Looking for a new, unique way to spend game night with your kids? Hop to it!
Harry Hopper, from Thames & Kosmos, is a game full of hoppin’ fun that challenges kids to practice their early strategy and spacial skills.
A quick note before you get started: You need a lot of space to play this game. Make sure your table or other surface is completely clear, or find a nice open space on the floor. Start off by setting up your grass blades—with the red blade in the middle of two circles constructed of the other green blades. Six blades of grass make up the middle circle (three light and three dark green), while 12 make up the outer circle (six light and six dark green). Make sure there is one length of the grasshopper piece between the red blade and the first circle, and the first circle and the second. Now you’re ready to go!
Divide the players into two teams. The goal is to make your Harry Hopper jump and knock over the blades of grass. Kids will have fun watching their grasshopper jump after the press down on it’s wings. They’ll also get a quick, easy lesson in strategy and physics, as they learn how hard or lightly to press down on the grasshopper to hit certain blades.
No matter which color blade (light or dark green) your team’s grasshopper hits, all the blades that fall must be removed from the playing area. The goal is to knock down all the blades of your own team’s color and then the red blade to win. If you knock down the red blade before all your green blades are knocked down, you have to reset it in the center.
Harry Hopper is a super fun game designed for kids ages 6 and up, which is just about the right age for the dexterity it requires to be able to hop your grasshopper. Since it’s played on teams, younger players can get involved with the help of older ones, making it a great game for the whole family. It ditches the board for a more active and fun way to spend your game night. It comes with a Harry Hopper drawstring bag, so the pieces can easily be packed up and taken on the go!
Plus, if your kids tire of hopping, there are instructions included in how to set up a grasshopper obstacle course in your play area for a new way to play the game.
