Editorial Review

This enchanting activity game will keep younger kids happily distracted, whether it's played indoors or out. A cute, blue elephant blows 30 feathery, vinyl butterflies from its 4-foot trunk into the air. The trunk, made of flexible plastic, stands straight up when the small, quiet motor in the elephant's bottom is turned on. Kids use mesh nets (four included) to capture the most butterflies, same-color butterflies, or just catch 'em period. Requires four C batteries, not included. --Diane Beall ... Read more

Reviews (135)

Not Worth The Money
My son wanted this game really badly. So, he got it for his birthday and it seemed to entertain him for maybe 15 minutes. On the commercial it looks like a lot of fun with the butterflies flying everywhere. Well, when you get your game home and start to play you can go to the kitchen and get yourself a drink and you probably still won't miss a butterfly. The pressure is poor and the butterflies come out 1 every 5 minutes. This game is a big disappointment.

Kids LOVE this game!
I first came in contact with this game at my daughter's preschool, when she was about 3 years old. This was, without a doubt, the favorite of the younger kids (2.5-3) and the older ones (4-5)eventually copuldn;t help themsekves, and joined in too! This game helps them with hand-eye coordination - it's not as easy to catch those fluttering "butterflies" as one might think! Just try to be gentle with the "trunk". After LOTS of use, it can become sort of "bent" and this will prevent the "butterflies" from getting to the top of the trunk. That takes quite a bit of use to happen though, so my only downside would be the bunch oif batteries it takes, which really is not too big of a deal. Cute and fun toy!!

no fun
My daughter wanted this so bad for her 4th birthday, it was such a disappointment. The butterflies barely come out of the trunk! Not at all like they show it. My kids had more fun playing with the nets!

This was a HUGE disappointment and WASTE of $$
This was a HUGE disappointment. I thought it would be an ideal gift for my son, but I've spent more money than I like to think about just to keep fresh batteries in it. As soon as the batteries start to wear down (which is pretty quickly), the fan slows down and the butterflies become stuck in the trunk. I'm sure my almost-four-year-old would give it five stars for fun if it always worked when he wanted to play with it, but because of this game, I've begun to ration my batteries. As other reviewers mentioned, there needs to be a lot more butterflies included. This could be a great game for kids if the manufacturers made a few changes, but as it is, I recommend that parents save their money.

The butterflies refuse to come out!!!
I was so excited to buy this for my three year old daughter. I figured it would reinforce counting and colors as well as eye hand coordination. When we started playing, the butterflies took forever to shoot out. I opened it and mixed them around as the instructions stated but still only one or two popped out. The rest kept blowing around on the bottom. Very disappointing. After a while my daughter said "all done Mommy". She was bored standing there waiting for the butterflies. I dont blame her, I was bored myself. The fan worked fine and the trunk fully extended & I put fresh batteries so Im not really sure what went wrong. Its such a nice idea but Im sad to say its a lemon of a game. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

great design, great fun
This preschooler variation of the old favorite Bingo is a real winner.

Zingo cards have a 3 by 3 grid that shows pictures and words. Cards have a yellow side (easier, for younger kids) and a red side for the odler ones. The plastic game piece dispenser is well-designed and fun to use. Players shout out to claim a piece, which is then placed over the appropriate square on the player's card. There are several play variations.

Excellent game for the younger set, and fun for older children and adults as well.

Wonderful toy - kids love it!
My son got this for his fourth birthday and still plays with it regularly (he's now over 5). He'd just started to read when he got it, and the game helped him add many new words to his vocabulary - but more importantly, it was fun! His friends loved it so much that several of them asked for their own sets as gifts. We play until everyone wins and gets to shout Zingo!, and the kids help each other get there. And my son even plays it sometimes by himself. It's really wonderful, very very fun, and would be great for kids from about 3 to at least 6.

game enthusiast
my 4 yr old daughter received this game as a gift. she hasn't stopped playing it! Everyone in the family has fun with Zingo! from my 8 yr old daughter to my mother in law! Great family fun!

Let's Zingo!
Our children love this game and it is by far their favorite. Though the recommended ages are 4 and up - my 4 year old and my 2 1/2 year old both enjoy playing this game and it is one that they never seem to tire of. The playing pieces are all very durable and well constructed. I highly recommend Zingo.

Excellent game that even parents enjoy!
This game is great. Since the day we got it, it has been played with all the time. The kids love being able to yell "Zingo" when the win. The design is great since you can keep all the pieces neatly tucked in the dispenser.

A great fun, educational game for game nights and rainy days! ... Read more

Editorial Review

Four hippos try to eat as many marbles as they can--as fast as they can. This game is fast-paced and riotous for kids who get to take turns popping a white marble into the ring, then furiously pressing on their hippo's levered tail to catch the prize. As if that's not enough, in the advanced game, all 20 marbles are released at the same time. Utter mayhem ensues, and whoever snares the most marbles wins. If only it would get kids to clean their plates as well as those pudgy hippos do! --Lynne Sampson ... Read more

Reviews (54)

Gobble them up! Noisy and Fun!
There's something deeply satisfying about this game: Is it the allure of pounding a hippo's tail as fast as you can so that your hippo will eat more balls than its opposing hippos? I leave that to the psychologists...

This games provides a great release for toddlers and adults. Because of the intensity and noisy pounding, you may want to limit your own play to about ½ hour. Educational value? Well, the game helps with hand-eye coordination, learning how to be a good sport, and simple counting. But basically it's just a good way to get in touch with your inner hippo--let the pounding begin!

VERY DISAPPOINTING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
MOST DEFINATLY NOT THE GAME I GREW UP WITH!!!! THIS VERSION OF HUNGRY HIPPOS IS TERRIBLY DISAPPOINTING!!!! DON'T BUY IT!!! IT WILL NOT STAY TOGETHER FOR EVEN A FEW MINUTES OF PLAY!! THE "MARBLES" ARE CHEEP HOLLLOW PLASIC BALLS AND THE HIPPOS DISCONNECT FROM THE GAME WITH EVEN HIT. IF THEY AREN'T FALLING OFF THE GAME THEN THEY WILL STICK. WE HAVE NEVER BEEN ABLE TO PLAY A COMPLETE GAME (NOT EVEN PART OF A GAME) WITHOUT GIVING UP IN FRUSTRATION. (...)

Very dissapointed
My son received this gift for Christmas two years ago. I was very excited as I remember playing this game as a child. I was soooo disappointed!! It is definitely NOT the sturdy game I remember from my childhood days. The hippos tend to get stuck w/the handles down. For the adults...not a problem...but very frustrating for little ones. And the "marbles" don't roll around very well. Overall...not a good buy in my opinion.

Piece of Junk
I bought this game for my 5 year old son, because I remebered how much fun I had playing it when I was 5. This is not the same game that I remebered, the marbles are cheap plastic things that aren't even completely round and the whole game would fall apart after just a few seconds of play. We tried 5 or 6 times to get it to stay together, we even tried taping it. Nothing worked, it was in the garbage after just 1 day of use. Do not buy this game!

great game
the object of this game is that there is 4 or 5 hippoes and a lot of little white balls your hippoe has to eat the most of the white balls (more than your opponent). when there are no more balls that your hippoe can eat you count how many balls you have and if you have more than eveyone else, you win. im a teenager and i still like to play this. it gets your anger out.so don't listen to the age limt. ... Read more

Editorial Review

"Once upon a time, King Kandy, the Imperial Head Bonbon and Grand Jujube of Candy Land disappeared." Thus begins the magical journey of Milton Bradley's classic Candy Land board game. Captivated by the story of a kidnapped king and eager to help find him, little ones move their gingerbread pawns along a rainbow path and through a land of candy characters, all subjects of King Kandy's realm.

Playing cards thoughtfully designed for non-readers are coded with colorful squares matching the jeweled stepping-stone path or an occasional token matching one of the characters' symbols: draw a blue card, move to the nearest blue stepping-stone; draw a snowflake and earn a visit to Queen Frostine's iceberg. There are occasional pitfalls, too: land on the wrong square and you might be stuck in Molasses Swamp until a red card is drawn. With all these enticing, sugarcoated images (and King Kandy plainly visible at path's end), children can't help but be delighted by Candy Land. It's delicious! Instructions are in both Spanish and English. Candy Land is for two to four players) --Julie Ubben ... Read more

Reviews (45)

A classic kids game.
I remember playing Candyland as a child, so it is another game that has passed the test of time. It is simple, and it does not require reading skills, so very young children can play the game. It is good for practicing colors and for taking turns and following rules. I do feel that the game is a little long, especially for the 3-year old kids in the recommended age range. Some of the rules, like getting stuck until a certain card is drawn, makes the game rules a little more difficult to follow, so in that way I would recommend it more for a 4-6 age group. A 3-year old can play it with a lot of supervision, but some of the rules are hard to understand at that age - especially when they can draw a card but can't move their game piece! The game is very inexpensive, and therefore the quality of the actual game is not great. I agree with another reviewer that a "classic gold" edition with wooden pieces and a durable box would be a wonderful option for someone who would like the game to last. It would also be nice to have a nice spot to put all of the cards during the game and for storage. Despite the length of the game and the durability factor, I would still highly recommend this classic game to parents with small kids, especially those in the 4 - 6 age range.

Introduce your little one to board games with this classic!
This is a great "first board game" for kids, who will probably enjoy it from ages 3-5 or so. Extremely simple to play, players take turns drawing cards and moving their pieces to the colored square indicated by the card. Rather predictable, though with a few twists and turns thrown in, it is simple enough to keep the attention of the very young. I award it 5 stars for educational value because it teaches color recognition, taking turns, and fair play (when these are reinforced by an adult playing along).

good game for color recognition
My 4 year old son really enjoys this game. It's a good one for reinforcing color recognition and counting. The board is colorful and cute. It's not a high action kind of game but it's a good one to play when you're in the mood for something quiet. If I sat down with my son and tried to do flash cards or something he wouldn't like it, but with this game he's learning basic concepts (colors, counting, taking turns) while having fun. (...)game.

Perfection
The game is dull, but you can create new ways to play it. I'm making dolls out of the characters. There's so many. I also like to set up my yard as "Candyland" and act out adventures against the evil Lord Licorice and his evil Sabor-Toothed Rocks!

A two year old can benefit from this game
I bought this for my 25 month old niece. She could count to 10 already and knows her colors, I thought she may be able to play Candyland.

I did not bother with teaching her about losing turns at this point, I will teach her that when she can comprehend it. She picks her own cards and knows how to move. At first we did not take turns. I taught her how to play a one player game, then we moved into taking turns. She can now play by herself and loves to get the candy cards as much as any other child. Instead of being stick in the mollasses swamp, she gets tickled...makes the game much more fun at this point. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Round and round she goes. Hi Ho! Cherry-O is the counting game in which players race to be the first to have 10 cherries in their basket. A spin of the arrow determines your fate. It will instruct you to pick one, two, three, or four cherries from your tree and put 'em in your basket. That is, of course, if you don't land on the bird or the dog, requiring you to take two cherries from your basket and return them to the tree. And try not to land on the spilled bucket or--you guessed it--spill the contents of your basket or you start over. --Alison Golder ... Read more

Reviews (25)

This is a great game for teaching turn taking and counting.
This was my daughter's first "real" game. She was 2.8 years old when we purchased it. She was immediately able to play the game. There is no reading involved and focuses on the skills of turn taking, counting, and organizing the playing board. I recommend this as a first game for parents teaching their children how to take turns and count to 10, as well as manipulating small objects on the cherry trees. (I have fun playing this game too).

A favorite for years...and still going strong
I never played this game as a child so it was new to me too when my three year old received it for his birthday. It quickly became his favorite game and still ranks highly among his favorites at age 5! We found that it was perfect for our young child because it could be played relatively quickly and was easy to understand. Playing this game regularly helped perfect his counting skills and taught him about basic game etiquette.

A fun classic!
Hi Ho Cherry-O is a game I enjoyed when I was young, and now my son loves it too! It's a great way to teach counting, and also introduce addition and subtraction. If your spinner lands on a picture of cherries, it tells you how many cherries to put in your bucket - 1-4. But watch out for the bird, dog, or bucket! They make you put cherries back on your tree! The first person to get all their cherries in the bucket wins!

I have 2 small complaints. The buckets are very tiny and even my 4 year old has a hard time picking the cherries out.

Also the game didn't come with any "extra" cherries, so you'll have to be extra careful not to lose any.

I believe this game will be a family favorite for many years to come.

Great Game For all Ages!
Santa brought this game for my 2 year old daughter. (She will however be three in Feb.) She loves it. The first game was the learning game and she had a tough time putting back her cheeries on the second spilled bucket! But now two weeks later she is a real champ about that! She even 'comforts' her daddy when he spills his bucket!

I remembered this game as a child and since my daughter was trying to count everything I thought this game would be good for her. My four year old son loves it too.

It doesn't inluded any extra cherries but there is a way to order 40 more. I plan to prder them nad keep them as extra's for when we lose cherries.. We haven't lost any yet but I am sure it will happpen!

A FUN and educational classic
I bought this game for my daughter on her 4th birthday. The whole family has enjoyed playing it. My nine and seven year old boys even request to play it. It does it's job at teaching my little girl to count. She is even learning to add and subtract a little bit and she doesn't even know it. The good thing for me is, the game doesn't take long, so even if I am busy, I can usually squeeze in a couple of games each day. The only drawback is you only get exactly enough cherries so if you lose one, you have to improvise. I think they should include a few extra cherries. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Lucky Ducks is a sound-and-motion version of the typical color-matching game. An adult will need about 15 minutes to prepare the game (installing batteries, labeling ducks, and punching out cardboard nests), and then it's time to start selecting lucky duckies. A quacking sound effect is heard as the motorized board moves the 12 ducks around the pond. The first player to pick three ducks with colored stickers, which match the color of their nest, is the winner. The game has a couple of drawbacks: there is no volume control, so kids must figure out where their ducks are by watching the previous player replace them on the pond, and there are no game variations. --Pam Lauer ... Read more

Reviews (40)

Great for all ages!
I bought this toy 2 years ago for my son's 3rd Christmas, and we still play this game. My other son just turned 2 and now he can play also. Besides teaching colors, it also helps teach sharing as everyone has to wait his/her turn. My husband and I also enjoy playing with the boys, although after a few games the "quacking" may get annoying. But that's when the boys play by themselves, and learn cooperation. I think it's a great game for kids and adults. It's easy for kids to pick up the concept and as they get older they learn to watch who picks up their ducks and where they are on the pond. And it's a quick game, so it doesn't go on forever.

@#$% this game
(...). it is the worst game in the world. i bought this for my 3 year old son and he hates it!!!!!! (...). my 3 year old already knows algebra 1 and earth science. we paly many games like stratego and risk. now this game u collect ducks . the first person to get the matching color of 3 ducks wins!!? (...). if u want a good game for your 3 yearold get History of the world. me and my son play that all the time. it is the best!

Loudest, Most Annoying Toy I've Ever Heard
Don't let the cute duckies deceive you!!! Although this game is kind of fun, I highly recommend staying away from it until they come up with a volume control. It is the loudest toy I've ever heard, and believe me, I've heard a lot of them. You can clearly hear the game in our home if you are in the basement with the door closed and the game is on the second floor of our two-story home. Even with tape over the speakers on the bottom. And it plays the same "Quack Quack" sound over and over. There is no variation or music. It gives everyone a headache, including my 4 year old son, whom it was bought for. And if you take the batteries out to get rid of the sound, then the game doesn't work. If you are thinking of purchasing this product, run, don't walk, in the opposite direction!

If Hasbro fixed the quacking/volume problem, it would be a fun game.

great
i have 2 little sisters that are 4 there twins named abigal and nora my name is lily and i am 12 i hate two play with them but this is the best game i ever played with them ever. even when i babysit i bring it with me the kids love it and it teaches them colors in a way. i can waite till my little brother damyon gets older and i can play this came with him to he's only 3 mos old but i know it will last because some of the brats i baby sit for jump on it and it still dident even brake nock on wood

bottom line: best toy for tots ever

Loud, annoying, but my son still loves it
I agree with the other reviewers: the loud, constant quacking is extremely annoying and the slightest touch to the top of the box will set it off, BUT, my son absolutely loves the game. Still. Two years after he got it. The 3 star fun rating is an average between his enjoyment of the game and my limited tolerance for the sounds. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Great Toy & Lots Of Fun!!!
I bought this for my child 6 months ago at the age of 16 months. She LOVES it and continues to play with it daily. I highly recommend this toy for children who love watching the wiggles and dancing to music.

Burn Some Calories!
The Wiggles Dance mat has everything a parent wants in a game... and everything a kid could want!- loud bouncy music from their favorite T.V. show for the kid, kid getting exercise for mom, bright colors and fun pictures for kid, educational and stimulating for mom. The Wiggles Dance mat is great fun and young kids will love bouncing around to the music... for about ten minutes. The only problem with this product is that young children who have low attention spans don't like using it for a long period of time because lets face it... jumping around gets rather boring after a while! It is lost of fun though and a great rainy day activity that will get your kids up off the couch. It is a great toy for two or three kids and they'll have a blast! This is a great gift idea for any Wiggles fan and tons of fun for parties and play dates.

Dancing with The Wiggles
We're a Wiggles Family here !!
I have a 4 year old and a 2 year old and they LOVE to dance with the Wiggles & sing. They enjoy the dance mat and so do I. The smiles I see on my girls faces are priceless.

Thanks again to the Wiggles for all the smiles & laughter!!
Keep the Wiggles toys and new products coming TRU !!! Still waitng for the Capt Feathersword doll TRU!!!

It is not Greg Singing!!!
While this toy has a great premise and is fun for my son to play with, everytime he starts playing with it he asks me "where is Greg Mommy?". This is because the person singing the songs on the toy is not Greg but someone else. I think that it is important to note that before buying this toy. Now this toy is fun and entertaining for my son, it would have been far better if it was performed by the wiggles. This toy is slightly disappointing because of that. ... Read more

Reviews (23)

A great game for building many skills
I bought this game for my 2 year old son and have been very pleased. His occupational therapist introduced it to him to help him with his fine motor skills. It takes two hands to put the little coins in the slot (one to hold the coin and one to hold the barn) and a little strength to pull the lever to get the coins out. Even though he is too young to play the game, he loves to match the animals to the cards. It has been great to teach him the animal names and sounds, too. He loves to play and it will grow with his cognative abilities. We highly recommend this toy!

speech therapist recommended
My daughter, who turns 2 this july, goes to speech therapy. The therapist pulls out this game to try to get my little one to not only speak, but to put the coins in the slot (follow direction), take them out, match them up, learn animals and colors. Also to take turns. This is a Wonderful teaching game! Please note the coins a small, and could be a choking hazard. But overall I recommend this game.

Wonderful first game
This is a great first game. It is very short in duration and teaches the basics of game playing (taking your turn, wining, following rules) without being overly involved or lengthy. The bingo chip dispenser is great fun for toddlers and makes the game very enticing. I highly recommend this game! However, I think that this game is probably more appropriate for 2-4 year olds than 3-6 year olds. I've played this with several 2 years olds and they've gotten the game immediately. This was some of the best 9 dollars that I've spent and will be giving this as a gift many times.

Great game for little ones!
I would recommend this because I have a 4- and a 5-year-old. They love playing this game together and I don't even have to be there right beside them. It allows them to play together independent of me! They also really enjoy playing the game. We would purchase it again!

New take on bingo for little ones
This game is fun to play . 3 of my 4 children like to play it when they have nothing else to do. ... Read more

Reviews (12)

Amazing!
In this world filled with gloom and doom, it is refreshing to find a game that kids can play with friends, or with the entire family, that will make you laugh. Laughing is healthy, and we need to do more of it!

A Fun Time!
This game is a family favorite! Our kids love this game. We all love to laugh and this game definitely gets us laughing. The kids love it when daddy gets the card that tells him that he is a fashion model on a runway! :) I would recommend this game for people who just want to laugh with their kids.

Disappointing
I was so excited to get this game after all the reviews, boy was I disappointed. Game doesn't have a strategy and a lot of the cards are not fun to act out, there needs to be a purpose to the game not just read the card and do what it says and then off to the next person. The title makes you think if you make someone laugh you get points but that isn't true at all, you just do what the card says and move to the next player. Nobody in my family cared for it, including my 5 yr old.

You're gonna laugh!
Super, super fun game! We play it with our son and the neighbors' kids (ages 5,7 and 9). We always have a hysterically fun time. We're laughing before we even get the game out of the box!

All you do is laugh! Great for parties!
I recently played Don't Make Me Laugh Jr. with a group of children from a local YMCA. We all laughed so hard! Shy kids came out of their shells. The more theatrical kids also had a load of fun. Aside from the fun, we learned how to listen better, work as a team, and how to laugh at ourselves! Everyone ends up a winner when they play. I love the game! ... Read more

Editorial Review

In Hasbro's Fishin' Around, eight colorful fish swim up, down, and around a stream, wigglingfrom side to side and opening and closing their mouths. Kids take turns picking cards and using theirdifferent-colored fishing poles to hook and catch the fish pictured on the card that they've chosen. The firstplayer to catch three, wins. Two to four preschoolers through first graders can play this motorized musicalfish-catching game without knowing how to read. The game requires three C batteries, which aren'tincluded.--Rebecca Hughes ... Read more

Reviews (30)

Finny Fun
Far better than a cheap knock-off we had around the house, this is a game that kept the kids occupied for hours.

One part likes to fall off, but it does not matter to game play.

I love the fishing game
The above title are the words of my 3 year old neice. She loves the game - The game is colorful as well as durable. She can take out the game and set it up and even put it away all by herself. It's easy to turn on and off. I think the only drawback from having this game and it's not for the kids - it's for the adults is that there is no volume on/off or control switch to lower the volume. So this can be annoying. Other than that the game is lots of fun and she loves it.

swimming, swimming, swimming ...
This game is a hit with our 3 1/2-year-old son. He enjoys the bright colors of the fishing poles and different fish. He is able to set up the game by himself, and is able to turn the game on and off. The music is continual, no volume control, and a bit annoying (to mom and dad). He likes it, though. A simple game, not very educational, but lots of fun. The games are pretty short and quick, so it holds his attention. A cute game to have around for young children. Just make sure to keep the various pieces and cards in a zip-loc bag for easy storage. Nice game.

Cute Game
I bought this for my daughter when she turned 2. We lost the cards right away and just made up our own games with it. She also loved to just play the music and dance around.

Very fun, very noisy game
This game is a whole lotta fun. My son can play it for hours. The only drawback to this game is it's very, I mean very noisy. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Be the first to move your child-shaped playing piece from square one to square 100 on the Chutes and Ladders game board--but watch out! If you land on the square that shows you ate too much candy--Ouch!--you get a tummy ache and slide down a chute to a square a few numbers below. But if you end your turn on a good-deed square, such as helping sweep up a mess, you'll be rewarded by a ladder-climb up the board.

A fantastic follow-up to Candy Land, Chutes and Ladders is ideal for younger children who are still learning to take turns and just beginning to recognize numbers (the spinner stays in the single digits). It's also a gentle introduction to the higher numbers as players climb to 100 at the top of the board. And, thanks to all those chutes and ladders, it's got enough excitement to keep your 7-year-old on the edge of her seat. English and Spanish instructions are included; no reading is necessary to play. Chutes and Ladders is for two to four players. --Julie Ubben ... Read more

Reviews (30)

Tall ladder followed by long chute... every stupid time!
Everyone reviewing this product refers to the 4-year-old people who usually play this game. What about me? I'm 27 years old and I still love it! Of course, I'm routinely beaten by my girlfriend, Naomi, who always seems to land on square #80, which means an instant victory. Still, the agony of my repeated defeats teaches me valuable lessons in frustration management. Don't let the suggested age group (4-7 years) get you down! Buy Chutes and Ladders anyway, I say.

A great first game for kids!
This is a great "first board game" for kids, who will probably enjoy it from ages 3-5 or so. Extremely simple to play, players take turns spinning the spinner and moving the number of squares indicated. Kids get excited by the unpredictable ups and downs. I award it 5 stars for educational value because it teaches counting, taking turns, and fair play (when these are reinforced by an adult playing along).

great for younger kids
I think that the company could improve the quality when making the game. However, the game is fun for young children and very easy to learn how to play. It helps with counting and it's a nonviolent alternative to some of the games/toys out there.

Grat, enjoyable learning game!
I really like Chutes and Ladders for its educational value. It teaches children how to count to 100 and how to take turns. The pictures on the board also show the difference between cause and effect (ie: you break a dish you have to sweep it up). It is also no so very long although if you get caught up in some parts of the board it can drag on a bit. Still a very fun gave to play. Simple, no reading required.
A few problems though. It would be very nice if it was in a plastic case, that way I wouldn't have to keep taping the boxes which always seem to get broken. Also, the maekers used for keeping your place are in two pieces. It consists of a card with a boy/girl on it and a plastic piece to hold it up. I wish it were all one piece so that they wouldn't fall apart all the time when you go to move your marker. That's all though.
I still gave this game 5 stars because these problems that I have named are small compared to the fun that a family can have playing a game together!!!!

Not the game I remember.
I played Chutes and Ladders as a child (4th grader or so) in the 50's. This game has gone through radical changes since then. It used to require knowledge to play it. It had an entirely different format. There were several straight ladders lined up in a row across the board. Between each ladder and the next was a chute. The game was played as follows: Answer a question correctly, advance one rung of the ladder. Answer enough questions to get to the top of the ladder, advance to the bottom of the next ladder. And so on across the board. Each ladder represented a grade in school. However, when a question was answered incorrectly, the player went down the chute to the bottom of the ladder he or she was currently climbing to begin climbing that ladder again. The winner was the first player to complete climbing all of the ladders. The original version was created to challenge your knowledge. It was a difficult game as I recall. The version in the present format is just meant for amusement, in itself a good thing, but by no means a challenge. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

better than original
Shrek Operation is better than original. Easier to remove pieces. Its fun!

Too cool!
Just couldn't resist the fun take on this classic game. Worth the money.

harder than origanal and not to durable
this is too hard! the peices are big which makes it imppossible to get them! and the legs broke. but the illneses are hilarious! ... Read more

Editorial Review

Like well-illustrated books, Tell-A-Story offers worlds forchildren to enter. In this game, 50 picture cards teach memory, reading,and storytelling skills as children invent stories to match thepictures. Whenever a player collects five cards with the same character,he or she arranges the cards to create and tell a story. Parents mayneed to help little ones lay out the cards, but once they're launched,kids will want to return to the same story over and over again.--Lynne Sampson ... Read more

Reviews (17)

Wonderful learning game!
This game was bought for my 3 year old daughter. She/we have so much fun with it! It promotes turn taking, matching, sorting, problem solving and fine motor skills! If your looking for a great game that you can also use as an educational tool, this ones for you :)

Every child should have this game
This is a great game for a wide range of ages. There are a variety of ways to play from simply emptying the jar and putting back the pieces to matching the shapes, in addition to using it as a memory game or first to match all wins game. The game is very durable and lots of fun

Fun and educational for your toddler
Our son received this game for his 4th birthday and he LOVES it! He is always asking someone to play it with him and he has quickly learned the rules for the easier level of play (put all the cream cookie halves in the cookie jar, deal the plain halves, and taking turns in succession to try and pick the cream halves' shapes that match the plain ones). The first one to match all their cookie halves wins. This simple game has taught him how to take turns, rules, and shape identification. He never has a problem with losing a game, but that's probably because he's eager to play another round.

What I also like about this "game" is that even a younger child can play with it. Just to find two matching shapes and put them together will keep a young toddler occupied.

We certainly recommend this fun, durable, educational and inexpensive toy to anyone looking for a gift for that 2-5 year old.

This is great!
I have to say that this game is wonderful for my 2 and a half year old. She practiced her shapes and overall just a fun game to sit down and play with a child. and for the price you cant beat it. I would definitley recommend any parent out there with toddlers to purchase it.

Even for 2 year olds
My daughter received this is a gift for Christmas at the age of 2. She loved it!! It helped her learn all the shapes and now a year later we still have all the pieces and play it as a game of who can put the pieces together the fastest. I think this toy is so simple but great and has lasted a long time for us. ... Read more

Editorial Review

How many times have you said, "Your face will stick that way"?If you've tried to discourage your kids from sticking out their tongues or pulling on their cheeks, try redirecting their face-making energies to the Colorforms Silly Faces Game. The object of the game is to assemble an indescribably silly Colorforms face on the blank character card. Give the spinner a whirl for the type of feature--eyes, nose, mouth, hat and hair, and ears. Pick the piece that's just right and then place the item on your character--it sticks like magic. The first person to complete a face wins the game. No reading is required, so once kids understand the rules they can play independently. --Lisa Whipple ... Read more

Reviews (6)

A nice change.
For a parent who remembers Colorforms from her own childhood, I enjoy watching my four year old experiment with the silly faces in this game. The game itself is fun and he can "play" it by himself just by making up the silliest faces he can. The big problem I've had with the game is the small cards they supply to store the colorforms on. There are specific places to put each of the pieces and my child doesn't have the coordination to put them away himself. The game comes with a warning to store the colorforms carefully or they may stick to each other and lose their coloring. A simple large card would have worked much better.

My pre-schooler loves this game!
My 3 year-old received this for Christmas and it was a huge hit! The rules were immediately understood by him and he loves to make silly faces. It has also helped him to understand taking turns and sharing as well as how to lose, and win, gracefully. He loves for me to get this game down for him to play alone -- he just likes to make a silly face on each of the four cards to show me. I like the fact that he will play with by himself since that allows me the time to do housework or feed his younger sister! The only problem that we have had with the game is a really minor one and that is the plastic piece underneath the spinner that holds the arrow on will come off from time to time, but it just has to be snapped back into place and we're off and running again. All in all, I think this is a really fun game for the little ones and I would recommend it.

Lots of fun, but...
The paint comes off the Colorforms pieces when the back and front are stuck together. My child complains that they do not look "pretty" anymore.

My kids love to make Silly Faces!
My kids love to play this game! The rules are simple, the concept is great, and they can make hundreds of silly faces so the game is different every time they play. I also found that they pick this game up and play with it by themselves as a play set-I've never found another game that has this feature (it also makes me feel like this is a great value!). Finally, I've loved Colorforms since I was a kid, so I'm delighted that my kids love them too.

Great game for preschoolers
This was the perfect first game for my mature toddler. I loved to watch him surprise himself as he mixed and matched the components of a face into outrageous combinations! ... Read more

Editorial Review

So many children's games require an adult to help out or setthings up. Not this one. The Snail's Pace Race is a simple game thatproceeds at a child's pace. Everything is based on colors, including thedice, without a printed word in sight. Players roll the dice to seewhich two of the colorful wooden snails they'll move forward one spaceon the board. No matter how many children play, all six snails enter therace. The goal is to guess which snail will be the first--or thelast--to cross the finish line. --Lynne Sampson ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Surprising fun
I bought this game because my youngest (3 yrs old) was feeling left out of the games her older siblings were playing. Well, she love it and my 5 and 8 year old loved it too. Since, the outcome is dice dependent, sometime the youngest can win over her older siblings and she likes that. Also, though a little junvenile for the older kids, they like playing a game that everyone can play.Very simple, but it is engaging. I recommend making a 'big deal' out of racing snails, it adds to the drama. ... Read more

Amazon.com

"I spy a spider, a baby in blue, memory games are fun to do!" If you and your kids enjoy the I Spy book series, then you'll want to play the I Spy Memory Game! It's like other memory games, except that there are a few twists such as differing backgrounds on matching cards, funny riddles, and fascinating details in the photo cards. The game can be played three different ways. The simplest version is the basic matching of memory card pairs.Kids as young as 4 can play, and no reading is required. Two slightly more complex games use the riddle cards. Instructions are also given for variations that involve playing the game as a cooperative team, playing riddle solitaire, and playing a matching game through associations with the objects on the cards. The I Spy Memory Game comes with 60 memory cards, 15 riddle cards, and an instruction booklet. --Marcie Bovetz ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Great for Families
This is a great family game. Young children can play this game as well as adults. My son who is four loves this game. It is a traditional game with a new look. Some of them are a little bit difficult in that the matches might have different backgrounds or be a silghtly different view of the same item. It makes you think.

We have enjoyed the books and now we enjoy the game. The pictures on the game look like they come right from the book.

I particularly like that this game will grow with my children. There are riddle cards that you can use in one type of game. And directions for other games as well.

Enjoy.

A classic game with a refreshing new look.
The game of memory is a great equalizer because little children are just as apt to remember where they saw the hidden images as older children or adults. This makes it great game for the whole family to play together. The images from the "I Spy" book illustrations are bright and creative. They don't match exactly- for instance, there might be two images of cats, but borrowed from different photographs in the I Spy books. So there is a bit more visual variety to spice things up. This is a much more attractive memory game than most, and would make an ideal gift for a child or family.

Game inventor reviews.
Hi! My name is Martine Redman and I'm the inventor of the I Spy™ Memory Game by Briarpatch. I've given this game to a lot of kids, and it's great to hear parents report back to me that the kids play it over and over. We've won a number of awards for it, including Parents Choice Gold Seal, the Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Seal, Teacher's Choice, and many more. Best of all is the fun I have playing I Spy Memory Game with kids, who give the game the ultimate compliment, "Let's play it again!" Other award-winning Briarpatch games include the Goodnight Moon Game for ages 2 1/2 to 6, and the Maisy™ Game for ages 3-6. END ... Read more

Reviews (4)

My Children love this game
I purchased this game a few years ago. My 7 year old daughter still loves this game and it has become a favorite game for my 5 year old son. The nice thing about this game is that there is no winner. The game play continues until all players have reached the finish.

A plus for imagination building
We bought this game five years ago for our then 3 yr old son. Not only was it his favorite game, but it is now the favorite game of his little brother, who is four. In fact, he even plays it with his imaginary friend! The game is basically charades for kids who can't read yet. It's relatively non competitive. On each turn, a player spins the spinner, advances the number of spaces to a colored spot on the board, draws a card of the same color, then has to act out whatever picture is on the card (a bird, a flower...). It is great fun to play with your child-- hilarious what they come up with to "act out" on their turn. (Imagine a 3 yr old acting out a refrigerator!) Frequently we have to cheat and look at the card while they are acting, to make sure we can figure out what they are doing. Our whole family enjoys playing this with the little ones.

Love this game
I bought this game for my then 3 year old for Christmas, based on recommendations here. When we first played it I thought it was very simplistic, but my daughter loved it and still does (she's now 4 1/2). The lack of complicated rules allow the kids to do what they do best.. act out! I would recommend stealing a glance at the cards they draw, however, since it's sometimes tough to figure out what they are pretending to be. My only complaint is that a couple of the cards have begun to peel, but that is probably due to overuse! Buy this game!!

great game
We have loved this game! My daughter got it when she turned 4yo and we have played it constantly for the past 1.5yrs (she is in kindergarten now). It is great for pre-readers since the word and the picture are on each card. there is nothing funnier than watching your child try to be a "computer" or a "refrigerator". I highly recommend it! ... Read more