I asked my brother for Xmas gift ideas for his kids, and he suggested games.
The older one's not a problem, she's almost 8, but Sammy's only five-and-a-half, and I can't remember what sort of games I played at that age. (Candyland? Old Maid? They've already got those...)
So, o wise parents of Hatrack... any suggestions?
Posted by aiua (Member # 7825) on :
-is neither a parent, nor wise- Try Apples-to-Apples (I believe it comes in a Junior version) or Squint (There might not be a junior version, but it's more fun to make up your own anyway). Apples is a game of matching things (people, animals, locations, fuzz) with adjectives- the winner of each round can be chosen by either which makes the most sense or which is funniest- judge's choice. The good thing about that is that the judgeship rotates with each game and it's all anonymous, so there're no unfair advantages. Squint is like Pictionary, except with cards with shapes printed on them. There're cards to tell you what to make, but I prefer, as I said, to make my own.
Posted by romanylass (Member # 6306) on :
Yeah to Candyland.
One of our absolute faves is Monopoly Junior: Diggin Dinos.
Hmmm- Lego Creator.
Posted by romanylass (Member # 6306) on :
Oh, and Memory!
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
We loved that African game where you move the beans/beads/counters from one little depression to another, object being to drop the most in the end things at those ages (my brother and I have about the same age difference.) What is that called?
Posted by Tante Shvester (Member # 8202) on :
Mancala
Posted by sweetbaboo (Member # 8845) on :
My kids learned chess at that age and checkers or connect four is good.
Mancala and Apples to Apples are great
My kids love Disney's Scene It and it's one we like to play with them.
My kids enjoy these learning games, Spell Down, Count Down and there is another 'down' one but I can't think of it right now.
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
Yes! Thanks, Tante.
Posted by aragorn64 (Member # 4204) on :
Mancala seems very simple, and doesn't look all that interesting on paper. But man, as a little kid me and my friend would literally play that game for hours...it's tons of fun, I highly suggest it.
Posted by LadyDove (Member # 3000) on :
I second mancala, especially because there are versions where the pieces are little animals. Little kids love animals.
Guess Who, Sorry, Twister, Skip-Bo, Uno, Don't Wake Up Daddy, Connect Four, Checkers, Mastermind and Battleships were my sons' favorites at that age.
The games with the least set-up seemed to be played the most and, thus, were the most popular.
Posted by Christy (Member # 4397) on :
Hi Ho Cherry-O, Candy Land, Cooties, Dominoes (mostly for stacking at this age)and Hungry Hungry Hippos, were my favorites when I was young. I've heard the peanut butter and jelly game is popular, go fish, Uno, I'm sure there are a lot of card games...
I've played with a makshift mancala board made of an egg carton and some dried beans.
Although that might seem like a pretty cheap gift.
"Oh. An empty egg carton and some beans. Uh, thanks Uncle Plaid."
"But they are not just any beans. I traded a cow for these. They are magic beans. You can have hours of fun with these!"
And as soon as you are gone, out the window they go.
Posted by Nell Gwyn (Member # 8291) on :
I have a version of that mancala game that I got in the Philippines when I was little, but there we play it with shells and it's called sungka. (I just googled for the spelling, and apparently it's also spelled "chunca" and "sumka".) At least, it sounds like the exact same game. I wonder how it ended up in both Africa and the Philippines?
But yes, I loved playing that when I was younger - it's actually still fun, if not especially intellectually stimulating.
Posted by Omega M. (Member # 7924) on :
which is 8--Adult?
Posted by MandyM (Member # 8375) on :
I loved Perfection as a kid. It is still available (which says a lot for its staying power) and is fun to play alone or with a partner. It does have lots of little tiny pieces so it is better for an eight year old than a five year old but they could both play it. Perfection on Amazon
One challenge in buying games is that unless there is someone around who is willing to play (and sometimes 2-3 people are needed depending on the game), these sit on the shelf. Perfection, Operation and Crocodile Dentist can be played alone and still be challenging and fun.
Posted by Rico (Member # 7533) on :
Chess! Chess! Chess!
Oh and don't forget Risk... it's never too early to teach your children about world domination. Cultivate those dreams while they're still young and impressionable! Posted by Alcon (Member # 6645) on :
By age 5 I was playing missile command and parachutes on my Apple + and by age 8 and 9 it was Bungie's Pathways into Darkness... one of the first FPS games right up there with Doom... yeah, I'm a weirdo.
But as for board games, I'd go with Twister. Activity is always so much more fun in a board game than just sitting moving peices around Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
quote:I've played with a makshift mancala board made of an egg carton and some dried beans.
That's what we played with until we were older! If the pieces got lost, no biggie.
Posted by Lyrhawn (Member # 7039) on :
How about some of those Leapfrog Learning games?
They have some for every age and they are supposed to be educational and fun at the same time.
Posted by kmbboots (Member # 8576) on :
Dress up clothes!
Posted by sarcasticmuppet (Member # 5035) on :
Uno!
Posted by Lyrhawn (Member # 7039) on :
Dos!
Posted by Belle (Member # 2314) on :
My kids love Mancala but their favorite game is Carcassone. While the five and half might be a little young, he might be like my five year olds and just love watching others play it. It's neat the way the pieces line up to make a different board every time you play.
Posted by Elizabeth (Member # 5218) on :
Trouble!
Posted by Jhai (Member # 5633) on :
The aMAZEing Labyrinth is pretty fun for both kids and adults, and has a one-player version. It's rated 8 and above, but I've played it with a relatively mature 6-year-old with no problem. There's also a junior version, which is slightly simplified/shorter, and for ages 5 and up, but is suppose to be just as much fun for all.
I'll third Mancala.
I really loved Mouse Trap as a child, but we didn't really play it often... I'd just set up the board, turn the crank, and watch the ball roll around until the trap (hopefully) fell down on the unsuspecting mice.
Posted by Chreese Sroup (Member # 8248) on :
Crazy Eights.
Posted by A Rat Named Dog (Member # 699) on :
My little sister has been a fan of Rat-a-Tat Cat for years.
Posted by Elizabeth (Member # 5218) on :
There is a Labyrinth game with a metal ball you have to roll through a maze, is that the one? Oh my heavens, I was so addicted to that game when I was young! http://www.toyscamp.net/ProductDetails.asp?productId=FY5381 Posted by Jhai (Member # 5633) on :
Is this in reply to my suggestion, Elizabeth? If so, that is not the game I was suggesting - the aMAZEing Labyrinth is a tile game from Germany (home of all great board games). Here are links to the original game and the junior edition Posted by Sterling (Member # 8096) on :
May I suggest Gamewright? (http://www.gamewright.com) They make games- mostly card games- for a variety of ages. Rat-A-Tat-Cat and Slamwich were particularly popular where I used to work.
Posted by Scott R (Member # 567) on :
My 7 year old and 5 year old love to play a watered down version of Carcasonne.
I was trying to teach them Settlers of Catan the other day, but I think that one might be a bit out of their reach yet.
Posted by Christy (Member # 4397) on :
Elizabeth, I was addicted to that game, too! I can get it all the way to 60 and back multiple times now after a few practices. My family was always so jealous!
Posted by TomDavidson (Member # 124) on :
Christy is in fact a Labyrinth savant. It's really kind of freaky. If only neurosurgery involved rolling a little metal ball through someone's brain....
Posted by Dan_raven (Member # 3383) on :
My son loves UNO, even though he can't read the cards. The fact that he gets to play with us is what makes it fun.
That and he tries to stack the deck.
Note to self, don't play poker with Sasha after he's grown up.
Posted by Elizabeth (Member # 5218) on :
Christy, I want to try it now! It has been, um, thirty years! Do you think I still have it?
You know, just thinking about it now, I am addicted all over again.
Posted by plaid (Member # 2393) on :
Thanks for all the suggestions!
Now to run some of the ideas by the parents -- since they'll be stuck with the kids playing them for years... Posted by James Tiberius Kirk (Member # 2832) on :
*grin* Most of the time, we used UNO cards to build stuff. Highest pyramid we got was seven or nine floors, IIRC.
--j_k
Posted by Space Opera (Member # 6504) on :
If it's a girl Sammy I'd recommend Pretty Pretty Princess. Operaetta plays it with her stuffed animals all the time.
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