Messy Goes To OKIDO Which Way? Game – Review

We love the Messy Goes To OKIDO programmes on CBeebies and we even have some of the books, so we were really excited to discover the OKIDO Which Way? Game. The game is an interactive board game which teaches basic coding skills to children aged 4-8 years old and features characters from Messy Goes To Okido.

What’s Inside The OKIDO Which Way? Game Box

Inside the Which Way? Game box you’ll find:

• One magnetic gameboard
• Sixteen magnetic tiles
• One magnetic magic car (batteries included)
• One mission wheel (spinner)
• Screwdriver
• Replacement batteries (the button batteries should be removed from the box away from young children and kept in a safe place).
• Instructions and score sheet

How To Play The OKIDO Which Way? Game

The aim of the game is to spin the Mission Wheel and then use the magnetic tiles to help Messy reach the destinations chosen on the spinner. We found the game really easy to understand and it’s quick to set up and put away again. So, how do you play the OKIDO Which Way? Game?

1. Spin The Mission Wheel – define the problem.
   Spin the wheel to find out who Messy will be visiting on this mission. It might be Zoe & Felix’s house, Zim Zam & Zoom’s Lab, Mayor Oki’s house, or even a combination of places!
2. Plan the fastest route – plan the solution
   There are three different levels of difficulty. Some missions are easier to plan than others and the most difficult challenges have three stops on the journey. It’s important to take the time to work out a route before beginning to put down tiles on the game board and helps to teach children to think about the problem before rushing ahead.
3. Construct the route using the magnetic tiles – code the program
   Once you’ve decided on a route then you can add the magnetic tiles to the game board to construct the magnetic road that the little car will drive along. For the more difficult missions this involves a good deal of thought as there are only a limited number of tiles and the solution is not always obvious. The magnetic tiles are easy to lay on the game board and swap around to find the best route, just be careful to make sure that the black magnetic strip lines up.
4. Test using the little car – test the solution
   Turn on the magic magnetic car and watch it drive along the magnetic road you’ve created! If you are correct then the car will drive to the destination without any problems. If there’s a problem then the car circles around in confusion and you’ll need to take a look at your magnetic tiles and work out a new solution.

Our Thoughts on The OKIDO Which Way? Game

We’ve really enjoyed playing this game and because it is easy to set up we have played the game regularly over the last few weeks. We like the flexibility of the game because you can play for as little or as long as you like, so the game can fill a quick 15 minutes whilst we’re waiting for a meal to cook, or we can sit down as a family and play for a longer session. The only issue that I have with the game is that the magic car is quite delicate and needs to be handled gently as the caterpillar tracks easily slide off the wheels.

Different missions keep the game interesting and and the levels of difficulty provide just enough challenge to get you thinking. As a parent I like the educational aspect, the children are developing skills without realising and they love the little magic car. There’s a great sense of achievement when the car successfully follows the road that you’ve built and reaches its destination. Unusually for a board game, the Which Way? game encourages everyone to work together to find the best solution and has helped the boys work together as a team. It’s also useful to work on the skill of trying again when a mission fails.

The Which Way? Game is available from the Learn With OJO website and currently priced at £30. It’s on the expensive side for a board game but it’s really unique and the quality of the magnetic board and tiles will hopefully ensure that the game lasts for years to come. I hope that if we’re able to treat the magic car with care then it will stand the test of time.

 

Disclosure: we were sent the OKIDO Which Way? Game for the purposes of this review.

All photographs and words are my own.