This year the Tot is 5. Being 5 has brought a noticeable change to his board game abilities. His list this year is made up of games he absolutely loves. He is much more opinionated about it this year and has selected very carefully.
If you want to see all of our gift guide posts, check out the main post here.
The hedgehog children are playing dress-up and want to have big spines in their favorite colors. To do this, the players need to draw leaves with the right colored points out of the leaf bag, but be careful! The wind can blow the leaves around so that even leaves you thought were safely yours fly away again! The first player to completely decorate their hedgehog with leaves in their color wins Hedgehog Haberdash.
Hedgehog Haberdash is a cute game with great table presence. It is easy for kids to learn and even set up on their own. You can read my full review of the Hedgehog Haberdash here.
In Critter Cruise, It’s been raining for hours! Even the ground is starting to get soggy. That’s why Noah is inviting all the animals to shelter under the roof on his ark and take a cruise. Each animal can bring one suitcase with their most important items. But it’s crazy – the suitcases are laying around in a complete mess! It’s hard to find the right one. Help Noah get the animals and their suitcases onto the ark before they get completely soaked.
This is a fantastic matching game that focuses on playing as a team. It is surprisingly fun for a game that is for ages 3+. Check out my full review for Critter Cruise here.
Based on the popular "spot the differences" challenges found in books, newspapers and elsewhere, Difference Junior challenges your abilities to observe and react quickly. The deck includes two sets of double-sided cards, with one set being more challenging than the other. Place one card in the center of the table, then deal the rest out to players as evenly as possible.
This game can be a bit tough when a kid is starting out. The Tot is getting the hang of it though. He loves finding the difference activities and the game scratches that itch while giving us all an activity to do together. It is super small too, easy to toss in a bag to play while waiting for food at a restaurant.
Match a Track Show off your best animal tracking skills in this brilliant matching game. The task is to match 25 tracks to their animal owners. Has an elephant just crossed your path or was it an echidna? Can you track down a coyote, make out the trail of a peacock and recognize the paw-print of a panda? Beat your opponents by making as many matches as you can!
This is a beautiful memory game. The art is gorgeous and I love that you are matching the animal to its print instead of an identical picture. You can read my review for Match a Track and other memory games like it here.
Rhino Hero - What is that? Is that a rhino climbing up the wall? Rhino Hero is out and about again. The super hero from the animal world fearlessly scales the highest houses looking for burglars and rogues. He is strong as a lion and as smart as a fox, but also as heavy as a rhinoceros. So when Rhino Hero is around even the most robust tower may start to wobble. Can you help Rhino Hero accomplish his wobbly construction mission and build a skyscraper as tall and solid as possible? A heroic 3D card-stacking game!
Rhino Hero Super Battle - Rhino Hero is back on the job! And this time, not only does the wobbly skyscraper need to be climbed, but there will be fierce battles between four superheroes: Rhino Hero himself and three new additions: Giraffe Boy, Big E. and Batguin. Who will win the battles and successfully fend off the mean spider monkeys? A turbulent 3D stacking game and the long awaited stand-alone sequel to our Fan Favorite "Rhino Hero".
This is kind of a two for one pick here. Both Rhino Hero games are incredibly fun. They engage a wide range of ages, maybe all ages. If you are on a budget financially or with space, like we are, than go with Rhino Hero. If none of that is a bother, go with Super Battle. It gets even bigger and even more tipsy! You can read my full review of both games here.
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