Haba Games For Pre-Schoolers! Win It!
CONTESTS, REVIEWS & CONTESTS | Mommy Niri | February 9, 2010 at 12:22 pmCONTEST CLOSED!
Congratulations Terri!
Electronic games are all fine and well but I slot the usage of them in the 2 hour maximum television window I allow my kids per day. I dread the picture of having my kids glued to the television all day and I really hate when kids fail to see the beauty around them as they are so deep in a game (as I mentioned seeing kids with a Nintendo DS at Atlantis). In fact my happiest memories have been playing board games with my sisters. PreSchoolers are a perfect age for introduction to these games but they are still at an age when the fine motor skills, and reasoning are still developing.
Obtaining the correct game can help ease frustration, that will no doubt erupt, but will certainly be on the lesser scale if the game does not have unrealistic set of expectations. Since many games are becoming spin-offs from shows and movies it is a breath of fresh air to just have a game. Let’s take a look at 2 games from Haba:
Wiggling Cow
HABA Wiggling Cow Game - (A cool) Cow Elsa stands on a huge heap of grass (squares of board simulating the grass). Who can pull the bales of grass out with the (wooden) hay fork? Watch out that Elsa doesn’t fall off the heap! A curious game of skill for 2 – 4 players – though I think one kid can easily play alone to practice.
Pros
- Amazing quality
- Really promotes patience (great for kids always in a rush).
- No small pieces in this game (any other mom sick of lost pieces in a game?)
- Works on fine motor skills
- Practice on eye-hand coordination
- Varying skills and ages can play
- Setup (and re-setup is easy) – annoys me when I have to go in a gazillion time to setup a game.
- No batteries!
- Great artwork
Cons
- The cow setup does require some dexterity at the beginning, so some frustration may set in.
- Kids on the younger (4-5) side may still struggle with being able to play long before the cow falls.
Castle Knights
This game is pure teamwork. Players have to have to work together to complete construction before the king arrives to finish the castle? Castle Knights – Together We Are Strong is a cooperative game for 2-4 knights, ages 5-99. Includes instructions for a tournament game variation.
Pros
- Made of beechwood so very eco-friendly
- Unlike regular boardgames this game is 3-dimensional
- Implores the effects of teamwork.
- Can be a complicated or easy as you want it to be.
- Has variations for different styles of play.
- Vibrant colors
- Story setup encourages pretend play
Cons
- Several components so easy for pieces to get lost
- Might be a tad overwhelming for kids on the younger end of the age specified
- Teamwork is a difficult concept for younger kids (though I appreciate a game focusing on it) so might lead to frustration for those struggling to work together.
- On the pricier side where board games are concerned.
Want to win one of these games? The winner can choose Wiggling Cow OR Castle Knights!
Tell me Which boardgame (other than these) is your favorite?
Contest closes 21st February 2010. To earn extra entries, after you have left a comment, do one of the following, but make sure you leave a separate comment entry for each extra thing you do. This gives you additional ways to win the contest.
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Disclosure: I received both of these games to review!
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Scrabble is my favorite
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Give me chess! I love the strategy involved. Hubby and I (pre kids) used to keep a board out and take our turns whenever we walked by. A single game could take days to win. Oh, and win I did. heh heh heh. We would want the cow game. Thanks for the chance!
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Just started my mommy blog, following yours via RSS and FB. Thanks for your insight! Wholeheartedly agree w/ the no batteries thing, would love the HABA cow came. Thanks for the opportunity!
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My little grandsons like to play Candyland
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