Pack It

Players draw cards and choose which items to take with them on a hike. While hiking, players must match the play card with their own items or be forced to discard. The last player to leave the hike collects the cards, adding miles to their score.

Explore

What Does Child Do To Use Skill In The Game?
Players look at their and other player's backpack cards, as well as the Hiking Pile.

How Parents Can Assist Learning
When children are learning the game, remind them that Sock and Bear Spray cards can be used as a defense to certain Hazard cards.

Learning Implications and Educator Support
When children are learning the game, remind them that Sock and Bear Spray cards can be used as a defense to certain Hazard cards.

Determine

What Does Child Do To Use Skill In The Game?
Players need to determine whether to start or join a hike, to leave a hike, where to place Item Cards and what to do when a card is turned over on to the Hike Pile.

How Parents Can Assist Learning
When children are trying to decide how to score, parents can remind children that they will likely need to lose some of the cards from their backpack in order to score points from the Hike Pile.

Learning Implications and Educator Support
Pack It scoring involves multiple step decision-making. First, a child needs to determine whether to start or join a hike, and then when to leave a hike with an opportunity to score. Educators can remind children that they will likely need to lose some of the cards from their backpack in order to score points from the Hike Pile. Placing the Item Cards involves visual spatial learning. Remind children that they can move cards around in their backpack to try to open a space for a new Item Card.

Compare

What Does Child Do To Use Skill In The Game?
If on a hike, players will compare the images and point values on their backpack cards with those of the top card on the Hike Pile. All players need to compare the possible locations an Item card can be located based on the Backpack Diagram with the actual spots available in their backpack.

How Parents Can Assist Learning
If a child needs to discard Item Cards, encourage them to stop and think before selecting which card(s) to discard. This can help the child consider all options and reduce impulsivity. When a children select an Item Card, remind them that they can rearrange their backpack to open a space for the new Item Card, if needed.

Learning Implications and Educator Support
If a child needs to discard Item Cards, encourage them to stop and think before selecting which card(s) to discard. This can help the child consider all options and reduce impulsivity. Also, comparing may involve some simple math as a child can add several cards together to equal the value of the Hike Card that has been turned face up. When a children select an Item Card, remind them that they can rearrange their backpack to open a space for the new Item Card, if needed.

Remember

What Does Child Do To Use Skill In The Game?
If a player selects a Sock or a Bear Spray, they need to remember that those cards can defend against the Blister and Bear Hazards.

How Parents Can Assist Learning
When children are learning the game, remind them that Sock and Bear Spray cards can be used as a defense to certain Hazard cards.

Learning Implications and Educator Support
When children are learning the game, remind them that Sock and Bear Spray cards can be used as a defense to certain Hazard cards.

Predict

What Does Child Do To Use Skill In The Game?
Players may try to predict when opponents will start a hike, would be likely to join a hike, or are preparing to leave a hike to score points.

How Parents Can Assist Learning
To be successful in Pack It requires thinking about consequences beyond a player's immediate move. For example, when on a hike, they need to look at the backpacks of other players. If their backpacks are getting low on cards, they may be likely to leave the hike and take a Hike Card. This type of long-term, sequential thinking is important for planning (establishing a sequence of logic steps towards a goal) and for prediction (anticipating possible outcomes or actions of others in order to make the best choice now).

Learning Implications and Educator Support
To be successful in Pack It requires thinking about consequences beyond a player's immediate move. For example, when on a hike, they need to look at the backpacks of other players. If their backpacks are getting low on cards, they may be likely to leave the hike and take a Hike Card. This type of long-term, sequential thinking is important for planning (establishing a sequence of logic steps towards a goal) and for prediction (anticipating possible outcomes or actions of others in order to make the best choice now).

Plan

What Does Child Do To Use Skill In The Game?
As play continues, players need to think about when they will start a hike.

How Parents Can Assist Learning
Planning is an important skill for developing strategic thinking. In this game, children begin to learn risk-reward evaluations that will influence their ultimate strategy. Ask children, "Do you think it would be better to start a hike now, or pick an Item card?" Discuss the trade-offs of either option, including comparing their cards to their opponents and thinking about how many points all of the players have accumulated so far. Talking aloud will also help with impulsivity, as children are engaging in more thorough analysis of their options and possible consequences.

Learning Implications and Educator Support
Planning is an important skill for developing strategic thinking. In this game, children begin to learn risk-reward evaluations that will influence their ultimate strategy. Ask children, "Do you think it would be better to start a hike now, or pick an Item card?" Discuss the trade-offs of either option, including comparing their cards to their opponents and thinking about how many points all of the players have accumulated so far. Talking aloud will also help with impulsivity, as children are engaging in more thorough analysis of their options and possible consequences.

Solve

What Does Child Do To Use Skill In The Game?
As Item and Hazard cards are selected, turned over on the Hike Pile and discarded, the elements of the game continuously changes. Thus, scoring requires responding to the evolving changes and actions of opponents.

How Parents Can Assist Learning
Children will need to make successful risk/reward assessments in order to win Pack It. Ask children, "Do you think it would be better to start a hike now, or pick an Item card?" Discuss the trade-offs of either option, including comparing their cards to their opponents and thinking about how many points all of the players have accumulated so far.

Learning Implications and Educator Support
Children will need to make successful risk/reward assessments in order to win Pack It. Ask children, "Do you think it would be better to start a hike now, or pick an Item card?" Discuss the trade-offs of either option, including comparing their cards to their opponents and thinking about how many points all of the players have accumulated so far.

Review

What Does Child Do To Use Skill In The Game?
Players need to review their cards at the end to determine who scored the most points.

How Parents Can Assist Learning
No special parent support required.

Learning Implications and Educator Support
No special parent support required.

Cognitive

Suggestions for How to Modify Play Experience
This game may be too challenging for children with cognitive delays.

Communication

Suggestions for How to Modify Play Experience
No communication is needed, but the child must comprehend the directions of the game and be able to pay attention to other players moves. When learning the game, demonstrate the different steps in the game one-by-one and make the goal of the game is understood.
Encourage players to make up stories about a camping trip and share them during their turn. For example, when a player draws a hazard card, they can avoid forfeiting cards and/or earn a bonus point if they can tell a story about how they overcame the hazard by using one of the items in their backpack.

Sensorimotor

Suggestions for How to Modify Play Experience
Not recommended for children with sensorimotor issues. There are many motor aspects of the game, such as ordering cards, drawing and placing cards, and moving a token.

Social Emotional/Behavioral

Suggestions for How to Modify Play Experience
Players who are not on a hike have to wait until the hike is over to play again. This may be difficult for children who have emotional or behavioral concerns. Not recommended for children with ADHD.
Children who have impulsivity or difficulty waiting will be inclined to always choose to hike and may all lose cards quickly. It may be frustrating for them if they lose cards and don't earn points. Not recommended for these children.

Vision

Suggestions for How to Modify Play Experience
This game is not recommended for visually impaired children. Cards have small symbolic print and numbers, and recognizing picture matches may be difficult for some.

Hearing

Suggestions for How to Modify Play Experience
Hearing impaired can play the game with gestures and/or signs.

This game uses actions and/or content that may be challenging for a child on the spectrum as noted below.

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? No

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

Strategies for Developing Compensatory Skills:
Attention to others' play is needed in the game.

Has difficulty understanding complex verbal directions

Is This Game Appropriate for Child with Characteristic? No

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

Strategies for Developing Compensatory Skills:
Directions for play and earning points may be difficult for children with autism to understand.

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? No

Strategies for Developing Compensatory Skills:
Players need to discuss the game items, turns, and plans.

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? No

Strategies for Developing Compensatory Skills:
Players need to attend to other player's comments.

Has difficulty producing speech/communication

Is This Game Appropriate for Child with Characteristic? Yes

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

Strategies for Developing Compensatory Skills:
No communication is needed, but children need to discuss their intentions (hike, drop out of hike)

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? No

Strategies for Developing Compensatory Skills:
Players need to make choices on their turns about what approach to take and then, if on a hike, make strategic decisions for each turn.

Demonstrates difficulty initiating and maintaining social interactions

Is This Game Appropriate for Child with Characteristic? Yes

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

Strategies for Developing Compensatory Skills:
Social interaction is minimal, but players need to attend to each other's play.

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:
Pack It may be difficult for children who get easily frustrated when they need to wait or do not get immediate reinforcement.

Has short attention span for non-preferred activities

Is This Game Appropriate for Child with Characteristic? Yes

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

Strategies for Developing Compensatory Skills:
Pack It may not appeal to the child with autism unless camping is a preferred theme.

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

Is This Game Appropriate for Child with Characteristic? No

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

Strategies for Developing Compensatory Skills:
The game play in Pack It changes with each player's turn, so this may not appeal to children who like consistent rules and play behaviors.

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? No

Strategies for Developing Compensatory Skills:
Players must pay attention to others' intentions and strategies.

Extra Ways to Play the Game
Backpack items can be made into a memory game. Turn over all the cards. On their turn, a player turns over 2 cards. If they match, the player takes the pair. If not, turn them over and play passes to the left. The player with the most pairs at the end is the winner.

Materials Needed
No additional materials needed.

Developmental Benefits
Children like the idea of camping, and this easier modification may be motivating for the developmentally younger child.

Extra Ways to Play the Game
Make the game into a storytelling game. When players go on a hike, they take turns turning over a card. Anyone who has a match for the card in their backpack, tells a story about how the item was used on their hike. Whoever tells the best story (based on a vote by all players) takes the card and the points.

Materials Needed
No additional materials needed.

Developmental Benefits
Storytelling develops narrative skills needed for developing higher levels of literacy. Storytelling is also a means for encouraging creative thinking processes.