The Best Board Games for Preschoolers (continued)

Step to It!  (2-8 players, ages 3 +) This game is the best of the bunch, combining fun and learning in an irresistible package. Players lay out a set of cards with pictures on them (for younger learners) or letters (for those on the road to reading), then a set of footprint cards-- each with a number written on it. One player picks a footprint card and reads out the number, for example, "Seven!". Then the other player picks from the deck to determine a destination. In the easier version, this might be a card with a picture of a couch or window. In the more advanced version, it's a letter, like "D", and kids need to come up with an object that starts with that letter, for example, "Door". To win the round, the player must hop, jump, or step to the object in the number of steps dictated by the footprint card.  Can your child make it to the door in exactly seven hops?  You'll see.  And you'll see her practicing numbers, letters, logic, and estimation in the process. * * * * * (Gamewright, $11.95)

Zingo Bingo, with a twist-- a super fun contraption that makes the card sorting more fun. There's nothing revolutionary about this game. But it's a nice version of a preschool and kindergarten staple. Each board has a set of pictures with the words spelled out below. Kids need to collect enough matching tiles to fill their board first. The game teaches letter recognition and  matching, key precursors to reading. * * *  (Think Fun, $14.99)