Noodleboro Fun Park Game (A Spectrum of Reviews)

I'm always on the lookout for fun games that can double as a conversation starter or other sneaky educational thing. Via Mom Central, I had the opportunity to receive the Noodleboro Fun Park Sharing Game. This game is appropriate for the whole family, although older kids may find it simple. The focus is on turn-taking and collaboration. While each individual competes in theme park activities, the resulting prizes and stars are shared amongst all players. The ultimate object of the game is a group effort, trying to obtain as many sharing stars as possible before the theme park "closes."

The initial set-up of the game took awhile: each theme park ride must be constructed and the cards must be placed by the appropriate activity. I think my kids punched out the cards all in one big lump, so that created some extra effort to sort them, but this could be a game in itself for preschool kids eager to show off their matching skills. I ended up putting each type of prize (and the sharing stars) in individual small bowls, the plastic type traditionally used for toddler food. Spliggle the eating-machine never needed such a small portion dish, so I was glad to discover a new use for these.

Once I figured out what went where and how the game was supposed to be played, the kids enjoyed playing. There are four stations: their favorite was the "log flume," probably because in real life this is a favorite activity. In this case, the player balances a little boulder on a log, carefully maneuvering it through the vertical course. The "roller coaster" involves trying to catch a disk that goes through the coaster course. The "ferris wheel" is a game of luck: pick a color and hope the wheel lands on your color. "Tent show" is a shell game; no cheating! Success at these stations produces prizes; if a player already has that prize, he or she shares with another player, thus earning a "sharing star" for the group.

The die determines the activity: one of the four stations, player's choice, or to advance the "sun" closer to "park closing time" on the game board. Once the sun gaming piece reaches the end, the park closes. The players count up the number of sharing stars accumulated, and try to beat it the next round! In other words, you "win" every time.

For super-competitive kids such as mine, keep in mind that the goal of the game won't just be sharing stars in their eyes. It is hard to encourage a collaborative effort for kids who absolutely need to know who is "in front." (I earned five sharing stars for the pool! Well I earned seven!) Of course, it is the sharing that this game is meant to teach. I hope that with repeated playing I can emphasize that this isn't about accumulating all the prizes, because the ultimate result is that everyone in the game will have all four prizes, and then everyone will be working together to accumulate "sharing stars."

My boys created new scenarios for the Noodleboro Fun Park Game: they added a hockey scrimmage to the activities, for example, since I had set up the game close to our rod hockey game. The puck took a trip down the roller coaster and the log flume, too. Soon the theme park had visitors in the form of plastic pirates, little koosh balls, and pulled-off-the-game hockey players. While I can't say for certain that the boys got the intended "sharing message" of the game, they certainly had fun, and the game provided a great launch pad for their creativity.