Play Osmo! This mom is a fan. I wrote about the Osmo Genius Kit before. I find it – besides very fun – also super educational and instructive. Of course I was very happy that I (or actually Mila) this time the Osmo Pizza Co. Starter Kit was allowed to review. I had been looking for videos online for a while and the principle really appeals to me. Why? Because I like games that are great fun to play, but that also have a high educational content.
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Just sayin. The Pizza Co game. is set in a restaurant setting. The owner goes on vacation and the child replaces the owner. That is not easy. You will be given goals that you need to keep to yourself. An example? Help a certain number of customers. Or earn a certain amount. But all that while making pizzas for customers. Not just any customers. Because those same customers can be quite demanding. Not just for the pizza (“I only want mushrooms! “) but also in terms of the speed and accuracy of helping the customer.
It is not just about making pizzas, but also about interacting with the customer. Mental arithmetic also plays a role. For example, the pizza costs €9.50, if the customer pays with €20, what do you pay back as change? And how fast can you do that? You guessed it. A game where you learn to keep your head, and at the same time learn to switch quickly. Basically like it is in the real world. So lifelike. And that's why I find it so funny and educational.
“Mommy, not now. I'm really busy”
When I heard the above sentence come out of my nine-year-old's mouth, I scratched my head. Children hold up a mirror to you, they say. Well, I can tell you it's exactly right. How many times she has not heard me say the exact same sentence. I even noticed some (positive) tension in her while playing with the Osmo Pizza Co. kit. This while for me it immediately goes to the wrong side. I also think that is good because you already learn to anticipate how you can manage your tension and any stress (what's in a word ) can be reduced. Because you understand that I would like her not to take those feelings of stress that I experience from me.
I think it's funny that the game builds up – just like in real life, actually. You replace the owner of a restaurant and first you have to 'get in' there. How does it work, what exactly should I do? What are my duties and how do I deal with them? The wishes of the customers (who flow in smoothly. Not all at the same time) are still relatively simple. How it works? For example, they want a pizza with mushrooms and fish. You will get to work with that.
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Also great for your child's communication skills. The customers don't talk to you so it's all about the body language. The customers show you what they want by means of an image. So you do that. You copy it, as it were. What should you think about when it comes to body language, you may ask yourself? You have to look closely at their reaction. Customers are happy when you make the perfect pizza, but they can also look angry if you make the order wrong. So pay close attention.
All nice and nice, but how does it work?
You take the cardboard pizza plate, unfold it and place it in front of the iPad (you have already placed the same iPad upright in the supplied stand (base). Click the Osmo element with which the pizza plate is scanned on top of the iPad). You top the pizza with the (also sturdy cardboard) number of toppings that the customer asks for. In this case mushrooms and fish. The mirror of the Osmo element sees exactly what is on the pizza. The amount of pieces, where to put them and how. The 'customer' looks happy when you do it right. But if you do something wrong… for example when the customer asks for fish and you put down pepperoni (sausage)… Then the customer is not happy and you can see that. You can then whistle for a tip. That's how it works in the real world.
Also something like that. I heard my daughter shout a number of times that she was really doing everything right and yet she didn't get a tip from a customer. Secretly I had to smile because that's how it works sometimes in the real world. You can do everything right and still not get a "extra" because the customer is just in a bad mood, doesn't have change with them or simply doesn't see the need to tip. Everything is possible. Osmo Pizza Co. therefore also gives a very good lesson to learn to deal with disappointments. And right now – at an early stage – I think that is a wise life lesson. Sometimes you don't get an explanation for something and it just is.
You make a pizza. When it is topped with the right toppings, you slide the pizza into the oven. Then you give it to the customer. But of course the customer has to pay. How does that work? When the customer has finished his pizza, turn it over. Then that same plate becomes a cash register, on which you put the (change) money. But Rory, is it the same for every child (Pizza Co. from Osmo is suitable for children between the ages of 5 and 12 and teaches them the basics of math and business skills)? New. It works with different levels. Think of a level where you only work with notes or coins. And that way you can make it even more difficult, depending on what your child is up to. Calculating after the decimal point is also an option.
What I also find really instructive and beautiful is that you learn to evaluate yourself. How did I do today as a restaurant owner? Have I wasted ingredients? Or did I use the toppings I had sparingly (because otherwise this will be deducted from your income in the game). Have I listened carefully to the customers or have I gone my own way? Am I doing it right? Am I nice or curt when it gets busier? Because depending on that, it could just be that you get a tip and that will be added to your income.
But you also learn to think about your own finances and investments. Have I earned enough to pay the rent? Or to buy a new oven? Or will I spend the income on sprucing up my pizza restaurant? Hmmm, I have to keep thinking carefully, because first I still have to buy the products (ingredients) that I need to make a pizza.
Learn to do everything at once and then also keep a cool head. I think it's a nice interpretation of this genuinely fun game. I have rarely seen such a fun game for children where you also learn so much through play. And brilliantly conceived of the pizza restaurant. It appeals to the imagination and let's be honest. Kids and pizza is a golden combination in general. In any case, I think it's a very good find. It's still an idea if I play the game myself. Maybe I better learn to keep my cool.
Learn more about the Osmo Pizza Co. kit can be found here.
What do you think of these current, educational games in which your child learns to deal with entrepreneurship, money and communication skills in a playful way? In any case, Rory and her daughter are a fan of it.
