Players:	2-6
Recommended Age:	4 to Adult
Play Time:	15 minutes
Company Site:	www.blueorangegames.com
Skills:	Visual Perception Focus Reaction Time
Awards:	Dr. Toy 10 Best Games Play Advances Language Award The National Parenting Center Seal of Approval

OMG I LOVE Spot It! I discovered it last year at Gen Con and had to own it. This year (at Gen Con) I discovered Spot It Jr Animals. My 4 yr old LOVES this game. It was our go to game for snack time at Gen Con. He even taught a few kids who walked by how to play and got adults interested in the adult version!

Each of the 31 circle cards has 6 animals on it in various sizes. There are more than 30 different animals total and one (and only one) animal match exists between any two cards. Let that sink in a second.

That’s right! Every card you flip over will have one matching item on every card. You could flip over a card and match the Cat and then on that card match a dog with another. I don’t even think I could figure what type of math they used to make it work but it is pure genius. It also makes the game tons of fun and never the same game twice.

There are a few ways to play but I will go over the basic way here. You can use the basic way for any age and once kids understand how to play and have gotten better you can add speed and then change to another way to play.

Start by dealing cards to every player but leave one in the middle face down. Each player now has their own personal draw pile. When everyone is ready flip the middle card over and then each player flips their entire draw pile over face up.

The object is to be the first to get rid of your entire draw pile. To do that be the first to spot a match from your card to the card in the middle. Call out what it is that matches (Giraffe!) and place your card on top. It becomes the new match card. Continue in this way until someone runs out of cards. This way is the easiest way to play if you are teaching kids about 3 years old.

For younger children who are learning to find matches start with 6-10 cards in a pile and one  in the middle. If they are learning animals and noises point to each animal and ask what it is (help them answer) and what noise it makes (be sure to demonstrate). After each animal and noise have them look for it on the middle card. Repeat with each animal on their card until they find a match from the middle. Repeat until their pile is gone and they win!

This game can be played in one form or another by any age and is endless fun. It also comes in a small colorful tin that fits easily in backpacks and purses! I highly recommend this game to anyone with kids (and the original version for adults!). This is one game you will actually like playing over and over and over and over….again!

“Play is really the work of childhood.”
~ Mr. Rogers