Learning the origins of board games, illusions, journey, and math

We love playing board games and have a few family favourites. As children, we have played lots of different board games from monopoly to mancala, and made sure to introduce our children to board games at a very young age. A few years ago, we made a wooden convertible storage cart just to keep our games. We believe most board games are a wonderful way to socialize and connect, and they have become part of our lifestyle. Over the past decade, we have documented a few board games on CreateWithMom. When we saw the Board Games in 100 Moves by Ian Livingstone, we were curious to discover different board games and their origins. 

The book explains over 100 games. The content is separated by the materials the games were made of - wood and stone, paper and print, cardboard, plastic, imagination, and the future. All kinds of board games are included: games from ancient times (Senet, chess, mah jong, mancala); Victorian race games (ludo, snakes and ladders); modern classics (Cluedo, Ticket to Ride, Exploding Kittens); action games (Mouse Trap, Jenga); war games (Risk, Axis and Allies, Diplomacy) fantasy games (HeroQuest, Warhammer, Dungeons and Dragons), and much more. 

This book explains the history of board games from ancient games going back to 5000 years ago to modern classics. There are compelling stories behind the creation of the board games and stories revealing origins, gameplay, and cultural impact and legacy that have touched every aspect of people's lives. Learning more about how closely games and culture are interwoven, how changes in technology and society have shaped games, and how games have affected the development of human culture. 

Ian Livingstone says a good game, "has to be easy to learn but difficult to master. Luck should play a minor role. A good game should offer lots of player choice, interaction, negotiation, and deal-making and deal-breaking opportunities. There should always be things to think about even when it's not your turn, so you don't get bored waiting. Aesthetically, it should have an exciting theme, lots of bits, and great artwork." 

Another fun book we have been exploring is the Optical Illusions 2. This book comes with 10 template card illusions such as a house with a deceptive roof, coin shrinking room, and many more. 

This book reminded us of the exciting illusions we experienced at the Museum of Illusions. If you haven't been there we totally recommend you visiting. 

It is fun to explore and understand the logic and reasoning behind more than 30 of the world's most amazing visual puzzles, tricks, and illusions and find out how they boggle our brain and fool our eyes, and then learn how to make our own interactive 3-D games with flaps, tabs, and pullouts.

Journey produced in association with the Smithsonian Institution illustrates human movement, travel, exploration, and scientific discovery-from the first trade networks in ancient Sumer to the epic Voyager missions. Human journeys arise from all manner of impulses, from migration and the search for food, to pilgrimages, trade, scientific curiosity, or simply the quest for adventure. Journey traces each through lively accounts, alongside the biographies of conquerors, explorers, and travellers; stories of technological innovation; literary journals; and works of art. 

Themed spreads and feature panels capture the romance of travel with evocative accounts, archive images, historic maps, and artifacts, while catalog spreads add glamour and nostalgia, showcasing objects and documents associated with the rise of travel, such as postcards and passports. 

For every time you have thought or heard someone ask What's the Point of Math? this book gives the reasoning by explaining historical and contemporary stories and the often surprising origins of the math we use today, from number sequences to trigonometry. The content is separated into five math streams - number sense, measurement, algebra, data management, and probability. The book includes crazy facts, magic tricks, and mathematical brainteasers. 

Find out why an hour has 60 rather than 100 minutes and how prime numbers keep the internet working. Colourful and uncluttered illustrations make mathematical explanations easy to understand bringing math to life. From spotting a bargain to talking to computers, from filling in a giant sinkhole to becoming a trillionaire, it shows children why core math ideas were invented and how to apply them today. Throughout the book, worked examples show readers how to solve simple math challenges, encouraging children to develop math skills with hands-on practice. A vocational theme runs throughout the book, showing why math is important in many fields of life, from science and commerce to sports and travel.

Giveaway:

If you live in Canada and would like to win a copy of What's the Point of Math? enter the giveaway using the giveaway tool below before March 28th. Please leave comments and follow my social media networks to be eligible to win. 
Update: The winner is Tiffany

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