SimplyFun: Expanders ~ Review

The kids and I enjoy playing board games and I especially enjoy when those board games are educational.  When I was given the opportunity to review the game Expanders from SimplyFun I was excited to try it out with the kids.

How Does Expanders Work? 

Expanders is a fun-filled, fast-paced game that requires reverse addition, spatial reasoning and critical thinking.  The goal is to be the first player to place all your chips on the board.  This is done by expanding numbers, finding pairs, filling open spaces and blocking your opponent.  It is recommended for players age 7 and older, however, Rebekah who is not quite 7 has enjoyed playing it also.  Expanders is played with 1-4 players.  Each player chooses a color of Expander Tokens (there are 32 of each; purple, pink, orange and blue.)

To initiate play the first player may only use “Action 1” which is to place one token on any unoccupied number that is in the first row on your side of the board or is connected horizontally, vertically, or diagonally to any of your tokens already on the board.

Adisyn and Rebekah had fun playing Expanders with some of their friends.

Player two may then use either “Action 1” or “Action 2.”  Action 2 involves placing two of your tokens on any two unoccupied matching numbers that are either: in the first row on your side of the board or connected horizontally, vertically or diagonally to any of your tokens already on the board.

Player three then has the opportunity to use either “Action 1”, “Action 2”, or “Action 3.”  For Action 3, you place one of your tokens on any unoccupied number that is in your first row or connected horizontally, vertically or diagonally to any of your tokens already on the board.  Saying the number out loud you can then expand the number.  You then find and place tokens on numbers which, when added together, add up to the number you said out loud.  For instance, if I place my first token on the number 8, I would say 8, then 4+1+3.

Game play continues with all players being able to use any of the three Actions until one player is out of tokens.  One game takes approximately 20 minutes to complete.  If you would like to play multiple rounds keep track of the number of tokens each player has after each round of completed play.  The player with the smallest score wins.

What Did We Think of Expanders?

We have really enjoyed playing Expanders.  I like that the kids are practicing their addition skills during a quick-paced game while they are having fun.  It has proved to be a fun game that the older four kids can play together, while the younger two are happy to watch them play.  I would recommend Expanders as a fun “addition” to your math curriculum.

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By clicking on the banner below you can read the reviews of Expanders and also Shape Whiz written by other members of the Schoolhouse Review Crew.

Blessings,

Jennifer

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