Richard Scarry's Busytown Game

I am pretty positive I have never recommended a game on my blog. That all changes today. Richard Scarry Busy Town is just too fantastic to not put a plug on here for it. If you are looking for Christmas presents this year for children 3-7, this is the game for them!

I'm not the only one who feels this way. The game has received 136 reviews on Amazon. Nearly ALL of them were a 4 or a 5. (The three that weren't were still a "3".) Not one lousy review in the whole bunch. The game has actually won an award for quality given by parents. It's that good.

So what do I love about this game?

• The spots that your piece goes in are very large. This makes it easy to count and easy to stay in the right spot.
• There is really nothing to knock over and "mess up." I hate having to keep the kids still to prevent the game from being destroyed and having to start over.
• There are a few fun "shortcuts" that are always a hit with young children.
• You work on your own for a part of the game, but in the end, you win or lose as a team. I'm all for kids learning about winning and losing, but Isaac takes it really hard. This game allows him to take it hard with us.
• You have to work together to solve the mysteries. (My boys love the idea of a mystery and the magnifying glasses you use to find them.)
• Adults can actually have fun playing this game too. Big brothers and sisters will enjoy it. (My husband is NOT a game player and he actually enjoys playing this game with the kids.)
• This game is simple enough that a mature two-year-old could play it, but fun enough that older kids would enjoy playing to.
• The pieces are sturdy and can take a beating.
• The spinner works well -- both my boys can use it easily.
• The board is six feet long leaving lots of room for us to spread out and have our own place.
• Kids have fun and build confidence every time they say, "I found it!"
• Encourages teamwork.
• Promotes attention to detail.
• Reinforces object identification and matching skills.