I hope you are all having a wonderful holiday season.  This is a time for many to be with family and it is no different in my home.  Recently, I have been lucky enough to be a part of multiple gatherings.  In my family, we often take time during these gatherings to play games.  Can you guess what we played this year?  Yes, we played SUM OF WHICH and the many sister games that come with SUM OF WHICH.  As a result, a variation of SUM OF WHICH was born.  It gives the game a bit more challenge, so if you are looking for a way to change it up a bit, you may want to try this.

 Variation directions (Can be played with SUM OF WHICH is TEN as well as all expansion tile packs):  Set up the game board just as you always have.  Then, each player draws one tile to see who goes first.  Once determined, return all yellow play tiles to the draw pile and the person who previously drew the highest tile (Player One) draws 5 yellow tiles.  Nobody else draws any tiles.  Player One then takes his turn placing tiles on the board to make the required sum.  Once Player One is finished playing, Player One’s score is recorded and any remaining tiles that Player One has left are given to Player Two.  Player Two then draws tiles from the draw pile to bring the total number of play tiles to 5 and uses those play tiles to make his play on the board.  Player Two’s score is recorded and play continues with each player passing on the remaining unused tiles to the next player.  The game ends when there are no tiles left or no possible plays left.  If a player is able to put the very last tile on the board, that player receives a 30 points bonus.  This variation is a great deal of fun when all players are at about the same ability level.  We had a lot of fun playing this way.  It was a nice twist to the game and gave us quite a few laughs.  My only regret is, we were having so much fun, I forgot to take a picture to share!
​Another “tradition” I have during my holiday break is one that many teachers have.  Although I enjoy a bit of rest, I find this time to be the perfect time for catching up on some work that I just couldn’t get to while school was in session.  I took this opportunity to finally complete the SMART Notebook files for SUM OF WHICH is TWENTY and SUM OF WHICH is ONE (with fractions).  They are now available on the website and make a great addition to the board versions.  The SMART Notebook files make it easy to teach the class how to play and also for game play as a class.  Some teachers have shared that they are using the SUM OF WHICH SMART Notebook files as a closure to lessons and a warm up in the morning.  What a great way to keep students excited about and practicing addition.  Now you can play SUM OF WHICH is TWENTY or SUM OF WHICH is ONE as well.  Check back very soon as I am presently working on SUM OF WHICH is 100 and SUM OF WHICH Integers.  They should be available within a day or two.

​Of course, another tradition during this holiday season is that of giving.  SUM OF WHICH made a donation to Mrs. Robinson’s class on Donor’s Choose.  We will be making another donation on the first of the year.  If you know of a teacher with a Donor’s Choose project that you would like to bring to my attention, please let me know.  I will make the donation on January 1st.

I’ve heard from several after they received SUM OF WHICH either as a gift from others or gifted to themselves.  Nikki was so excited, she tweeted about it!  Thanks Nikki.  

​Did you receive or gift SUM OF WHICH this Christmas?  Have you got any pictures of game play?  I would love to showcase you on my Celebrity Players Board.  Please send them to me at thesumofwhich@gmail.com  

​Tis the season to give.  This holiday season as I reflect on the many wonderful people I have had the opportunity to get to know this year, I am reminded of how very blessed I am.  I have a wonderful family and terrific friends and of course, I now have a whole new family as well.....I have my SUM OF WHICH family.

I recently made a promise to donate 10% of sales using promo code Trad10 to a Donor's Choose page.  Presently, I have close to $100 ready to pledge to a Donor’s Choose Page.  I am excited to be in a position where I can do this.  I look forward to helping a teacher to reach his or her goal.  I know teachers spend a great deal of money from their own pockets and I am thrilled that I will be able to help take a bit of that burden away.  Oh, did I mention, if you use Trad10 you also get 10% off YOUR order.  This coupon is limited, so get your order in soon.  Who would enjoy and benefit from SUM OF WHICH?  Your child’s teacher, your children or grandchildren, nieces and nephews, and anyone else who enjoys a bit of strategy.  I have several players who are in their 80s who love to play SUM OF WHICH.  Some even play SUM OF WHICH as a solitaire game.  They say they love it because it keeps their minds sharp. So perhaps you have a parent or grandparent who might enjoy the game.

I wish you and your family a wonderful holiday season.  Stay well and for those of you in the colder regions (like me) stay warm.  Gather your friends and family and enjoy a game of SUM OF WHICH.  Then, please send me a picture so I can highlight you on my page.  Show me how you and yours enjoy playing SUM OF WHICH.
Remember Trad10 will get you 10% off your order and will add money to my donation to a Donor’s Choose Project.  Feel free to share the coupon code with others.  If you teach, feel free to share the coupon with your students’ parents. We all know how student’s skills improve when further practice happens outside the classroom….especially when that practice is fun.

Happy Holidays!  Thank you for playing and sharing SUM OF WHICH.