Ezri’s First Boardgame

We are playing “Go Away, Monster!” made by Gamewright and recommended to me by friends with toddlers.
It’s a perfect two-year-old board game.
She learns about taking turns and completing her gameboard. You can play competitively, but we played the cooperative style where players help each other out.
Best of all you get to yell, “Go Away, Monster!” at frequent intervals throughout gameplay.

Ezri placing a piece on her gameboard.

The real joy is pulling pieces from the bag. She knows she isn’t supposed to look, but sometimes I catch her peeking.

This game has such a simple concept that I now want to design my own toddler games. The big thing that sets it apart from other boardgames (ones that are still off in Ezri’s future) is that there is no need to be able to count accurately. Even Chutes and Ladders requires consistent counting skills. Sometimes, Ezri can count, but she still loses focus much of the time.

Ezri has asked to play this game again and again – so if anyone’s in the neighborhood and wants to play Go Away, Monster stop by. She already taught Jason and Lori who were our dinner guests on Friday night.