Suspend Game

Don’t Leave Them Hanging

• What: Suspend Game 
• When: 3 years and up
• Why: Fun, entertaining, requires no literacy skills
• Where: Amazon

Do you need a new and novel game to keep your kids busy during long days stuck at home? If you haven’t already discovered the joys of Melissa & Doug’s Suspend on your own, give this tricky balancing game a try.

Suspend involves hanging rods with various colored ends on one precarious point. Much like Jenga, players place their rods without knocking over the contraption. Roll the included six sided die to determine which colored rod gets placed next. No one needs any reading skills to play (though someone may want to read the directions). All the pieces fit inside the clear plastic tube, where the label doubles as the instructions. Connect the frame rods to the wooden platform to get started. For younger kids, you can leave the extension rod off. For older kids or anyone who wants more of a challenge, attach the extension rod with the wooden dowel for more extended fun.

You can follow the rules for different styles of play, from one to four players, or make up your own game. We like to roll the die and add or subtract a rod of that color, working together to try and avoid sending everything crashing. This game works great for young kids all the way to adults, who can compete or join forces to place the most rods. Kids learn concepts like levers, balance, and distance from focal points with this hands-on practice balancing challenge.