The critical thinking games the GT cuties play are: checkers, chess, SET, and mancala. Most of us are familiar with checkers and chess. I thought you may want to learn more about SET and mancala so maybe you can start playing at home. This will increase your child's skill level and confidence with the games. Plus, it is a great way to bond with your little genius!
From the SET webpage (https://www.setgame.com/set):
What is a SET?
A SET is three cards where each feature, when looked at individually, is either all the same OR all different. Each card contains four features: color (red, purple or green), shape (oval, squiggle or diamond), number (one, two or three) and shading (solid, striped or outlined).
How to play
SET is a speed game. The first to see a SET, calls out "SET" and picks up the three cards that make the SET. There are no turns and no luck. Race to find as manySETs as fast as you can. Be the one who has the most SETs when the cards are gone, and you win! SET is a game of fast-thinking fun!
Fun and Educational
SET builds cognitive, logical and spatial reasoning skills as well as visual perception skills while playing a game! Because it has a rule of logic (three cards that are all the same or all different in each individual feature), and because players must apply this rule to the spatial array of patterns all at once, they must use both left brain and right brain thought processes. This fun game actually exercises your brain!
The Basic Rules of Mancala
This is a version of the basic game, known as two-rank Mancala and also known as Kalah. There are literally dozens of other variations of the game which are played all around the world.
The Object of the Game
The object of the game is to capture more stones than your opponent.
How to Play
- The Mancala board is made up of two rows of six holes, or pits, each. If you don't have a Mancala board handy, substitute an empty egg carton.
- Four pieces—marbles, chips, or stones—are placed in each of the 12 holes. The color of the pieces is irrelevant.
- Each player has a store (called a Mancala) to the right side of the Mancala board. (Cereal bowls work well for this purpose if you're using an egg carton.)
- The game begins with one player picking up all of the pieces in any one of the holes on his side.
- Moving counter-clockwise, the player deposits one of the stones in each hole until the stones run out.
- If you run into your own store, deposit one piece in it. If you run into your opponent's store, skip it.
- If the last piece you drop is in your own store, you get a free turn.
- If the last piece you drop is in an empty hole on your side, you capture that piece and any pieces in the hole directly opposite.
- Always place all captured pieces in your store.
- The game ends when all six spaces on one side of the Mancala board are empty.
- The player who still has pieces on his side of the board when the game ends capture all of those pieces.
- Count all the pieces in each store. The winner is the player with the most pieces.