Thursday, March 18, 2010

Review & Giveaway: Calico Critters Card Game, "Who's Missing"

Giveaway now closed, thank you to everyone who entered and congratulations to Kiy, comment #33, who said, "Our favorite fun activity is the coloring pages. Right now, coloring is ALL the rage in our household!"
ER and I have been enjoying daily game time with our new Who's Missing card game from Calico Critters. Featuring the adorable friends from their popular line of play sets, the games are both fun and educational and the cards are the perfect size for little hands.
We've been playing two out of the three suggested games. The first one improves your memory skills and was a totally new concept for ER. That makes it really fun for her. I lay out 5 cards in a row. She looks at all the cards and tries to memorize what's on them.Then ER covers her eyes while I take away a card; I have to watch her like a hawk for peeking☺. She has to tell me which Calico Critters are missing. As the game is played, the row of cards grows, so the game becomes more challenging the longer you play. I think that's a great way to keep older kids challenged and engaged. Right now we only go up to seven cards because after that she becomes frustrated.
The next game is a great one to work on number recognition and counting. She wants to play so badly, because she just loves the Calico Critter families on the cards, that it's gotten her to really start looking at the numbers on them more and more. Which is great to me. I also like how all the cards with two animals on it all have a pink background. It's nice to give kids more than one type of visual cue, they can figure out which cards got together by color and numeral.
To play this game each player gets five cards. To modify and make it a fun and successful activity for ER we play with our cards face up. The rest are placed in the middle and the top one is turned over. Players take turns looking at their cards and either matching up the same Critter family or number. The first player to use up all their cards wins. The last game, Calico Critter Rummy has players collect seven cards with the same number on them. It involves preplanning and strategy that ER isn't ready for. It's nice to know this is one game that can continue to grow with her. We can also continue to make the other games a little harder and challenge her. I know we'll be playing with this set for years to come.
Giveaway!
Would you like to win a set?

International Playthings, the makers of Calico Critters is giving away one to my readers!

I know you'll have so much fun playing, that your kiddos won't even notice they are learning and improving critical life skills.

To Enter:
Head over to the Calico Critter's website and tell me your favorite product there.

Extra Entries:
Good Luck! Giveaway open now through April 2nd at midnight EST. Winner has 48 hours to respond to my email before a new one is chosen. Open to US residents only.

Signature

Disclaimer: Thank you to International Playthings for sponsoring this giveaway and providing the reviewers set of the game. This review relates my own personal and unbiased opinions and experince with it and yours may differ.

34 Friends Said:

Unknown said...

hi game looks fun, I have been to your site before love the green.
I am entering the giveaway by telling you the favorite thing on the site is the hedgehog family
come visit me on my blog, some time.
eatmywords40@yahoo.com

Cheryl said...

I love love love Calico Critters but we don't have any. Out of all their products I think the tree house is really amazing but kind of expensive. It's so cute though.

Cheryl said...

I'm a follower.

c allen said...

my fave product is the Tanner & Tallulah's Nursery Fun
thanks clallen at ntin dot net

c allen said...

follow you w/ google friends thanks clallen at ntin dot net

c allen said...

your fb fan thanks clallen at ntin dot net

Cheryl said...

Oh- for the favorite family I think it would be the rabbit family. I don't know if anyone else has noticed but they look a lot like the Mapletown toys that used to be around with a cartoon when I was about ten (23 years ago!) and I had the bunny family and loved them so...

c allen said...

my kids would love the coloring pages the most thanks clallen at ntin dot net

Cheryl said...

Abi's favorite activity would probably be the bingo cards... or the coloring pages.

Brandi said...

Our fav is the hedgehog family! Thanks for the chance to win.
Brandi
lawyer180 at yahoo dot com

kim said...

My girls would LOVE the Country Tree House... with the Furbanks Squirrel family, of course!

Valerie @ Inner Child Fun said...

How fun!! I'm off to tweet about it! Thanks for the chance!

valerie (at) frugalfamilyfunblog.com

♥Jennette♥ said...

My little girl would love the Tea cup set! But all of their things are so cute.
jennette6963@msn.com

♥Jennette♥ said...

I am a fan!
jennette6963@msn.com

♥Jennette♥ said...

I follow and tweeted!
jennette6963@msn.com
http://twitter.com/ARockinCupcake/status/10703386307

♥Jennette♥ said...

We also love the Peaches & Freddy's Swing 'n Play.
jennette6963@msn.com

♥Jennette♥ said...

And my little girl loves cats so the Fisher Cat Family would be perfect.
jennette6963@msn.com

Unknown said...

I love the Tea Cup Ride play set. That's my Emma's 2nd favorite ride at Disney (behind It's a Small World). She'd love this set.

Unknown said...

On the website, my daughter would love the recipes and color pages.

Unknown said...

My favorite family is the hedgehog family.

Brimful Curiosities said...

The Costume Critters: Bunny and Chick are super cute. My daughter has a set of Calico kitties. I'm sure she'd love the game.

Brimful Curiosities said...

As far as activities, my daughter enjoys coloring and the coloring pages on the website are plentiful!

Brimful Curiosities said...

tweet: http://twitter.com/iambrimful/status/10778239146

Brimful Curiosities said...

I'm a follower of your blog

***Sharon*** said...

Momo just goes GAGA when we go to a certain store that carries the Calico Critters! She would love any of the animal families.....but I gotta say the Wilder Panda Family is CUUUUUUTE!

***Sharon*** said...

I am so embarrassed! How did I not know you had a FB page?!? Now a follower!

Kiy said...

I am so excited to have found your blog! I just spent a fun time wandering through your previous posts. What a great blog you have!

We've just recently discovered CC's, have one family (and the bunny family is currently 'hiding' as they are ready to hop into the Easter basket!). What a great toy these are.

I have to say, right now, the families are our fav's - we have the little mouse family that Emi (3 year old) plays with constantly. The bunny family (as I mentioned is next) but what really caught both of our eyes is the tree house! We saw it in a store recently and she just can't stop taking about it. I have a feeling that is going to happen sooner rather than later!

Cheers,
Kiy

Kiy said...

I fan'd you on FB!

Cheers,
Kiy

Kiy said...

Our favorite fun activity is the coloring pages. Right now, coloring is ALL the rage in our household!

Cheers,
Kiy

Kiy said...

Since we only have the one family right now, the Mouse family, I would guess that's our fav. However, while the bunny family is next because of Easter, I do know that the panda and dog families are next. They are our daughter's fav animals right now.

Cheers,
Kiy

Megan @ Inspired by Fiction said...

The Country Tree house is cute, and I absolutely LOVE the "Pickleweed Hedgehog Family!!"

We posted about your giveaway at Winning Readings.

Snowflake07 said...

My favorite is the Luxury Townhome!
hotpepper71 at bell south dot net

Snowflake07 said...

google friend follower

Snowflake07 said...

My favorite family is the Fisher Cat Family.

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