I don’t know about you guys, but we like reading books around here. Furthermore, it’s a real treat to play games in our home (because I confess, mommy isn’t much of a game player!) But to combine the two activities? Well, to suggest such is to secure the enthusiasm of a certain little 3 1/2 year old.
One of my son’s favorite book-ish characters is Horton and when I showed him Horton Hears a Who – You to the Rescue! Game he went bonkers.
As you can see from the pictures, it comes with a Horton “hat” that you wear on your head. You are given six clover, all different in color, to hide in your house. The goal of the game is to recollect all six clover. You accomplish this task with the help of a spinner which you hope will lead you to a “clover card.” If and when you land on the clover card, you are to don the Horton head and following the intructions to a specific clover (and you have to remember where it is hidden!) The game is absolutely perfect for active toddlers as it directs them to flap, crawl and hop their way to the hidden clover. Then they get to attach the clover to their elephant trunk and bring it back to the board. Horton Hears a Who – You to the Rescue! Game is simplistic and straight forward in nature. Wear hat. Collect clover. Yet it is also imaginative and fun, giving children permission to be Horton and actively participate in saving the Whos! We were bit fans of this game.
Another book-ish game that we were recently afforded the opportunity to play is the Richard Scarry Busy Town game. This game, along with the Horton game, I might add, has won the Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Best Toy Award. It also bears the National Parenting Center’s Seal of Approval. For that matter, it also bears my son’s seal of approval which, quite frankly, I think counts more than the National Parenting Center’s opinion! (At least, that’s my opinion.) This game combines elements of I Spy (“Eye found it!”) into a group game wherein all of the players are working together to make it to the picnic grounds before Scarry pigs eat up all the food! All of the players win together and, likewise, they all bear the possibility of losing together.
You use a spinner in this game as well to advance along the board which, by the way, is over six feet in length! You definitely need space to play this game, and you should expect to crawl around the board trying to “spy” the hidden items illustrated in a Richard Scarry scene. This is a game that mommy and daddy both played with the toddler and it made for a fun way to spend some time in play as a family. The directions are easy to comprehend and hunting for specific items helps keeps the adults engaged in the game as well! Here is a picture of the game board which we spread out on our floor:
I personally enjoyed playing these games with my son as a way to draw him into these books and stories which I enjoyed so much growing up and which he is now identifying with in his own way. It’s fun to play with kids as well as read to them and so I’m happy to have had the chance to introduce them to you!
Would you like to win a copy of these games? Well then, all you need to do is leave a comment below! Thanks to I Can Do That! Games (who also sent me copies to review), we have one of each of the games mentioned above to giveaway to one of you. This contest is open to U.S. Residents only. We’ll announce the winner in the April 5 5 Minutes for Books column.
We don’t have a winner to announce from last week, because we are running a special promotion with Fireworks over Toccoa and providing books to bookclubs and bloggers for review. You can also still enter HERE to win one of 300 copies of the book!
Book blogger Carrie comes by her book obsession honestly, having descended from a long line of bibliophiles. She blogs about books, and how she tries to draw her children into them, regularly at Reading to Know and Reading My Library and is a staff reviewer at 5 Minutes for Books.
5 Minutes for YOU to read, relax, & connect with other moms. We're here to inspire, encourage & empower you.
{ 128 comments… read them below or add one }
We can’t get enough of games at our house. Sure would love to try these.
I love Dr. Seuss! A game would be wonderful.
Our little girl is just getting into board games and wants to play them whenever she can. I think she would love these!
We would love to play these games!
Our family would LOVE to win these board games!
My kids would love playing these games, especially the Busytown one. These book board games sound like they belong in our house.
my kids love books and one of these games would be a hit
Oh, I love games for kids. I hope I win!
would love to win! I love richard scarry’s books! This seems fun!
xoxo
A great way to motivate kids to read tthe books as well!
Would love to win these for the kids I work with in the preschool dept at my church. Thanks for the contest!
My son and I have learned that books, puzzles and board games can be just as much fun as television. I am thankful for this time together.
I would love to win either one of these games. My daughter is such a gamer! We had to start a game night or we would have to play games everyday (all day
These look so fun!
Thanks for the giveaway.
these look like great fun for my 3 and 6 year olds… and maybe my 10 and 11 year olds wouldn’t mind playing along either.
would love to win games!
These games would be good for use in the church I attend.
What fun games for kids!
My daughter is just starting to get into board games (although following the rules is a tad elusive right now)…but she loves any book related game. Thanks!
My maiden name is Horton so I love everything Horton the elephant
lkish77123 at gmail dot com
These games are perfect for the ages of our grandsons! Thanks!
rss subscriber
lkish77123 at gmail dot com
Lil. Bit would love these! Throw my name in!
my kids would love one of these
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we’d had a blast with either of these games. Thanks for the chance.
These look like so much fun! Please enter me for the enjoyment of my 6 and 3 year-old!
We luv games, these look cool. Thanks for the giveaway.
We love to play games at our house!
I love Dr Seuss. This games would be great for when my niece and nephews visit.
I’d love to win. My two little ones would have such fun.
These are the cutest games! Thanks for the chance!
I’d love to be entered. We love games!
Those games are sooo cute! LOVE Richard Scarry here!
looks like fun games!
Great games to keep the kids busy and they look like fun too. Thank you for the giveaway.
Twitter: longwait4bella
March 24, 2010 at 7:48 pm
We love books and games in our family. Thanks for the chance to win.
These games look like so much fun! My son is little young for them yet, but I can see him loving them in no time!
–
Erin
ejsmomej{at}gmail{dot}com
my kids love games and we try to play them with the kids all the time. So much fun
we love board games
My kiddos LOVE playing games! These look like they would be a ton of fun!
What great games! I love the idea of bookish games. One of my favorite is HP & the Sorcerer’s Stone Trivia Game. I also like the Authors card game (mentioned in Little Women). You can turn most books into memory/matching/bingo games with a little work and a lot of creativity. Thanks for offering the giveaway.
Richard Scarry’s Busytown Eye Found It! game looks like one my kids would love to play. I think all the games from this company are really great, very creative and engaging.
I love playing these kind of games. It is a great family time form of entertainment.
debp
twoofakind12@yahoo.com
Who can resist a Dr. Seuss game?
I’d love to win, my boys would love either one of these!
We’re always looking for new game to play for our family game night. Please enter me in the giveaway.
I think these would be a lot of fun.
What can I say?I hope I win.
my son loves busytown, thanks for the chance
nannypanpan@sbcglobal.net
Great game and book-thank you
My daughter absolutely loves playing games. This would be a wonderful treat.
We would love to add these to our collection of board games!! Thank you!
These would be great for our little one.
I would play these in a boat. I would play these on a goat. I would play these on a chair. I would play these anywhere!
dolniaks[at]consolidated[dot]net
I would love to have these games to play with my son.
My girls love playing games! Thanks for the chance to win!
My son loves Horton. and would love and I spy game.
Happy Easter!
my daughter would love this! boutique1976 at yahoo dot com
I would love a chance to win. Thank you.
this would be great for family night
count me in too
I would love to win! My daughter (we) would love these games.
Alyzabeth’s Mommy
My kids would love all these games!! My fingers are crossed!!
I would love this for my son.
We luv games…thanks!
These would be perfect games for them to play when the weather isn’t great for playing outside!
Horton Hears a Who is one of my favorite stories-so original and charming!
smchester at gmail dot com
These sound like so much fun. Thanks for the possibility.
bgcchs(at)yahoo(dot)com
The boys love to play board games and these both sound like fun!
My daughter and I would love these games
The Horton Hears a Who looks like a fun game. This is one of our favorite movies.
Thanks for the chance.
We love these books, bet the games would be a big hit around here.
We love books and games at our house. Please enter me.
We have friday night game night. I would love to break these games out!!
Thanks for the chance.
mogrill@comcast.net
I’d love to win! I think my son would love these.
I’d love to win these games. We love games.
My daughter would love these games!
My son would enjoy these games.
I would love to win these for my kids.
My son would love this!!! Thank you.
These look like really cute games. Thanks for the giveaway!
These look like such fun!
We posted about this giveaway at Winning Readings: http://winningreadings.blogspot.com/2010/04/bookish-board-games.html
janemaritz at yahoo dot com
These games look so fun! I’d love a chance to share these with my grandchildren. Thanks!
We love board games, and the kids loved Horton Hears a Who
jason(at)allworldautomotive(dot)com
Would love to win these games for my preschoolers!
the horton game looks like fun!
These games look so smart and so much fun! We’d love to win!
I would love to win! Thanks for the chance!
Looks like fun games.
Thanks so much for the chance!
Any kid who loves to read would love these games, including mine. Great giveaway – thanks!
My son loves Richard Scarry and Busytown! He would be thrilled with these games.
My kids would love these.
What a great prize. I would love to win this.
My kids are just starting to like to play board games and I would love to have some new ones to introduce to them.
My grandsons love everything ‘Dr. Seuss’. And the are just getting to the board game age so i know they’d love these.
We’d love to win this – my kids are Horton fans!
My daughter is just now getting old enough to understand games. This would be a great head-start for her!
Neat, I love the idea of turning a book into a game.
If I win Horton will hear a “HOORAY!!!”.
My niece would love playing these!
I would love to win this for my son!
My granddaughter would love to have this. Great blog! Thank You
I would like to add these game to our collection.
Looks fun! Thanks for the giveaway!
Thanks for the giveaway. I’d love to win!
These would be fun games for my son to play.
This is a great giveaway-looks like a fun game!
I’d love to win this for my three kiddos. THANK YOU!!!
I would love these games for my grandkids!
Thank you for the Great giveaway please count me in
Thanks for the chance, my nephews would love these~
Please enter me
Please enter me into the contest. Thanks!
Sounds like a lot of fun
I would very much like to give this to my niece. Thank you for the chance.
This would be great for mygranddaughter.
Educational games are the best.
Seems like a really nice game!
I love games and books, what a perfect combo for kids!
my son would love this!
Would love these for my grandkids. Thanks
I would be so excited to win one of these games. We have a Curious George “I Can Do” game and my son absolutely loves it!
I enjoy visiting my granddaughters who live out of state, and while I’m there, we like to have fun by playing games. The girls are big Dr. Seus and Richard Scarry fans (they love the books,) and would really enjoy these games. And as you know, grandmothers never arrive “empty handed!”
I loved Richard Scarry when I was a kid and would love for my daughter to do the same.