Spare
Michelle Eguia
Did you know some of the greatest minds that have impacted our world were ambidextrous—Albert Einstein, Leonardo Da Vinci, and Mahatma Gandhi, to name a few? With such a diverse array of thinking styles, it is rare to find an individual naturally ambidextrous. Given two identical, versatile tools, we grow up with an unfamiliarity in one hand in comparison to the other. What if we were to develop ambidexterity as an alternative to single-handedness? This would allow for one’s motor skills to change in daily, menial tasks and would increase brain functionality on both hemispheres of the brain.
Spare is a board game that teaches one how to become more ambidextrous under the pressure of competition. Using the Montessori teaching method of guided problem solving, this game pushes players to complete a majority of activities using only their less dominant hand. The elements of tactility, quick thinking, and competition ask the players to disregard perfection and to prioritize a steady hand and mind that they otherwise would never use so demandingly. As the interior contains the tools the players must use to complete various tasks, it is the exterior of each box that is covered with a distinct texture subtly communicating the activity the players must complete. The first person to successfully complete all six dexterity boxes wins and is closer to becoming a part of that one percent who are ambidextrous.