Creating Bloomers

When life gets hectic (and when is it ever not hectic?), a great way to connect with your kids is through games.

A good board game forces you to slow down and enjoy laughs and fun with your little ones. And if they can learn a little something in the process? Even better!

Cranium has built a solid reputation of quality, entertaining and educational games for kids. That's why I was thrilled to try two of their latest games from their "Bloom" line.

My 7-year-old daughter Natalie and I played the "Let's Go to the Zoo Seek and Find Puzzle" and "Let's Play Count and Cook Game."



We started with the puzzle game first. The game is geared for ages 3+ and that "+" is important, because even though the game was less challenging for my daughter's age level, she still LOVED it!

The puzzle is 24 pieces that make up a lively scene at the zoo. Players are challenged to find various items and animals. "Find something orange," for example, or, "Find five palm trees." There are two decks of cards held neatly together in a spiral book, one for each of the two levels of difficulty.

The most fun aspect is that players get to circle their finds right on the puzzle and can wipe away their answers of the next game.



I found the Count and Cook game to be particularly adorable. The pieces that you move across the board are these cute and colorful chefs, complete with hats. Little circles with "ingredients" on them are placed all around the board and each player picks their favorite ingredient as their starting point.

The goal is to build one recipe together from the recipe book (which is very simple). As players move around the board, they collect the "ingredients" needed to make each recipe.

And the recipes really work, so you can extend the fun by cooking up a treat together in the kitchen. Younger children also learn simple counting skills as they roll the dice and move around the board.

I had thoroughly planned to offer one of the games I reviewed to one lucky winner, but Natalie refused to part with either one. So you know they are a lot of fun!

If you're interested in playing them, head on over to Cranium Bloom's site to check them out (free U.S. Ground shipping on orders of $25 or more!), or visit your nearest Target store, where all 14 Cranium Bloom games are exclusively sold in-store. Happy playing!

And thanks to Mom Central and Cranium for the chance to review these wonderful games!