Milton Bradley Fishin' Around...No Hooks, No Worms - This is My Kind of Fishing!!
Written: Apr 26 '03
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Pros: Helps children develop color recognition and fine motor skills. It's FUN!!
Cons: Heaven help me - THE MUSIC!!!
The Bottom Line: Fishin' Around is a fun game that can be played by the rules or just for some plain fishin' fun. Give it a try, you'll be 'hooked'!
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| BearySweet's Full Review: Milton Bradley Fishin' Around Musical Fish-Catchin... |
As my son approaches his third birthday, he is starting to get interested in playing actual games. He received a few games for Christmas and they have whetted his appetite for more. I purchased Candy Land for Jake's birthday and along with it I bought Milton Bradley Fishin' Around Musical Fish-Catching Game. (Note: From now on this game will be referred to simply as Fishin' Around to avoid unnecessary repetition of this mind-bogglingly long title!) While my husband agreed to wait until June to let Jake have Candy Land, he just couldn't wait to get his hands on Fishin' Around. The day it arrived in the mail he opened the box yanked it out and announced that he and Jake were going fishing! Right away Jake was hooked and they have been fishing buddies ever since!!
Out of the Box/Setting Up
When you open the box you will find one game board, 4 fishing poles, 4 plastic fishing lines, 8 fish, 1 bridge, 12 playing cards and a sheet of eye stickers for the fish. Set up was pretty easy, the fishing poles and lines had to be attached, but they are just a ball and socket simply snaps together. There are oval shapes on the fish to show you where the eye stickers go. The game board has a slot and 2 holes that the bridge fits into and that is put on each time you take the game out for play. Fishin' Around requires 3 C batteries that are not included. We found out the first night that 2 C batteries makes it work without the music. (We are considering that option!) Now you are set up and ready to play!!
Checkin' Out the Board/Getting Started
The Fishin' Around game board is round and 10 inches in diameter. It sits 2 inches tall except for the hill where it climbs a little higher. There is a ring of blue around the circle that is the water for the fish to swim in and the middle is sort of an island where a little plastic turtle sits. The turtle is the on/off switch and pressing him either starts the music and motion or stops it. There are places on each side of the board for the fishing poles to rest when not in use.
Each fishing pole is a designed the same but a different color. They are made of plastic and feel very sturdy. The fishing lines are all white and made of a much more flexible plastic. I like that they are plastic instead of string, which would have been much harder for 3 year olds to manipulate when trying to catch fish. The pictures on the back of the box show children catching fish with fishing lines that have double hooks, (looking like 2 J's back to back) but the ones we received in the game are simple single hooks.
The 8 fish come in 4 colors. You get 2 each of red, blue, yellow and purple. (These are the same colors as the fishing poles as well.) The fish themselves are about 2 inches long, 1.5 inches wide, and made of rigid plastic. The top part of their head is on a hinge and opens and closes as they move along. Inside the fish on the bottom is a magnet. (I know this because they stick to my fridge!) There are magnets under the water portion of the game board that move the fish around the circle.
The basic concept of the game is for children to use the fishing poles to catch the fish as they move around the game board. This is made a little more challenging by the fact that the fish's mouths open and close and they swivel a bit in a sort of swimming motion. As a fish goes by you try to get your hook in its mouth and pick it up before it 'gets away'.
Playing the Game
There are a few different ways to play the game. You can use the cards and see who can catch all the fish on the cards first. You need to press the turtle to stop the game after all the fish on the card are caught to put the fish back and let the winner keep that card. There are only 8 fish and sometimes as many as 3 different fish on a card, so you need to start over every round. The one who collects 3 cards first is the winner.
You can also play just to see who can catch the most fish. You can even try to see who can be the first to catch the fish that match the color of their fishing pole. The directions for these games are included in the paperwork that comes with Fishin' Around.
Since Jake is not quite 3, we don't play by the actual rules of the game yet. Right now we just try to catch the fish. Jake loves to catch them and tell us what color they are. We use the cards, but just for Jake to catch the fish that match the cards. His skills aren't sharp enough for competitive play, I would rather he enjoy the game for what it is right now and develop his color recognition, fine motor and visual discrimination skills. The directions for the game suggest letting younger players hold the line to catch fish instead of the pole, but Jake has no trouble using the pole and hooking the fish.
The MUSIC!!!
UGH! I have to dedicate a whole section to the music of this game!! I have no idea why they felt the need to add music to a fishing game, wouldn't that scare fish away?? My guess is the music is to drown out the sound of the motor that propels the fish around the game board. (The motor sound might have been preferable!!) The music itself is not that bad, it is the basic chorus of the song "Three Little Fishies". (Think "Boop boop diddum daddum waddum choo") The tune is catchy and kind of cute, but unfortunately it is less than 10 seconds long....and it repeats. (I'll give you a minute to do the math.) That's right! You get to hear this lovely little ditty 6 times every minute! And unfortunately due to the 'fun' nature of this game, play lasts anywhere from 10 to 20 minutes. The bright side to this is that I seem to be able to tune out monotonous droning after about 5 minutes. Lucky me!
A Few Cons
Aside from the music, there are a few drawbacks to Fishin' Around. The bridge is pretty much useless and more of a pain than anything. It can hold the cards, but it does not sit well in its slot so any slight bump sends it tumbling down across the game board. I also think they should have included a few extra fish, there are only eight and losing even one could really alter the game play. I could not find any information in the directions or on the Hasbro/Milton Bradley website about ordering replacement pieces.
What it All Boils Down To
What really matters with a game like this is whether or not it is fun for children and Fishin' Around is a definite YES! This game gets 2 enthusiastic thumbs up from my toddler. Jake enjoys playing either with me or my husband or by himself. The game is challenging enough right now without following the rules to make it interesting to him every time his plays. When that is not enough for him we will introduce the simplest game and continue from there challenging him as he grows. I have a feeling we will be playing this game (and listening to that infernal music) for quite a long time!!
The Final Word
Fishin' Around is part of Milton Bradley's My First Games series designed for young children to help them develop basic cognitive and social skills. It is recommended for children ages 3-6, but I can't see a 6 year old being very interested in this game. I would say 3-5 would be more appropriate. It is well made and quite durable, I suspect stepping on a fish in the middle of the night would bring forth a string of words that would make the saltiest fisherman blush! If you are looking for a game that will delight your older toddler or preschooler as well as help them pick up a few skills, check out Fishin' Around. One game and you will be 'hooked'!
Other games in the My First Games line:
Candy Land
Hi-Ho Cherry-O
Chutes and Ladders
Wheels on the Bus
Hungry Hungry Hippos
Original Memory
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 13.99
Type of Toy: Board Game
Age Range of Child: 3 to 5 Years
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Epinions.com ID:
BearySweet
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Member: Michelle
Location: The Buckeye State
Reviews written: 85
Trusted by: 68 members
About Me:
Taking a break...life is a bit crazy right now.
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