 Little
Suzy's Zoo: My First Words Board Game (Briarpatch)
$14.95
This is such a beautifully illustrated game. For those of you who know Suzy's
Zoo you will recognize all the objects. "My two year old played this game just
once with me before he was able to sit down by himself and match up cards all by
himself" reports our mom tester. "You don't need to know how to read to play and my son just loves
putting all the cards around him and matching pictures on each of the cards. The
best part about it is that it provided 20 minutes of individual play and even
when some of the cards get lost (as they often do) there are still enough cards
to match up again and again. A very fun game that should last through his
pre-school years." Ages 2+
 Picnic
Game (eeBoo) $14.95
"I love eeBoo!" raves our mom tester. "They come out with such beautifully illustrated and imaginative
toys for children and this is one is no exception. It comes with punch out cards
for a main course, vegetable, dessert, utensils, plates and beverages for four
players and a little picnic blanket upon which to set your meal. Children spin
the dial to see what part of the picnic they can add to their plate and allows
them to change their mind about their choices (as we all know children do every
day in real life), as well as watch out to make sure ants don't eat their lunch.
My child played this with his friends in his pop-up tent while "camping out" in
our living room. A very sweet game that appeals to both boys and girls who like
imaginative play." Note:
This is an Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Award
Winner! Ages 3+
 Sounds
of the Seashore (Cranium) $16.95
Our testers love Cranium, from Hullaballo to Balloon Lagoon, they have often
been our favorites. In sounds of the seashore our testers got to learn
sounds by listening to the special shell. It's a fun and unique game of
"name that sound." Our testers, aged 3 through 6 all had fun playing this
innovative game. Our mom tester liked the fact that it had different levels of
play and had the kids using memory and listening skills. Ages 3+, Requires 3 AAA
batteries.
 Goodnight Moon Board Game
(Briarpatch)
Everyone remembers this classic children's book and this board game is a great
addition to any collection. The nicest part about it is that it is set up for
children as young as 2 - 5 and the instructions provide many variations of the
game so that the younger the players, the easier it is to play. Younger children
can match up cards by color and everyone wins, or you can try a more competitive
approach of memory for older players, allowing you to have years of use for this
game. It is also a nice way for children to remember one of their favorite
stories. "It even made my 2 1/2 year old search for her Goodnight Moon book so
that she could read it before bed all over again," reports our mom tester.
 Tea
Party (eeBoo) $14.95,
Ages 3+
Grab your hat, feather boa and get ready for some tea and company! My
girls and their friends already love having tea parties," states our mom tester.
"So I was happy to try a game that revolved around one of their favorite
activities! This game was great fun," reports our mom tester. "The girls
had fun spinning to get different items and watching out for the bees. I
loved the beautiful design of the game, the simplicity that still encouraged
thinking."
This game is for 2-4 players and is available at a
beautiful online store called The
Chocolate Cake Club. Where you get a recipe with every order!
 Black
Pirate Game (Haba)
Ages 5+, $34.99
Haba creates such beautiful board games for children and this one is no
exception. Children have to sail their ships across the board with bellows while
the black pirate ship follows behind them trying to capture their treasures.
This game was tested in a school group of 4 - 5 year olds and they all loved
squeezing the bellows to move their ships. The little wooden boats are
beautifully handcrafted with small triangles of colorful fabric to create their
sails and over 30 wooden gold coins to be used as treasure. Great game for pre-schoolers
to practice their hand-eye coordination and planning ahead. Plus, it appeals to
all those pirate fans out there who like to role play.
 To
Grandmas House We Go (ToGrandmasHouse.com)
$16.99, Ages 3-6
This was tested by a family on vacation at their
Grandparents house in Maine. According to the reviewers the parents loved
this game as much as the grandparents they were visiting! They had this to
report, "The kids really loved the game because of the house and the cars. Our
mom tester really like that no reading was required to play. The game included
activities that stimulate interaction, help children match shapes and colors .
For 2-4 players
 Aargh Board Game
(Simply Fun)
$22.00
This is a great board game for so many reasons.
All of the pieces are substantial so you don't have to worry about it falling
apart from overuse (and believe me, this game will be used again and again).
It comes with 29 thick cardboard memory cards, a little carved pirate
ship, 30 gold coins and a little pamphlet for you to record fun moments of
each game. It is a combination of memory and strategy. Children have to
remember where matching cards are in order to collect gold coins from the
treasure chest but every time you forget and turn over the skull and
crossbones card you have to give back a coin. Our mom tester reports
that this is "a very fun, fast game for my
four year old son who is totally into pirates and also into counting up his
coins at the end of every game." Ages 3+
 Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer® 3 in 1 Card Game Set
(USAOPOLY)
$9.95 "This is a great Christmas gift for your young ones at home. The cards are
pictures of cherished holiday characters. The cards are large so that they
are easier for small hands to handle. The game set includes Old Maid, Go Fish
and Crazy 8's" reports our mother-of-three tester.
 Monopoly
Here & Now (Hasbro) Ages 8+,
$29.99
"This is a great twist on an old favorite," reports our mom tester. "My 8- and
10-year-old daughters really had fun playing this game. We loved the fact that
America got to vote on which cities made the cut!" Our mom tester noted that the
housing prices reflect today's market, the railroads have been replaced by the
country's busiest airports, taxes are now up to $2 million or 10%, and players
pay interest on credit card debt. The testers also liked the updated playing
pieces, which include a modern car, a running shoe, and a laptop. A great gift
for any Monopoly or board game fan!
 Lawsuit!
(Nelson) $29.95
Our twelve-year-old tester reported that "he really liked this game."
After playing this game he commented that "now he has a better idea what it is like to go through law school
and setup and run your own law
office. It takes you to the court room to defend and gives and takes away
money in legal ways. I recommend this game be played with a big group and that kids
under 7 are on teams. Overall, I think this is a fun game." Ages 6+
 Discovery
Edition: League of Pirates
(Front Porch Classics)
This is a great game where you must create a crew faster and more skillfully
than the other player. For added fun, you can (or have to) use backstabbing &
trickery to establish your crew. It's a fun game and kids who like the whole
Pirates theme will find it fun. Read the directions carefully as some of
it may be confusing, but this is a very creative game! NOTE: This is a game for
2 players only. Ages 8 and up, $24.99
 Shut
The Box Front
Porch Classics
Here's a great gift that everyone will love! It's an addictive game
that you can play alone or with your grandchildren -- and a bonus it
teaches them numbers as well! "Shut The Box is a game that
you'll find yourself playing long after your grandchildren have gone to
sleep", reports our grandfather of four. Both he and his wife
said this addictive game is too much fun! How do you play? Roll
the dice and lay down any combination of tiles to match your roll. Keep on
rolling until you can't match the remaining tiles; if you lay down all the
tiles you've "shut the box" and won. $49.95
Electronic/DVD Games
 Deal or No Deal Tabletop Electronic Game (iToys)
Our 10-year-old testers, and her parents think that this game "Rocks."
They are fans of the hit-TV show "Deal or No Deal" that this game is based on,
and they reported that it has provided a lot of entertainment. How do you
play? Well you pick your briefcase, just like on the show, and hope it
holds the cash. It's a game for 1-4 players, but our testers loved playing
it alone! Ages 10+
 Electronic
Yahtzee (Milton
Bradley)
Ages 8 years and up, $10.99
If you've ever played Yahtzee you'll
understand why an electronic version can be so much fun. In the electronic
version you press the buttons to roll the dice, you then select if you want
three off a kind, straights, or if you get five of a kind you get Yahtzee! You
earn bonus points with Aces and Sixes. It keeps score, has sound effects
and automatic shut-off. My daughter currently holds the high score of 463
at our house, and let me tell you it's impossible to beat! It's so
addictive my husband plays it every night to unwind. Requires 1 "AA" alkaline battery (included).
Younger Kids ::
Older Kids |
