International Playthings Pop-Up Pirate Reviews

• Great family game!

  
  By A29L4QWSIXKRE3 on 2003-11-05
  This game is a really good one. There is no reading involved and it goes by pretty quickly so you don't have to much whining in between turns. It is really funny to watch our kids (ages 5 and 9 months) scream in glee as the pirate pops out of his barrel. Set up is a breeze. The only problem we had is that one time we played and the pirate never popped out, even though all the swords were in place. We found out that someone didn't puch the sword in all the way, this would be something you would just have to make sure was done during wach turn. Other than that, this is a cool game and takes a pretty good beating with out breaking.
  
  

• Easy to play with young kids

  
  By on 2003-11-14
  My four year old loves this game. We bought it for him when he was three and having a hard time focusing long enough to play most games. He loved the idea of playing a game, but couldn't make it through Candy Land or Chutes and Ladders. He still laughs every time the silly pirate pops up!
  
  

• Fun family game for kids of different ages

  
  By A1KLTTDASHZWRS on 2005-08-10
  This game is pretty simple--you push down the pirate, put in the swords, and then take turns pulling out swords until the pirate pops out and someone loses. It has the same feel of Don't Break the Ice, but it doesn't require as much dexterity. This is the real beauty of Popup Pirate because it allows really young kids of 12-24 months to play with older kids and adults. Granted, our 2 and 5 year-old only stay interested for about 5 or 6 rounds, but that's 15 minutes of quality family fun time. ;-) Our kids ask to play this game with the entire family more than most of their other games. Another game similar to this for fun and ease of use for kids young and old is Crocodile Dentist (but that one's not for the overly cautious children).
  
  

• A game for children in the morning and adults in the evening

  
  By on 2004-06-14
  This game is great for children. The more amazing part is how easily it becomes an adults drinking game. I feel this brings new meaning toy for all ages. You may find that you are fighting with your children over who gets to use the pirate so I recommend buying two.
  
  

• ARRRR Matey, it's a barrel of fun!

  
  By A3G6A1VQJSSVG0 on 2005-05-25
  I purchased this game for my daughter's 4th birthday and she loves it. The object of the game is to NOT be the one to send the pirate sailing, but that is the best part! My daughter is thrilled if her sword sends him on his way and considers that she has won, so those are the rules we go by. It is such a simple game, yet it holds her attention and we play over and over. One thing about this game, parents can't "cheat" to ensure that the kids win....come on, you've done that. I do want to mention that the barrel will not stay on the base when you are inserting the swords because you do have to apply some good pressure to get the swords in all the way. We tried it without the base too, but either way you have to hold the barrel firmly while inserting the swords. Just make sure the little ones aren't leaning over the pirate while doing this, they don't need to end up with an eye patch too. Another thing is that you have to apply the stickers to the barrel and the base. No biggy unless you are very particular about such things, as I am. I should have cut them out with the backing still on to check the placement, but I didn't so the stickers on the top of the base are off center (spilling over the side) and don't match up as they should. While my sticker placement is not aesthetic, the game is still a barrel of fun!
  
  
• FANTASTIC FIRST GAME YOUR CHILD CAN LEARN EASILY AND ENJOY!
  By A1501FQ70G46GW on 2004-11-19
  My children love this game. It's basically easy. There's a barrel that you push the the pirate down into until it clicks.Then there are 4 sets of different colored swords. So each player picks what color they want, and everyone takes a turn pushing a sword into the barrel hoping that they don't pop up the pirate. Finally, someone Shoots the pirate out of the barrel and that brings smiles to the kids faces. The anticipation is lots of fun and my kids changed the rules a bit! If the pirate pops up they yell "I WON" and want to play again. Since it's a game of chance, each kid will learn that they can't always win all the time which is a good lesson to prepare them to lose gracefully and to motivate them to keep trying and not to give up in real life situations. Plus, it gives Everybody that keeps playing more rounds a chance to win eventually because each time you push the pirate into the barrel, the slit that activates the pop up mechanism changes. So you can't memorize an easy way to win. 2 notes: make sure that all the swords are removed before you load the pirate, otherwise the spring mechanism that shoots the pirate out of the barrel won't go off and when you insert the swords make sure you push the sword with a little pressure all the way into the barrel so it will be sure to release the pirate. It says 2-4 players on the box but it can easily be played by one kid alone and can still be fun if they just wanted to push the swords in until the pirate jumped out.
  
  
• A Toddler-iffic Game!
  By on 2003-12-20
  I have two boys, ages 2 and 5, and it has been very hard to find games that my two year old could also play. We had really given up playing board type games until my two year received this for a Christmas present! This game is so easy (no reading and simple concept) and the kids love anticipating the pirate popping up! We call out the color of the swords and count how many we have put in etc. to bring in educational values. I admit I was hesitant about the game working since it requires no batteries (hooray) and I wondered about the durability. Well this game has exceeded all expectations and is truly a family favorite! GREAT GAME!
  
  
• 20 month old A+
  By A1HVTZG1AF1HM6 on 2005-03-09
  Santa got this for our 5 year old and 20 month old for Christmas. I bought the toy based on the reviews. I never realized how much the 20 month old would love this toy. She can do it by herself, she loves it. We don't play by the "rules" we just have fun putting the swords in until the pirate pops up, that person loses but we all giggle and laugh!
  
  Great toy for price! A 20 month old is capable of play!
  
  
• Great Toy!
  By A1J2UNX1W42H2X on 2005-07-09
  This is a great toy the whole family can play! I have a 2 year old and a 10 year old they both love it. They think they win when the pirate pops out. Alot of fun and totaly worth the money!This game has also been knocked off the table a few times by the 2 year old and it is still going strong!
  
  
• Loads of fun for everyone
  By AY7ZJK5UQQ07E on 2005-08-30
  I bought this game for my 4 year old son's birthday. I was looking for a game where the whole family could play, (mom, dad, 13 year old, and 9 year old). We have had so much fun playing this game and seeing who pops the pirate up. We don't really play by the rules, we play the winner is the one who pops up the pirate, that way nobody has to sit out. This game is a no-brainer, it can be played by one or all. We would definately recommend this fun game.
  
  
• O.K. .. Just ok tho'
  By A2KLDDOEUOLZHU on 2007-01-10
  Game is a really great IDEA, but so POORLY made. You have to hold the pirate down to push the swords in. Kids can't just stick a sword in, it will tip right off the base. My son does like to play this, it's just a pain to play. Not a favourite. I would NOT buy this again.
  
  
• One of my son's favorites!
  By A30L46A1TAQMF7 on 2004-07-03
  I was skeptical when I first bought this for my three-year-old, but we were looking for games to play together and he really wanted this one. I'm so glad I gave in because we've had it for six months and he still loves it. I have no idea why the manufacturer recommends it for ages 5+ because it is perfect for younger kids.
  
  
• Great pirate game
  By A38WI2P5PHH38Y on 2004-12-06
  After we figured out that you really have to use some force to put the swords in, we had a great time playing this. It seems like the same hole pops him up every time, but we're not sure. The sticker on the barrell might help someone memorize where his pop point is. Perhaps leaving the sticker off the barrell would make it impossible to memorize. He jumps really high, which is way cool.
  
  
• Easy to play
  By ABP3SY3YJPEY9 on 2005-01-23
  We gave this game to our five year old grandson for Christmas. He loved it the first couple of times we played it but soon figured out which sword to pull to pop up the pirate. He quickly became bored with it after that. It seems like a sturdy game and the pieces aren't too small. The five year old has a baby brother so I was a little concerned about the swords but they're larger than I expected.
  
  
• Simple, yet entertaining
  By A1BU25ZU7RCQHX on 2003-09-07
  I'm a speech/language therapist, working with pre-schoolers age 3-5. They love this game! The anticipation of the pirate popping holds their interest (long enough to do their therapy) and they don't have to wait long for another turn. I wasn't thrilled about taking a toy with swords to school, but have only had to tell them once that "we don't fight with them, they're for the game." It has been frequently used, not treated too gently, but it is still in excellent working condition. I do not use the blue base included with the game, it seems unnecessary and only seems to make the game easier to tip over. The kids don't think they lose when the pirate pops, they think they won! Sometimes he jumps out on the first sword stuck in the barrel, other times it might be the last one! (I have no idea how this happens!) This is a very good beginner game, for learning turn-taking, although it is not particularly educational.
  
  
• Good Times for All!
  By AMLHWOORH5FBY on 2006-11-12
  My kids (ages 6 and 3) have played this game at their grandmother's house. It is fun to watch, fun to play, and it's great for those little ones with short attention spans! I am planning on purchasing one for our house for Christmas. I would also highly recommend this game as a birthday gift to others (how many parties do you get invited to on a monthly basis??). I think this one would be great to keep on hand, especially at under $15! Hope your family enjoys this as much as mine does.
  
  
• GREAT game!
  By A1DFWEWYKIYT8H on 2007-01-05
  We bought this for our 3 year old son and the whole family loves it! Its very fun and simple for smaller kids.
  
  
• tomy pop up pirate game
  By A2O4ZBYGBJJL2E on 2007-01-12
  excellent easy game. my 3 year old plays with it all the time. he can play by himself, with parents, or siblings. the best part is it takes no batteries and you can play for 5 minutes or hours. very good buy.
  
  
• We love it!
  By ACIZNGTWT1905 on 2007-07-03
  Our boys are 4 and 2.5 and we've been playing this game since Christmas (6 months). Our little guy, he has learned how to take turns with his brother, and the two of them have a blast. The element of surprise makes them hysterically laugh out loud! This is one of our favorite games for family game night.
  
  
• Little Boys Love it!
  By A1HGYE86WSMS6V on 2007-09-01
  We got this for my 3 year old son after he played with this at his cousin's house. He absolutely LOVES it. It is very easy for kids to play--no reading, no counting or anything like that. My 10 month old even likes to watch us play and laughs when the pirate pops out. It's a cute, simple game that I think a lot of kids would love. It seems unique, too. I have certainly never seen anything like it in the store.
  
  

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