Take Your Pick: Qrazy Quandaries

Explore

What Does Child Do To Use Skill In The Game?
After players make their guesses, they will talk about who and why someone guessed correctly or incorrectly, getting to better know the Subject of the turn.

How Parents Can Assist Learning
Ask follow up questions to encouage a deeper discussion and exploration of why someone picked one option over another. For example, if the child selects "walk on hot coals" rather than "do the new years polar bear swim", you might ask, "aren't you worried you might burn your feet?"

Learning Implications and Educator Support
Qrazy Quandries gives children a silly, yet very effective way for children to safely explore their values, interests and ideas. Also, this is a great game for developing empathy and other prosocial emotional skills as children explore, laugh with and learn about others.

Determine

What Does Child Do To Use Skill In The Game?
Players need to determine which option they think the Subject will select.

How Parents Can Assist Learning
No special parent support required. However, you may need to remove cards that may not be relevant to children.

Learning Implications and Educator Support
No special educator support required. However, you may need to remove cards that may not be relevant to children.

Compare

What Does Child Do To Use Skill In The Game?
While not required in the game, players will naturally compare their own preferences to those they think the Subject will choose. They also need to compare what they know about the Subject to the two choices in order decide which they think the Subject will chose.

How Parents Can Assist Learning
Remind children that they may need to override their own preferences in favor of what the Subject is likely to pick. For example, if given an option of eating sugary or salty food, the child player may prefer sugary foods but the adult Subject prefers salty. So, the child needs to pick salty to win a point.

Learning Implications and Educator Support
Qrazy Quandries involves a high level of perspective changing, meaning the ability to think about what someone else is thinking. Perspective changing is important to both emotional skills like empathy and strategy skills like risk/reward and situational analysis in which there are other people involved.
Remind children that they may need to override their own preferences in favor of what the Subject is likely to pick. For example, if given an option of eating sugary or salty food, the child player may prefer sugary foods but the adult Subject prefers salty. So, the child needs to pick salty to win a point.

Remember

What Does Child Do To Use Skill In The Game?
This game is heavily dependent on memory. Players need to recall what they know about the Subject in order to decide which option they think the Subject will chose.

How Parents Can Assist Learning
If children are having a difficult time with a card, let them pick another card.
Alternatively, they could be allowed to ask a question or two to the Subject that are relevant to their card. For example, if the card gives the option of whether the Subject would only want to eat sugary or salty foods, the child could ask questions like, "Do you like to eat dessert? What would you eat at the movie theatre? Do you put extra salt on your food?"

Learning Implications and Educator Support
Qrazy Quandries involves a range of memory types, including explicit autobiographical, explicit semantic and explicit episodic memory.
If children are having a difficult time with a card, let them pick another card. Alternatively, they could be allowed to ask a question or two to the Subject that are relevant to their card. For example, if the card gives the option of whether the Subject would only want to eat sugary or salty foods, the child could ask questions like, "Do you like to eat dessert? What would you eat at the movie theatre? Do you put extra salt on your food?"

Predict

What Does Child Do To Use Skill In The Game?
Predicting is the essential skill used in this game. After thinking about the options and what they know about a Subject, players predict what they think the Subject will chose and orient their cards accordingly.

How Parents Can Assist Learning
If children are having difficulty making a choice (for example, would the Subject select childhood with no friends or adulthood with no imagination), give them clues to help them understand or remember what they know about the Subject. Or, allow children to ask one question to the Subject, so long as the question is not directly related to the Card they are considering. The more they know about the Subject, the better they will be able to predict what the Subject will choose.

Learning Implications and Educator Support
Qrazy Quandries involves a range of memory types, including explicit autobiographical, explicit semantic and explicit episodic memory.
If children are having difficulty making a choice (for example, would the Subject select be the world's best golfer or best tennis player), give them clues to help them understand or remember what they know about the Subject. Or, allow children to ask one question to the Subject, so long as the question is not directly related to the Card they are considering. The more they know about the Subject, the better they will be able to predict what the Subject will choose.

Solve

What Does Child Do To Use Skill In The Game?
As players learn more about other players, they will be more able to accurately select how a Subject will pick from the options.

How Parents Can Assist Learning
No special parent support required. However, you may need to remove cards that may not be relevant to children.

Learning Implications and Educator Support
No special educator support required. However, you may need to remove cards that may not be relevant to children.

Review

What Does Child Do To Use Skill In The Game?
Players may review why they guessed correctly or incorrectly.

How Parents Can Assist Learning
Qrazy Quandries can spark lots of great conversations, especially when a Subject's choice surprises the players. These conversations can help build social emotional skills, and strengthen empathy and positive emotions among players.

Learning Implications and Educator Support
Qrazy Quandries can spark lots of great conversations, especially when a Subject's choice surprises the players. These conversations can help build social emotional skills, and strengthen empathy and positive emotions among players.

Cognitive

Suggestions for How to Modify Play Experience
Children can create new Quandries for each other. Cut index cards to be the same size as the cards in the deck. The children write on the cards in green and purple their two quandary comparisons. Creating a quandary requires that children think comparatively so they are in the same category. For example, "would you rather have a snake or a rat for a pet" is an appropriate comparison because "pets" is the category. The quandary "would you rather go swimming or have a snake for a pet" is not an appropriate quandary, as the examples are from two different categories (an activity and a pet). Have each player create 10 Quandries and then play the game with these new Quandries.
Make the game into a debate. Two players are the "subjects" and the rest are judges. Draw a card and put it between the two players, so the green side points to one player and the purple side points to another. Each player then has up to one minute to defend why the answer on their side would be the best response. After each person defends their response, the other players vote on which defense was most convincing. The winner and all who voted for them get a point. This modification requires children to develop a logical, comprehensive defense that would convince other listeners. Children need to take into consideration what might influence the judges. Coming up with numerous reasons also requires generating multiple ideas or fluent thinking. Also, as children try to come up with more justifications, they will move into more creative thinking.

Communication

Suggestions for How to Modify Play Experience
When playing the game, players need to not only choose what they think the subject would prefer, but also explain why. For example, if the player says, "I think you would rather be 4'1" than 7'9", they might add, "I think you wouldn't like hitting your head on doors if you were tall." The subject can then respond with their answer and justification. This turn-taking exchange makes the game into conversational practice, not just guessing a response.
Make the game into a debate. Two players are the "subjects" and the rest are judges. Draw a card and put it between the two players, so the green side points to one player and the purple side points to another. Each player then has up to one minute to defend why the answer on their side would be the best response. After each person defends his response, the other players vote on which defense was most convincing. The winner and all who voted for him get a point. This modification requires children to develop a logical, comprehensive defense that would convince other listeners. This is good practice for speaking for the purpose of influencing the thinking of others.

Sensorimotor

Suggestions for How to Modify Play Experience
A card holder may be useful for some children. To make a card holder, fold a piece of 8 1/2 X 11 construction paper length wise to make a tent. Fold a 1/2 inch lip outward on one side of the tent. This is the ledge to support the cards.

Social Emotional/Behavioral

Suggestions for How to Modify Play Experience
Qrazy Quandries provides an opportunity for children to think about other people's feelings, experiences, and preferences. This is difficult for many children with social or emotional concerns. However, the game is a great way for children to examine other's perspectives in an emotionally safe way. Start by having the child with social issues be the Subject. This way the child is talking about what they know best, themselves, first. Play just one card at a time. When other players guess the child's preference, ask the players who got the answer right how they knew what the Subject would say. They will respond based on their knowledge and experiences with the Subject.
One modification when playing the game is to have players not only choose what they think the Subject would prefer, but also explain why. Children who have social issues may have difficulty coming up with a justification because they are answering based on their own preferences rather than those of the Subject. For example the card says, "Only be able to eat sugary food, or Only be able to eat salty food." The child picks salty. When asked why they picked salty, the child may say, "Because I like potato chips." This reveals their inability to think from another's point of view. Another player might respond, "I think sugary because I always see you asking your mom for cookies." The Subject then reveals their preference and tells why they made that choice. Hearing the explanation is important for the child. The adult also may be able to provide examples of experiences that would help the child think about what the Subject might like.
When it is another child's turn to be the Subject, remind the child with social emotional/behavioral concerns to remember what they know about the Subject ("How would the SUBJECT think?") It may be helpful for an adult to partner with this child for several turns so they can ask questions to guide the child's thinking. For example, if the Subject (Subject's name is Maria for this example) draws a card that says, "Stay up for 72 hours or Go 5 days without food." The adult can ask the child, "When you eat with Maria does she seem to like to eat? Does she like to take naps? So, do you think Maria likes to eat or sleep more?" The intent is to get the child to see another person's perspective.

Vision

Suggestions for How to Modify Play Experience
Play in teams so one person can be the reader and the other person can listen and contribute to the decision about which choice to pick.

Hearing

Suggestions for How to Modify Play Experience
The hearing impaired player could play by showing a card and pointing to their preference.

Autism Special Considerations

Appears to ignore other's communication and/or has difficulty giving eye contact to a communication partner

Is This Game Appropriate for Child with Characteristic? Yes

Can Child with Characteristic Play Game w/o Modification? Yes

Strategies for Developing Compensatory Skills:
Although eye contact is not technically required, the game does required players to pay attention to each others comments.

Sit at an angle to the child, so direct eye contact is not needed.

Has difficulty understanding complex verbal directions

Is This Game Appropriate for Child with Characteristic? No

Can Child with Characteristic Play Game w/o Modification?

Strategies for Developing Compensatory Skills:
Qrazy Quandries does not have complex verbal directions. However, players need to read cards with statements that are presented in different ways, with specific answers needing emphasis and placement in the hand. For some persons with disabilities, understanding how to play the game may be challenging.

Uses vocabulary inaccurately or demonstrates echolalia (repeating another's speech)

Is This Game Appropriate for Child with Characteristic? No

Can Child with Characteristic Play Game w/o Modification?

Strategies for Developing Compensatory Skills:
Children need to be able to read the cards and discuss their thinking compared to others'. For this reason Qrazy Quandries may be difficult for children with special needs who have difficulty producing accurate communication.

Gets stuck repeating a verbal topic or physical actions and/or has difficulty attending to others' actions or topic.

Is This Game Appropriate for Child with Characteristic? No

Can Child with Characteristic Play Game w/o Modification?

Strategies for Developing Compensatory Skills:
Children need to make predictions about other players' potential thinking. For this reason Qrazy Quandries is not recommended for children who have difficulty understanding and predicting others' thinking.

Has difficulty producing speech/communication

Is This Game Appropriate for Child with Characteristic? No

Can Child with Characteristic Play Game w/o Modification?

Strategies for Developing Compensatory Skills:
Communication during play is required in some form. If augmentative communication is not possible, the game is not appropriate.

Has difficulty sequencing multi-step actions and/or doing complex abstract tasks

Is This Game Appropriate for Child with Characteristic? No

Can Child with Characteristic Play Game w/o Modification?

Strategies for Developing Compensatory Skills:
Qrazy Quandries is not appropriate for children who have difficulty comprehending abstract ideas. Many of the options presented are abstract, based on fantasy, or require imagination.

Demonstrates difficulty initiating and maintaining social interactions

Is This Game Appropriate for Child with Characteristic? No

Can Child with Characteristic Play Game w/o Modification?

Strategies for Developing Compensatory Skills:
Qrazy Quandries is a social game requiring understanding of others thoughts and feelings, turn taking, and communication. For this reason, the game is not appropriate for children with these concerns.

Acts out or demonstrates avoidance behaviors when frustrated, overwhelmed, or needs more sensory input.

Is This Game Appropriate for Child with Characteristic? Yes

Can Child with Characteristic Play Game w/o Modification? No

Strategies for Developing Compensatory Skills:
Reduce extraneous noise.

A weighted vest worn during the game may provide additional pressure input and thus reduce fidgeting due to sensory needs. Pressure can be calming when used for no more than 20 minutes at a time.

Practice a phrase to ask for help and role play situations in the game where it is needed.

Provide techniques for self-calming, such as holding a special toy.

Allow time for movement. For example, a child who needs to move frequently can be given an opportunity to 'celebrate' their turn by running around the table or jumping up and down 10 times

Has short attention span for non-preferred activities

Is This Game Appropriate for Child with Characteristic? No

Can Child with Characteristic Play Game w/o Modification?

Strategies for Developing Compensatory Skills:
Not recommended for children who have a short attention span with regard to abstract ideas or carrying on conversations.

Needs sameness or consistent routines and/or has difficulty with transitions from one activity to another

Is This Game Appropriate for Child with Characteristic? Yes

Can Child with Characteristic Play Game w/o Modification? Yes

Strategies for Developing Compensatory Skills:
Play games at the same time every day, so the child anticipates the game routine.

Change the location of the game, so the child may play in different rooms, at the table, or on the floor. This will build tolerance for variation.

Prepare the child ahead time for the introduction of a new game. Talk about aspects that will be motivating for the child, and let them explore the parts of the game before setting out the whole game.

Involve the child verbally and with actions for the transition to the game table or at the end of game play. For example, you might say, "Here's a game card. Let's find where it goes?"

Has difficulty understanding others' feelings, intentions, and the reasons for others' actions.

Is This Game Appropriate for Child with Characteristic? No

Can Child with Characteristic Play Game w/o Modification?

Strategies for Developing Compensatory Skills:
Qrazy Quandries is not recommended for children who have difficulty understanding others' feelings, intentions, and reasoning. Children need to anticipate other players' thinking and predict responses accordingly.

Extra Ways to Play the Game
Have one player read the two parts of a card, with purple always read first, then green. Players close their eyes and vote for which they think the subject would prefer. Raise the left hand for purple and right for green. After the subject reveals which they prefer, the subject and all players who voted correctly get a point. All players then discuss why they voted as they did.

Materials Needed
No additional materials needed.

Developmental Benefits
Players close their eyes so as to not be influenced by other peoples votes. All players will have had different experiences with the subject, so their responses will be based on different objective or subjective reasons. The benefit of this expansion is the players will learn about different people's experiences or point of view concerning the subject's choice.

Extra Ways to Play the Game
Make the game into a debate. Two players are the "subjects" and the rest are judges. Draw a card and put it between the two players, so the green side points to one player and the purple side points to another. Each player then has up to one minute to defend why the answer on their side would be the best response. After each person defends their response, the other players vote on which defense was most convincing. The winner and all who voted for them get a point.

Materials Needed
No additional materials needed.

Developmental Benefits
This modification requires children to develop a logical, comprehensive defense that would convince other listeners. Children need to take into consideration what might influence the judges. Coming up with numerous reasons also requires generating multiple ideas or fluent thinking. Also, as children try to come up with more justifications, they will move into more creative thinking.