Wonder Forge Richard Scarry's Busytown, Eye Found It Toddler Toy and Game for Boys and Girls Age 3 and Up - A Fun Preschool Board Game,Multi-Colored

I bought this as a Valentine's Day present for my 4 1/2 year old daughter and she loves this! She loves the Richard Scarry book "Cars and Trucks and Things That Go" (and specifically Goldbug) and this game has many of the same signature characters in it. In the box, you get the board which is in 3 pieces that you lock together like a puzzle, a timer, 4 large character movers, a spinner, 10 mini plastic orange magnifying glasses, a cardboard boat and cardboard food, and Goldbug mystery cards. I like that this game is a cooperative game in that there isn't one winner - you work as a team to find the objects on the board using the timer, which is great for the preschool set.To play you spin the spinner and if you spin a number, you move that number of spaces. If you spin Goldbug, you take a Goldbug mystery card and search for that object as a team all around the huge 6 foot long board (this is not a table game because of the size) and try to find as many of that object as you can together, putting a magnifying glass on the ones you find before the timer runs out. Everyone moves the number of spaces per object found. For instance, if you find 4 wrenches, everyone moves 4 spaces forward and then remove the magnifying glasses. If you spin "Pigs Eat" you take away one of the cardboard foods on the picnic blanket at the end of the board. At the end of the board path, there is a cardboard boat and all players have to get on before the boat can move to try to make it to the Picnic Island before the pigs eat all the food.We really love this game and it's great quality time and builds cooperation skills, thinking skills, and searching skills. The board itself is made pretty sturdily but you do have to fold the board to put it back in the box, so over time it does have the potential to get torn or split. I wish that they'd make the board thicker and just make it more than 3 puzzle pieces so you wouldn't have to fold it. I love that all the familiar characters are present and searching for the objects for Goldbug mysteries is actually quite challenging, even for adults, because the board is so busy with so many images on it. My daughter doesn't find it frustrating or overwhelming because she usually ends up finding more than me! Because there are so many objects to find, you really can't memorize where they are which keeps it challenging. I originally thought it would be better if the objects on the mystery cards would be printed in color instead of black and white, but I think they did that because the object isn't always the same colors on the board. Overall, this is made really well and lots of fun for our family to play!

When my own daughters were growing up, all of Richard Scarry's wonderful books were favorites to be read and loved over and over again. The same was true for Busytown board sets. Recently when my older daughter and her two little girls - ages 5 1/2 and 2 1/2 - were home for Thanksgiving, we all found an original Busytown set at home (in the dusty attic) and brought it down to play with all over again. Everyone loved it! At that moment I knew that I had to find more such toys for our granddaughters, and the Busytown game was perfect!All ages can enjoy this beautifully illustrated game - our two-and-half-year-old LOVES to be the "keeper of the time" - and the fact that all players are able to move together after landing on a "Goldbug" space promotes a very enjoyable and positive experience of cooperation and teamwork. I think it's really important for little people and especially non-readers to be able to join in a fun adventure that can be shared with such friendly, make-believe characters as Lowly and Huckle. (Furthermore, the "pigs" who have the chance to "steal" the picnic are just as cute as all the other beloved Scarry characters!)The cardboard characters aren't as durable as I wish they could be, but perhaps we'll all learn - as we continue to play this wonderful game - to treat it more gently. Then - years and years from now - it, too, can be found in an attic, dusted off and shared with a new generation of bright-eyed youngsters who've discoverd the joys of Busytown and all-things-Richard-Scarry.

My 3-year old daughter loves this game. She hasn't a clue how to play it, but she gets excited whenever she sees the box, and wants to play it right away.The game is actually pretty simple. It's cooperative play, though everyone gets their own character and turn to spin the spinner. You move your character the number indicated on the spinner, pig Will and pig Won't eat one of the picnic snacks, or you spin a Goldbug search to draw a card. Everyone searches for the item indicated until time is up, marking their finds with the little plastic magnifying glasses, and you move spaces equal to the number of finds. The goal is to reach the picnic before the pig brothers eat all the picnic snacks.You can modify the rules to suit younger players. We forgo using the timer and magnifying glasses, and spins that land on the pigs only sometimes cause them to eat (they kept winning the game!). The searches are surprisingly difficult; Busy town is really busy, and there are a lot of places where objects like buckets can find. If you're playing with a really young child, you might find that when you squint, a flower pot can be a bucket. After all, buckets and flower pots have a similar shape, and both hold things. You can bring in discussions about how things are alike and different this way.Fun game for the little ones, with replay value for a good number of years (the searches are hard!!). I am not generally a fan of the "everyone wins" philosophy, but it works well here and for this age group.ADDENDUM: It's now 2019 and my kiddo is 7. She still likes the game, and has great fun playing it. It's especially a favorite when stone of her friends on the spectrum come over - simple rules, details to pore over, and co-op play are fun for everyone.

Perfect for my 2-6 year olds to play together. They understood the directions easily. It's great to have a game that involves group/team play. It keeps up the enthusiasm and good will. The pictures are adorable and the magnifying glass concept is super exciting for the children. The board is unique. Very pleased with this purchase!