Tabletop Strategy Game, Skill Building Educational Memory Game, for Kids Family Preschool, Ages 4+, Award Winning, Pengoloo (Wooden Version) by Blue Orange Games

We bought this game as a Christmas present for my youngest daughter, who will be 3 next month.It's turned out to be a huge hit with her on a couple of different levels.The game itself is fun, brief, simple to understand, and fast-paced. Perfect for kids maybe 2-4 years who don't often get to join in for family game time due to a lack of attention span or lack of comprehension of the rules of more complex games. Really, the only skill needed to play this game is an awareness of different colors, though it could certainly be used as a teaching aid for children who don't yet know their colors.The gameplay is simple. Each of the 12 penguins is placed in a central location, each hiding an egg beneath him/her. There are 6 different colors of eggs, 2 of each color. Each player has a wooden strip that looks like an iceberg, with the numbers 1-6 on it. Each player rolls two dice in turn. Each die has 6 matching color dots on it. After rolling the dice, the player gets two chances to find the corresponding colors beneath the penguins.... And so on until one player gets 6 penguins with the correct egg color on their iceberg, or until all the penguins are gone (then the player with the most penguins is the winner).There is an element of memory to this game, but there is also - it seems - an almost stronger element of chance. So if you're not on even ground, say an adult versus a child, you don't have to 'dumb down' playing to compensate for their lack of skill in this department. The limited number of penguins certainly contributes to memory playing a very loose role, and a child can often win in earnest by sheer chance. I see this as a good thing, since I'm not overly fond of anything I have to think too hard about not playing well for the kids' sake. It is this element - and the limited time in which the game plays out - that make it a fun and simple game for adults to play with young children.The second thing that has been a big hit with our daughter are the actual pieces of the game. In fact, her love of the penguins and eggs might well be to the detriment of the gameplay, as they have already been misplaced a few times and we've owned the game less than a week. The penguins are adorable, truly. The eggs seem to hold a certain fascination too (yes, they could be choking hazards for young kids who are still mouthing toys and such). These items get carried about the house, stashed in bags and purses, flown around in the Playmobil jet and so on.Blue Orange games are all made in China, making them something I would normally be opposed to purchasing, but it does sound as if they are manufacturing in China ethically and in an environmentally sound manner. I hope this is the reality, rather than just the effect of slick marketing, particularly since they make such neat games (we also bought Gobblet Gobblers and love it too).All the pieces are very well made, smooth, rounded, no visible glue, the paint (or perhaps stain?) is well-applied, and it seems as if chipping paint will not be an issue. Even the box is a heavy-weight laminated cardboard and should stand up to some abuse. Everything about this game just seems to say 'high quality' and I think it's absolutely worth the price.Highly recommended.

Our 5 YO grandson loves to play this game. It is simple to explain and understand. Once the few concepts are understood ( a sample game or two quickly teaches the concept) then playing is fun and absorbing for busy kids with active minds. Toy is well made and easily repacked for use on another day - portable for family trips.

I bought this for my 3yr olds birthday. She loves playing it, although we play the normal version not yet the advanced "stealable" version. She's still working a bit on the order of operations, but I would classify it as a relatively easy game for young kids to pick up. And actually I find it easier to teach her the rules with this vs the more normal "memory match" type game with cards as while it has slightly more rules, it also has more natural structure to it.There's an element of memory/strategy but still a ton of chance so that it does a pretty good job of evening out the playing field while holding your attention. Out of our group of games for preschoolers, this is at the top for being actually entertaining to adults. certainly better than hi-ho cherry!I have the wooden version and the penguins are well made.The biggest downside is the container with the plastic molds to put the penguins back in with their eggs. It can be a pain to both put away (2 hands actually needed to prevent the egg from falling out!) and even grabbing them out of their nests isn't always easy. That being said, it is kinda nice not to have pieces rolling everywhere and to be able to see quickly if you're missing anything.

Our kids really love this game. We have a 6 and almost 4yo and it is a new fav at your house. As a parent I like that the is game promotes attention and memory skills. Also a little strategy involved. I 100% recommend it.

My 5 year old daughter loves this fun matching game.

We played this game twice in about 20 minutes with a 2, 5 and 7 yo- all thought it was fun. The directions are easy to follow. The wooden pieces are well made. I did not read the specifications before purchase and thought the penguins might be a little larger as I have seen that version in a store, but these penguins worked fine.

Updated Aug. 2011This is a very well-done memory game. There are twelve adorable wooden penguins with a hollow space to hide one of twelve brightly colored eggs (2 each of 6 colors). Players roll the dice to determine what color eggs they are looking for and then look under two penguins. If they get a match, they get to keep it; if both match, they get another turn; otherwise, it's the next player's turn. The first to get 6 eggs wins, or the one at the end with the most.This game is very durable with all wooden pieces; it still looks brand new despite plenty of play. This is a big plus to me with six children now, and hopefully more in the future. The penguin framework makes this game very enjoyable to my middle four children (ages 8 down to 2 1/2), and even my almost 10-year-old is willing to join in on occasion!. And of course, there's the educational value of a memory-building game.One of the biggest pluses to this game is it fits a wide range of skill levels. Even my 2 1/2-year-old, who hasn't grasped the idea of remembering which colors were where, can enjoy looking under two penguins. He's thrilled to death when he gets a match, because all of his older siblings applaud him. Though he rarely wins playing against his older siblings, he is still able to play along with them. As there is a significant element of chance because of the rolls, it's not always the one with the best memory who wins either.I am very glad to have purchased this game. I also bought it as a gift for my nieces and nephews who enjoyed it also. I'd highly recommed it for families with preschoolers and early elementary aged children.