You’ve read the book, you’ve seen the videos. Now you can play The Innovation Nations Games (TING) to get your creative juices flowing with Israeli-style ingenuity.
The two-in-one card game – eventually to be a series of physical games plus a mobile version – was conceived by game developer Sharon Gal Or of Galorian Creations as an interactive, educational activity and dialogue-starter for ages seven and up.
“Innovation cannot be taught from textbooks but from experience, and play is the best teaching experience,” Gal Or tells ISRAEL21c.
Each of the cards has fun facts about Israeli startups and innovations grouped by category. They emphasize how Israel shares its technologies through mutual cooperation with other countries.
TING players are encouraged to think of ways they might put these innovations into practice with the help of two games: TripleX and Quartets++.
The goal of TripleX is to use your cards to brainstorm as many innovative ideas as possible. Quartets++ is like Go Fish, in which players try to complete a set of four cards. Bonus points are awarded for creative ideas based on the cards.
“TING allows people from all over the world to enjoy Israel and witness Israel as a country with great people, a great atmosphere, great vibes, and moreover great innovations,” said Prof. Evaristo Doria, who introduced TING to his international business students at Georgia State University.
Israel’s Foreign Ministry sent 100 TING card games to its ambassadors in Europe ahead of Israel’s 70th anniversary in April. The Israeli ambassador in Oslo ordered another 300 sets to be played at the Independence Day party he hosted in Norway.
Gal Or gave workshops to visiting international delegations at the College of Management and at the Tower of David, and presented TING at the Israel EdTech Summit in Tel Aviv.
Earlier this week, more than 100 Beersheva students played a mass TING game organized by Tech7 Juniors, a branch of the 14,000-member Tech7 innovation and entrepreneurship community of the Negev.
“In a region rife with challenges, Israelis have honed the art of problem-solving,” says Adi Kotler of Tech7 Juniors. “By asking new questions, we can find the courage and creativity to find new answers. TING makes the learning process exciting, interesting and effective.”
Gal Or says additional events are evolving through partnerships with Israeli and overseas organizations and agencies such as The Jewish Agency’s school twinning program. He envisions TINGathons in cities around the world.
“My goal is to grow a global network of cultural/goodwill ambassadors through innovation and play,” says Gal Or, who has invented more than 100 toys and games and licensed dozens to companies including TRU, Simba Dickie and Funtastic.
Available in Hebrew and English versions, TING card games are printed and packaged by clients of ILAN, an Israeli foundation for people with neuromuscular disabilities. The games can be shipped worldwide.
See the TING Jewcer campaign here.
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