Last weekend, Grandma and Grandpa brought over the game "Five Little Monkeys" (from the creators of this children's book) and it was a hit.
The game targets ages three and up. As we unpacked the pieces, I didn't believe my wee lass could follow so many rules. However, Lei, who just turned two and-a-half, had a blast following every last monkey-related directive.
Each player (up to four) has plastic colored monkeys. There is a big, plastic, pop up bed that sits in the middle of a board with spaces that direct players to do one of four pretend things when they land on them - take a bath, put on pjs, brush teeth, and go to sleep.
Players take turns spining to move around the board, act out the picture on the space they've landed on, place a monkey on the bed and then push the button on the spring activated bed. No one knows when it's going to pop.
Monkeys that fall off the bed remain off. Monkeys that simply tip over, but stay on the bed, are stood up again. The game continues until someone has four monkeys on the bed AND has acted out each of the four pretend scenes.
Leighton had no issues with patience.
Mairin, on the other hand, has yet to grasp the concept of "taking turns".
WE LOVE THIS GAME! What a great way to introduce small children to counting and strategy while developing fine motor skills.
We bought Five Little Monkeys for $20 at Toys R Us. It would make a fantastic holiday present for the little kid on your list.
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