Kids can get both their imaginations and their bodies in action with the Chomp-itz Crocodile Dinner game from Identity Games.
Far from a traditional board game, Crocodile Dinner comes with three crocodile snout masks designed to fit any player ages 5 and up. Kids may need an adult’s help to adjust the mask’s straps, but once they are positioned correctly, the crocodile jaws will open and close as the player opens and closes his or her mouth.
The game box also includes 13 foam fish. There are four green, four blue, and four purple, which correspond to the colors of the crocodile snouts. The final fish is orange and dubbed “the goldfish.”
The most straightforward way to play the game is to scatter all of the foam fish, then have players race to collect the four foam fish matching their masks and then the goldfish. In order to pick up their fish from the floor, players must get down on all fours and use their whole bodies.
Although this is the suggested way to play, there are endless play possibilities for these masks and fish. The box includes a list of game play variation ideas, including having players collect one fish of each color, creating an obstacle course of tasks using the masks and fish, or playing the game outside.
The Identity Games website also provides downloadable “ponds,” which adults can print in either black and white (for kids to color) or in color. Kids can use the ponds as a target for the fish, to hone the motor skills they use while playing.
Even beyond the included suggestions, the masks can seamlessly translate to basic imaginative play. For example, kids can pretend to be vicious crocodiles or figure out which household objects they can pick up using the snout.
There also is truly no age cap for this game, as the masks even fit adult’s faces when loosened. Parents, older siblings, and some children may feel silly in a colorful croc mask, but joining in is an entertaining way to get up and active. Get ready for lots of laughs!
