Moo's Code
Moo's Code Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Game Components
- 1 wooden spoon
- 20 ingredient cards. Each card shows 3 ingredients and dots indicating the number of syllables in each name. (The example card in the rulebook shows jabłko (apple), ser (cheese) and winogrono (grapes), split into syllables as jabł-ko, ser and wi-no-gro-no.)
- 5 mouse cards
- 6 cheat sheets (1 for each player)
- 16 ingredient tiles
- 1 mouse tile
- 1 pot mat
Goal of the Game
Players help the cow prepare a meal. One player taps out the syllables of ingredients on the table with the spoon. The other players try to find, as quickly as possible, the tile that shows the tapped ingredients. The player who finds it first scores a point. The game continues until one player scores 5 points.
Educational tip: Before playing, check whether the children can split words into syllables. Ask them to clap the number of syllables in example words, for instance their own names.
Educational tip: In a game with young children, it is suggested that a parent be the player who taps the syllables (at least during the first game).
Educational tip: The length of the game can be flexibly adjusted to the children's age and patience. It can be shortened, for example, by playing to 3 points.
Game Setup
A. Each player receives a cheat sheet. With it, players know which ingredients appear in the game, and younger players are helped to split words into syllables correctly.
B. Spread all the ingredient tiles out in the middle of the table.
C. Shuffle all the cards and make a face-down stack from them (cards lie face down). Place the stack next to the tiles.
D. Place the spoon and the pot mat on the table in front of the oldest player.
Playing the Game
The oldest player starts the game. In the first round, this player taps out the syllables of the ingredients with the spoon. The other players try to find them as quickly as possible. The tapping player changes each round. In these rules, this player is called the spoon player.
The player performs action 1, and then action 2a or 2b, depending on the card they hold.
1. Take a Card
The spoon player takes the top card from the stack. They do this in such a way that the other players cannot see what is on the card!
2a. If the Card Shows Ingredients
If the card shows ingredients, the spoon player taps out their syllables according to the following rules.
- The player taps out the syllables by striking the spoon against the pot mat. (This way the spoon does not make as much noise as when striking the table.)
- After tapping out the syllables of the first ingredient, the player must pause and "stir the pot with the spoon" (make a circular movement on the pot mat), so that all players know the syllables of the first ingredient have ended. The player then taps out the syllables of the second ingredient, pauses again and "stirs the pot". Then they tap out the syllables of the third ingredient and put the spoon down on the table.
- Example: One of the ingredients on the card is strawberry (truskawka). The player taps out 3 syllables: trus-kaw-ka. Then they stir the pot with the spoon.
- The spoon player must repeat the tapping if any player asks them to.
- After the syllables of the third ingredient have been tapped out, the other players try to find the matching tile on the table as quickly as possible. They look for the tile that shows all the tapped ingredients. The player who places their hand on the correct tile first scores a point! From the spoon player they receive an ingredient card and place it in front of themselves. This marks the point they have scored.
- If several players have found the correct tile, the point goes to the player whose hand is lowest, lying directly on the tile. Remember that once a hand has been placed on a tile, a player may not change their mind and move it to another tile.
- In the next round, the player who scored the point becomes the spoon player.
2b. If the Card Shows the Cow and the Mouse
If the card shows the cow and the mouse, the spoon player must shout "Mouse! Shoo!" (Mysz! A kysz!).
- At this moment the other players try to touch the mouse tile as quickly as possible. The player who first places their hand on the mouse tile scores a point! From the spoon player they receive the mouse card and place it in front of themselves. This marks the point they have scored.
- If several players have found the correct tile, the point goes to the player whose hand is lowest, lying directly on the tile.
- In the next round, the player who scored the point becomes the spoon player.
Note: When playing with older children, you may add the following rule: the player who touches the mouse tile last loses a point. They must return one of the cards they have already won to the box (if they have no card, they lose nothing).
Educational tip: To make the game easier for younger children, it is suggested that the syllables be tapped out in the order the ingredients appear on the card and on the tiles (from top to bottom). This helps children find the correct tiles and rule out those that do not have the required ingredients.
End of the Game
The game ends when one of the players scores 5 points, that is, when 5 cards lie in front of them.