Meg's Educational Toy Recommendations
Rush Hour and Rush Hour Jr.
Manufactured by: ThinkFun, Binary Arts
Format: Educational Toy
Ages: Rush Hour: 8 and up; Rush Hour Jr.: 6-8
Children can play with this puzzle alone or with others and will be kept entertained by the fun concept for long periods of time. To begin, players choose one of the 40 puzzle cards (there are different difficulty levels expansion packs are available) and place the plastic vehicles on the board to match the set-up “traffic jam” position shown on the card. Players solve the ‘puzzle’ by moving the necessary cars and trucks vertically or horizontally to clear the gridlock allowing his/her own vehicle a free path of escape from the jam.
Although the manufacture recommends the original Rush Hour for ages 8 and up, I have seen many younger children play it successfully. Both the original and junior versions of the game keep kids engaged with increasing levels of difficulty and are excellent choices for trips since they come with a travel pouch to keep all the components together.