Leaping Lizards Game
The Leaping Lizards game is a fun way to teach counting using bugs! This game has fun pieces to play with… and is unlike any other game we’ve played.
How to Play the Leaping Lizards Game
The game requires no reading or knowledge of number symbols… counting is done with a sting of beads, so a parent or an older sibling could help.
Everyone places their colored Lizard on the end of a string with beads tied at intervals. This is used to keep track of who is ahead.
Everyone is given four small wood tiles decorated with bugs (butterfly, dragonfly, snail and ladybug). They are placed FACE DOWN in front of them. Then all of the cardboard tiles with these pictures of these bugs are put into a cup.
When it’s your turn, you choose one of the face down wood tiles to be your secret bug for the turn. (It gets placed prominently before you, but upside down. )Then you shake out a bunch of tiles, flip over your secret bug, and count how many of your bugs show up.
There will also be a happy or sad face tile telling the lead or last player which direction to go. (This part can be tricky, so you can opt to not use it in the beginning)
Move your lizard along the bead string according to how many tiles match your bug.
The winner reaches the end of the string first!
What I like About the Leaping Lizards Game
The pieces are colorful, and fun to touch and play with. The lizards are made from wood, as are the beads. The cards are hard cardboard.
Even the game cup is a colorful hard cardboard.
This game has held up through three kids, will hold up for much longer. (Can anyone say eventual grandkids?)
My kids enjoyed it every time.
The manufacturer says this game is for ages 5 to 8. I’ve played with younger kids, but they will need a lot of hand holding. There are a lot of different pieces and things to think about. The game is well constructed, interesting, and fun to play.
What’s so good about the Leaping Lizards game is that there really IS a lot to think about. Direction, shape, color, and counting. Games like this are a good lead in to playing more complex games in the future.
Leaping Lizards
Leaping Lizards
