Objective: The objective of First Orchard is for players to work together to pick all the fruits from the trees and place them in the basket before the raven reaches the orchard.

Components:

• 1 Game Board (depicting four fruit trees: apple, pear, plum, and cherry)

• 4 Large Wooden Fruits (1 each of apple, pear, plum, and cherry)

• 1 Basket

• 5 Path Cards (to form the path the raven takes to the orchard)

• 1 Wooden Raven

• 1 Six-Sided Die (with colors and a raven symbol)
  

Setup:

1. Game Board:

   • Lay out the game board and place the four fruits on their corresponding trees.

2. Path Cards and Raven:

   • Create a path leading to the orchard by placing the path cards in a line.

   • Place the wooden raven at the start of the path.

3. Basket:

   • Place the basket next to the game board.
     

Gameplay:

1. Starting the Game:

   • The youngest player starts, and play proceeds clockwise.

2. Taking a Turn:

   • On your turn, roll the die.

   • The die has different colors and a raven symbol. The result of the roll determines your action:

     • Color Side (Red, Yellow, Green, Blue):

       • Pick a fruit of the corresponding color and place it in the basket.

       • If there are no more fruits of that color on the trees, your turn ends.

     • Raven Symbol:

       • Move the raven one step closer to the orchard by advancing it to the next path card.

3. Game End:

   • The game continues with players taking turns rolling the die and performing the corresponding actions.

   • Winning: If all the fruits are collected and placed in the basket before the raven reaches the orchard, the players win the game.

   • Losing: If the raven reaches the orchard before all the fruits are collected, the raven wins, and the players lose the game.
     

Game Variations:

• Simplified Rules: For younger players, you can simplify the game by only using three types of fruits instead of four.

• Advanced Play: Introduce additional rules such as requiring players to pick a specific fruit type on certain turns or adding more path cards for the raven.
  

Educational Benefits:

• Color Recognition: Helps children recognize and differentiate between colors.

• Cooperation: Encourages teamwork and cooperative play.

• Motor Skills: Develops fine motor skills through picking and placing fruits.