Cat in the Hat - I Can Do That!

Classic Dr. Seuss characters make this game fun and educational for all kids. View larger.

What We Think Fun Factor: Durability: (what this means) The Good: Innovative, award-winning game gets kids moving, develops confidence The Bad: Game components may not stand up to extended use In a Nutshell: Energizing, creative, confidence-building game At a Glance Ages: 4 through 8 Requires: Minimal, simple assembly

Innovative Game Gets Kids Moving
This is not your traditional board game. I Can Do That! comes with imaginative props inspired by the classic children's book The Cat In the Hat by Dr. Seuss, as well as a deck of color-coded cards that provide funny, challenging activities.

To start, a player picks one of each of the three color cards. Taken together, the cards create a fun and funny activity the player is challenged to do. For example, Card 1 could read "Take Four Giant Steps," Card 2 "With the Cake," and Card 3 "On your head!" Each card also has one, two, or three stars on it for score keeping purposes. If the player wants to take the challenge, he says "I can do that!" and proceeds. If he succeeds, he keeps the cards in his own scoring pile. If he doesn't think he can do the activity, he can re-draw until he gets an activity that he can do. But watch out: if he draws a "Stop!" card, he must give up his cards and end his turn. The player with the most stars in the scoring pile wins the game.

Creative, Funny Activities Build Confidence
The beauty of this game is in its simplicity. Easy-to-follow instructions and super-easy assembly ensure that your family will be playing in no time, with minimal frustration -- a must for the enthusiastic, shorter attention spans of younger kids.

We also love that this game goes beyond traditional board games to get kids up and moving. This is great both for energetic youngsters who lack the patience to focus quietly and for children who need a bit more motivation to get physical. Kids will have a lot of fun balancing, crawling, leaping, and skipping with the whimsical props. They'll enjoy watching each other, and they'll learn to compete in an entertaining environment.

We also love that the game's structure encourages kids to challenge themselves, while the option of drawing and re-drawing cards still gives them the choice to play at their comfort levels. The simple, generalized game instructions are open it to many variations, and the instructions actually encourage families to customize the rules to their children's abilities and desires.

The only concern we had was with the game's durability. The foam pieces definitely won't last as long as your vintage Monopoly set. But on the plus side, the flexible, soft props guard well against injuries or mishaps.

What's in the Box
One deck of color-coded cards, foam and plastic props, and instruction card.

Children pick cards to try different fun and funny challenges.