We've hit that magical age in my household where board games can keep my child occupied - and me tied to the dining room table - for hours. I had to find some that made family game night bearable for the whole family.
And since I'm a bit of a monkey nut, Curious George it is.
I Can Do That Games has rolled out a new line of games featuring the mischief-making monkey, and although they're directed at ages three to eight, they have the one thing every parent NEEDS to find in a board game. Absolutely no teeny weeny pieces.
No little bits of plastic to take apart piece by piece. No sharp bits of plastic to get stuck under your toes in the middle of the night. No plastic pieces that disappear between the table and the game closet, rendering the game utterly useless after the first family play.
For the kids, the big draw is their favorite monkey, natch, and his trademark curiosity lends itself nicely to games that give the kids plenty to do. They can try finding little sea critters hidden in the "ocean" in the Discovery Beach Game (bonus for parents - the sea and the creatures are all contained inside the game board, they shake the board to set things loose, but you don't end up with blue pieces of "water" across the dining room) or donning animal masks for the big hunt for the missing animals in the Hide and Seek Zoo Game.
They're simple enough for toddlers, with new challenges for the early elementary schoolers, and I Can Do That's Curious George games keep them thinking - and doing - instead of lounging in front of the TV.
Both under $20, they're a cheap Friday night's entertainment available exclusively at Target and on Target.com, so get them there - the Discovery Beach Game is $16.99, the Hide and Seek Gameis $17.99.
