My Very First Games: Toolbox Time
My Very First Games: Toolbox Time Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Before the First Game
Before starting, please remove the band wrapped around the box and carefully press out the game pieces from the punchboards. For safety, please throw away the cardboard band, the leftover punchboard frames marked with the symbol, and any small strips or tabs that were holding the pieces in place. These items are not needed for play.
What's Included
- 1 die
- 4 Koala tokens
- 25 tool cards
- 10 wooden building blocks
Free Play and Discovery Time
Before jumping into the structured games, encourage your child to explore the materials freely. Let them pretend to be a builder or craftsperson and dive into imaginative play. Open the toolbox together and discover what's inside. Talk about each tool; its name, what it does, and how it might be used in real life.
As you explore the wooden blocks, take time to notice their colors and shapes. Ask your child to name the colors they see. Try stacking the blocks in different ways to see how high your tower can go. Some blocks are taller, some are wider, and depending on how you place them, the tower might grow higher or remain more stable.
As the tower gets taller, it may become a bit wobbly. Some children enjoy stacking boldly and taking risks, while others prefer to build carefully and steadily. There's no right or wrong way - it's all part of the fun and learning!
Game 1: Our Colorful Tower!
A cooperative matching game for 1-4 children.
Before You Begin
Start by sorting the tool cards by color and placing them in the center of the table where everyone can see and reach them easily. Then, place all the building blocks and Koala tokens nearby. Make sure you also have the toolbox and the die ready. Now you're all set to start building together!
Let's Get Started
Take turns in a clockwise direction. Whoever has been inside a workshop before goes first and rolls the die.
What Did You Roll?
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A Color Dot? Say the color out loud. Then, take one tool of that color from the supply and place it in front of you. Try to choose a tool that matches one you already have in a different color.
Do you now have two matching tools?
- Yes: Great! It's building time. Pick up both matching tools and place them in the toolbox. In exchange, choose any one building block you like. Place your new block in the center of the table, this is the first piece of your shared tower. Every block earned after this will be stacked on top.
- No: That's okay. Just keep the tool in front of you for now and wait for your next turn.
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A Star? You get to pick any tool from the supply! If it matches one you already have, you can trade both in immediately for a building block. Add the tools to the toolbox and stack your new block on the tower.
Then it's the next player's turn.
Don't Fear, Konrad the Koala to the Rescue!
If you roll a color and that tool is no longer available, take a Koala token instead. Konrad is your wildcard - he can stand in for any tool! You can combine a Koala token with any tool you have, or even use two Koala tokens together, to trade for a building block. Place the Koala token(s) and tool in the toolbox, then add the block to the tower.
If the Tower Falls ...
Oops! If a block tumbles off or the whole tower collapses while stacking, gently rebuild it. But there's a cost. You'll have to give up one of your tools. If you don't have any tools in front of you, you don't lose anything.
When Does the Game End?
You all win together if you successfully stack every block onto the tower.
But if the tool supply runs out before you finish building the tower, the game ends and you'll have to try again. Even if players still have tools in front of them, you lose if there are no more tools to draw.
Parent Tip
You can make the game more challenging by changing one rule: Instead of choosing any building block when trading, have your child choose one that matches the color of one of the two tools used in the trade. If no block in that color is left, the trade can't be made.
Tools are incredibly useful. Whatever we're building, tools are often part of the process. Chances are, you have your own set of tools at home. Take a moment to show your child the real-life versions of the tools in the game. Explain how they're used, and that children should never use them without adult supervision. And who knows? Maybe your child can help out with your next DIY project!
Game 2: Reach for the Sky
A competitive matching game for 2-3 children.
You'll play using the rules from Game 1, with the following changes:
- If you collect two tools of the same color, you may trade them in for a building block of that color.
- Each child builds their own tower. Stack your blocks in front of you and try to build the tallest tower possible.
- The child with the tallest tower at the end of the game wins!