To coincide with our series on traveling with children, I thought it would be appropriate to feature one of my favorite travel-friendly games, Find It. Find It is a hidden-object game that can keep both kids and adults entertained for the long haul. It’s a simple concept so learning how to play is easy; just hunt for the hidden objects buried within the layer of recycled plastic pellets.
Each game includes one bead-filled tube and a checklist of items you need to find. There are over 30 different objects to look for in a variety of themes such as kids, glitz & glamour, sports, zoo, etc... sothere’s something for everyone.
When playing with children on a long plane or car ride, just read the objects one-by-one from the list. The kids go on a mission to seek each item as it is read until all items have been found. The most enthralling aspect of Find It is looking for the super-secret hidden penny. It's the most obscured object in the tube, and it can only be seen when the player discovers the series of shakes, twists and turns that reveal it. The penny is the hidden gem, which is rarely found, but motivates players for extended periods of time. Once the penny is found, you can go to the Find It Games website and enter the game number and penny year to validate you've won.
Another great thing about Find It is they have a ton of little pieces. Even better — according to many adults, at least — is that the pieces stay in the tube. So for kids who love little things and parents who dislike a mess, it’s the perfect compromise. Find Its satisfy curious minds by encouraging exploration through shaking and spinning the tube to discover its contents.
Developmentally, Find Its offer just as many cognitive and linguistic benefits as Eye Spy Bags. Find Its, however, are far more complex as the objects are much more obscured and the container isn’t as easily manipulated. Through purposeful play, ask children guided questions about the contents of the tube. You can focus on forming associations, recognizing opposites & part to whole relationships, building vocabulary through identifying adjectives & synonyms, etc... The open-endedness of Find It keeps it relevant and educational through the years, which is a quality we value at aMuse.
For playfully spirited adults, Find It is a unique gift that makes a great desktop toy or coffee table talking piece. They inspire curiosity and exploration in creative people of all ages.