Hoppy Floppy's Happy Hunt

Hoppy Floppy's Happy Hunt - Match the colored carrots to the colored baskets.

Help the woodland creatures hunt for the carrots. Hoppy Floppy's Happy Hunt is one more in the series of preschool games featuring large animal squeezers. I was not sure how I would feel about this one, since I am not a big fan of the Sneaky Snacky Squirrel squeezer, but there is a big difference between the two. Sneaky Snacky Squirrel requires, in my opinion, that the acorn be tipped upright to fit into the hole in the stump before you can drop it. With this game, you simply release your squeeze on the rabbit as you hover over the basket and let it fall in. Less precision required. 

There are four like-colored carrots for each colored basket. The carrots are small, but are easy to pick up with the squeezer. The handles on the baskets do not move, they are fixed in that position. I wondered if this would interfere with the dropping of the carrots or require you to twist your hand position, but it does not. The bottom of the box in all these games is decorated inside and meant to be part of the game. Here is a picture of the bottom of this game box with piece sizes:

If you would like to see a list of games with tweezers and tongs, click here. 

Object:

Be the first person to collect one carrot of each color in your basket.

Set up:

You can either leave the carrots in the box bottom or spread them on a flat surface. I don't leave them in the box as the bunny is fairly big and it is too awkward to use in the small box.

Play:

Players take turns. Spin the spinner at the beginning of each turn to tell you what to do. Here are the spinner options:

• Pick up a colored carrot to match the color on the spinner and drop it into the matching basket (use the bunny squeezer).
• Steal any color carrot from another player's basket.
• Put all your carrots back into the box and start over.
• Grab any color carrot from the box.
• Lose a turn.
• Spin again.

Keep playing until someone has collected one carrot of each color in their basket and wins the game.

Try this:

• Skip the game, just sort the carrots into the baskets by color. Put several of different colors into the player's hand. Ask them to bring them to the fingertips one at a time as they sort them into the colored baskets.
• Skip the game, just sort the carrots into the baskets by color. Pick up all of one color, one at a time, and squirrel them in the hand. Once all are in the hand, empty them into the matching color basket without dropping any.
• Ask the player to hold the spinner in the non-dominant hand while spinning with the dominant hand.
• Go on a carrot hunt. Hide the carrots around the room and ask the individual to take the baskets or box bottom and find the carrots. Hide some so that only a part of the carrot is showing.
• Use different fingers to flick the arrow on the spinner. Start with a rounded web space before flicking instead of just pushing it with one finger.
• Pick up the carrots one at a time and squirrel them into the palm. Drop them in the box by the handful when cleaning up. How many can you hold without dropping. Go again and try for one more.
• Use the opportunity to talk about carrots. Eat some crunchy carrots.
• Cup the hand and hold it in that position. Pick up the carrots and place them one by one into the palm. Can you hold them all? Dump them back into the box by the handful.
• Work on color recognition, manual dexterity, finger isolation and flicking, palmar arch development, open web space, coordinated use of both hands, in-hand manipulation, visual discrimination, socialization skills, process skills, executive functioning skills, play and leisure exploration and participation

In the box: 1 rabbit squeezer, 1 spinner, 4 baskets, 16 carrots

For 2-4 players

If you are interested in purchasing this item or just want more information, click on the image below.