In all my years of playing board games, not too many come to mind where everyone is working together to achieve a common goal. The emphasis of most board games is for an individual to beat their opponent. This is not the case with Mermaid Island. In fact, it is the exact opposite. The object of this game is for everyone to work together to get the three mermaids to the island before the sea witch. In order to achieve that goal, everyone must work together.  

Mermaid Island includes: 1 game board, 3 mermaid tokens, 1 sea witch with stand, 4 wand tokens, a spinner, and instructions, all in a very sturdy box. All of the components of the game are constructed with very strong materials that will withhold the test of time! I am very impressed with the durability level of everything that is included, especially for a game that is targeted to younger kids. The age listed is 5 plus, but I believe children as young as 3 could play. This game may seem too simple for older children, so I think a good age range is 3-8.  

The object of the game is to get all the mermaids to the island before the sea witch gets there. Everyone takes turns spinning the spinner, and on your turn you can choose to move any mermaid or the sea witch. If you land on a wand, you earn a wand token, which can be used to move the sea witch back one space. Players work together to decide which mermaids should be moved and when it is best to use the wand tokens. This game is a great way of teaching not only teamwork, but strategy as well!

I really like the idea of children working together instead of competing with each other. Sure, a little competition is good for everyone, but so is learning to work as a team. Mermaid Island does just that in a fun and non-competitive way.

Product Review by Stacy Rocha, The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, LLC, January, 2012