Fat Brain Toys Animal Logic Toys, Multi Color

This is not a game. It is a logic puzzle played by one individual at a time. This is important to understand. While my kids like it, and frankly so do I, it is not a multi-person game for the whole family to enjoy together, like a typical board game. This surprised me.The game itself is interesting, and the various levels and multiple games make it challenges for a wide variety of ages, including adults. However, like any logic puzzle, it can get frustrating if you can't find the solution. My six year old generally needs my help to keep it moving, and for her it is as much about our interaction as it is the game. My nine year old likes to play it in short spurts.There is something like 50 or so different puzzles to solve, that are supposed to get progressively more difficult. Some reviewers have indicated there is a flaw in one of the early puzzles - I think it was #3. The puzzle is actually solvable, without a flaw, but there is one spot that is very confusing and makes it far more difficult than it should be that early in the progression.It is a fun and intriguing concept, and a good way to keep a child occupied for 30 minutes or so without TV. I would recommend it for the price.

I got this toy and we tried to play it the first time and the instructions even confused me. My 4 year old wasn't too interested at that time so we put it away. A few months later we tried again and she really liked it. After playing a a few times, the instructions made more sense. I have to agree that they didn't write the instruction clearly enough when the rules are very simple.It says "Only one animal may cross the river at a time" and "An animal may cross the bridge only if there is not another animal in front of it blocking its path". This is confusing because of the way the animals are laid out, but basically, ANY animal in the first column can cross the bridge. Also, an animal is considered OK to cross if there is no animal in front of it. For example, if space 1, 5, and 9 are empty (first 3 spots in the first row) and there's an animal in #13, then that animal may cross the bridge even if there are animal in the 1st rows of rows 2, 3, 4. Hope this makes sense!It does get tricky to play this game...we're only on #5, but I can see how this will get you and your child thinking!

I purchased this game as a gift for my five-year-old. Turns out the grown ups in the family have had as much (or more!) fun as she is having with this puzzle-solving game! Sixty puzzles are contained in a sturdy spiral-bound book, arranged by levels- with "1" being the easiest (my five-year-old can do these) and level "5" being the most difficult (these take some serious thought and strategic planning). The puzzles in the book tell you how to arrange the animals on the game board to start; the goal is to remove the animals from the game board one at a time, making sure each animal removed is followed by one that is either the same kind of animal (giraffe, camel, lion, hippo) or same color (red, yellow, green, blue). This is more difficult than it sounds! The game can be played over and over- there are plenty of puzzles, and it would be next to impossible to remember the solutions, so no worries about running out of games to solve. It is an ideal "quiet time" game, as it can be played alone (little ones may need some guidance, at least to start) and it requires thoughtful concentration. The game board is a sturdy cardboard that would easily wipe clean, and the animal pawns are made of painted wood. Only complaint I might have is that if you aren't playing in bright light the green and blue animals are a little tricky to tell apart. All in all, this is a great game and I would highly recommend it for any age.

I got this for my six year old daughter. I like it and think it's fun. And my daughter likes it from time to time. But it really has not come off the shelf very often in the three months since we got it. Usually it takes a fair amount of persuading for me to get it off the shelf and get her to play with it. Then she plays with it for two or three set ups. And that's usually about it.I think other kids might like this more than my daughter does. She can be quite resistant to trying things sometimes. Another thought is that sequential thinking isn't really a skill in demand in first grade. In school, she is asked to read, write, do some basic math like arithmetic and simple geometry, but sequential thinking isn't something that seems terribly important to her life at home or in school. I suppose the same could be said about playing Go or Chess. They develop a certain kind of thinking, but I don't think that sort of thinking is really in demand in early elementary school.It's a shame because the game is well constructed. The pieces are made of a durable well-painted wood. It has high replay value with many different setups you can use. But I think I like this game more than my daughter does.

This is a great product for teaching children basic logic. There are increasing levels of difficulty, enough to challenge adults! Solutions for each puzzle are included. It looks simple, but requires planning, logic and advanced thinking skills. These are the kinds of skills required for coding, mathematics and many other things. The colors and animal shapes appeal to small children who don't realize this is much more than a game. I highly recommend this toy. My five year old grand daughter loves it!