Crystal Cup Rally

Explore

What Does Child Do To Use Skill In The Game?
On each roll of the dice, players look closely at the gameboard to identify options for moving their racer pawn.

How Parents Can Assist Learning
Parents can support children by encouraging them to look at the position of other players' pawns, as well as to pay close attention to the different symbols and obstacles in front of their racer pawn on the gameboard.

Learning Implications and Educator Support
Playing Crystal Cup Rally helps children develop spatial reasoning skills, planning, strategic thinking and perspective changing.

Educators can support children by encouraging them to look at the position of other players' pawns, as well as to pay close attention to the different symbols and obstacles in front of their racer pawn on the gameboard. They can also explore the distances and relationship of different pawns, obstacles and routes.

Determine

What Does Child Do To Use Skill In The Game?
After comparing options, players determine how to move their pawn, including when to use power ups.

How Parents Can Assist Learning
Crystal Cup Rally involves examining the board and creating mental models of different paths a racer pawn can take sequencing number on the Speed Die, action on the Action Die, and any power ups the child has secured.

When first learning to play, players will think about consequences of the immediate move. As they become more proficient, children will think about multiple moves ahead in order to more effectively evaluate how to move their pawn relative to the pawns of other players.

Learning Implications and Educator Support
Crystal Cup Rally involves determining what sequence of moves is best on a child's turn.

Children examine the board and create mental models of different paths a racer pawn can take sequencing number on the Speed Die, action on the Action Die, and any power ups the child has secured.

When first learning to play, players will think about consequences of the immediate move. As they become more proficient, children will think about multiple moves ahead in order to more effectively evaluate how to move their pawn relative to the pawns of other players.

Compare

What Does Child Do To Use Skill In The Game?
In conjunction with exploring and determining, players need to compare different pathways they can take on their turn, and the relationship of their racer pawn to those of other players in order to make best decision.

How Parents Can Assist Learning
To help children evaluate different options, encourage them to "Wait. Look. Think." This will help them spend time considering different moves and the consequences of those moves, which is needed for making comparisons of move options.

This will also help with impulsivity and planning.

Using such verbal cues can give children a model for approaching future play.

Learning Implications and Educator Support
Making mental models of a space and movement in Crystal Cup Racer is an advanced, complex cognitive skill that supports learning spatial relations, pattern recognition and creative problem solving.

To help children evaluate different options, encourage them to "Wait. Look. Think." This will help them spend time considering different moves and the consequences of those moves, which is needed for making comparisons of move options.

This will also help with impulsivity and planning.

Using such verbal cues can give children a model for approaching future play.

Predict

What Does Child Do To Use Skill In The Game?
As play proceeds, players will begin to predict what others will do based on their position on the gameboard, and moves made and chrystals collected during the game.

How Parents Can Assist Learning
To help children predict, ask them to share different moves they are considering and what they think an opponent might move in response. Alternatively, ask them to think about what their opponent might move next. This requires playing non-competitively for the purpose of learning.

Learning Implications and Educator Support
Predicting involves skills like analysis, observation, empathy and interpretation. Also, children need to learn how to change perspective, imagining being their opponent, in order to have optimal predicting skills.

Educators can prompt children to practice predicting by asking them to share what opportunities they see on the board, different moves they are considering and what they think an opponent might move on their next turn. This requires playing non-competitively for the purpose of learning.

Plan

What Does Child Do To Use Skill In The Game?
Crystal Cup Rally is a very good game for developing planning skills as players must sequence a range of possible moves on their turn to pick best path and/or make defensive moves to block other players.

How Parents Can Assist Learning
Encourage the children to discuss the goal for the game. Then, discuss how they might play different sequences of actions, power ups, and moves based on Speed Die to reach the goal. This requires playing non-competitively for the purpose of learning.

To help children plan their next move(s) encourage them to "Wait. Look. Think." This will help them spend time considering different moves and the consequences of those moves, which is needed for making comparisons of move options. This will also help with impulsivity and planning. Using such verbal cues can give children a model for approaching future play. Remind children to plan for each of their pieces, so none is left behind.

Learning Implications and Educator Support
Planning is an important skill for developing strategic thinking, persistence and reaching a goal.

Encourage the children to discuss the goal for the game. Then, discuss how they might play different sequences of actions, power ups, and moves based on Speed Die to reach the goal. This requires playing non-competitively for the purpose of learning.

Experiment

What Does Child Do To Use Skill In The Game?
Players will likely experiment with different power ups and shortcuts as part of learning different strategies for playing the game. This experimentation helps players improve proficiency for playing the game again later.

How Parents Can Assist Learning
Crystal Cup Rally is good for experimenting with strategy and tactics. Discuss different strategies prior to starting the game and encourage the child to select one. For example, collect crystals to obtain Mega Tire power ups before Cosmic Lift or Turbo Boost. Play the game and discuss. Then, play again with the child trying a different strategy. Discuss again and compare the advantages and disadvantages.

Learning Implications and Educator Support
Crystal Cup Rally is good for experimenting with strategy and tactics. Discuss different strategies prior to starting the game and encourage the child to select one. For example, collect crystals to obtain Mega Tire power ups before Cosmic Lift or Turbo Boost. Play the game and discuss. Then, play again with the child trying a different strategy. Discuss again and compare the advantages and disadvantages.

Practice

What Does Child Do To Use Skill In The Game?
As gameplay proceeds, players gain knowledge of what approaches work better in a given situation.

How Parents Can Assist Learning
Crystal Cup Rally can be played by a wide age range of children (and adults!) because there are different levels of strategy and mastery. Therefore, the more children play the more capable they will be in developing and executing increasingly sophisticated strategies. Also, as they become proficient, they will be able to teach others. Teaching others demonstrates mastery, the final stage of learning, and is wonderful for building self-esteem, confidence and intrinsic motivation.

Learning Implications and Educator Support
Crystal Cup Rally can be played by a wide age range of children (and adults!) because there are different levels of strategy and mastery. Therefore, the more children play the more capable they will be in developing and executing increasingly sophisticated strategies. Also, as they become proficient, they will be able to teach others. Teaching others demonstrates mastery, the final stage of learning, and is wonderful for building self-esteem, confidence and intrinsic motivation.

Solve

What Does Child Do To Use Skill In The Game?
Crystal Cup Rally involves a light amount of solving, which is tied closely to practicing and planning.

How Parents Can Assist Learning
Crystal Cup Rally can be played by a wide age range of children (and adults!) because there are different levels of strategy and mastery. Therefore, the more children play the more capable they will be in developing and executing increasingly sophisticated strategies. Also, as they become proficient, they will be able to teach others. Teaching others demonstrates mastery, the final stage of learning, and is wonderful for building self-esteem, confidence and intrinsic motivation.

Learning Implications and Educator Support
Crystal Cup Rally can be played by a wide age range of children (and adults!) because there are different levels of strategy and mastery. Therefore, the more children play the more capable they will be in developing and executing increasingly sophisticated strategies. Also, as they become proficient, they will be able to teach others. Teaching others demonstrates mastery, the final stage of learning, and is wonderful for building self-esteem, confidence and intrinsic motivation.

Review

What Does Child Do To Use Skill In The Game?
Reviewing is not required, but players naturally observe and think about the consequences of their moves to see how effective their choices were.

How Parents Can Assist Learning
During or after the game, discuss moves and what worked and did not work as expected.

Learning Implications and Educator Support
During or after the game, discuss moves and what worked and did not work as expected.

Educators can watch as children play and ask children to describe their thinking when they make a particularly good move.

Cognitive

Suggestions for How to Modify Play Experience
Crystal Cup Rally is a complex game requiring spatial reasoning and decision making based on thinking about other players' potential moves. This makes the game too challenging for children with cognitive delays.

Crystal Cup Rally can be modified to become a simple race game. Eliminate the Action Die and obstacles. Play it as a straight race game using the Speed Die to move vehicles around the board. Gather crystals as a reward as the cars pass the crystal craters, but don't use them for power ups. Add new rules gradually, if desired, as the child learns to play one-step at a time.

Communication

Suggestions for How to Modify Play Experience
Crystal Cup Rally presents a fun way to learn vocabulary (obstacle, dashboard, power-up, shortcut) related to driving and how to follow complex directions guided by the symbols used in the game. Children with language comprehension concerns may need to be reminded during play of the meaning of the symbols and the rules of the game.

Make larger versions of the symbols on the board and label them with their meaning. Also write out the new vocabulary, so children can learn the word, the meaning, and the spelling of the word.

Sensorimotor

Suggestions for How to Modify Play Experience
The manipulatives used in the game are small. A player with fine motor concerns may need assistance picking up and/or moving the small parts.

Play as partners, if a player has difficulty manipulating the pieces.

Social Emotional/Behavioral

Suggestions for How to Modify Play Experience
Crystal Cup Rally has many ways for players to play both offensively and defensively. Children with low frustration tolerance may find the game emotionally difficult if they are frequently thwarted in their moves forward. Encourage these children by providing examples of optional plays that they can make to counter their opponents moves. Help them think carefully about their own options when it is their turn.

Play as partners if the child is easily upset by stumbling blocks. Have a player with higher level skills help the child think about and discuss potential plays. The partner can also model prosocial behaviors when another player places an obstacle in their way.

Vision

Suggestions for How to Modify Play Experience
There are many low contrast aspects on the game board (road lanes) and small symbols to analyze for moves. For these reasons, Crystal Cup Rally is not recommended for children with low vision.

Use a bright contrasting marker to delineate the lines on the raceway. Other players can cue the player with low vision about the symbols encountered and help place obstacles where desired.

Draw large size symbols for the player to refer to when they are encountered on the board.

Hearing

Suggestions for How to Modify Play Experience
Hearing difficulties should not interfere with playing and enjoying Crystal Cup Rally.

*Data compiled from CCSSI ELA Standards, WA Science Standards, and Washington Social Studies Standards

Extra Ways to Play the Game
Change a rule in Crystal Cup Rally, so that one time in the game a player can change places with another player's vehicle. If the player roles a 3 and a null sign together, they have the one-time option of trading places with another player to move ahead.

Materials Needed
No additional materials needed.

Developmental Benefits
This option enables a player who is falling far behind to catch up. This possibility can assist a child with low frustration tolerance to hold out hope of catching up and possibly winning.