Any mom who has ever walked into a toy store knows that sinking feeling that comes from too many choices and not enough information. That's why, in recent years, I've gone mostly to one locally owned toy store when I needed a gift, because the staff is knowledgeable about children and the stock in the store. (Plus, they gift wrap.) However, if you're not in Baltimore, you can't visit this store, but you can turn to the Internet.
Ebeanstalk is a toy website dedicated to selecting good, safe learning toys that are age appropriate. Unlike many websites that allow user reviews after a toy has been purchased, Ebeanstalk tests all the toys BEFORE they make it to the website, and that's where moms like me come in.
When I agreed to be a toy tester for Ebeanstalk, I knew there was a toy on the way, but I didn't know what it was or which child it was for. So I was pleased to see the toy that they sent, which is a card game called Sherlock, from Playroom Entertainment, who makes great educational toys. This toy is for my 5-year-old.
Like many parents, I was a little worried about my preschooler retaining the skills he learned over summer vacation. With this game, I feel like he is still learning, while also having fun.
The game is a modified version of Memory, requiring the players to not only remember what cards are hidden where, but to utilize number recognition and directional signals as well. The first time we played it, I had to refer to the directions a few times to figure out what happened next, but we quickly got the hang of it.
The cards themselves are heavy duty and don't bend easily, and the storage box is small, a plus when you live in a small home with limited storage. The pictures, directional arrows and numbers are easy to see. My 5-year-old enjoyed this game immensely and has asked to play it every day.
The game is over when one of the players collects six cards. When we had more than two players, the game dragged on a little and my son seemed to lose interest, but when we modified the directions (the winner needs to collect 4 cards instead), the game came in under the 15 minute playing time listed on the packaging.
The Sherlock game helps teach my preschooler about taking turns, teamwork (he and his father worked together during one playing session), and reinforced his skills of recognizing and describing objects, numbers and directional arrows. He enjoyed the challenge of trying to remember what object was hidden where, and I enjoyed seeing him reasoning to figure out the correct answer.
The Sherlock game was provided for me at no cost, but I would definitely purchase it.
Visit Ebeanstalk for this great game and many others!
Ebeanstalk is a toy website dedicated to selecting good, safe learning toys that are age appropriate. Unlike many websites that allow user reviews after a toy has been purchased, Ebeanstalk tests all the toys BEFORE they make it to the website, and that's where moms like me come in.
When I agreed to be a toy tester for Ebeanstalk, I knew there was a toy on the way, but I didn't know what it was or which child it was for. So I was pleased to see the toy that they sent, which is a card game called Sherlock, from Playroom Entertainment, who makes great educational toys. This toy is for my 5-year-old.
Like many parents, I was a little worried about my preschooler retaining the skills he learned over summer vacation. With this game, I feel like he is still learning, while also having fun.
The game is a modified version of Memory, requiring the players to not only remember what cards are hidden where, but to utilize number recognition and directional signals as well. The first time we played it, I had to refer to the directions a few times to figure out what happened next, but we quickly got the hang of it.
The cards themselves are heavy duty and don't bend easily, and the storage box is small, a plus when you live in a small home with limited storage. The pictures, directional arrows and numbers are easy to see. My 5-year-old enjoyed this game immensely and has asked to play it every day.
The game is over when one of the players collects six cards. When we had more than two players, the game dragged on a little and my son seemed to lose interest, but when we modified the directions (the winner needs to collect 4 cards instead), the game came in under the 15 minute playing time listed on the packaging.
The Sherlock game helps teach my preschooler about taking turns, teamwork (he and his father worked together during one playing session), and reinforced his skills of recognizing and describing objects, numbers and directional arrows. He enjoyed the challenge of trying to remember what object was hidden where, and I enjoyed seeing him reasoning to figure out the correct answer.
The Sherlock game was provided for me at no cost, but I would definitely purchase it.
Visit Ebeanstalk for this great game and many others!
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2 comments:
sounds like a great product, and for free how can you lose with just trying it out.
Did you get my address btw?
This sounds really great - I am always looking for good games that I enjoy playing to play with my grandkids - can't stand playing boring kids games!!!
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