When most people think about back to school time they think of shopping for school supplies and the all important first day of school outfit. I used to think like that when my kids were in school (they are both adults now). These days when I think about back to school time I think about how my summer vacation is over and I’ll be heading back to work soon. This is because I work in the school district as a site director for an after school program.
I have a lot of children in my program. We keep the kids entertained through games, activities, crafts and outdoor time (fresh air). Finding fun games that a group of children can play is easier said than done. The kids also range in age from 5-13 years old. That is a HUGE gap.
I recently received a game to review that I know is going to be a huge hit with my “work kids.” I cannot wait to see how much fun they have with it.
The game is called Cake-N-Bake Challenge and it’s from the brand Hey Buddy Hey Pal.
This is a fun game that kids AND adults can play together.
Cake-N-Bake Challenge comes with colorful, thick foam triangle pieces. Each color has a different texture too (more about that later). In addition, there are “topping” cards (gummy bears, strawberries, sprinkles and rainbow candies). There are also two different decks of cards, candles, and a bell. The winner gets to wear that chef’s hat, which is also included in this game.
The object of this game is for each player to stack their cake slices in the correct order first, and rings the bell. The winner of each round gets a candle card. Win six candle cards and you win the entire game and get to wear the chef’s hat.
There are different cards with the cake slices arranged in a different way than other cards. There are are also special action cards that make the stacking a bit more challenging. For example, there is a card that makes you stack the pieces upside down. What I mean by that is if the order on the cards is red-orange-yellow-blue-green-purple, with red being on top, you would have to stack the cake the opposite way – purple-green-blue-yellow-orange-red. Hopefully that makes sense.
The game comes with three different ways to play. There is the simplest version which is great for little kids. That is where each child already has one of each color slice in front of them. The more challenging option is to throw all the pieces in the middle, which makes it harder to find what you are looking for. Personally I like that way better.
You can write your own challenge on the challenge cards too. Honestly I wouldn’t know what to write. I think we’ll just stick with the printed cards that came with the game.
The hardest version of this game, which will work for my older kids, is having teams of two. The “head baker” instructs the assistant on how to “bake” the cake. The assistant cannot see, they are only instructed on what piece to find based on it’s texture. That is because each piece of the cake (the color triangle pieces) also has it’s own unique texture.
I think having those fun textures only add to the fun of the game. This make work well for children who find textures soothing. My daughter works with autistic children and a few of them like the feeling of certain textures to make them feel calm.
Even though this game has instructions, I think players can create their own versions of this game. As odd as it sounds, I believe this game has more than three ways it can be played.
Working with children, I know how creative they can be. I’m sure they will be teaching ME how to play their version of the game in no time.
To win the game and get the opportunity to wear the chef’s hat, players need to win six candles. The candles are given out to the winner of each round. Of course, you can create your own version. If you have younger children you might want to make it three candles and not six. This game is very flexible and can be “molded” to suit the various players.
This game helps children with color matching skills as well as eye-hand coordination.
The Cake-N-Bake Challenge game is available on Amazon (non-affiliate link) with a SRP of $29.99.
If you are interested in learning more about Hey Buddy Hey Pal and the games and products they offer, visit HeyBuddyHeyPal.com. The game is also available for purchase on their website.
What do you think of this game? Do you think it’s something your child would like? Feel free to comment and share your thoughts. I always love to hear from readers.
Kimberly
*I received a free product sample to review. There was no compensation. The opinions expressed are my own and not influenced in any way.