ThinkFun-alysis: Swish Jr!

I love getting new games to try.  A few weeks ago, Think Fun asked if they could send me a new game to test out (for free).  Swish Jr.  And I thought to myself, how would or could they improve on it and make it easier for the younger crew....

They did.  And did it well.

Swish Jr. is the little brother of Swish, the see-through visual perceptual card game.  I love this game on many levels.  It can be easily modified by approach/turn taking and builds on great thinking skills.  Both Mudge and Boog are able to play it, so I was actually suprized about ThinkFun creating a junior version.  But when I received it in the mail and opened the package I saw the key differences.

First, the cards are larger and there are fewer of them.  Second, the shapes "swish" together are no longer balls and hoops; they are now distinctly different shapes and colors like arrows, flowers, leaves and circles.  The reason for that is so the smaller kiddos can more quickly and independently identify whether or not there is a swish-able match.  Before, the balls and hoops version required more attention to detail and visual discrimination skills.  The other thing ThinkFun did was that the shapes and colors  on the cards are always in the same place, so there are predictable swishes.

The game is still very portable and comes with its little carry pack and instructions. It is still quite engaging for kids of all ages.  Both my 7 and 4 year old had no problem diving into the game. 

Overall, if you want to get little ones thinking outside the box, and inside shapes pick up Swish Jr.  It is rated for 5 and up, and the original big brother version is 8 and up.  My boys are typical kiddos (I say this biting my tongue) and they were both able to play the older version.  So look at your kids needs and abilities before purchasing.  Don't forget, this game is fun, competitive, and addictive.  Adults like playing too. So you may just want to suck it up and get both :).