ThinkFun's Rush Hour brand now has a new version of their popular logic and problem solving game made especially for preschoolers and I am totally here for it! My First Rush Hour, designed for ages 3 and up, gives young kids the same brain-boosting, playful experience as the original but in a new, age-appropriate format.
You may know that the original Rush Hour and Rush Hour, Jr. are my top recommendations when parents are looking for a gift to take to birthday parties and so My First Rush Hour is the obvious choice for my latest game of the month pick!
Note: ThinkFun sent us an advance copy of the game to try out and make sure it was something I could whole-heartedly recommend; this post contains affiliate links.
This logic and strategy game brings back so many memories! My oldest played the original game independently for hours. When my youngest was too little to understand his big brother's Rush Hour game, he loved to play with the little vehicles on their grid.
About My First Rush Hour
As you would imagine, although the basic premise of guiding a vehicle through a maze of traffic is the same, this Rush Hour for preschoolers game is heavily modified from the original. My First Rush Hour consists of a large, clear grid, a set of challenge cards ranging from easy to hard, and a collection of colorful vehicles with a safety officer.
The challenge cards display colored shapes corresponding to the vehicles. Preschoolers slide the large challenge cards into the clear grid, and use the shapes as a clues to determine where to place the vehicles on the grid.
So, without even starting the maze, kids are already practicing one-to-one skills, pattern matching, and shape identification– important foundational skills for math!
After placing the vehicles, preschoolers attempt to guide the red "hero" car through the maze and off the grid.
Why Your Kids Need My First Rush Hour
First, let's acknowledge that kids love anything with toy vehicles.
Second, like the original, My First Rush Hour is superb for engaging children's logic, visual perception, problem solving and critical thinking abilities. These growth mindset skills are crucial building blocks for future success.
Unlike the original Rush Hour, which I loved as a way to keep my kids independently busy, parents will most likely need to sit side by side with their preschooler. In this case, that is a bonus! 3-5 year olds will practice learn good communication skills and parents can model patience during the learning process.
It's hard to overstate how much I love this game. Are you convinced?
Buy it (you know you want to): Amazon
Also, please watch these ADORABLE kids playing My First Rush Hour and see the game in action:
More of our favorite games for preschoolers:
- Hoot Owl Hoot, a cooperative board game
- ChickyBoom, a game for steady hands!
- Pengoloo, a memory matching game
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