Editor’s Note: Sometimes, working at the OWC really IS all fun and games! We asked Outreach Assistants Sydney and Rebekkah to review the board game, “Moopher’s Amazing Journey to the Sea.” Here’s what they had to say.

Let's play the Moopher board game! This game is great for the family, in the classroom, or for anyone looking for an educational game that is also fun to play (like us!). Moopher is a mischievous little gopher who has taped moose antlers to his head to protect him on his amazing journey through the watershed to the sea.

The game was designed by Partners FOR the Saskatchewan River Basin (the Oldman watershed is part of the Saskatchewan River Basin). Players help Moopher travel to the sea by answering questions about water or by matching cards through a memory game. By helping Moopher, players learn about places within the Saskatchewan River Basin through visuals on the game board, diverse cultures through river cards, and information on what impacts the watershed.

*Moopher’s journey takes him throughout the Saskatchewan River Basin, of which the Oldman watershed is part (Map credit: saskriverbasin.ca)*

We decided to test the game out for ourselves. It was very easy to play. We liked that there are various ways to help Moopher get to the sea, and the game is definitely fitting for all interests and skill levels. It was great to get our brains going by testing ourselves with the river cards, and we were pleased that we were able to figure out the answers to most of the trivia questions. While the game is geared for kids aged 7-12+, it’s appropriate for almost any age, especially if there’s an adult present or if playing in teams!

The possibilities with this game are endless. The instruction manual includes alternative activities to play with the different parts to the game. For example, teams can score points for each river card answered, or play a giant memory game by combining all the decks of memory cards together. There are also numerous other games explained and provided within the booklet.

*The game is easy to play and lots of fun!*

Most of the questions were fairly easy since we have studied many of the topics in school, but there was one in particular that stumped us: “The water in mountain lakes has a vivid blue or green colour because of…?” The answer is glacial flour - now we know!

It was really cool to see the Oldman River mentioned in the game. One question asked, “The Oldman River is named after…?” The answer is Napi, the Old Man from Blackfoot culture. Our very own OWC logo is inspired in part by Napi, and it’s so good to see the game bring in First Nations cultures into the game.

Another neat aspect of the game is that it’s trilingual - most of the words are translated into Cree and Michif, which are the languages of the Plains Cree First Nations and the Métis people. This is a great way to learn about the importance of all the beings that live in the Saskatchewan River Basin, including humans, as well as the basin’s interesting history.

*Two or more people can help Moopher find his way to the sea.*

We have a few of these board games available at our office. To get your hands on the game, get in touch with us, or email partners@saskriverbasin.ca or call 306-665-6887 and help Moopher get to the sea!