Planet Earth: The interactive DVD game

At our house Sunday Night is family game night. We sit down and play some kind of board game together as a family. Sunday Night we went to play a game and realized that we didn't have anything that any of us, especially the game picker, wanted to play. Let's just say we got tired of our game selection.

I'm always on the look out for games at thrift stores, garage sales, etc. However it at times can be slim pickings, because the game pieces maybe missing. So last Sunday Night instead of giving up our game night we made a quick run to the store to get some new games. Everyone got to pick-out a new game. We got Operation, Hungry Hungry Hippos, Clue, and Planet Earth: The interactive DVD game. (The rules for choosing games was that each game had to be at least a 4 player game.)

Planet Earth is 2-6 player game and the box states that it's for ages 6+. (** see bottom of post) The purpose of the game is to test your knowledge of the natural world by answering questions about Planet Earth. Some questions if answered correctly will allow you to go again others if answered correctly will earn you puzzles pieces. As you earn the puzzle pieces you put the puzzle together. Everyone is working "together" to put the puzzle together, however the person that earns the last puzzle piece wins the game.

We, the kids and I, decided to play Planet Earth yesterday (Monday), as our science for the day. It was a good game and we got to learn a lot about Planet Earth. However, DD (she's going to be 7 this month) didn't have much fun with the game. I think she found the questions be too "stressful". She didn't like the fact that she didn't know most of the stuff and just had to guess. That's what my DS and I were doing to: guessing answers. There was something we knew, most we didn't not, but others if you really paid attention to the clip you might be able to give an educated guess.

The DVD is what gives you the questions, answers, tells you if you get to go again, or have earn puzzle pieces, and if so how many pieces. All of the questions were multiple choice and there was no time limit so you were free to think about it. I just think it was overwhelming for my 6 almost 7 year old.

If your child is anything like my DD and can get frustrated about not knowing the answers, then I don't think this would be a good game for your family/children. However if you as a family (or your children) wouldn't mind learning some interesting facts about Plant Earth and the animals and plants that live here, then I say this is the game for you. For example one of the things we learned from this game is that Antarctica is about the same size as the USA. Oh and the video scenes are just breath taking. They are from the TV series Planet Earth.

**When I was looking for the game makers site to hyper-link, I found that on their, the game makers, web-site they state the game is for 8+. However the box I have here states ages 6+. So I don't know what exactly that means? Weird! I think a 6-7 year old can play if they don't get too upset about not knowing the answers.