Suits of Disguise

Determine

What Does Child Do To Use Skill In The Game?
Players need to make several determinations during the game such as which pile to select from, which card to discard, when to end the masquerade, the score, and whether to play their Not My Masquerade card.

How Parents Can Assist Learning
There is no special parent support required. However, you can remind children to look carefully at the play area before deciding which pile to select from, which card to discard and whether to play their Not My Masquerade card. Ask them to ""Wait. Look. Think."" This will help with impulsivity, considering options and looking closely. Also, using such cues can give children a model for future play.

Learning Implications and Educator Support
Suits of Disguise is a good game for teaching risk and reward analysis. There is no special educator support required. However, you can remind children to look carefully at the play area before deciding which pile to select from, which card to discard and whether to play their Not My Masquerade card. Ask them to ""Wait. Look. Think."" This will help with impulsivity, considering options and looking closely. Also, using such cues can give children a model for future play.

Compare

What Does Child Do To Use Skill In The Game?
Players will compare colors, number and/or images on the different cards in their hand and on the discard pile. This will influence which cards they decide to select and discard.

How Parents Can Assist Learning
No special adult support is needed.

Learning Implications and Educator Support
No special adult support is needed.

Remember

What Does Child Do To Use Skill In The Game?
Players will be more successful if they remember what others have discarded and picked up.

How Parents Can Assist Learning
Verbalizing is a good strategy to increase memory. To help children, encourage them to say the cards number and color out loud as other players pick up or discard their cards.

Learning Implications and Educator Support
Verbalizing is a good strategy to increase memory. To help children, encourage them to say the cards number and color out loud as other players pick up or discard their cards.

Predict

What Does Child Do To Use Skill In The Game?
During Suits of Disguise, players will predict which cards others players are seeking. They may also predict when a player will announce, "End This Masquerade."

How Parents Can Assist Learning
To be successful in Suits of Disguise, children will greatly benefit if they pay close attention to the moves and scores of other players. Parents can help children practice predicting by asking questions like "which card would you need to End This Masquerade?" or "Which cards do you think the other players are trying to get?"

Learning Implications and Educator Support
Predicting involves skills like analysis, observation, empathy and interpretation. Educators can help children practice predicting by asking questions like "which card would you need to End This Masquerade?" or "Which cards do you think the other players are trying to get?"

Plan

What Does Child Do To Use Skill In The Game?
Players need to plan for which types of cards to seek and when to End The Masquerade.

How Parents Can Assist Learning
Remind children that they not only want to have the most of the cards in the Scoring Line, but also do not want to have the least of other types of cards. Also, encourage them to think about whether it is better to keep playing, allowing others to continue to pick and discard cards, or to End The Masquerade.

Learning Implications and Educator Support
Remind children that they not only want to have the most of the cards in the Scoring Line, but also do not want to have the least of other types of cards. Also, encourage them to think about whether it is better to keep playing, allowing others to continue to pick and discard cards, or to End The Masquerade.

Solve

What Does Child Do To Use Skill In The Game?
In Suits of Disguise, players continuously evaluate and possibly adjust the types of cards they pursue based on the actions of other players.

How Parents Can Assist Learning
Suits of Disguise is a good game for teaching risk and reward analysis. Children are continuously evaluating different options to score and avoid penalties. For example, they need to consider whether to continue playing, which may allow others to score more points, or to End The Masquerade. They need to decide when, if ever, to use their only "Not My Masquerade Tile" to void a bad hand. And, they need to adjust their strategy based on the moves of other players.

Learning Implications and Educator Support
Suits of Disguise is a good game for teaching risk and reward analysis. Children are continuously evaluating different options to score and avoid penalties. For example, they need to consider whether to continue playing, which may allow others to score more points, or to End The Masquerade. They need to decide when, if ever, to use their only "Not My Masquerade Tile" to void a bad hand. And, they need to adjust their strategy based on the moves of other players.

Review

What Does Child Do To Use Skill In The Game?
Players reveal and review their cards to determine the score and who receives Reveal Tokens on each turn.

How Parents Can Assist Learning
No special adult support is needed.

Learning Implications and Educator Support
No special adult support is needed.

Cognitive

Suggestions for How to Modify Play Experience
Children need to be able to match colors and understand which number is a larger value, so they will get more points. No addition needed except in scoring. Children just need to be able to count up to 9 (number of cards in hand).
Play in pairs to encourage communication and joint decision-making about what play to make. This enables the child to hear the justification for specific plays.

Communication

Suggestions for How to Modify Play Experience
Play in pairs to encourage communication and joint decision-making about what play to make. This enables the child to hear the justification for specific plays. When the game is over have the players share their strategies.
Suits of Disguise can be played without communication. To build communication, however, players can make up names for their characters as they count the cards in the different suits in their hand, then introduce the names of the characters to the other players.
After the game have players discuss their strategy so they can hear each other's thinking. This encourages language comprehension and production.

Sensorimotor

Suggestions for How to Modify Play Experience
Use fewer cards so they are easier to handle or use a cardholder. Players need to be able to pick up and discard one card at a time.

Social Emotional/Behavioral

Suggestions for How to Modify Play Experience
A player's Not My Masquerade card can be used when a player has a bad hand. If a child has low frustration tolerance, allow players to play the Not My Masquerade card twice in a game. As the child becomes better a playing, reduce the use to once during the game.
Play in pairs to encourage communication and joint decision-making about what play to make. This should reduce the child's anxiety about making a decision.
Game rules require players with the most Reveal Tokens lose 15 points at the end of a game. To build frustration tolerance, reduce amount of points lost for the player with the most reveal tokens.

Vision

Suggestions for How to Modify Play Experience
The numbers on the cards are small and difficult to see against the background of the figures. Players can match by color, if they can distinguish between the colors. Lay one of each suit on the table next to a paper with a large, bold number next to the card. Children with low vision can use these as a reference to check the value of each card.

Hearing

Suggestions for How to Modify Play Experience
Play can proceed without needing to hear others talk.

*Data compiled from CCSSI ELA Standards, WA Science Standards, and Washington Social Studies Standards

Extra Ways to Play the Game
At the end of the game, the person with the highest Reveal Tokens can win a lesser penalty by acting out (pantomiming) a character. The player tells the group if it is a person from history, movies, cartoons, or current time. If another player guesses the character, the penalty is reduced from 15 points to 10 points. The player with the second most reveal points can do the same and reduce points lost to 5 points.

Materials Needed
No additional materials needed.

Developmental Benefits
This modification to Suits of Disguise is a creative addition to the game, requiring players to use their imaginations to pick the features to illustrate that will reveal their character. Players get to dramatize their own type of disguise and at the same time, earn an opportunity to get back into the scoring competition.