Play
Thumball™ anywhere: at home, in the car, at school, work and parties.
Enjoy Thumball™ as you would any type of ball: Throw it! Catch it! Now,
look under your thumb and react to the word, phrase, or graphic found
there.
If your thumb lands on the title space or Shnoogie space select any space to respond to, it’s Your Choice! Every Thumball design has suggested ways to play from Easy to Hard, from Difficult to Challenge making it possible to work with varied ability levels at the same time.
For all Thumball Designs, 4 Initials Ways to React:
- Respond to the panel under your thumb by answering for yourself.
- Respond by asking another player to answer.
- Predict the answer another player would give.
- Once
a group has played together several times you can add the challenge of
recalling an answer provided by another player on a previous day.
For More Thumball Fun
- Roll, pass, toss, or kick Thumball™ among players.
- Circulate Thumball™ clockwise, counterclockwise or random direction.
- Specify right thumb, left thumb or the finger of your choice to play the game.
- Players can respond to the space themselves or ask another player to respond.
- Select time limits for responses and length of game.
- To add competition, players can earn and/or lose points for each response.
THE ORIGINAL THUMBALLS™
Category Mania Thumball - Generate words in categories. The Smart Ball for "It's on the Tip of My Tongue" disorder. Try not to say"UM"!
Easy: Name 1 item; Hard: Name 4 items; Difficult: Name 7 items; Challenge: Give answers using one specified first sound. Each
player receives one point for identifying an appropriate word within
the category and within the time limit. Winner is first player to reach
50 points or player with the most points when game ends.
Letter Mania Thumball The Smart Ball for Learning Letter Sounds, improving phonological skills essential to reading development and generating specific words that begin with each sound.
Easy: Identify letter name; Hard: Identify letter name and sound; Difficult: Name in words in specific categories (Foods, Sports, Places) using that beginning sound; Challenge: Create sentences using only words beginning with that letter/sound. Earn one point for each correct response within specified time limit. Player with the most points at end of the game wins
The Answer Mania Thumball - A fun experience for asking serious or silly questions and allowing Thumball to provide the answer. Each answer is a yes, no or maybe response using slang terms. For Example "da bomb" menas YES; "lame" means "NO"; "ASk your peeps" means MAYBE, go ask some friends;
The
only rule is to have fun and think of creative questions to ask.
Examples include “Will I get an “A” on my history test? Will Joey grow
up to be the Queen of England?, Will our football team win tonight’s
game?, Should we buy a new car?" The Smart Ball for Making Decisions, ask it any yes/no question to know what to do or NOT to do!
Emotion Mania Thumball
- Playful approach to discovering feelings and emotions through words
and images. Introduces our mascot Shnoogie displaying different facial
expressions. Smart Ball for those having Asperger's, to practice understanding and using facial expressions
Easy: Read word; Hard: Define word with example; Difficult: Act out feeling and other players guess that emotion (like charades); Challenge: Identify a book, TV or Movie character that emulates that emotion word.
Earn one point for each correct response within specified time limit. Player with the most points at end of the game wins.
Who Are You? Thumball - Kid friendly game that allows players to get to know each other in a fun new way. Smart Ball for all, especially those with Autism, fun way to socialize, turn take & make casual eye contact
Easy: Ask another player to answer; Hard: Answer for self; Difficult: Predict responses of other players; Challenge: Recall other player’s answers previously. Receive
one point for each accurate response using complete sentences. Player
with most points wins. If a space comes up more than once, the player
must provide their response to earn a point PLUS recall the other
player’s answer previously given to earn a BONUS point.
Ice Breaker Thumball– Great game for Teens and Adults that allows players to interact in a fun new way. The Smart Ball for More Memorable Meetings, an easy way to increase employee participation & attention at trainings.
Easy: Ask another player to answer; Hard: Answer for self; Difficult: Predict responses of other players; Challenge: Recall other player’s answers previously given. Earn
one point for each correct response within specified time limit. Player
with the most points at end of the game wins. If a space comes up more
than once, the player must provide their response to earn a point PLUS
earn a bonus point if they can recall the other player’s answer
previously given.
EARLY LEARNERS THUMBALLS
The Early Learners Series encourages development of basic learning skills.
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My ABCs
The Smart Ball for Learning Letter Sounds and phonological skills essential to reading development
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Animals Thumball
The Smart Ball for language development, describe by characteristics, use with Ol'MacDonald song
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Numbers Thumball
The Smart Ball for Math skills, practice math equations, Throw it twice and add, subtract or multiply!
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Shapes Thumball
The Smart Ball for visual perception, fine motor skills and spelling practice.
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Rules to emphasize include:
- Passing or rolling Thumball to each other kindly
- Listening to each other’s answers attentively
- Using appropriate eye contact
- Correctly identifying the letter, shape, number or animal under their thumb or in front of them.
- Players are then verbally reinforced such as; “Great job naming that letter, animal, number or shape!”
The
player can be given a token as a tangible reinforcer if desired. The
Early Learners Thumballs also work well with people having diagnoses of
stroke, dementia, Alzheimer’s disease or Traumatic Brain Injury.
Go to Educator's Resource Page for more specific ways to play and achieve goals. Create custom activites using the Free Worksheets for My ABCS and Numbers Thumball Designs on left side bar of Educator's Resource page.
COME TOGETHER THUMBALLS SERIES
The Catch Peace Thumball - a great way to promote peace around the world
Easy: Read the words in each of 20 languages; Hard: Identify the country that speaks that language.
Difficult: Locate the country on a map or globe.; Challenge: Learn all 20 words, and test each other.
Earn one point for each correct response within specified time limit. Player with most points at end of the game wins.
The Soccer Mania Thumball is perfect for soccer players to reinforce rules of play in a fun new way.
Easy: Read each word and define; Hard: Explain each word or demonstrate; Difficult: Describe your experience in play with that word; Challenge: Identify player's names by position or an example of the term from a match you watched.
One
point for each correct definition of the soccer term & one point for
acting out that move. Player with the most points wins.
The Love Always Thumball teaches how to say I Love You in ten different languages.
It also has twenty inspirational quotes about love. The only rule is to spread that love to all you know and everyone wins!
Move Your Body Thumball™ promotes physical activity by acting out the movements used when playing sports, enjoying hobbies and performing exercises. Enhances co-ordination and activates muscle groups.
Easy: Read & act out action; Hard: Describe personal experiences with that action; Difficult: Identify verb or adverb and use in an original sentence; Challenge: Perform actions in multiple sets for increased physical benefits