Family Game Helps With Beginning Math Skills

I'm not sure which has brought more delight: playing this game as a child, or playing it with my own children. It matters not that the box is shabby; the Annie "Path to Happiness" Game has been the object of many good times. Only as an adult homeschooler did I realize the math and analytical skills that are sneaked into the fun.

Here is what the board looks like:

I highly recommend this game for any family, but especially to parents of students who are learning beginning math facts. It should be available on Amazon, eBay, or elsewhere on the Internet. The object is to be the player with the most stars at the end of the game. 

There is only one "man," the red rectangle with Annie's picture, that moves back and forth. If the square has a red or white die, the player rolls only that color. However, things get interesting on other squares, as both dice must be rolled. The smaller number is always subtracted from the larger. If the larger number is on a red die, then the player moves forward that many spaces; if it's on white, then the player must move back that many spaces. For instance:

In this case, the player would think, 6-4=2. He or she moves back two, since the bigger number is white. If it were reversed and the six had been red, then the player would move forward two. Also, if the player rolls doubles, then the numbers are added together. For example, Herman rolls three on both dice. He thinks, 3+3=6. Herman then counts six spaces both ways, forward and backward. He then gets to decide which space he wants to choose: the one six ahead, or six backward. There are lots of decisions to be made in this game, in "addition" (sorry, bad pun!) to the addition and subtraction.

Here is a closeup of the end section of the game. Players can land on a "Go to" space that enables them to advance and earn three stars. Certain spaces require giving a star to another "orphan," or allowing the others to get stars from the pot, known as "Miss Hannigan." When landing on "Roll for Stars," the player rolls both dice. He or she either earns the difference (when the red star is bigger), or has to give the difference back to Miss Hannigan (when the white star has the bigger number). The same happens in "Roll Against an Orphan," except the player either takes from another player, or has to give the difference to that player, depending on who rolls the higher number. 

I love to share good finds and ideas with other parents. This game will provide enrichment to all children, either during homeschooling, or in after-school hours. I have wonderful memories of playing it for hours with my Dad, and my children will cherish their own memories of it, too. It's a blessing to be able to experience this game from both sides, as a child and also a parent.