Review of the Cat in the Hat - I Can Do that Board Game

For her fourth birthday, my daughter received The Cat in the Hat I Can Do That board game. Described as a hopping, twirling, crawling, balancing belly-laughing fun game, The Cat in the Hat I Can Do That board game is for ages 4 to 8 and comes with stickers on the box proclaiming it an Oppenheimer Toy Portfolio "Best Toy Award" winner, as well as the recipient of the Parents' Choice Gold Award and The National Parenting Center "Seal of Approval".

While I described The Cat in the Hat I Can Do That as a board game, there is no actual board inside the box. Instead you open it up to find various plastic toys representing key playthings from the Dr. Seuss Cat in the Hat book, like the toy ship, mother's new gown and the fish. Also included are some styrofoam pieces that you assemble into the Trick-a-ma-stick and odd-shaped playing cards in three colors - red, yellow and blue.

The Cat in the Hat I Can Do That Trick-a-ma-stick is a flimsy contraption that one wishes the game manufacturer had spent a few more pennies on to be just a bit more sturdy. But that is a minor complaint. Set up took just a few moments and the time from opening the box to playing the game was less than two minutes.

Cards are spread out on the floor and the first player begins the game by picking one card from each color. You flip the cards over and notice that each one has writing on the back side. The player puts the three cards together, assembling them almost like puzzle pieces from the irregular shapes on the border of the cards. Once you assemble the pieces, it gives you a task to do to start The Cat in the Hat I Can Do That game.

An example of things that kids are expected to do in The Cat in the Hat I Can Do That game is this: Step over the Trick-a-ma-stick (Card 1) with the rake (Card 2) under your right arm (Card 3). Assuming the player can complete the assigned task, he gets to keep the cards in his pile. Play continues until all cards are used. A winner is determined by counting the stars on each of the cards in your pile. The one with the most stars at the end wins.

The best thing about The Cat in the Hat I Can Do That game is that it stayed true to the spirit of the Dr. Seuss book. It also is an active game that has players doing more than sitting in their chair. I played the game with my four-year old and my six-year old and they both had fun playing it the first time we did it.

Now for the things I found not so fun. The cards include a Stop card, and if you get this one you do not get a turn. Instead, you put the Stop card into your pile and return the other two cards into the deck. The four-year old did not care for the stop cards at all. When she got two in a row, she started acting up and lost interest in playing by the rules, instead asking to do the tasks that the six-year old did.

The six-year old really liked putting the cards together and reading the tasks. However, there really was not anything he could not do. At first he derived great satisfaction from completing the task. As the game wore on, he was left wanting more challenging things to do.

The Cat in the Hat I Can Do That game was marketed to kids between 4 and 8. However, my recommendation would be to get this game for kids ages 3 to 5 and be prepared to help them assemble the cards, read the tasks and remove the Stop cards from the deck. They really serve no purpose.

This game retails for $19.99 and is available from all major toy sellers, including Target, Toys R Us, Borders and others. There is even a Web site - www.icandothatgames.com - which indicates other titles in the series, ranging from other Dr. Seuss stories in addition to Curious George and Richard Scarry.

Overall, I give The Cat in the Hat I Can Do That game three out of five stars. It is creative and interactive but I worry that it will not stand up to multiple plays. And it is certainly not a game you should give to kids at the upper end of the manufacturer's suggested age range.