Build a Robot Game
(Find out more or buy through Amazon…)

I am pretty sure that this game was made specifically for my son. It is no wonder that it was awarded the Oppenheim Best Toy award.

It has everything that a preschoolers like: a spinner, sturdy pieces, and…oh yeah…robots!

Every robot piece has a number, from 1 to 5. There are 4 pieces for each number. You spin a little spinner and pick which piece you want for your robot. The first person to finish their robot wins.

This board game is crazy simple, a little creative, and my preschooler loves it!

Rivers, Roads And Rails
(Find out more or buy through Amazon…)

This is one of those games that is just as much fun (if not more fun) for preschoolers to play on their own.

The game consists of a bunch of cards that have parts of rivers, roads and/or railroad tracks. The object of the game is to match the pieces together so that the paths are continuous.

Edison will sit there for an hour straight, matching the pieces together. We don’t even bother trying to play the actual game. It is wonderful for preschool cognitive skills and matching.

Hi Ho Cherry-O
(Find out more or buy through Amazon…)

I originally bought this board game out of a combination of curiosity and nostalgia. When I was little, all of my friends had this game, but they never wanted to play because they could play it any old time.

So, I picked it up for Edison to finally see what was up with all of those little cherries.

The object of the game is to get all of your cherries (10) from your tree into your basket. You spin a little spinner and either pick cherries from your tree or take some from your basket and put them back on your tree.

It is a simple game that is good for counting and basic addition and subtraction. But, it is also great for fine motor skills because the cherries are so flippin’ small.

(Note: I was happy to find the “book” version because it is much easier to store than the traditional version. Also, even though the plastic box seals tightly, I still use a zip-lock baggie for the cherries. We haven’t lost one yet, and we play it all the time.)

Guess Who?
(Find out more or buy through Amazon…)

This game was recommended by my step-mom as a great way to practice deductive reasoning skills. Her 6th grade class loves it, but it is easy enough for preschoolers to play.

Basically, players use yes or no questions to determine which card the other player has. For example, a player might ask, “Is the person on your card a woman?” If the answer is yes, the first player can eliminate all of the men on their playing board.

This is a great board game for introducing logic to preschoolers, and Edison loves the mechanics (sliding the pictures up and down on his game board.) We also use it for pre-reading skills by asking questions like, “Does your person have an ‘E’ in their name?”

(Note: There is a full-sized version, but I read on Amazon that the travel version is actually more sturdy. Plus, I can throw it in my purse and bring it with when we travel.)

Perfection
(Find out more or buy through Amazon…)

This game is oh so annoying if someone else is playing, but awesome for fine motor skills and spacial relations. I mean, absolutely incredible!

You set the timer (that’s the annoying bit). Then, you put as many pieces into the correct holes as you can before the timer goes off. When time is up, the board jumps which is a bit startling but loads of fun for a preschooler.

My brother and I had this when we were kids, and I still enjoy playing it.

Connect 4 (with Five Ways to Play)
(Find out more or buy through Amazon…)

Yes, I know…This is not a “board game”, but I am still going to put it on here because it is one of Edison’s favorite ways to make a temporary mess.

I probably don’t need to explain how it works, but basically, you take turns putting checkers into slots. With the classic game, you are just trying to get 4 of your checkers in a row. We have the “Five Ways to Play” version, which (obviously) has a few more ways to play the game.

Edison’s favorite part is the end. After someone wins, you empty the checker holder by flipping a little thing on the bottom and the checkers spill onto the table. Great fun for a preschooler.

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A few months ago, Edison requested a turkey wrap for lunch. I am not sure where my preschooler heard about turkey wraps, but it seemed healthy enough and we happened to have turkey and tortillas, so whatever.

On the way home from school, I asked him if he liked his lunch and he said he liked the turkey wrap but did not want to have them at school any more. Apparently,  when he pulled it out of his lunch, a kid said “eeeeeew!”

Inside, I was livid. How dare some kid make fun of my son’s lunch? What kind of ignorant child makes fun of another kid for what he chooses to eat? I mean, really. It is only a turkey wrap, but where does it stop? What would he say to a child in a wheelchair or someone with different skin color? I wanted to find the kid and give him a good talking-to.

But, I didn’t. Instead, I launched a campaign to teach my son that if he really liked something (especially, something healthy and innocuous like a turkey wrap), he shouldn’t care what other people thought.

I told him that a long time ago, no one had computers at home. (Can you imagine?) But, then this guy named Bill Gates changed everything by making computers that normal people could afford. His classmates thought he was different too, but he changed everything.

“If everyone thought the same way, we would have no electric lights, no cars, no iPads. Different is cool!”

I stocked his bookshelf with picture books, like Odd Boy Out: Young Albert Einstein and Timeless Thomas: How Thomas Edison Changed Our Lives; fantastic preschool books about amazing people who were so different and changed the world.

Fast-forward to last week…

Edison asked me to dye my hair blue. He knows I love wild colored hair, but I just didn’t have the nerve to go all out. I told him I would think about warm colors like pink or purple, but not until after the holidays.

“Why?” Edison asked.

“Because we are going to be doing a lot of traveling, and not everyone would approve of a wild color like that.”

“Why do you care what they think?”

“Um…”

Ouch! How could I expect him to stand up for his turkey wrap while I sat by with my drab hair, wishing I had the courage to do something different? Sometimes, it is tough when your kid pays attention…

So, I did it. I did it, and I love it! I feel like I should have been born with pink and purple hair. It is bright and sunny and fun, and who wouldn’t want to feel bright and sunny and fun?

As for what other people think, I noticed something interesting…

It turns out that the people whose opinions I value the most, like it. Edison thinks it is “weely cool” and my husband loves it. The grumpy old man at the grocery store this morning would have been grumpy and old, regardless of what color my hair was. Honestly, I am wondering why I didn’t do it sooner.

So, thanks Edison. You’re a pretty cool kid. I just need to remember to re-read this post when you ask me if you can dye your hair green.

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