The original Old Maid card game has been around since the Victorian times and was long overdue for an upgrade. The innovators of Bold Made show incredible thought and attention to detail as they developed 10 different categories of remarkable women that have made their mark in our world, teaching players about their amazing success and determination.
Four extraordinary women are featured for each of the ten different categories, distinguished by color and an icon describing their area of expertise. The creation of categories within the game made learning even more salient. Categories included inventors, writers, musicians, world leaders, artists, aviators, supreme court justices, scientists, astronauts, and activists.
Our kid toy testers were hoping to collect certain colors, saying “I want all the light pink because I want the ones with the best ideas [inventors]… and pink is my favorite color.”
The instructional booklet is a must-read. Not only does it contain multiple ways to play, but it’s the resource guide containing a short bio for each of the 40 inspiring women. Game play is appropriate for ages 3 and up, introducing our most malleable minds to the uplifting notion that women are BOLD and they change the world. Holding these diverse history makers in your hand feels so uplifting. Even my 4-year-old toy tester took note saying “I have all girls!” We simplified play with just the two of us playing a version of Go Fish, but instead calling out “Go Bold!” and matched by color categories.
The game can also be played in a traditional way (Old Maid upgrade, style) where the goal is to end the game with the Bold Made Rainbow Card, or Bold Made Advanced, best suited for kids 7 and up. In Bold Made Advanced, players compete to collect 3 sets of Bold Women or end the game with the most points. This game play requires the use of the included Action Cards, calling on players to “draw” more cards, “recruit” cards from another player, “replay” cards by taking from the discard pile, and “block” another player’s card.
Playing with older kids (readers) added an extra learning component as players named their card, which helped us all remember the amazing impact each one has made. When we said these glorious names aloud, we found ourselves referring to the “Bio Book” to recall the details of the women’s unique stories. Bold Made is a must for every household that embraces change, diversity, and celebrates women.
