Mamas & Papas-
My go to gift for DS's pre-K class mates has been hungry hungry hippos, or that battery operated fishing game, where you try to catch a fish on a spinning turntable, whose mouth opens and closes (can't recall the name). Parents tell me they and the parents enjoy these games.
Can you guys think up any other "classic" early games?
Also, what about a gift for a cousin who might be turning 5 or 6 and is in kindergarden?
What about "educational" games or gifts for this age group?
Thanks a bunch-
F. B.
My DD likes Uno and Trouble.
For a cousin, what about a subscription to High 5 or Highlights (the parents can change the subscription from one to the other if the level is too hard or easy)? My DD loves that magazine.
Craft stuff is always a hit. You can pick up cheap stuff at Joann's or Michaels that will keep her busy for a while.
I love to give books. My boys all love the Elephant & Piggy series by Mo Willems. I give them as gifts to boys and girls.
My preK just turned 5 year old loves to play monopoly junior and sorry.
We love ZINGO (a game like Bingo) but there are also these cool Mosaic by Numbers that are pretty cool that we have received as a gift and then bought for another friend. Its got mosaic stickers and a chart to put a certain color on a certain number to make the picture. It was a great activity this winter when we were inside so much. They have themes like Princess or Enchanted Forest. We got those at AC Moore/Michael's Craft store.
candyland, go fish, old maid, hi ho cherry o, chutes and ladders... to name a few my almost 5 yr old loves.
we also love books and thats our go-to gift for nieces and nephews
My kids (5 and 7) both love Sequence for Kids and Blockus. Also a Kanoodle is a great gift. All three have been fantastic for both!
sorry
scrabble junior
blokus
clue jr
chutes and ladders
mouse trap
twister
chinese checkers
banana gram
uno
connect 4
operation
kerplunk
a fun gift that we give to that age is the following
sand bucket filled with outside stuff all purchased at the dollar store
sidewalk chalk
jump rope
jacks
chinese jump rope
kite
hoola hoop
bubbles
checkers
books are always good. but as much as kids read now it is sometimes hard to find something they have not read so go with a classic. the original alice in wonderland, cinderella, black beauty etc instead of the current series unless you know the parent and can ask if they have read them.
crafts are great if the kid is a craft kid. my kids loved them but not all did and a lot of moms hated them. which translates into the kid never really gets to use them.
My 5 year old daughter has completely outgrown some games and easy puzzles. She only enjoys hard puzzles now. She loves the game Operation...it cracks her up. She loves Blokus. She also loves her large bouncy ball. She loves getting a crafting kit or art supply type thing (something her brother never cared about). The poster below mentions Little Miss and Mr. books...she loves these also, but she is now more into chapter books. She has been playing some games for so many years now she is completely not interested any more (Hi Ho Cherry-O, Chutes and Ladders, and Candyland). She likes her big brother's games even though I have to help her with them (Connect 4, Battleship, Monopoly, etc). So I would personally recommend those easy games for someone who is 3 and just getting into games. A well made spy scope is fascinating to this age kid. Or a good bug collecting kit.
Chutes & Ladders
Candyland
Connect Four
These are usually a hit & easy especially the first two.
Sometimes I add a small 20 piece puzzle for $1
I play games with my daughters 1st grade twice a week during centers and did so last year as well. All the think fun games are a huge hit. zingo, as already suggested, gets cheers. Another fav is Who Gnu? Which is a variation of Zingo where the kids use letters to spell 3 letter words.
Tenzi is a fun math dice game.
Uno dare is cute and fun for the family.
My daughters fave last year was Uno Moo.
Bingo with a cage or a spinner is a good classic game.
Oh-rush hour jr is another think fun game my daughter loves!
Mancala is a good classic 2 player
Kendama is good for playing alone
Geo boards are fun for that age and classic.
Perfection is always a fav.
We like to get things like puzzles or books. There are some wonderful wooden puzzle sets for bigger kids, not just the early puzzles for younger kids. There are also really great wooden paper doll type sets by companies like Doug and Melissa. Many of them come in popular characters so you get the best of both worlds, good educational items that are sturdy while still having the fun of a kids favorite character. This is about the age that is perfect for the Mr Man and Little Miss book series. They are truly wonderful books with fun stories with morals thrown in in a fun and entertaining way.
