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Digger's Garden Match Game Review by Brandi Tesreau

Simply Fun, LLC
11711 SE 8th Street, Suite 110
Bellevue, WA 98005
877-557-7767
http://www.simplyfun.com

Colors, shapes, and points--oh my! Take a stroll through Digger's garden and match a rainbow of colors and a variety of shapes to earn big points. It's a game the entire family can play (ages 4 and up).

Digger's Garden Match Game includes 25 tiles, 1 starter tile, 6 doggie bones, 1 scoreboard, and rules for playing. All contents can be stored neatly in the original, durable box. Pieces seem to be of good quality and are definitely attractive and colorful.

To begin, each player chooses a doggie bone and places it on Digger's doghouse. Players start out with 2 tiles each, and the rest--except for the starter tile--are placed face down on the table. The game revolves around matching and connecting the shapes and colors on the tiles, and the goal is to earn the most points. A new tile is drawn after each match.

The tiles are hexagon-shaped, and each one is divided into 6 triangles. Each triangle is a different color and has a certain number of shapes. Players can choose to match colors, shapes, or both. Matching multiple tiles can be somewhat challenging at first for younger children. My 5-year-old daughter had trouble in the beginning but is now catching on. When I say challenging, I mean it in a good way, though, because she really has to use her thinking skills! Multiple matching provides enough of a challenge, too, to lure my older boys--ages 8 and 11--into playing a game with their sister.

Game time is fairly short, which is a perk for me. On average the game will take about 15 minutes. It's over after all tiles have been used or when someone reaches 50 points. It may take more time if a young child is trying with all their might to match multiple tiles on every turn. (I know from experience!) Another perk is the fact that this game can be a 1-player game. On several occasions my daughter has pulled it out to play alone.

Simply Fun's website is very informative. I love that it provides a video of a mom and her two children playing this game while a narrator explains the rules from start to finish. After watching the video, you will see how easy and fun this game is. I recommend it specifically for children ages 4-6, although every family member can participate. I agree with the company's name--Digger's Garden is "simply fun" and truly is "learning . . . disguised as play!"

Product review by Brandi Tesreau, The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine , LLC, September 2010

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