The Playmakers Review and Giveaway Blurt!

Hi Neighbors,

I have been having a great week here At the Fence! Plenty of reviews and giveaways going on. Beautiful weather on top of that! The Playmakers sent me the Blurt game to review. Before I describe it, I just want to say, my children have played this 4-5 nights in a row. They are really enjoying this game. Blurt has become a family favorite. In our family we try to have a family fun night every Friday. Obviously other plans interrupt sometimes, but this is a game the children are asking to play during the week.

The whole idea of Blurt is to be the first one to blurt out the correct answer. The players each take turns reading definitions off of cards and the other players have to blurt out as fast as they can the correct word or words. Now, this can get a little hilarious as you might know the word, but is your brain connected to your lips and can you say if first. As you answer you move around the board and the first one back to start wins. Each side of the cards have 3 definitions and the answers. One side of the card is easier than the other. Occasionally we have found we are searching to deep for the answer and they want a more generic answer. Here are a couple of examples:"Sliced bread that is heated until it's crispy" Answer-Toast "A meal with several dishes at which guests may serve themselves" Answer-Buffet "A short riding whip" Answer-Crop. Now, it sounds pretty easy until you have to think of the answer while everyone is blurting out their own answer. You keep guessing until someone gets it right. I am including a short video clip of the family playing.

You can purchase Blurt at retailers such as:Wal-Mart and Target for approx. $30. Or you can enter this giveaway and try to win Blurt.

How Blurt was invented:

"I conceived the idea for Blurt! while helping my girlfriend, a third grade teacher, in her classroom. I opened a children’s dictionary and read aloud, “The nut of an oak tree.” I wasn’t looking for a response because I hadn’t asked a question, but a kid next to me mumbled, “Oaknut.... The nut of an oak tree is an oaknut, right?” I said, “No, it’s an acorn, but that’s FUNNY. Let’s try another one.” So I opened up to a random definition and read it aloud. The kids got more and more excited to race each other to the correct words. The light bulb went off, and the game born in a third grade classroom went on to entertain millions of families (not to mention many more third graders!) The best part of the story? I married the teacher."

Now here is some information regarding The Playmakers. This website is run by Tim Walsh. He has invented, co-developed, or helped license the games on his site. He has also written 2 books. The first is Timeless Toys. It is a book about the pop culture of toys. The second book is Wham-O Superbook. This book celebrates more than 200 fun and sometimes off-the-wall playthings dreamed up with creative abandon by two childhood friends who never stopped playing.

Tim Walsh is known in media circles as a toy expert, toy historian and play advocate. He looks for great toys and games to demonstrate on TV stations around the country. Another neat fact is he has been hosting the Toy and Game Inventor of the Year awards from it's inception. He has been at CHITAG. CHITAG is the Chicago Toy and Game Fair, which I will be attending this weekend.

This would be great in a gift basket with some snacks or some other toys and games or perhaps with a couple of books. Unfortunately I can not include more pictures at this time because I am having a problem uploading. I will try again tomorrow.

The winner of this giveaway will receive their own copy of Blurt. You will enjoy it!

Mandatory Entry:Visit the Playmaker website and leave a comment letting me know if this a game you would keep for your family or use as a gift. You do not have to be a blogger to enter, but you must include a valid email where you can be reached should you win. This giveaway will end 11/30 at 11:59 pm CST. The winner will be chosen using random.org and will be notified by email. The winner will have 48 hours to respond.

Extra Entries:

1. Become a neighbor ( follower). Leave a comment to let me know that you did/ do. 1 entry

2. Subscribe to At the Fence. Leave a comment to let me know that you did/ do. 1 entry

3. Tell me what game is presently your family's favorite to play together. 1 entry

4. Tweet about this giveaway. Leave a comment with the link. 1 tweet per day. 1 comment per day.

5. Do a post regarding this giveaway. Leave a comment with a link. 2 entries, so 2 comments.

6. Leave a comment on one of my review posts (Not a giveaway). 1 entry

Disclaimer: I received no monetary compensation for this post. I received the game Blurt for review purposes. All quotes are from the The Playmakers website or email. All thoughts and opinions are mine.