Code & Go Mouse Mania

I have been thinking for the longest time to get my kids some coding games, other than exploring Scratch. Their primary school exposes them to coding via Osmo too. They did the Osmo Awbie Game last year and are doing enjoying the Osmo Jam Game. I tried the Osmo Awbie in school too, and it was really cool!

Since they are already having a blast with games on screen in school, I thought maybe I can get them something off the screen. I was previously looking at Botley the Coding Robot but I thought it was a little expensive.

So I started with an entry-level coding board game from Learning Resources – Code & Go Mouse Mania that is screen free and has an accessible price point.

The game is fun but I thought it may suit younger children say between 5 to 7 years old. My 8 and 9 years old kids found the game easy to catch on, especially because they are already exposed to coding via Osmo. So they decided to improvise the game to make it more challenging.

This board game aims to teach kids coding basics without going to the screen.

Using the 4 types of coding cards given, namely forward, reverse, turn left and turn right, the players are supposed to “compute” their mice towards the cheese wedges all over the board. The player with the most cheese wedges win the game.

The dice provided has number 2, 3, 4 imprinted on five sides, where each number indicates the number of steps each player is allowed to take. The 6th side is a barricade symbol that entitles the player to erect a barricade anywhere on the board to block his opponent’s path. The opponent may use his one and only super-mouse trump card to remove the blockade where need be. There are also warp zones to allow the players to jump from one side of the board to the other.

My thoughts on Code & Go Mouse Mania

Indeed, the game requires the kids to problem-solve and strategize. But I don’t find this very much a coding game with just four types of code given.

My kids enjoyed the game very much. By the second round, they erected the barricade even before the game started to increase the difficulty level.

Toy quality wise, the board and the coding cards are made of sturdy cardboard. The mouse and cheese tokens are heavy too. However, the dice is made of a foam-like material and the prints on it comes off easily.

I believe this board is something my children will bring out on and off to play leisurely. It is not mentally straining and is truly a toy to relax their mind after a day of schoolwork.

Hope I have shared something useful today . Please give it a like.

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