Monday, April 27, 2009

Hasbro Games and Giveaway

Have you been waiting until your toddler is old enough to enjoy family game night? There is no need to wait. There are several games that your toddler is old enough to play.  I think Hasbro makes some great tot games and would like to tell you about some of them-

Hungry, Hungry Hippos: This is a great game for tots because of the simplicity.  There isn’t too much explanation required, as the aim is for the hippos to chow down on as many balls as possible.  My daughter doesn’t put items into her mouth but if you have a little one that does,  they should be supervised as there are many small balls.   I’ve played this game with a number of children and it is always a winner, including with special needs children.  The only problem I see is that sometimes children can be a bit too aggressive with the game and I can see the game breaking if hit too hard over a period of time.  I was initially interested in this game for nothing but pure fun but it actually does have some learning potential.  It does help with hand-eye coordination and my daughter always practices counting the number of balls her hippo was able to munch.  The game says it is for 4 and up but my 2.5 year old has absolutely no problem playing this game and even winning!  I like to play this game when my little one is cranky or getting ready to go into tantrum mode and it really seems to help.  Approximate retail for this game is $16.99. 

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 Twister Hopscotch: This is a new way to play hopscotch.  Using plastic rings, you can create a variety of shapes to play this hopscotch game and the spinner makes it even more fun by having players do various activities while hopping, such as dancing. I was somewhat disappointed in that I thought it would be more like twister but the only similarity is not stepping on certain colors and doing tasks.   I do really like the easy storage for this game, as it comes in a mesh drawstring bag, so it can easily be taken anywhere.  This game is great for getting little bodies moving.  I have to say that a con of this game is that the circles aren’t very easy to snap in place, so kids almost always need an adult to set the game up for them.  I’ve played this with 5 different children ranging in ages from 2-12 and they all needed help setting up this game.   I don’t think my daughter is quite ready for this game.She did seem to have fun for a short amount of time, but quickly lost interest.   This game retails for $19.99. Again, it says 4 and up but my 2.5 year old plays easily.  

Picture 801Picture 779 Cranium Hullaballoo: I am a HUGE fan of this game and it is definitely my favorite game for toddlers but kids of all ages seem to enjoy it.  In fact, I honestly really do enjoy playing this game with my child.  I like everything about this terrifically designed game.  Playing this game, the whole family will be moving and laughing together.  The Hullaballoo console gives directions for the players to bounce, dance, crawl, and do other movements to a category such as “musical instrument”.  There is SO much learning potential for this game and I think it helped my daughter to learn her colors and shapes.  I love the element of surprise in never knowing what type of pad you’ll be instructed to go to next.  Also, nothing beats watching my husband do a “funky dance” as the console instructs.  Each round, there is a new winner where the player on the lucky pad gets to take a bow, do a funky dance, or make a victory jump.  I really like the listening skills it teaches as well.  In a few weeks, I’ll be giving out awards for the products I’ve reviewed the past 6 months. I can already tell you that this one is getting the award for best game.  I’ve played this game with several children and every time it has brought high praise from them, laughter, and pleas to play another round.  This is an active play game, so it also gets the little bodies and adult movies up and moving.  The storage is very simple and the games is highly durable.  This game is the only 2 time Toy Industry Association Game of the Year winner in history.  Approximate retails is $24.99.

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16518b7fe385_A400 NOODLEBORO Learning to Listen Pizza Palace Game: I love the concept of all the Noodleboro games because they help to learn social skills.  Each NOODLEBORO game comes with a storybook and CD so kids can “see, hear, play and then live each NOODLEBORO life lesson.”  The book that comes with this game is about when two kids don’t listen and really mess up a Pizzeria.  The cd’s that come with these games are wonderful with really catchy tunes.  My little one loves to put in the cd and dance and sing along to the Noodleboro theme song, especially.  The premise of the game is for players to  listen carefully and remember what has been said. Players take pizza orders and must make a pizza with the correct toppings.  This game won the 2008 Toy Wishes All Star Award and 2008 iParenting Greatest Toys.  When I first played this game with my daughter a few months ago, she just wanted to make a pizza and not play it correctly. However, this week she has been able to play correctly easily and really enjoyed the game.  She isn’t always the best listener, so this is a great game for me to help teach her the invaluable lesson of listening skills.

pizza Picture 811 Monopoly Town: This game is a little bit hard for tots, but with a little help can easily be played.  Mr. Monopoly’s car talks you through how to play, so there is no reading required.  He even counts with your little one as they move and lets them know if they make a mistake.  There are many opportunities to practice counting. The track quality isn’t the highest and I do wish it was a little more durable.  You have to move the car slowly or it will go off track or count incorrectly.  My daughter enjoys moving the car, but doesn’t get the concept very well except for counting.   This game retails for $15.99. 

Picture 813 Elefun: This is for sure my daughter’s favorite game.  What is not to love?  A motorized elephant with a seriously long trunk blows butterflies into the air for your toddler to catch with the included butterfly nets.  This game helps with coordination as it isn’t as easy to catch the butterflies as you might expect.  Also it helps practice paying attention as the butterflies come in spurts so you have to be ready.  I do wish there were more butterflies.  They are easily lost and game play ends quickly so you have to keep reloading the elephant.  My daughter asks to play this game quite often and it is always a huge hit.  This game retails for $20.99. 

 Picture 820 Hi-Ho Cherry O!: This is a classic preschool game that I’m sure most of you know about but may have forgotten about.  Cherry-O is the counting game in which players race to be the first to have 10 cherries in their basket. No reading is required so it is is perfect for toddlers.  It has really helped my daughter in learning how to play board games, such as taking turns.  Also, what better counting practice is out there? She also loves putting the puzzle together! Every preschooler needs this game and since it is around $10 is affordable. 

Picture 865 51ui7ad64FL__AA280_ Operation Silly Sounds:I reviewed this game on my blog in late January, so sorry for the repeat! She is still really enjoying it. While this game is an absolute BLAST it is really great for developing fine motor skills. Children use the tweezers to extract strange items from Cavity Sam and this develops muscles required for pencil grasp. With all of our "learning toys" when you stop and think about it...is there anything better than operation for fine motor skills? I have to tell you that I did NOT think of Operation of anything more than a fun game but it is so wonderful for this purpose. Furthermore, it is a great game for toddlers who do not put items in their mouth as reading isn't required for this version, nor do you have to count money. There isn't a lot of strategy of understanding of rules either, other than removing the pieces without the buzzer going off. I like that it can be used for YEARS to come. This version is a little different than the original Operation game in that it is sillier sounds and kids who enjoy body humor are sure to get a laugh out of it.  Picture 869 ducky 003_thumb Noodleboro Fun Park Sharing Game:  This game is all about sharing and fair play.  In this game, kids play together to collect as many sharing stars as they can before the park closes.Each Noodleboro game comes with a storybook and audio CD.  The carnival games are a lot of fun but maybe a little too easy to beat.  Right now, she likes playing it and I’m glad it isn’t too much of a challenge.  However, I don’t know if this is a game a 6 year old would enjoy too much because of the simplicity.  I think the manufacturers should figure out a way to keep it simple for the tots but have advanced features as well for the older children as their skills progress.  Still, I like its originality.  I haven’t seen any other games where the child gets to pretend like they are at a theme park.  It has a really high fun factor. 

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Would you like to win these games for yourself? Simply share a favorite memory of playing games either as a child or with your own children. A second option is to tell me what your favorite HASBRO game is you play with your children. 

Extra Entries – Required entry must be done first. Leave a comment for each one done.
1. Follow Me publicly or subscribe.
2. Post on your blog about this and link back

*I will be using a random number generator to select the winner.
* Contest ends at 11:59pm CST on May 7, 2009
*Contest open to U.S.residents only due to shipping cost.
*The winner will be announced on my blog (and emailed)to the winner.

 

 


44 comments:

Amy said...

WOW! What a great thorough review of toddler games!!!

My girls are turning 2 in a couple months and some of these will certainly go on their Birthday wish list!

As a kid I remember playing board games with my brother for HOURS! We had quite a few Monopoly Marathons! :)

Amy said...

I follow your blog.

Amy said...

I blogged about your giveaway. :) http://atozgiveaways.blogspot.com/2009/04/hasbro-giveaway.html

Bridget said...

What a fun giveaway! I love many Hasbro games, but I would have to say our family's favorite is Hungry, Hungry Hippo. It's simple enough for my 2 year old to play, but enough fun for my 4 year old to love it too! We just had a really fun family game night where we took the hippos for a spin. Thanks!

bridgethlee at gmail.com

Glenda said...

Hi there,
Thanks for all the great game ideas! Hi-Ho-Cherry-O is one of my favorites, it is the first game that I ever played with my oldest, now 3 1/2 year old daughter. She already knew her numbers when we first introduced this game but I know it helped reinforce her counting skills. She now loves to play games as a family and with friends. Cranium Hullaballoo sounds like a great game that my kids would enjoy. I will definitely consider adding that one to our collection.

Glenda said...

Not sure if it counts as an extra entry, but I’m already publicly follow your blog.

Nicki said...

My favorite game when I was little was Candy Land! I loved all of the different colors and the pictures of yummy treats! Chutes And Ladders was a close second... and whenI got a little bit older I loved playing the Cabbage Patch Kids game and the Pound Puppies game. Its cool that they have so many new games that really challenge and stimulate kids!

Nicki said...

Also, I subsctibe to your blog on my Google Reader!

Naturally Frugal Mom said...

Wow! Awesome Giveaway! I have a couple of toddlers here that would love to join in on game night!

The Adventures of Bear said...

What a great giveaway. Thank you:) I played a lot of SORRY with my sister as a child. We don't have any board games for Bear yet, but she's right at the age to start so we'd love to win.

The Adventures of Bear said...

I subscribe to your blog on Google Reader.

Christy said...

Thanks for the great reviews of the games! I'll try some of these out. I remember playing Hungry Hippos at my Grandma's house!

MamaHen said...

Wow, I didn't know about all these games.

I remember my uncle buying me Candyland for Christmas when I was about 5. I had never had a board game and was in heaven. He got my sister Chutes and Ladders and we had so much fun playing with each other.
clarksrfun(at)gmail(dot)com

techyone said...

Thanks for the reviews. We play Monopoly the most.

Lenetta said...

My brother and I loved to play games when we were younger. One of our favorites was Mousetrap. Great giveaway! I don't have any games for my 2-year-old yet.

nettacow at gmail dot com

The Woodall family said...

I loved hungry hungry hippos and hi-ho cherry-o as a kid:)

Holly said...

I love playing HI-Ho-Cherry-O with my children! And Hungry Hippo. Those are two that most all of my children can play together, without too much problem. What a great giveaway!

Holly said...

And I am totally following your blog!

Anonymous said...

Hi HO Cherry-o is tops for me! I didn't have a good childhood and have few good memories but that games brings me one. My grandmother used to sit and play it with me when I was left at her house. We would play it over and over and over.

Alice said...

I remember playing games with my cousin when I was a little girl. We would sit in one of our rooms for hours playing. It was so much fun.

judybrittle said...

The games sound wonderful! Thank you for giving me great ideas for gifts. We use to play Monopoly for endless hours and we would use the money from a few games for bigger payouts. Thank you so much!

judybrittle said...

I'm a subscriber.

Anonymous said...

This is a great giveaway! My favorite memory growing up was playing connect four with my brothers and sisters
marc_heather0810@yahoo.com

rebecca said...

Wow. I used to love playing CLUE with my youngest brother. It was so much fun. Plus, I can't wait to play it when my son gets old enough!

I also loved Hungry Hungry Hippos when I was little. I promise, the board wasn't level and that's why I never won!

gitrecca at gmail dot com

Anonymous said...

Love to play games. My nephew would love these games, too. He is four and this would be such fun for him.

As a kid, I played LIFE for hours!

Deborah
comfortjoydesigns AT gmail DOT com

Michigan addy ready.

Lisa said...

I used to make my mother and my teenaged sisters play Candyland with me over and over again when I was little.
iluvchrisnlevi@aol.com

Leslie S. said...

I taught my oldest(now 11) how to count by playing hi ho cherry-o. Thanks!

Organized Nutrition said...

wow, I love how you described each game!!!!
I love playing games with my kids... Or favorite one is A-Z game... everyone has so much fun and we all can play (we do make some teams!) The older kids read the cards, and everyone on a team shouts out answers! It is so much fun! I am also a huge fan of HIGH HO CHERRIO!

Anonymous said...

I have 3 and 5 year old boys that LOVE to play games. They think being "big enough" to play checkers is the best thing in the world. :)

Thank you for joining in the Give-away Carnival!

Michelle
hsmamafl at gmail dot com

Audrey said...

Nice giveaway! We really like to play Monopoly. The only problem with that game is how long it takes to finish the game! Love it thought. Enter me into the drawing please!

Audrey
ferretsrockforever@gmail.com

Aiming Our Arrows said...

I remember wanting hungry, hungry hippoes sooo bad when I was little and never got it. When my older children were young I found one at a yard sale. We since then lost the little balls and got rid of it. I would love to have it again for my 3 yr. old.
~Jill

Anonymous said...

We have quite a few Hasbro games at our house. We have the little Monopoly around town game, one of the noodleboro games and Hi Ho Cheerio. Hi Ho Cheerio is probably one of our favorites. My daughter is now 4 and has played the game for almost two years and still loves it. Thanks!
thegood3 at gmail dot com

Christian Frugal Mama said...

Thanks for the giveaway. Our (my husband and me!) favorite game now is called Settlers of Catan. A very cool game.

Lorrie said...

I have a 4 year old and an 18 month old. I loved playing Cooties and Hungry Hippo as a kid. I have 3 brothers so it was fun to have a game that did not involve strength.

lorrie briggs 10 @ yahoo dot com

Kelly said...

Great giveaway! We played tons of games growing up and we still do now. Some of the siblings in my family are super competitive...makes for some fun times!! :)

Kelly said...

I subscribe via google reader: kmoon584@gmail.com

Hélène said...

My son loves games. I know I will treasure the memories of him getting excited when my husband or I play with him. One of his favorites is Harvest Time. I am so glad he loves them because I grew up loving games too.

Anonymous said...

As a young child, my siblings and I played lots of different board games. But my absolute favorite memory of playing a game was when I was thirteen and my sister and I were visiting relatives. We played canasta (a card game) with my grandma and great-grandma until about two in the morning. We had so much fun that night, and it was the only night we were allowed to stay up so late.

Sara said...

I grew up playing Hungry Hungry Hippo! We haven't done many games yet with our little ones but I'm sure Elefun would be popular.

ABCD Diaries said...

These sound great! My little one loves games:) We had Family Game Nights growing up and at least once a month we still get together to play games at my parents house. Thanks for the chance!
christinbanda(AT)yahoo(DOT)com

ABCD Diaries said...

I follow:)
christinbanda(AT)yahoo(DOT)com

silverhartgirl said...

I always have so much fun playing connect for with my bigger kids. It is something we can do together and talk.
silverhartgirl at gmail.com

Lisa said...

EleFun is a favorite around here. We just laugh and laugh when we play it! what a nice and generous giveaway. Thanks for the opportunity!

lovemy4boyz said...

My favorite memory is playing Candyland. I thought it was the greatest game ever.

home0145@msn.com