Plan Toys Fishing Game Review

We have been Plan Toys fans since the Tomato was in utero. When we started to look for wooden toys with safe paints, we came across a few companies, of which Plan Toys was one. Made with rubberwood, they are painted with organic paint and water based non-toxic dyes. They encourage kids to be creative in their play and they are calm. There are no crazy bells and whistles in these toys, which invite the kids to create their own sounds and let their imaginations run wild.

Our first foray into Plan Toys was the basic roller, which can be used in so many ways in a baby’ first year. Tomato shook it, rolled it, explored its textures and it was one of our first color conversation pieces. It’s great to continue to explore with Plan Toys as she grows.

Yesterday was spent playing with the Fishing Game that they make for ages 3 and up. And when I say yesterday, I mean at least 3-4 hours of yesterday. Tomato is only 2, so she played under close supervision and as a team with me as she isn’t quite ready for some of the coordination activities with this. But, not being three did not hold her back from having a good time and playing with the game in a variety of ways.

When we first took the toy out of the box, I was struck by the fact that the fish were not wrapped in a plastic bag, but instead a brown paper bag. Bravo on that eco-awareness, Plan Toys! We laid out the little blue fabric pond (hand wash only) and placed the fish on the pond. Tomato was all ready to dive in to fishing with the rod, but we’ll have to use the adjustment ring on it some more to help her develop the coordination for that. So, what could you do with kids with this game. Below is my list of favorites:

1. Talk about the colors of the fish.

What colors are there? Turn it around, like Tomato did, and ask what colors are not there. She was wondering if we could get a purple fish to add to the group.

2. Talk about the textures.

With younger toddlers, you can have the conversation about soft vs hard. Is the pond soft and smooth? Are the fish hard, but also still smooth on top?

3. Count.

Count the fish one by one. They are such a nice size for kids to practice one to one correlation. Count up. Count back.

4. Sort by color.

If you have a yellow fish set aside, have your child collect the other yellow things in the room and make a group. Do the same for the red fish and so on.

5. Develop patience and learn to take turns.

This is a fantastic feature of the game. It’s not easy to get those fish on the hooks on the first try. So, sit with your little ones, teach them to take a breath if frustration sets in and enjoy the value building.

6. Extend the activity to the library and supermarket.

Grab some picture books about fish in ponds and by contrast, fish in the sea. Talk about the difference in the water. Stop at the fishmonger’s counter when you head to the market and talk about which fish are pond based and which are ocean based. Once they have the colors down, see if you can nickname each fish to be a type of trout or bass. Go as far as you can on this. It has great homeschooling and learning by doing potential.

7. Play as a team and enjoy the time together.

This was my favorite aspect of playing the game yesterday. In a week that has been filled with what seems like a thousand errands, it was nice just to sit by my daughter and play and giggle with her. At times, imaginative play and teamwork is as important for us as it is the kids.

Overall, I think we have another Plan Toys success in our house. I’m happy to say that their toys grow with the kids, so I know we’ve got a quality company to buy from as Tomato grows.

Disclosure: We were provided with the above game in order to review it. The good time that was had by all and the resulting opinions are all my own.

***Congrats to Alissa! She is our VZ Wraps Giveaway winner!! I will email you later today Alissa to set up delivery.***