This adorable Curious George board game was an instant hit at our house (it's the recent-movie-animated George, not the when-we-were-kids George, by the way). My two children, ages 4 and 7, picked it up immediately, and both enjoyed playing--not always easy when you have a boy and a girl spaced three years apart.The game comes with a board, a set of cards, a battery-operated walkie-talkie, and four cute animal-face masks. Players take turns listening to the game's walkie-talkie, which looks and sounds impressively authentic. Depending on its directions, kids help George take care of the zoo by turning over cards and spinning a spinner. The spinner is attached to the board; that means one less piece to lose.
Players must listen carefully to the walkie-talkie to receive their instructions. They also learn which animals live in what habitat, and must match cards picturing animals who need help with pictures on the board showing the scene resolved. Icons on the spinner also help players match up problems with solutions. I found these too small to be of much use, but my kids didn't need them anyway; it was pretty clear from the cards what needed to be done (give water or food; fix something; clean up a mess--of course those last ones are always kids' favorites).
An active play angle comes in when the walkie-talkie announces that the zoo animals have escaped. Excitement ensues as all the players, except the walkie-talkie holder, grab an animal mask and scurry off to hide. The remaining player then has two minutes to find the hidden animals. While it isn't a substitute for sustained, vigorous physical activity (in the course of one game, there's maybe 8 to 10 minutes of scampering around), this does break up an otherwise sedentary playing experience. Plus, kids can use the walkie-talkie and animal masks for active pretend play separate from the board game.
Players earn points for solving problems in the zoo and for finding escaped animals, but my children cared little about the final score. Mostly, they just wanted to play "again!" and "again!" Parents will appreciate that the game has a finite, not-too-long running time--no drawn-out sessions here (I'm looking at you, Candyland!).
Curious George Hide and Seek Zoo Game comes from I Can Do That! Games, which also makes wonderful Dr. Seuss-themed active board games.
Originally published in a different form at About.com (where you can add your own review of this game, if you've played it!).
