These games resemble classroom activities where children use interlocking cubes that can be arranged in different numbers of rows and columns. In these activities, the equivalents of these cubes are strange creatures called Súileoga and your task is to guide them through different puzzles in order to reach the treasure room. The groups made up of Súileoga can be made larger or smaller and rearranged using various objects found in the games. The group of Súileoga has to be the same width as doorways and any of the other objects placed in the rooms in order for these doorways and objects to work.
The mathematical concepts explored in this activity include:
•counting on and back
•addition and subtraction
•odd and even numbers
•multiples
•doubling and halving
•multiplication and division
Bird Games
Help Bird get the Súileoga to the treasure in the lowest number of turns! The Súileoga have to travel through a series of rooms on their way to the treasure room and the challenge facing you is to make the group of Súileoga the right size so that it can to move from one room to the next. Use the objects placed in the rooms to arrange the Súileoga in to right shape and size to get through the door.
There are 60 games in all. Game 1 is the easiest and game 60 is the hardest. The games are arranged in 6 groups of 10 games of a similar level of difficulty. You can complete the games in any order you like.
A gold, silver or bronze prize is awarded at the completion of each game depending on the number of turns taken. During the game the number of turns taken is displayed in the top left corner of the screen.
A turn consists of:
• rotating the Súileoga
• rearranging the Súileoga
• using the adding, subtracting, multiplying, dividing, doubling or halving machines successfully or unsuccessfully
• moving from one room to another.
Instructions
• Click on Bird for audio help.
• Click on the group of Súileoga to display the number of Súileoga it contains.
The Left Hand Panel includes the following.
Rotate Button
Click on this (or press the Space Bar on the keyboard) to rotate the Súileoga through a quarter turn.
Rearrange Button
Click on this to rearrange the Súileoga in to a group of a different length and width.
Re-start Room Button
This enables you to start the puzzle in the current room from the beginning.
Move Buttons
Click on these arrow buttons (or use the arrow keys on the keyboard) to move the Súileoga.
The Right Hand Panel includes the following:
Map
This displays a map showing the rooms in the present game.
Game Objects
To place any of the following objects in the room, click on the relevant icon and drag the object to the room. To remove the object, click on it and drag it back to the right hand panel.
Door
Doors allow the Súileoga to pass into the next room. You can choose where to place the door and you can adjust its width by clicking on it and then using the plus and minus buttons to make it wider or narrower. The group of Súileoga can only pass through a door if it is exactly the same width as that door - e.g. a door that is four squares wide will only allow a group of Súileoga that is also four squares wide to pass through it.
Whirlpool
Whirlpools allow a certain number of Súileoga to pass into the next room. You can set the number of Súileoga allowed to pass through the whirlpool. The group of Súileoga must contain the exact number displayed on the whirlpool in order to pass through it - e.g. a whirlpool that displays the number twelve will only allow a group containing twelve Súileoga to pass through it.
Tunnel
Tunnels allow the Súileoga to pass into the next room. You can choose in which wall to place the tunnel as well as adjusting its size and shape. The group of Súileoga must be exactly the same size and shape as the tunnel in order to pass through it.
Adding Machine
This object adds more Súileoga. You can change how many Súileoga it adds. The group of Súileoga must be the same width as the machine in order for it to work - e.g. an adding machine that adds two Súileoga will only work with a group of Súileoga that is two squares wide.
Subtracting Machine
This object subtracts Súileoga. You can choose how many it subtracts. The group of Súileoga must be the same width as the machine in order for it to work - e.g. a subtracting machine that adds two Súileoga will only work with a group of Súileoga that is two squares wide.
Halving Machine
This halves the number of Súileoga. The group of Súileoga can be any shape and size.
Doubling Machine
This doubles the number of Súileoga. The group of Súileoga can be any shape and size.
Multiplying Machine
This multiplies the number of Súileoga by the number of squares in its entire width. Click on the icon and then use the plus or minus buttons to change how many it multiplies the Súileoga by. The machine will only work if the group of Súileoga is the same width as the grey operating arms of the machine, which will then expand to the full width of the machine by - e.g. a multiplying machine that is two squares wide multiplies the number of Súileoga by two.
Dividing Machine
This divides the number of Súileoga by the number of squares in its entire width. Click on the icon and then use the plus or minus buttons to change how many it divides the Súileoga by. The machine will only work if the group of Súileoga is the same width as the machine by - e.g. a dividing machine that is two squares wide divides the number of Súileoga by two.
Explore Activities
The two explore activities are open ended games where there are no preset goals and children are encouraged to explore and 'do their own thing'. They are designed to be played by children on their own, with another child, or with a parent or mentor.
You can create your own puzzles by changing the properties of the objects that are in the rooms already and placing new objects in the rooms for the Súileoga to bump into. Add a new room by placing a doorway in a wall and moving the Súileoga through the doorway.
There are two explore activities.
• Explore 1 (left hand balloon) includes feedback on counting on in 2s, 3s, 4s, 5s and 10s, and simple inverse operations.
• Explore 2 (right hand balloon) includes feedback on counting on in 6s, 7s, 8s and 9s, multiples of 2, 5 and 10, and inverse operations.
Instructions for Explore Activities
These activities are played using the same controls as in the games, but there players are also able to create new rooms by adding doors, tunnels and whirlpools to existing rooms. Machines which add, subtract, multip etc. can be added to rooms, and the properties of these machines can be changed. To add an object to a room, choose the object from the right-hand panel and drag it to the desired place in the room. To remove an object from a room, click on it and drag it back to the right-hand panel.
Handy Hints
If a child experiences difficulty completing a game, the following hints may help:
• It is possible to get rid of all the Súileoga entirely within a game. In some games on more difficult levels it will be required to do this to complete a game.
• The secret of these games is to find the fastest route to the treasure room. In the more difficult games this means that you do not have to visit every room on the map. Use the map to look at all the rooms and plan the route that will require the least number of turns, before you move the Suileoga.
