Summer of 2008 has been all about heat waves and thunderstorms, both extremes forcing me and the kids inside lots of days by noon. Thank goodness for Netflix, Pillsbury croissants and board games!

We received Briarpatch I Spy Memory Game to test and it’s been a lifesaver… all three kids enjoy the game in different ways. The first and easiest game is Memory. Everybody loves it, simple, easy to understand game that does not require reading.  I also love it because the images on the card are of real objects, not obnoxious characters! Girl2006 can name most of the cards so it’s nice to build vocabulary, of course she has little to no ability to remember where the matches are but she tries! Girl2004 and Boy2001 play with ease and it’s great for them to play amongst themselves.

Another game you can play with this set is the I Spy Fun with Riddles Game. This is recommended for children 6 and up. It’s quite fun to play, boy2001 and I play when the girls can’t focus on memory anymore. This is my personal favorite way to use this set… the perfect mix of memory and reasoning.

We’ve also tried the I SPY Riddle Memory Game which is much more challenging to follow for boy2001.  I’m working on encouraging boy2001 to try this more. My kids are really enjoying it, I would recommend to any parents to open up the game and seperate the cards before presenting to kids. It’s an easy process but you know how it is when kids want to “help”. I highly recommend I SPY Memory and Picture Riddle Game for fun with a purpose sessions.

Reading Required

Suggested for Ages 4+

What do you spy?

Did your parents go to extraordinary lengths to get you the must have toys?  To my knowledge my mother did once, she braved a store to get me a cabbage patch doll.  Now, the next thing I am going to say is sure to ruffle some feathers, I didn’t even want it.

I don’t recall EVER asking for a specific toy.  I had no clue about what toys to ask for I think.  I went to school, walked home and was a latch key kid.  I had one friend in my building that I was authorized to call for some play time.  She didn’t have a lot of toys, she was the only girl I really played with at home.  She had more than I did but didn’t have ’it’ toys.  We both had very plain rooms, books, a doll or two, a few teddy bears and posters.

Being a latch key kid I did watch a LOT Of television but I don’t recall any toy ads during them.  I do have to admit I would do my homework during the commercials so maybe I was occupied and not paying attention and I didn’t watch kid cartoons.  I watched Little House, What’s Happenning, Gilligan’s Island, HBO, etc…  I wanted toys in general but not anything specific to my recollection.

As far as what I’d do, I think my response would be: not much.

I can’t imagine going very far to get a toy for my kids.  I feel there are enough issues in the world, children without food, etc… If companies don’t make enough toys to meet demand then my kids will have to wait until demand dies down.  I would call around maybe, drive an hour or so to pick up if it was really all the hotness.

I’d be much more likely to buy online, especially during a FREE Shipping Blitz!  now through August 2, you can shop Hasbro’s Hot Summer Toys and get free shipping!  You can trust Hasbro, not one of their toys has been linked to the concerns on lead in children’s toys! Check out Hasbro’s Safety Standards. 

I am seriously contemplating the Baby Alive items, Furreal Friends stuff and Monopoly game.  If you’d like to read about more parent experiences in toy shopping head on over to PBN.  I can’t help but be impressed with Hasbro, for every toy purchased during their Hot Summer Toys Event, they will donate one (up to $400,000) to economically disadvantaged children.