What is Pajaggle? On their site the creators provide the following definition:
“Pajaggle™ (pa-jag-gul). The game that thinks it’s a puzzle. Pajaggle is an ever-growing collection of challenging games of fun made in America that brings people together regardless of age.“
But this definition barely scratches the surface.
The Pajaggle Game
Pajaggle is fairly simple, given this complex electronic age. It comes with a board with openings for 61 pieces. Each piece only fits into one location. You also receive instructions to play various games and a timer. The board and pieces are very sturdy and there’s even a bag to store the pieces.
The instructions come with eleven different ways to play the game, but I’m sure you can create many more of your own. To give you an idea on how the game is played, you can try the online Pajaggle version. But this is played alone and I think the real fun comes with playing with others.
The Pajaggle Question
How will our kids, those with “invisible” special needs (ADHD, high functioning autism, anxiety, and sensory issues), respond to Pajaggle? Here is what I was told:
“Pajaggle is not a game designed for ADD or ADHD kids. Nor was it designed for a special needs kid. It was designed so that kids with ADD, ADHD, or SPD could play a game that everyone else plays.”
With this in mind and with the help of Pajaggle, I reviewed the game, along with three other special needs bloggers. Below are our experiences.
The Pajaggle Review
I set up my 14-year old daughter (learning issues, attention deficits, impulsivity, and anxiety) with her dad to play Pajaggle. My daughter’s first response when she saw the game was “This is so cute!” I guess that’s a teenage girl for you!
They randomly divided the pieces and then set the timer to 5 minutes to see who could put in the most pieces. My daughter and husband got right to it. I think their comments revealed a lot:
My daughter said things such as: “This is a great game!” “Mom, I want you to say nothing but positive things about this game because it is a really good game.” “I love this game.” These were all interspersed with the occasional “Good job, dad!”
My husband’s comments on the other hand were in search of reasons why his daughter was winning: “It would probably help if I had my glasses!” and “The tough thing about this game is that at first, you think all the pieces will fit a spot. Then you figure out that there are a lot of pieces that don’t fit anywhere!” (Please note, all the pieces DO fit somewhere!)
When I asked my daughter what she liked most about the game, she said, “I like it because it’s like a puzzle.” My husband concluded, “It’s simple, but fun.”
For a child who has sequencing and short-term memory issues, this game was perfect. Many games appear to be too complex, thus my daughter refuses to play them. There are too many rules to remember (if you land on red pick from this deck, but if you land on blue you move two more spaces), the sequencing of tasks is challenging (roll the dice, move the spaces, decide if you will go right or left, pick from the deck or miss a turn, etc.), and the game just takes too long to complete.
For my daughter, Pajaggle appeared easy enough because of the simple instructions, but provided her with something complex enough to challenge her, and we had a winner within minutes. Pajaggle turned into a winner in my home and will definitely be added to our Thanksgiving list of games to play this year!
Continue on to read what other bloggers with children of different ages and different special needs had to say…
Pajaggle: A Review
by Kelly Quinones Miller, author of The Miller Mix
Kelly reviewed Pajaggle with her 10-year old son who has ADHD (inattentive type). If this sounds like your child, you’ll want to read what Kelly has to say. Kelly starts her review with:
Continue here to read the entire review.
Pajaggle: A Review of a Game of Fun and Learning for All Ages
by Martianne Stanger of Training Happy Hearts
Martianne reviewed Pajaggle with her almost 6-year old son with ADHD and Sensory Processing Disorder. If your child fits this profile, you don’t want to miss her insights. Martianne starts off her review with:
“How do you know when my son with special needs likes a game? One way is to observe him choosing it over something else he loves. Such was the case with Pajaggle this week…“
Continue here to read the entire review.
Review of Pajaggle – A Puzzle Game With Many Possibilities
by Tim Tucker of Both Hands and a Flashlight
Tim reviewed Pajaggle with his 6-year old son with autism. Tim had some difficulties getting his son engaged with the game, but had some suggestions for altering the game and how it is played in order to meet the needs of younger children with autism. Tim starts by saying:
“Their web site describes it as ‘Pajaggle (pa-jag-gul). The game that thinks it’s a puzzle.’ And at one level, that’s essentially all it is. But really it’s a lot more than that, and I thought it was a blast…”
Continue here to read the entire review.
After reading this, you have probably concluded that Pajaggle needs to be added to your holiday list. Enjoy in the fun and get purchasing information at Pajaggle’s store.
Thank you to Kelly, Martianne, and Tim for providing their reviews and to Pajaggle for this fun opportunity.
About Danette Schott, M.A.
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