Disclaimer: I received a FREE copy of this product through the HOMESCHOOL REVIEW CREW in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.
I love a feel-good, true story, and the story of Byron's Games and the development of the Continent Race game sure is one of them! Thus, I was excited to check out Continent Race when my family had a chance to review it.
Want to know the story behind the Continenet Race game?
If you'd like to know the story, too, watch it here:
I just love the way Byron took the difficulties that he was facing (spending a month in a hospital) mixed in a passion of his (countries and flags) and creatively came up with a game that he, then, made a mission of sharing forward to help other children. What an inspiration to embrace setbacks and skills and to make all things work together for good! I think we can all learn from that.
A Simple, Yet Flexible Way to Learn Countries and Continents
We can also all learn from the Continent Race game itself!
The game is a simple, flexible, hands-on way to learn and review the names and locations of countries and continents. It contains 205 color-coded country cards with the names, capitals, and flags of countries on them, three Antarctica wild cards, five thick laminated continent list and map reference cards, a direction card, and one large world map reference that fold out board game style.
These tools, of course, are used to play the game, which basically asks you to find strings of countries from different continents and to name them in order to win.
They also make quality materials for reference or inspiration. (Reference in that you can look up country locations using the maps or the alphabetical lists on the continent cards and you can also find what each country's flag looks like with the country cards. Inspiration in that the story behind the game is a beautiful, inspiring one and that the flags on the country flags could inspire further learning, art projects, etc.)
What did my children think of the Continent Race?
I liked Continent Race both for the story behind it and as a simple, hands-on way of learning world geography.
And when I say learning, I mean for me, too! Despite the game being for 2+ players, ages 7+, I, as a nearly 50 year old mom and teacher, admittedly picked cards with names of countries I had never heard of and/or could not immediately locate the countries on maps! (Time to bone up on geography, Self. Thank you Bryon's Game for pointing that out and making an easy way that I can do so!)
As for my children, they all laughed and learned when playing the Continent Race game, but when I asked them about their thoughts for this review, some shared mixed feelings.
My 8-year-old son said:
I played Continent Race with my mom and siblings. The game with a board, continent maps, and country cards. These materials were all good quality.
To play the game, you draw country cards and try to match 2-4 to a continent. When you get matched cards for 3-5 continents, you win.
I thought the game was okay. I would recommend it to people who want to learn geography.
My 12-year-old daughter said:
Continent Race was created by a six year old who loved countries and flags, was in the hospital, and wanted to help other kids learn and get well in the hospital. It is now a card and board game that anyone can play.
When we first got the game, I played it with my mom. We had fun trying to pronounce the country's names correctly.
Then, I played it more with my mom and brothers and, yet again, we had trouble pronouncing country names correctly.
Also, because we played the more advanced version, I learned my mom cannot shuffle cards well. I kept getting orange mystery cards!
I also learned more about where each country was placed, especially because of the orange cards.
I would recommend this game to a homeschool mom or teacher that wants a versatile game that can be played with games of multiple ages. Young children can use the color-coded cards to play easily and older children can use the orange cards.
I thought the game was okay. We laughed while we played.
My 14-year-old son said:
Continent Race is a geography game where you collect cards, call out country and continent names, and point at a map. To win, you have to collect 2-4 country cards from 3-5 continents.
In the game box are cards for every country, maps for every continent, a world map, and directions. I could not believe they combined North and South America and ignored Antarctica, but my mother explained that they were basing it off the five rings of the Olympics.
When I played the game, I easily won. The game was not exciting for me, because I like more engaging that include strategy or role playing and are not as based on the luck of the draw. This game was not mentally challenging to my intellect. However, I did find I did not know some of the countries that populate the earth.
I would not recommend this game to people over the age of seven unless they are teaching children and need a game to review country names and locations.
Mind you, even if my 14-year-old said he does not recommend the game to anyone over seven years old, he was challenged to name and locate countries while playing it and even laughed some, too. So, don't let the teen attitude dissuade you from checking out the game.
Instead, be aware that the Continent Race is a fairly straightforward game that may not engage those who like more complicated games, but that it is also a flexible, hands-on way to learn countries and continents.
I can 100% testify each person in my family that played the Continent Race game laughed at times and thought or said at one point or another, "I have never...heard of that country before... Where is THAT country... Hand me that continent card, I have to see if this one is on it..." Yep, learning was happening and interaction were happening and - to me - that means success.
Thank you, Byron and family, for using your setback to create something that would help kids in hospitals as well as homeschoolers, students, and families around the world. Well done!
And when I say learning, I mean for me, too! Despite the game being for 2+ players, ages 7+, I, as a nearly 50 year old mom and teacher, admittedly picked cards with names of countries I had never heard of and/or could not immediately locate the countries on maps! (Time to bone up on geography, Self. Thank you Bryon's Game for pointing that out and making an easy way that I can do so!)
As for my children, they all laughed and learned when playing the Continent Race game, but when I asked them about their thoughts for this review, some shared mixed feelings.
My 8-year-old son said:
I played Continent Race with my mom and siblings. The game with a board, continent maps, and country cards. These materials were all good quality.
To play the game, you draw country cards and try to match 2-4 to a continent. When you get matched cards for 3-5 continents, you win.
I thought the game was okay. I would recommend it to people who want to learn geography.
My 12-year-old daughter said:
Continent Race was created by a six year old who loved countries and flags, was in the hospital, and wanted to help other kids learn and get well in the hospital. It is now a card and board game that anyone can play.
When we first got the game, I played it with my mom. We had fun trying to pronounce the country's names correctly.
Then, I played it more with my mom and brothers and, yet again, we had trouble pronouncing country names correctly.
Also, because we played the more advanced version, I learned my mom cannot shuffle cards well. I kept getting orange mystery cards!
I also learned more about where each country was placed, especially because of the orange cards.
I would recommend this game to a homeschool mom or teacher that wants a versatile game that can be played with games of multiple ages. Young children can use the color-coded cards to play easily and older children can use the orange cards.
I thought the game was okay. We laughed while we played.
My 14-year-old son said:
Continent Race is a geography game where you collect cards, call out country and continent names, and point at a map. To win, you have to collect 2-4 country cards from 3-5 continents.
In the game box are cards for every country, maps for every continent, a world map, and directions. I could not believe they combined North and South America and ignored Antarctica, but my mother explained that they were basing it off the five rings of the Olympics.
When I played the game, I easily won. The game was not exciting for me, because I like more engaging that include strategy or role playing and are not as based on the luck of the draw. This game was not mentally challenging to my intellect. However, I did find I did not know some of the countries that populate the earth.
I would not recommend this game to people over the age of seven unless they are teaching children and need a game to review country names and locations.
Mind you, even if my 14-year-old said he does not recommend the game to anyone over seven years old, he was challenged to name and locate countries while playing it and even laughed some, too. So, don't let the teen attitude dissuade you from checking out the game.
Instead, be aware that the Continent Race is a fairly straightforward game that may not engage those who like more complicated games, but that it is also a flexible, hands-on way to learn countries and continents.
I can 100% testify each person in my family that played the Continent Race game laughed at times and thought or said at one point or another, "I have never...heard of that country before... Where is THAT country... Hand me that continent card, I have to see if this one is on it..." Yep, learning was happening and interaction were happening and - to me - that means success.
Thank you, Byron and family, for using your setback to create something that would help kids in hospitals as well as homeschoolers, students, and families around the world. Well done!
Learn More
If you love Geography, be sure to pop on over to Byron's Game where you will find a blog with fun facts about countries and flags.
If you have trouble pronouncing the names of countries, you can learn pronunciations on Byron's Games website, too!
If you'd like to see what others thought of the Continent Race and or a Continents Stationary Kit by Byron's Games materials, pop on over to see 60 the Homeschool Review Crew reviews.
You can also connect with Bryon's Games on social media:
If you love Geography, be sure to pop on over to Byron's Game where you will find a blog with fun facts about countries and flags.
If you have trouble pronouncing the names of countries, you can learn pronunciations on Byron's Games website, too!
If you'd like to see what others thought of the Continent Race and or a Continents Stationary Kit by Byron's Games materials, pop on over to see 60 the Homeschool Review Crew reviews.
You can also connect with Bryon's Games on social media:
