily.

Children do not learn from their sight sound words, or with the use of Pictures. More instructive words with pictures is highly inefficient. Children, moreover, the analysis or phonetic decoding rules should apply to these words very frustrated with trying to read - as are taught sight words do not follow the phonetic rules or coding rules at school. In order for a child in an effective and smooth player he / she must develop to gain control of its lists of words and substance that they have memorized. Teach the words of children through various> Games and activities can give your children the repetition of the exposure he / she need words to the eyes.

Beyond Video Games - Christmas Gifts For Teens

Christmas gift ideas for teenage boys:

If your gift recipient likes gadgets, there are lots of new ideas on the market. Consider a science based gift, like a magnifying camera or a Pet's Eye View Camera. This is a camera that goes on the family pet's collar and records what he sees during the day. This can be an enlightening look into how your pet spends his day!

Remote control airplanes are sure to get him out and moving. These are available in a wide variety of styles and prices so you can spend as little or as much as you want. These offer lots more entertainment than the traditional remote control vehicles that never take off!

Depending on his interests, consider gifting him with sports equipment, skateboard or surfing gear, or tickets to a sporting event or concert.

Driving lessons can give you peace of mind, and allow your teen to learn from a professional instructor-consider this a gift for you both!

Christmas gifts for teenage girls:

If you have a teen girl to buy for who loves to dress up and fix up her hair, get her personal care items like a great hair dryer, straightener, or curling iron. Nail polishes and perfumes or bath and body care products that are scented with light fragrances appropriate for teens are also favorites.

A salon gift card or a gift card for a favorite store will be well received-and allow her to pick out the latest styles in the size or color she needs.

Many teenage girls consider their rooms to be their own creations and they love to add items like novelty pillow and unusual lights. A great bean bag or butterfly chair can also be a good choice. A novelty board or a mirror with a corked edge is a great place for her to put her friends' pictures or to put the photos of her favorite rock stars.

Jewelry is also a good choice, especially necklaces and bracelets that are personalized with her name. Purses or clothing items can be personalized as good.

Christmas gifts every teenager will love it:

A digital camera is a great idea for boys and if it is directly in its own printer, even better. Cell phones and laptops are obvious choices for any teenager who loves electronics, and what teenager does not? But before you decide on the most obvious choice, if available, some new and unusual pieces. Do not have a head for electronics? Have your teen make a list of all the things he / she is interested in boys they always knowwhat are the latest trends and are, the more you list, the more surprises you can choose from the list!

Number Plate Games With Numbers

Get into that car and teach your children mathematics, by playing any variation of the number plate game. All that is needed is a few interested participants, some imagination and some traffic (not too much though). This list is not an exhaustive list, but it is meant as a start for those who have not experienced them before.

1. Sequence Game

Monitor the sequence of the numbers - are they increasing or reducing as the journey progresses?

2. Odds and Evans

If there are more two people playing, then one could count the even numbered cars and the other the odd numbered cars. The winner is the one who reaches the agreed number (say 20 on a short trip and 100 on a long trip)

3. Prime Game

Count the number of cars that have a prime number on their number plate. Can be played solo or each person selects alternate cars and gets a point if it is prime. The winner is the first to get to the agreed number of point.

4. Fadic Game

Work out the FADIC number of the Number Plate and see if there is a pattern over a long journey. The Fadic number is a number between 1 and 9, and is found by adding up the digits until they are reduced to a single digit, for example the number 684, becomes 6+8+4=18, and 18, becomes 1+8=9, so 9 is the fadic number of 684. Over a long journey there should be an equal number of cars that have either 1, 2 or 3 etc.

5. Number Game

If there are more than two people, each chooses a number and counts that number of times that number appears on plates - first to an agreed number (say ten on a short trip and 50 on a long trip) is that winner.

6. Multiplication Game

The numbers on the plate a multiplied out in some fashion, without the use of a calculator, for example each digit, like 684, becomes 6x8x4=192, then for some further mental arithmetic, find the fadic number, ie. 192, becomes 1+9+2=12, and 12 is 1 +2 = 3 alternative business records and the highest score or multiplied fadic gets one point. The winner is the first to say 10 points.

Select food items to the length of the journey and the concentration of the participants. However, your imagination, you can go and invent new games. You'll be surprised how easy it really, if you try

It seems that the important thing to do is agree on the rules before the game and, if possible, a neutral arbitratorcan help children to see why.

Toilet Paper (Printed with the Party Theme) a Unique Decoration

When most of us think about party paper goods, we never think about bathroom tissue, but you can actually purchase toilet paper printed with a party theme. Toilet paper has really come a long way since it was first produced in the United States in 1857. Joseph Cavetti is both the person responsible for mass produced toilet paper and the person who began printing on toilet paper. Then, Cavetti produced toilet paper printed with his name on every sheet, but today you can purchase toilet paper printed with the party theme that is appropriate to whatever type party you are planning regardless of what it is.

Toilet paper printed with the party theme you have chosen certainly shows you have spare no expense and thought of even the smallest detail. Toilet paper printed with the party theme works well for weddings, class reunions, and social gatherings as well as for normal parties. Most commonly, toilet paper printed with the party theme is used for theme parties. You can have them printed to be used in games as well as for the standard uses. You can order custom printed toilet paper or you can purchase amusing toilet paper already printed for order or purchase just to give guests an unexpected laugh.

Toilet paper printed the party theme or a complimentary theme such as a Santa design, money, and (among other things) the faces of political figures, and other fun novelty ideas certainly provide unexpected fun for your guests. Should you decide to go all out for a sweet sixteen party, a wedding, or other significant party event, you might want to order toilet paper printed with the party theme that compliments your party and gives a laugh to all your guests.

Family Board Games - Looking For Something New to Play?

Why Board Games?

A few months ago I was looking for a way to have a little more fun, and actually interact with people. I've always loved playing PC games that involved playing online. The social interaction was always fun, but it was always someone who was five states away, or sometimes had to deal with the difficulties of when to play, so I started researching board games.

We used to play board games as a kid, but it was usually monopoly, which is a very long game as you all probably know. So I started researching other options.

There are a lot of great reviews of games out there but sometimes it's difficult to find a game that fits your needs. There are some really good web sites that help people match themselves to the best games for them to play. Here are some tips to think about when selecting a game.

Finding the Right Game For You

Some things to consider when choosing a game...

How many players do you want to play with? Some games are specifically for two players, some are for four. Four-player games are hard to get together at times. With a two-player game you may be leaving someone out. Many of us have to work only with two-player games because we only have the capability to play with a spouse. There are even some games that are designed for solitary play...for those times when you can't find another player, but you want to get your game fix. Look at the age levels of the players. You don't want to make it too difficult to where people aren't interested. If you plan to involve the younger players, you don't want a game that is over their head and they won't enjoy. You do want them to grow up and enjoy gaming, just like you, right? Is the theme something everyone is open too? Some people don't like fantasy. Some don't like war games. Some games have the exact same elements, but different pieces.
Reccomendations For You To Start With

Here are a few of my favorites that can usually accommodate different quantities of players.

Carcassonne

It's a tile laying game where you build a city and get points. It's easy and it changes every time you play, because each player chooses how to build the city. As you build the city, you get points. The bigger the city, or item in the game, the more points you get.

Ticket to Ride

The object of the game is to make a railroad line from one city to the next. The great thing about this game is its simplicity level. You can go through any number of cities to get there. Each move you can do only one of three things: 1) draw train cards that you eventually use to build a route, claim a route using train cards in your hand, or get a new destination card so you can points for the different routes you build. It's very fun and plays quickly (typically less than an hour). The instructions are easy and kids seem to really enjoy the theme.

Settlers of Catan

This is one of the most popular games in the world - and you probably have not played it. Simply it is a "country" with different resources. When you roll the dice and have a city on a resource, you get that resource card. In Catan, you collect resource cards to place cities, towns, and roads. When you place towns you get resource cards. If you need a specific card you can trade with other players, so there is a lot of interaction between people on every turn. You win by being the first to get to a certain number of points.

Blokus

Who cares about building cities and gathering resources? You want a good puzzle game. If you like Tetris or Sudoku, this game is probably up your alley. Think of it as a puzzle crossed with checkers. You have many different pieces, and the object of the game is to get them all on the board. Here's the trick, you can only touch the corner of your own piece and other players can block you in. Remember this game board is specific to the number of players you have, so the standard Blokus game can handle up to four players, the travel edition can handle two players.

We hope you enjoy these recommendations and find a new game or two for you and your family. It is a great way to get your family away from the television or computer games for a period of time.

21st Birthday Games for a Fun Party

There are many different moods and levels of formality to celebrate a 21st birthday so it's important that the 21st Birthday Party Games be appropriate. This birthday can be anything from black tie to backyard barbeque so choose the right games and activities that best suit your vibrant young adults.

The guests at a 21st birthday party are at the peak of their athletic abilities so if weather and local zoning permit challenging games can be planned for this party. Those who have access to specialized fields will want to utilize those for softball, beach volleyball or even riding and racing. For most people though the space is limited to the backyard and imagination and energy are more readily available than stables and riding habits.

A couple of fun and rowdy possibilities include Crab Football and Backyard Hoops. The trick here is to make up rules loosely based enough to include all who wish to participate. Everybody is familiar enough with basketball to loosely organize a quick game on the driveway. Make rules that keep the competition at your 21st birthday from getting too serious and so windows and barbeque grills stay in tact.

Crab Football is something like soccer, played with the largest and strongest beach ball available. The difference is that the players move around on their hands and feet with their torsos facing up giving them a crablike appearance. Sounds simple enough but it's actually pretty fatiguing to move around that way for long even for young and spry 21st birthday guests. But that is the reason that a small yard is big enough for this game. Take liberties with soccer rules to keep this game more fun than serious and all will be better. Make sure the yard is carefully groomed to prevent hand injuries.

Stock plenty of cold refreshments as these big 21st birthday games will definitely create thirsty amateur athletes!

60th Birthday Party Games

These 60th birthday party games are tailored to those still working or those fortunate enough to enjoy early retirement in a sunny locale. They work hard and may want to play just as hard. For instance, a pool party may still be fine for the active 60-year-old but the water volleyball might be better geared toward younger guests while older ones are made more comfortable in a sheltered picnic area.

The water volleyball sets for this 60th birthday party game are similar to land or sand volleyball with the net made of PVC tubes and mounted on floats. Teams of three to six players try to deliver the ball to the other side's court by tossing it into the air and then serving the ball over the net in a way that can't be returned but is still in bounds. The boundary lines are the pool walls. Each missed ball is scored. Game play ends when a score of 25 is reached by one team.

If a pool is unavailable, warm weather and an inexpensive set of horseshoes can provide hours of casual competition at your one and only big 60th birthday. The rules are simple and preparation only involves placing the stakes 40 feet apart in six to eight inches of sand. A square shaped sand pit at least 43 inches by 31 inches surrounds each stake. Participants are divided into two teams of equal number. Each team is given two horseshoes. Each player from a team pitches from behind his stake toward the stake at the other end. Then the other team plays to complete the inning. One point is awarded for shoes landing within six inches of the stake; one or two points for those leaning on the stake; and three points for shoes that sit encompassing the stake (called a ""ringer""). Game ends with a 40 point score by either team.

Country Western Party Games - Ride 'Em Cowboys

Country Western Party Games just gets everyone to enjoy their time the most. It not only provides an opportunity for everyone to be together but also lets all to enjoy the party at best. The Country Western Party Games are carefully structured so that everyone has a chance to participate. Below are some Country Western Party Games.

Country Western Lasso Game

Country Western Party Games are really dry without the lasso game. Before starting the game, let the participants know the rules. For this game you will be needing a whole lot of space. Just hand over the rope to the participant, ask them to stand at one end of the given space, and then release the calf from the other. The participants then have to perform the trick of catching the calf with the rope. Each participant will be given two tries at first and the ones who would not be able to get the calf will be eliminated. The remaining participants will be eliminated on the knockout basis.

Cowboy Western Guessing Game

Cowboy Western Guessing Game can be a very interesting game introduced at the Country Western Party Games. In this game, you need to collect the cowboy stuff that is pretty weird. You need to put all the stuff on the table and then ask the participants one by one to guess the stuff and the one who will guess the most things right will be the winner of the Cowboy Western Guessing Game.

Country Western Party Games are really a true source of fun at the Western Parties and can absorb all the guests into them. At the end of the party you can get comments from the participants as well as getting the ideas from them as to what different Country Western Party Games that can be added.

Scary (But Fun) Halloween Party Games

If you have ever been to a Halloween party you know that there are traditional games in which every kid has taken part of. Bobbing for Apples has been a Halloween party games standby for a century or more. The traditional telling of ghost stories with a flashlight on your face still is a Halloween party favorite. This year try something new at your Halloween party. Break from the pack and start a new trend by playing Halloween games that are popular themed and will really give memories of fright and fun and not of boredom. You are sure to think of a few new games yourself, but after reading these ideas it might prime you to be more creative.

Fear Factor is a game show on TV that challenges contestants to do scary and disgusting feats to win a prize. This Halloween, instead of the traditional Halloween party games, have a home fear factor. If you have not seen the show, the basic idea is to perform disgusting, gross dares that will even turn the garbage man's stomach.

The best way to start the game is to go for touch. Put some disgusting stuff in a box with a hole cut in it. Tell the kids that there is brains in the box and they have to put there hands in the box to move to the next Fear Factor Dare. In the box have a bowl of cold spaghetti smeared with tomato sauce for fake blood. When the children put there hands in the box they will feel the spaghetti but without knowing it is food, they will think It feels like your brain.

Others have boxes around the blind touch game. Put a little grape 'in a box and tell the child that the eye is a dead pirate. In another box set is some beef liver and tell the child that has lost the inner child's last game and play it. In the past marshes can be evoked by strings, which are wet and cold and may be given to the child, tied them to tell the gut feelings of a woman murdered. You can turn the story to fitchildren's age, but this increases their ideas, one of the best Halloween party games ever played.

The next Fear Factor Halloween game played with worms and insects. A child sitting in a chair blindfolded. Say you're a snake out of the box. Tell him it's a rattlesnake. Shake Rattle baby next to his ear and pulling a rubber snake on the back and on his body. There are many other gross andscary things that you can incorporate in the game.

A good idea for the end of this Halloween game is to serve gross snacks. Gummy worms and chocolate spiders are a great treat. Candy corn in chocolate pudding also makes a gross, yummy snack. With a little imagination and some creative juices flowing you can make the Halloween party games of the past a memory in only your mind and not your kids.

Toilet Humor - Novelty Items and the Psychology of Bathroom Comedy

Bathroom humor has been around for ages and is especially strong amongst many college students and individuals with a comedic flair for offbeat pranks around toilet novelty items. So what is it that draws an individual to adorn their bathroom with toilet paper that has barbed wire imprinted on it?

If we dissect the type of personality that has an offbeat sense of humor around the idea that bathroom humor is well known and always an attention getter, we find that 90% of these people are male. The demographic for this subsection of tour species tends to be men that are at least 18 years of age. Even more focused analysis of the data tends to point to college males who love to adorn their homes and closets with items that promote the idea that bathroom humor is indeed very funny.

Novelty items such as toilet tattoos, toilet paper with $100.00 bills imprinted on each sheet or even T-shirts that reference toilet brand comedy is perfectly acceptable. So what is the cure for such a character? The answer is not surprising. Studies show that a new girlfriend or spouse will definitely put the kibosh on this type of humor. Although it may not happen overnight, the influence of the female tends to provide a more sensible balance to the toilet humor so many males enjoy.

In conclusion, toilet novelty items and the people that gravitate toward this brand of humor are usually single males with nothing better to stimulate their minds. As the study shows, introducing a potential female mate into the life of this individual begins to limit the need for bathroom humor.

Flash Games That Are Free Online

The invention of Java and Flash technology as well as the increasing availability and subscription to broadband instead of dial up has had a massive impact on online gaming.

Flash and its associated technologies have allowed online gaming to take a huge leap from games that were once simple, and rather slow to load with limited graphics, to games that are complex, fun, interactive, and are able to incorporate the technology used for audio and video streaming into their games, which has opened up a whole word of gaming opportunities.

The range of genres within the flash games category are vast. But the simple free best ones seem to be:

Bejeweled I found to be far too addictive and fun, its all about trying to get the same colored jewels in a row with each move on the board. Its a 'gem of a game'. If this one tickles your fancy, you should try the online version of the rubix cube or 3D logic cube (as it is named online) might also float your boat.

If you enjoy popping Balloons at a party then check out Bloons game. You've got to make them go pop (very satisfying), but it gets harder to pop them with your dart on each level.

One game that has taken the world by storm is Desktop Tower Defence. Its all about a war, that is played out on the desktop of your PC! While I was on the hunt for action I came across Matrix Rampage, where the moves are just like the ones in the films and the bonus is that the game play is easy to follow (unlike some of the films). Talking of games based on a film the hottest, mainly for its novelty factor, seems to be Snakes On A Plane. Lets be honest Its not often you find a game where you have to shoot snakes.

Two more that are brilliant for when you are bored are Flash Hero, one for musical maestros. Its not too dissimilar from the popular Guitar Hero game, so when you are in the office miles away from your PlayStation this would should satisfy your urge to strum them strings. Another alleviation of office boredom, that I liked about the aptly named Bin Ball Wizard. The setting of the game is the office, and you have to aim you paper into the bin, and to get it in the net you have to shoot in the right direction and give the correct power to your shot. A typical day at the office!

Basketball Hoops For Different Skills and Ages - Young Children

If you are shopping around for basketball hoops, you will no doubt be asking many questions and be faced with many possible choices. There are naturally a very large variety of different brands to choose from. There are also just as many different types of basketball goal and basketball hoop to choose from. All of these different types are designed to perform differently depending on your needs and skill level.

If you are shopping for a basketball goal for your children, you should naturally consider what type of play style they are looking for. The play style of your children will depend upon their age.

Very young children will need to learn basic throwing moves first. As your children get older, they may wish to know the details and rules of playing the game better while still being accommodated in terms of easy basketball hoop height and distance. Older, pre-teen or teenage children may wish to emulate their NCAA or NBA role models as closely as they can. So they may request a truly professional and authentic NCAA or NBA spec approved basketball goal installed at a height and court distance perfectly matching those seen on TV.

For very young children, you may consider purchasing a floor basketball hoop set as an introduction to basketball. A floor basketball hoop set is little more than a simple ring stand lined with a net. In practice, it is very similar to the many type of novelty basketball hoops seen attached to trash cans in various office settings.

A floor basketball hoop set is set very low to the ground, and the distance away from the basketball hoop is as far as the thrower wishes to sit. Because of the low floor height, this type of basketball hoop is best suited for throwing from a seated position on a floor. This makes practice throwing very easy for young children, and is ideal for teaching muscle control during shooting practice and to introduce the basic idea of throwing basketballs at a basketball hoop. Very soft balls can be used for safety, or small rubber bladder basketballs can be used for authenticity. These types of basketball hoop also tend to be very affordable.

The typical next step for a basketball hoop is a free standing basketball goal. This type of basketball goal is perhaps the most diverse, and can include basketball goals immediately above that of a floor basketball hoop set to professional field basketball goals more suited to competition games.

Some types of free standing basketball hoops are still very low to the ground and can be height adjusted with young children in mind. These provide many of the same easy features as a floor basketball hoop set, but with a greater distance from the floor to build additional muscle skill and understanding of longer shots. Other types of free standing, pole mounted basketball goals are mounted on a more rigid pole, which may often be covered in a foam-like material for added safety.

Using Miniatures in Board Games

Many different board games use tokens to distinguish the players from one another. These tokens are often a certain color so that, when you look at the game board, you are easily able to identify who is who and where they stand in the context of the game. Some games, however, go beyond the use of simple colored tokens. These games actually craft tokens of little images to use while playing the board. The number of games which use these miniatures as well as the number of uses they have are many.

Games such as Dungeons and Dragons will use miniatures for use on their boards, being able to determine the relative locations of the different players on any certain quest. These miniatures often are painstakingly detailed and, depending on the edition that they belong to, can be considered to be quite valuable. Some of the miniatures are Collectors Edition Items and there are a number of fans of Dungeons and Dragons make a big hobby of collecting these miniatures easier. board games can be a great item for the collectors market, but the miniatures are almost entirely alone. A number of artists under contract can design and shape of a thumbnail, depending on the prestige of being an artist that would increase the value of this in miniature.

Other games allow players to have more freedom with their thumbnails. A number of kits are often available, provided that the miniaturein a flat color, often gray. Paints are then able to be purchased, allowing the collector to paint the miniature themselves. This is often a very popular form of miniature collecting, because it allows the player to personalize the miniature that they are working with. It becomes more unique and allows the player a special feeling in regard to the piece. These are especially popular when it comes to role playing games, where players will often adopt a certain personality and develop that character for quite a long time. When the player has a character which they feel close to, making their own image of that character in a way that they feel represents themselves well is a great way to boost interest and even loyalty to the game itself.

Some miniatures are sold in separately marked packages and you end up buying them at random. These are marketed much like baseball cards, encouraging you to collect the entire set. These are often games which are built around enterprises where a number of characters are known and popular to fans before the game is developed. Comic book characters are the most frequent form of this type of miniature.

Different games can be played with these miniatures, with special editions having certain powers and benefits which might influence the game. These miniatures often have a large number of pieces, often coming close to 100 different pieces to collect. Just like collector cards, these Supporters pieces can be exchanged with others and build a complete collection is often more rewarding than the game itself. This is just another way of thumbnails can influence the world of gaming.

Evolution of Gaming : Graphics vs Gameplay

If you are old enough to remember the early days of computer gaming you know there were a lot of great games that were fun because of the exceptional gameplay and not just the graphics. Gaming started to become a little more popular in the 90s once people started buying computers. In the early 90s games like Maniac Mansion, X-com 1, and Civilization were extremely hot because of their addictive unique gameplay. Today gaming is mainstream and marketed towards a mass audience. In order to market to everyone, many games these days focus on the graphics and special effects rather than unique gameplay. You see many games that seem to be carbon copies of each other with slightly different twists.

These days, a lot of games try to be as realistic as possible and have the most textures and polygons jammed in to wow your eyes. In order to market to everyone, many games these days focus on the graphics and special effects rather than unique gameplay. Although there is nothing wrong with a game with beautiful graphics, once the novelty of the graphics runs out, the gameplay is what keeps you playing. You see many games that seem to be carbon copies of each other with slightly different twists. There are a few games like Halo 2 where the developers obviously spent a lot of time fine tuning to make sure the gameplay was as enjoyable as possible. With Halo 2, the two things that give it an edge in my opinion is the fact that the movement of players is slower than most games and the weapons are highly balanced. Also, rather than throwing tons of multiplayer maps at the player, the developers focused on making a limited number of quality maps.

Freeware games are an option for people on a small budget who value gameplay over graphics. A freeware game is simply a game that is completely free with no fees attached. Freeware developers usually do not have the million dollar 3d engines, racing games to their retail games, the games more fun without all the bells and whistles. These developers make games simply for the love that makes them, sometimes they come with some high quality games and unique that is worth a look. Especially because these games are completely free. These games cover all categories of retail gamesfrom Massively Multiplayer to 3d First Person Shooter. Some companies also release production quality games as freeware because they decide not to put the game into production or as promotion.

Novelty Gifts Make Innovative Promotional Tools

Standing out in the crowd is only ever possible in marketing when you do something different. If your campaign involves gift giving, especially at special events, then opting for novelty gifts will help boost your message so that it has that stand-out-in-the-crowd factor. So what exactly are they? Well, they can be any one of a number of things but all of them will have an overriding uniqueness factor.

If you are holding a children's event then stocking up on goody bag fillers, party game prizes or hand-outs is a must-do. Here are some examples of these fun items:

o Party hats and headwear
o Goody bag gifts
o Toys and games
o Badges
o Flags
o Frisbees
o Yo-yos

Personalising your product makes sure your message and branding gets out there amongst your potential customers. Most can be printed in a number of colours and with any design, logo or text.

They are associated with fun and happy events, which means that if they are personalised with your branding, your company will always be recalled in a positive light. Other types include keyrings, clocks, timers, mugs and fridge magnets. The thing that gives them the novelty factor is their ability to stand out as something quirky and amusing. They also appeal to a range of audiences and can promote all sorts of businesses at various times of the year. Here are a few examples:

Christmas: there is a huge range of yuletide related products available that will help any business promote its message in a fun way at seasonal parties and get togethers.

Easter gifts: the season renowned for children's promotions where items like hats and party games prove very popular.

Consumer events: product launches; town shows; consumer exhibitions: any place where drawing attention is the name of the game, especially where children are the target audience because novelty gifts have excellent kids' appeal.

These types of products also make excellent party items and can be sold as add-ons to product lines that are associated with special occasions; used as media giveaways to create brand awareness or given away as on-pack promotions. One thing they will do is stand out as innovative and fun to use. Incorporating them into a marketing campaign or special event will ensure a lasting effect, pushing a positive message home and promoting a brand in an original way.

The future of Madden - 11 things must change to keep players in shape Madden Felice

It's that time of the year again, so join us as we count down from eleven to one the top changes we want to see for Madden 11. For once, "online franchise" won't have to be on this list... oh how far we've come.

11 - Re-think Challenges - This is going to be a hotly debated topic, but challenges need to be gone from football games for good. Alright... maybe that's hitting it a little too hard, but developers and gamers alike need to at least start re-thinking the implementation of challenges. The purpose of challenges in the NFL and other football leagues is to make sure the refs get the call right, because as hard as they may try, they're certainly not machines. In Madden, however, our refs basically are machines, so why are we forcing error into the way the game is refereed?

The game knows what the proper call is at all times, so why should it ever get it wrong? Just for the jollies? Sure, there will be moments without challenges where you will badly notice how poor the call was and wish you had a red flag, but if the game is made in such a way that the correct calls are always made, then by their own engine it wouldn't of been overruled even with a challenge if that's what their decision was. Unless there is going to be some kind of A.I. implemented into refs themselves, where refs are actually active characters on the field that have their own vision and awareness numbers, then it makes no sense to arbitrarily make the wrong calls and waste everyone's time. At least make challenges a toggle option, please, or save challenges entirely until we have a full referee A.I. to make it realistic. We're buying Madden NFL, not Sherlock Holmes: Case of the Botched Call. Yeah, it's in the game... but peeing your pants is in the game, and we're not interested in seeing that either.

10 - Improved Casting - To be quite frank here, Madden NFL has had some of the worst sports casting for a few years now. It's not so much a problem with the names they select, as it is the style of the execution; too many vague global observations and obviously canned enthusiasm. Madden would do wise here to take a page from UFC 2009 Undisputed, which sets a new standard for sports game casting. Commentary in UFC 2009 sounds exciting and interested, while Madden 10 sounds like casters who were hired to read from a script for fifteen minutes.

Football is a very broad sport, with thousands of players and dozens of teams, so it's not quite the fair comparison to expect the quality of casting seen in more focused games. But honestly, would it be so hard to make comments shorter and string them together for unique combinations, instead of making us hear the same old long and drawn out critique? And why hasn't Madden made use of that ESPN license yet so we can listen to Mike and Mike live in the morning while playing Madden, or at least select from ESPN podcasts from that day? It puts the podcast on the Madden. You hear us Ian Cummings? It puts the podcast... on the Madden.

9 - No More Passing Beyond the Line - Here we have another fine example of EA thinking a little too much. In the NFL, players are penalized when they pass the ball beyond the line of scrimmage, so it only makes sense to allow players in Madden to pass beyond the line of scrimmage and get penalized, right? Actually, no, it doesn't make sense at all. The problem with passing beyond the the line of scrimmage in Madden is that the control by the currently bound to their current controls.

If a player passes the line of scrimmage under their control will be in charge, but with Madden 10 gives you the ability to pass through the line of scrimmage, sometimes the current controls are controls. How many times have you tried to slide after crossing the line just to throw a pick-six to the X receiver? O spin and throw a wobbler to punishthe B receiver? It simply makes no sense. Either untie the rushing controls from the passing controls, or don't let players pass the ball once they cross the line of scrimmage. Yes, passing beyond the line is a part of the mistakes people should be able to make in football, but Peyton Manning has never accidentally thrown a pass 50 yards down the field while trying to slide to his rear.

8 - Online Tournaments - It seems as if every year players are asking for features that used to exist and then snatched away in a new edition of Madden. Online Tournaments used to be one of the best things about Madden; no, not just official sponsored tournaments which still exist to an extent, but tournaments you could create or join on the fly to amass tournament wins and challenge yourself. Now as it stands, tournament mode has become a forgotten legend right alongside the original Rushing Attack drill.

7 - Spectator Mode - Madden NFL is a bit like Animal Crossing (go with me here). In Animal Crossing: City Folk, a great deal of the fun comes from going to house-to-house and town-to-town just to see the types of styles you can find or tips you can pick up, and Madden is no different. The ability to see how other players play, what tricks they employ or even just watch a healthy match between two good players is a luxury that has long-since been forgotten in the Madden universe. Spectator modes make it easier for online businesses to stream live matches and for users to engage themselves in the sports gaming community; it's great for the tournament scene, great for the casual fan that wants to get better, and great for advertisers being fed through Madden's in-game ad system. There's little reason anymore to keep us in the dark. All we want is to be able to watch people play your product, or let our friends watch us!

6 - Quit Game Solution - The "Quit Game" problem has been an issue that has plagued Madden for a few years now. EA Sports doesn't want people to discover glitches to disconnect people from games and receive wins at an accelerated rate, so the way they balance this issue now is by forcing players to beat the CPU to receive their win if their opponent disconnects for any reason. Usually, however, all this does is result in online games being boring collections of computer battles and clock draining techniques to pass the time faster. What we need, is some kind of solution that works to both deter cheaters and also not punish players who don't want to quit... so why don't we come up with one?

Why don't we make it so you can't quit freely and take your win unless your account rating is sufficiently high? For Xbox Live, this might mean you must have a rating of at least four or five stars on your account. If players are glitching other players for quick wins, then their account rating would drop swiftly and the system would monitor itself. Additional parameters can also be set, such as allowing you to quit freely with a win if you are up at least three touchdowns at the time. While not a perfect method, this certainly would be a massive improvement over the current system.

5 - Avoid Sack - Part of being a skilled player is being able to know when to hold them, know when to fold them, know when to walk away and know when to run. Alright, so Kenny Rogers isn't exactly Aristotle, but the man has a good point that translates well to football. Players like Peyton Manning are craftsmen at the art of avoiding hits, and will often drop to the down quickly when all hope is lost in the pocket. Allowing players to drop down in an attempt to avoid the punishment (and potential fumbles) created by sacks would go a long way to improving Madden's slogan of "If it's in the game, it's in the game." Perhaps even make the drop-down ability limited to players of certain skills, to help encourage picking teams with less mobile, but high quality quarterbacks. Or maybe even a global system, where each player has an "avoid hit" rating in the pocket, and your chances of successfully dropping down when you attempt the maneuver increase based upon that rating; meaning players like David Garrard of the Jaguars would be less likely to avoid the sack when the correct button is pressed, while players like Peyton Manning would be more likely.

4 - Online Practice Mode - Practicing, or "labbing" is one of the most important prerequisites to becoming a quality player in Madden, but usually this means sitting alone in your room with two controllers, or at best fighting the play clock in an unranked game with a friend. With an online practice mode, players will be able to join up with a friend to test out different strategies and schemes, and even set up situations from within the practice such as "2 minute drive from own 30." Being able to work with friends on new tricks of the trade is an important part of strengthening the Madden community, and EA Sports would be wise to recognize the ease of implementation for this feature.

3 - Custom Packages - Every team is different in Madden, and because of that some players prefer certain substitutions in certain situations. Allowing for a select amount of formation packages in Madden would allow players to save time subbing the usual suspects in and out, and more time actually playing the game. Like to move your slot receiver to the outside when you're always in a certain formation? Prefer to have a heavy set by default when you come out in goal line? Want your best pass-catching RB in when you're playing four wide? Let players pick and choose how they want their default packages to look, just like any coach in football can do.

2 - Co-Op Online - While not the most pressing issue at the moment, the ability to allow players to play together in a true online co-op mode would add a truly fun experience to Madden NFL that goes beyond just a novelty. In many other games, co-op features are simply content fillers that provide no real value to the product. With Madden, however, being able to play online with your friends against others can provide for some really interesting games and conversations as players strategize their next move and plan their way up the leader board. A true co-op online feature would be an excellent addition to Madden that would synergize wonderfully with features like online practice mode.

1 - Scouting 2.0 - As was briefly discussed in a previous article, there needs to be a complete overhaul of how franchise mode treats the scouting process. The draft is the most important, and most beloved part of franchise mode by many players, but currently scouting potential prospects is underwhelming at best. With an overhauled scouting system based around actually watching "game film" (instant replays) of players, the user can decide himself what is good or bad based upon the performance on the tape, and as a result truly mimic the evaluation process that many die-hard draft fans crave for.

Hire scouting agencies to provide you with more film and send them out to record prospects and make your evaluations based on how the player actually jumps out at you on tape. Such a feature would revolutionize franchise mode in Madden, and if need be, it would almost be worth splitting Madden into two discs: Franchise and Online.

Have fun with board games

board games are a great way for family and friends to spend time together. Games will bring laughter and conversation naturally permission. There are many games to choose from. Their decisions are often games played will be decided by.

If you have small children that you are using and then played classics such as Candy Land, chutes and ladders and uncle Wiggely are great. There are also several "junior" versions of old classics. For example, there are Monopoly Jr. and many others.

If you play young and old, is to enjoy a good eye for games that would have done so. Although not exactly a game, Uno, and Domino both can be equally fun for adults and children. Pictionary can bring a lot of laughs, no matter who is drawing the images.

Teens, you can create a classic game Monopoly. Pictionary, Scattergories, Trivial Pursuit and other formats can be played by a team. There are many editions of thisGames> that your teen may be of interest.

There are some classics that are fun for everyone. Consider the risk, Clue, Yahtzee, checkers, chess, Battleship, Stratego and Scrabble.

It is good to turn off the TV and enjoy a night of light jokes and fun games together. It can help to play together with children again. How do you spend time with them, open up and share more about their life in this non-threateningAtmosphere.

If you have friends with a group of adult board games your a great icebreaker. There is no fear when the conversation late, as the game goes on like this. Instead of talking only to each other board games provide an easy and relaxed. This in turn makes everyone relax and have a good time together.

So the next night and family night with friends, bring board games and fun!

birthday cakes New - The issues are different

If you start to think about issues of novelty birthday cakes, the possibilities are truly endless. A large cake can really tie the whole theme party together and it is literally the icing on the cake takes so little time to collect my thoughts.

The trick is to channel the creative spirit and not really something that you think might be intimidated too hard. It 's a way to limit your thinking is not all that at the start. In fact, if theSelect the topic seems too difficult, there is always likely to show some pieces or props to buy a well-iced cake can be made. This is the most simple but effective way to make a birthday cake novelty.

So where to start? The first thing to do is look, the birthday child. Consider carefully if you make the cake for all and a list of things that they are interested in - hobbies, sports, crafts, animals, flowers, food, fashion, etc. Also talkthey create and have a party and what is the topic are. This could simply issue a decision on the cake a lot.

After some general information for you to start can begin cakes, collecting ideas for theme birthday news. Here are some ideas to get started:

Girls - pony rides, cupcake large, handbags, jewelry box, princess, fairy, castle, Barbie, flowers, butterflies

Boys - cars, motorcycles, rockets, dinosaurs, sports, trains, trucks, fireEngines, surfing, skateboarding, guitars, airplanes, Skull, Pirate

Unisex - animals of any species (snakes, frogs, insects, lady bugs, lions, tigers, monkeys, sharks, horses), numbers, birthday, licensed characters (Dora the Explorer, Scooby Doo, Wiggles, Thomas the Tank Engine, Tweety Bird, etc), ghosts, houses and barns, music, jungle, Safari

Ladies - Stiletto Shoes, handbags, patchwork, jewelry, fashion, music, food

Men - golf, cars, bicycles, fishing, computers,Games, music, food, sport, football.

The above list is just the beginning of the many opportunities that exist. assemble the cake with the theme of the party, which has already been selected - Any arguments that can be used as a starting point for discussion of the whole party, or vice versa decide.

Think of birthday cakes novelty as something that occasion, birthday, to improve the experience and add. With time to consider the special guest andEvents are the subject of ideas is probably endless.

Classic and inexpensive Christmas gifts for children

Each year we are bombarded with advertisements, articles and news hottest Christmas gifts for children. These gifts are usually expensive, electronic and related to because of high demand. This has to wonder what happened to the classic economic Christmas gifts for children. You know what I mean. The gifts that we all have when we were young, we enjoyed the gifts on Christmas Day and throughout the year and in many cases still enjoy today. Unlike some of the gifts that havereally wanted one year and disappear as soon as the new year rolls around. Great gifts are evergreen classics, loved, and loved by generations.

Most were present for these games and toys that takes your mind and your need for some interaction with others. The memory of these great gifts classic came to mind last week while on Thanksgiving. I was visiting my nephew. He was playing with this electronic dinosaurs. This plastic creation is about a foot tall and looks like a 'T'Rex. With four "AA" batteries of the creature turns its head, shuffle his feet and roars. My nephew, who had ten are in the back of her closet. One of last year are the Christmas presents, had just spent the first year of collecting dust. I think it cost twenty or thirty dollars. I asked my nephew did not want to play with him, and he said: "It 's fun for a while' so boring here is the problem, this toy, like many others do not mind you can still intervene.really interact with her. Clear for a while 'is funny to watch his antics, but soon tired of sniffing, trailing fake dinosaurs.

After dinner, the dinosaurs long ago forgotten, we are all sitting around the kitchen table and played a game of Halma. The point is that some of these investments, more toys worth it, not many, and if your family is like mine, it's over, toys and games to talk to us all. But what are theseClassic economic gifts? To find out, I interviewed my grandchildren, all four of them, the more my children and asked my memory. I admit that it is not very scientific, but, curiously, all of us came up with many of the same games and toys.

Lego: My son and nephew are Lego fanatics. Now you can spend some serious money for Lego, but even smaller amounts for less than ten dollars. Here's a suggestion of my wife. For two dollars to buy my wife a big boxsell various Lego bricks in a day. These pieces have kept my nephew and his friends busy for hours.
Chess Set: War is the ultimate strategy game of chess. Chess Long War Hammer and all these games before it did.
Lady: It may be easier for a game of checkers. Cheap, fun and always exciting. Do not forget, Chinese checkers, and the way in which all the other games.
A card game: We always put in a card gameOur grandchildren socks, sometimes it's just a regular deck or in one of the new card games.
Jojo A: What child does not like Jojo? Duncan from a simple, sound and flashing lights. Remember, when using the Duncan yoyo man to demonstrate to travel from city to city yoyo tricks? No, I do.
A Dragon: Now here is a toy that each side to reach the yard or park. Kite can be a great hobby, as there are many very expensive kites. But to start withthe simple "bat" style. You can usually find these for less than ten dollars.
A large group of Crayola crayons: For the young kit, a set of crayons and some poster papers a great gift. Think of all those drawings you need to depend on the refrigerator.
A series of watercolors: Is there an artist in every child. A nice set of watercolors and shrubs bring hours of creative fun.
A number of blocks of wood for a younger child, a beautiful set of hardwood blocks are a perfect gift. Small buildingTowers and buildings is fun and creative and then you can kill them!
A set of fishing for beginners: Another good way to get outdoors, fishing, most municipalities have to have a small pond or you are probably closer than you think of a river or a lake. Both my sons and my daughters love fish.

Obviously, the list goes on. The ideas above these have stood the test of time, so that three generations of my family hours of fun and family solidarity. So before you drive yourselfcrazy trying to find the latest hot Christmas gifts, consider these classic and inexpensive gifts for Christmas for your children. Then I saw that you really need to get the number of toys for Christmas 2010 by all means. But also take a card game or crayons and a kit of paper. I can almost guarantee your children or grandchildren, with more time with these gifts with the excitement, lower the heat expensive toy. Merry Christmas!

Free Online Classifieds for 'Antique' Consoles

It seems a big deal lately that some folks have taken to collecting some of the oldest and original console game systems. Atari 2600's are now considered antiques believe it or not, and even old Nintendo and Sega consoles are in high demand in some gamer niches. Additionally, some of the highly desirable games are also commonly sold with their respective consoles. So what is the best way to search the free online classifieds for your preferred antique or classic console?

Look for bargain or old second hand game shop ads

Some of these old stores are treasure troves for old gaming systems. You can often find not only consoles and rare peripherals, but uncommon or rarely seen or found cartridge games as well.

Locate areas that have a higher chance of more choices

Obviously larger cities may have more options. Additionally, larger cities in known high tech related areas may be a storehouse for some of the original consoles and games created.

Look for novelty or comic book stores in free online classified ads

Often these types of stores cater to a large selection of different items that may be considered novelty to some consumers. If you locate an out of the way second hand novelty store shoot them an email or pick up the phone and ask them if they sell or collect specific consoles or games you are looking for. You may be highly surprised that some of these transactions may not specifically advertising their goods old console, but can, in fact, they sell for the right price.

Be especially around the holidays and spring

The holidays are a time when common for owners to sell their ad free sites online and console games to get extra money for the holidays are generated, or even, in hopes of snagging a long search ends, be prepared to pay higher prices by of a loved one in their lives with anotherdesired gaming console that has been gently aged.Additionally, the spring time is also a great time to keep an eye out as some families regularly spring clean and liquidate old garage or attic items that may have been looked over for years.

Oklahoma City Thunder Should Improve in 2010

The Oklahoma City Thunder had a terrible record at 23-59 in 08'-09' - that didn't stop the fans from attending the games because the team finished 11th in attendance. The novelty might start to wear off if the team isn't going to perform better this season. A team in a new town always had success typically so the Thunder might get a pass on the bad play.

The Thunder are coming from the great basketball town of Seattle. The Seattle fan base wasn't thrilled with the move to Oklahoma City and hope one day Seattle can receive a team again - with many teams struggling it might be a long wait in Seattle. Fans may cheer for the Thunder until they receive their own team again.

The Thunder has one of the most exciting players in the league in Kevin Durant, Durant has scoring champ written all over him and perhaps one day MVP. Durant will have to do the majority of the work this season like last for the Thunder to even compete in most games. Durant is still very young so hopefully his career won't be wasted on bad teams every single season. Durant is the Oklahoma City Thunder franchise player as of now - Durant should be among the scoring leaders once again and perhaps the scoring leader at the end of the season.

Russell Westbrook and Kevin Green will need to give Durant all the help they can in order for the team to even sniff 35 wins. The Thunder play in the Western Conference and it will be difficult to get wins even against the lower level teams in the conference. Thunder fans should enjoy Kevin Durant and his scoring ability. Even if the team has another bad season record wise - Durant should give ESPN many top ten plays.

Halloween Board Games

Halloween board games can be used at home or school and they provide a great way to occupy kids in the lead up to Halloween. These games can be used to settle down excited kids and are also ideal as a reward for kids who finish their work early in the classroom or for kids who deserve a reward at home. But this is not their only use. Halloween board games also make a wonderful way for the family to spend time together.

There are commercial games available but it is much more fun and also much cheaper to make your own. Once you have made these Halloween games, you then have something that can be used year after year.

To create your own Halloween board games, you just need some stock card and some markers. Stickers and glitter can also be used to dress up the game. You might like to choose a theme for the game like vampires or ghosts or you might like to make it about Halloween in general.

The most common board game is the track board game and this is the easiest type to make. Just draw a track around the board or from the top to the bottom of the board. The track might go from a Haunted House - the start - to your house - the end. Along the track you can have reward spaces and hazard spaces.

The reward spaces might have something like, 'Have another turn.' The hazard spaces might say something like, 'Go back 3 spaces.' There can also be Trick or Treat spaces on the board. When someone lands on a Treat space, they can be rewarded by being given a small treat like a candy. When they land on the Trick space, they can pick up a card which will have a trick on it that they have to do. It might be something like, 'Howl like a werewolf.'

Your Halloween board game can be decorated with pictures, sticks, glitter, puff paint and anything else that you like. Once is it ready, you just take turns to throw the dice and move around the board.

A different way to create a Halloween board game is to make a 'Snakes and Ladders' style game. Instead of using snakes and ladders though, you could use witch's brooms as ladders and black cats with long tails as the snakes. The game can played the same way as the traditional 'Snakes and Ladders' game.

Halloween board games are an ideal game for family fun or classroom fun. If you choose to make your own board this makes it even more fun. Let the kids use their imaginations and see what they come up with. They'll have fun making the game and they'll be so proud of what they have made that they won't want to stop playing it.