Throw the bait and fish! is a card game suitable for the whole family designed to train executive functions (attention, working memory and emotional self-control) in a fun and engaging way.

Diving into a sea of cards, players will have to turn a card over one at a time and try to complete the correct sequence:

• Hook with bait
• Fish
• Number of catches needed to hook the prey

To win the game each player must build the right sequence of cards before an opponent manages to stop them by using the steal card. Players have to put their memory, speed and attention into play to bring home the most loot.

Find out more!

What are executive functions?

Executive functions are the set of mental processes that supervise our thoughts and behaviors. They incorporate several neurologically based operations that serve to direct and coordinate our actions.

The box contents

14 hook cards with bait

14 fish cards

6 steal cards

26 cast cards

4 Game boards

Instructions

Teaching objectives

• Attention
• Working memory
• Emotional self-control

How to play

Each player receives a game board containing 3 fishing stations. The objective is to complete the sequence of cards:

• Hook with bait
• Fish
• Number of catches

All the cards are spread on the table face down. At the start of the game, the players begin the search for the cards by turning them over one at a time, first looking for the hook card with the bait to place it on one of the fishing stations. Next, you look for a fish card that contains the number of rolls needed to finish catching it. Lastly, players will search for cast cards.

When a player has completed the hook-fish-cast sequence and the necessary number of casts, the catch was successful and he/she will place the cards inside his/her imaginary basket. The game continues until there are no more cards on the table or a player has collected three sequences.

Example of sequences:

CORRECT SEQUENCE

WRONG SEQUENCE

BEWARE OF THE STEAL CARD

If a player finds a steal card during the search, he/she will have to attach it to the game board of an opponent of his/her choice, thus blocking the construction of his/her sequence. The opponent will be forced to put the cards placed on that rod back on the game table and start fishing again.

Leaf through the instructions translated into English to facilitate your evaluation of the product:

THE AUTHOR

Gianluca Daffi, with a degree in Psychology and specializing in behavioral problems, he collaborates with the Department of Psychology and with the Learning and Educational Psychology Service of the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart in Milan. He has collaborated with IRRE Lombardy in the research group on personalisation and with MIUR on the project for training special needs teachers. A trainer for public authorities and private enterprises, he provides workshops for parents and teachers.