Teacher Stories: Family Stories
Montclair, Virginia | Ontario, Canada
Playing Rush Hour at Home Builds Problem Solving Skills!
Jessica Stoops
Montclair, Virginia, USA
When one of my relatives asked what they could give my six year old son Mark for Christmas, I responded quickly... Rush Hour Junior! We had seen Safari Rush Hour at the zoo, and Mark seemed intrigued. I told him that we should try a version that was for his age.
I really didn't know if this was a game that he would be successful with. My son, Mark, had speech issues. He had apraxia which is an oral language disorder and was later diagnosed with executive functioning issues.
Mark got the Rush Hour Jr. and was eager to try it. He did his first puzzle and figured it out. He was so excited, and I discovered what a visual learner he is! I was delighted to hear him discuss how he was going to move the trucks as he solved the puzzles. He always had a smile when he moved the ice cream truck off the board, and I loved how confident he became!
I called ThinkFun and ordered Safari Rush Hour for Valentine's Day. Mark was so excited when he opened it! He rose to the challenge and did the most challenging puzzles, and I've loved watching how he problem-solved and talked through what he was doing.
Watching Mark play these games made me realize how important it is for children to have opportunities to problem solve in this way. I know from my experience as a learning disabilities teacher that hands-on tasks and visuals are particularly helpful for special learners. ThinkFun offers a range of these kinds of activities, and their games are beneficial for all children!
A Runaway Rush Hour Lion Returns Home!
Troy Comish
Ontario, Canada
Troy Comish is a Curriculum Consultant for the Simcoe County District School Board in Ontario, Canada and a great supporter of ThinkFun games in the classroom. Below he shares a story of bringing a new game home to his family:
I wanted to briefly share a personal experience I had with the Think Fun "family." I made the mistake of bringing home a Safari Rush Hour to play with my own kids one evening. My daughter Ella, who was four years old at the time, simply fell in love with the game.
Ella was amazing at solving the puzzles and adored the little animal figures, which she routinely slept with at night. One morning she woke up and could not find her lion. We hunted all over the house for days with no luck. About a week later, in the middle of a conversation with Tanya Thompson, ThinkFun's Director of Education, I casually mentioned that Ella had lost her lion from the game.
Well, a few days later Ella received a Fed-Ex package in the mail. Having never received any mail in our rural mailbox before, this large package was a huge thrill for her, and she couldn't wait to open it. Inside, she, of course, found a replacement for her long-lost lion and as well a letter written to her explaining why she was being given a replacement that was signed by all of the Think Fun staff.
I am not at all suggesting that if you lose a game piece Think Fun will replace yours in the same manner, but rather that this proved to me that Think Fun is a company that not only focuses on producing high quality games and offering exceptional customer service, but that also truly cares about the kids and adults that purchase their products. It must be an amazing opportunity to work for such as compassionate and thoughtful company.