Discovery Channel Store Rapido

The Parent Blogger’s Network and the Discovery Channel Store sent me a game called Rapido to check out. Rapido is a game made of 100% natural bamboo.  It comes with a bamboo cylinder, a rope, four colored tubes, 8 bamboo strips and 32 wooden balls. Each player gets one colored tube and one bamboo strip. The strips each have colored dots on them in a particular pattern. You take all the balls, put them in the cylinder, and dump them out. (The rope keeps them from rolling everywhere). Then as fast as you can, you pick up the balls with your cylinder in the order that they appear on the bamboo strips.

It is a very simple game, but it is a lot of fun. It is recommended for ages 4 and up, and due to the rope and the small balls, I would say this is correct. For children learning to recognize colors, this would be a great game to play. It also helps build hand eye coordination and to be honest, I had just as much fun playing it as the kids. It is also the kind of game that you can make as long or as short as you want to.

It is made of natural bamboo which once it is cut down, grows back in just three years. The game came with a little book that talked about bamboo games. I found it very interesting. Bamboo symbolizes strength and flexibility and this idea was brought to a conference where participants from 15 nations worked together to design toys for children made out of bamboo.

You can buy Rapido for around $20. Bottom line is that this game is fun for both children and adults, it is eco-friendly, and has educational aspects without feeling like an “educational” game.