Odyssey of the Mind for 8th grade boy?

[Anonymous]

My DS will be starting 8th grade. I see his school is offering Odyssey of the Mind for his age group. Is this fun/worthwhile for a kid who has never done it before? I can't quite figure out what it is that they will do, but I'm a little intrigued by what I see online. He is a sweet, creative kid and strong student who is good at math (but does not love doing math, like some of his peers). Thanks for any thoughts.

[Anonymous]

He might really like this. There are usually some engineering aspects (build a bridge usually only balsa wood and glue, etc.), and there is usually one "problem" that requires the kids to write and perform a play if that's more his thing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My DS will be starting 8th grade. I see his school is offering Odyssey of the Mind for his age group. Is this fun/worthwhile for a kid who has never done it before? I can't quite figure out what it is that they will do, but I'm a little intrigued by what I see online. He is a sweet, creative kid and strong student who is good at math (but does not love doing math, like some of his peers). Thanks for any thoughts.

I did this (Odyssey of the Mind) when I was in school. It was a lot of fun and does encourage creativity. Our team did not do especially well at the competitions some years, but, we were not always aiming for a win. Love of math is nowhere close to a necessity. Look at the problem synopses on the website for an idea of what they will be doing.

[Anonymous]

It is a quirky sort of kid who will enjoy this after middle school. If you have one of those, go for it. It can be great fun. If your kid isn't interested, don't force it.

The combination of art, drama, and engineering isn't for everyone.

My son did it in 4th and 5th, but was ready to stop by 6th.

[Anonymous]

Push it! It is BY FAR the best extra-curricular out there. My kids did it for years. It taught them soooo much.

The best parts are the focus on "thinking on your feet," being "kid-directed" (at least theoretically-- lots of team coaches/parents cheat) and learning how to advocate for your ideas among your peers.

It is an AMAZING opportunity!

[Anonymous]

An experienced coach and teammates who get along well make a big difference with OotM.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It is a quirky sort of kid who will enjoy this after middle school. If you have one of those, go for it. It can be great fun. If your kid isn't interested, don't force it.

The combination of art, drama, and engineering isn't for everyone.

My son did it in 4th and 5th, but was ready to stop by 6th.

Yes, quirky is right. It's a little creative/nerdy. If he likes the kids who are doing it, it'd be great! Math knowledge is not what this is about at all.

[Anonymous]

Good coach and good teammates make the program more fun BUT I can say (from experience!) my kids learned A LOT the year they had a really bad coach. Also, difficult teammates become difficult co-workers so good skills to learn how to deal with them.

[Anonymous]

I have been doing odyssey of the Mind for eight years now. I have had good years and bad years. For two years
I was on a team which made it difficult for me to perform my best. However, these past two years I got a completely new team and we went to states twice and worlds once. It is a great learning experience and I truly loved it. It you want to win DO NOT DO PROBLEM 5!! Many teams sign up for that one. If winning doesn’t matter to you, choose whatever problem. My team was really good at technical. Also if there is another team that is formed, I suggest you start your own team. Many teams that are already formed aren’t looking for another teammate.