Loki is King: Let the games begin...great games for preschoolers

There are only about a million things I could blog about...I could blog about home much fun we had at the Minneapolis farmer's market on Sunday and how much fun we had at the outlet mall. But instead let's talk about games.

Lyle and I love games. We love board games and video games and just games of all types. So of course we want Keegan to love games. Well this last week or two he has been totally into games. It is awesome. It beats chasing each other around and slaying dragons (although that is fun two) or capsizing the pirate ship (clothes basket) and drowning at sea...although that also has its place in playtime. But to sit down and play a good game as a family...well nothing beats that. We have a ton of kid games and keep getting more.

So what great kid games are out there for preschoolers (and younger)? Let's start with the mediocre ones and go to the ones that are awesome for everyone.

Well we have your typical mediocre ones....
- Candyland: I know I loved this game as a kid and Keegan does too, but it only lasts one playthrough and then he is bored. Not a great game for parents, I need my coffee when I play this one.

- Hi Ho Cherry-o : This one is a little better than Candyland. The novelty of taking the cherries on and off the tree is fun for a while. The game can get long though and it gets boring.

- Cooties: Love this one and I still like it...although the new version has Cooties that don't stay put together as well as the original set did.

- Silly Faces: This is a cool concept but the colorforms work like crap so it ends up being kind of a bust.

Then we have the ones that are more fun:
- Cariboo: Love searching for the little balls and opening up the treasure. Not a ton of fun for adults but it helps kids learn letters and counting, shapes and colors. It also has an advanced way to play (which at 3.5 yrs old Keegan finds a little challenging but can do, so it's not that advanced)

- Polar Bear ABCs: You go fishing for letters and spell words. Again tons of fun for Keegan and comes with a ton of word templates. Not much fun for mom.

- Hungry Hippos: Okay I have to admit this game holds a special place in my heart and is fun for the whole family. Does it teach you anything...well maybe how to smash those hippos around as fast as you can but that's about it. Also the new version of it has cheap hippos that get jammed a lot.

- Memory: There are so many versions of this out there for kids. And it never gets old. It is something kids and adult can play together and it is interesting.

- Elefun: This is another one that is fun for everyone but it is way to short and really only teaches you how to run around like a crazy person catching butterflies. Great for winter!

- Can You See What I See?: A game based off of the books. Super easy to play and pretty fun. Gets boring after playing it a couple times.

Then there are the ones that are a blast for everyone:
Hisss: You put together different colored snakes. Super easy to play, Keegan started playing this around 2 yrs old, fun for everyone. You can spread snake parts on the floor and make it more active. Teaches color matching, order (need one head and one tail), and taking turns.

Animal Upon Animal: We play as adults all the time. Keegan is still a little young for it because it requires a lot of coordination, but we take it easy on him and it is fun.

Wild Wool: The only Lego game Keegan is old enough to play. This is a lot of fun. You build the sheep and wolf and then take turns adding wool to your sheep. We have a blast and Keegan can fiddle with his sheep the whole time....

Hullabaloo: This is Keegan's all time favorite game. He loves it. It is awesome. You place pieces all over the floor and have to run, jump, swim, etc, between them. Think Simon Says crossed with Twister. Helps Keegan learn shapes, foods, musical instruments, animals colors and how they are spelled. It is fun for adults too because everyone has to act silly...

Zingo!: Like Bingo with Zing! This is probably the adults favorite kid game (tied with Animal Upon Animal and Wild Wool). Has a cool little machine that puts out plastic pieces that you have to place on your bingo card. Super easy, super fun because it is a free-for-all when the pieces come out (the quickest to grab them gets them). And the adults get to sit down and not contort on the floor like we have to for Hullabaloo.

Flapdoodle: This one is again a bit old for Keegan, we have to read the cards for him and some of them are just too tough (it's meant for ages 6 and up). But it is a crazy fun game and I highly recommend it if you are up for some craziness.