These are games that promote motor control. I have designated all of these for age 6 and up. Most of these games are suitable for adults, or for families.

Most of these games are also classic games from the 1960s or 1970s. A recurring theme among Amazon raters, is that new games are inferior in quality to the games they grew up with. Therefore I recommend you scour eBay and thrift stores for vintage versions of these games.

Games Reviewed in this Hub: 

Bed Bugs

Booby Trap

Drop in the Bucket

Topple

Rock ‘em Sock ‘em Robots

Ker Plunk

Tumble Game

Tumbling Monkeys

Yoga Kit for Kids

Twister

NUMBER OF PLAYERS:  2 to 4 players. 

AGES:  6 and up. 

BRIEF OVERVIEW:  Players attempt to capture as many bed bugs as possible with their tweezers from the shaking bed. 

AMAZON CUSTOMER RATING:  No ratings available. 

SKILLS:  Manipulation of tweezers, speed. 

MODIFICATIONS:  Suitable for children to play alone to practice skills. 

NUMBER OF PLAYERS:  2 to 4 players. 

AGES:  6 and up. 

BRIEF OVERVIEW:  Players take turns removing 1 of the 63 round pieces held in place by the spring loaded tension bar.  Remove the wrong piece, and send many pieces flying. 

AMAZON CUSTOMER RATING:  Limited at 5 ratings, averaging 3 of 5 stars.  There were 3 ratings of 4, 1 rating of 3 and 1 rating of 1.  Those dissatisfied sited cheap construction.  Several comments agreed it was not the Booby Trap game of their childhood.  Others were completely satisfied with the game. 

SKILLS:  Controlled movement and strategy in removing the round pieces. 

MODIFICATIONS:  Suitable for children to play alone to practice skills. 

NUMBER OF PLAYERS:  unlimited players. 

AGES:  6 and up. 

BRIEF OVERVIEW:  Classic game, originating in 1930.  Launch colored marbles into the buckets with spring loaded launcher.  Scores double when marble and bucket colors match. 

AMAZON CUSTOMER RATING:  Limited to 2 raters, with score of 4 stars. 

SKILLS:  Graded movement for launching marbles. 

MODIFICATIONS:  Suitable for children to play alone to practice skills. 

NUMBER OF PLAYERS:  2 to 4 players. 

AGES:  6 and up. 

BRIEF OVERVIEW:  Players choose a color, and roll a die to determine where they must place pieces on the tottering platform.  Points are awarded for completed rows or high stacks.  Penalties are imposed for topples. 

AMAZON CUSTOMER RATING:  4 ½ of 5 stars from 7 raters. 

SKILLS:  Careful, controlled movement in placing discs on the platform. 

VERSIONS:  Travel game version. 

MODIFICATIONS:  Suitable for children to play alone to practice skills.  Small children can play without scoring. 

NUMBER OF PLAYERS:  2 players. 

AGES:  6 and up. 

BRIEF OVERVIEW:  This Mattel game originated in 1966. 

AMAZON CUSTOMER RATING:  3 of 5 stars from 97 reviewers.  There were 23 ratings of 5 and 28 ratings of 1.  Complaints that the robots are now smaller and the overall game “flimsy” compared to the game of raters’ childhood. 

SKILLS:  Dexterity, control and endurance in managing toggles to work robot arms. 

VERSIONS:  Mini game, Kung Fu Panda, Superman returns. 

NUMBER OF PLAYERS:  2 to 4 players. 

AGES:  6 and up. 

BRIEF OVERVIEW:  Popular Mattel game for 35 years.  Thirty thin sticks are placed through the cylinder chamber, then 32 marbles are poured on top.  Players take turns carefully removing the sticks, trying to dislodge as few marbles as possible.  Player with the fewest marbles after all of the marbles are dislodged, wins. 

AMAZON CUSTOMER RATING:  3 ½ of 5 stars from 22 raters.  Chief complaints:  Poor quality of materials, smaller and shorter cylinder than the Ker Plunk game parents had when they were kids. 

SKILLS:  Steady, controlled movement in removing sticks. 

VERSIONS:  Honey Bee Tree game by International Playthings is similar.  See my hub Games That Promote Hand Skills for Ages 3 and 4 for details.  Tumbling Monkeys and Tumble games are also similar.  See reviews below. 

MODIFICATIONS:  Suitable for children to play alone to practice skills. 

NUMBER OF PLAYERS:  2 to 4 players

AGES:  6 and up. 

BRIEF OVERVIEW:  This Pressman game is played like Mattel’s Ker Plunk. 

AMAZON CUSTOMER RATING:  Limited at only 2 raters, giving 1 star each.  Complaints of poor construction and materials, too difficult to get sticks in, and too easy to shake or tip over. 

SKILLS:  Steady, controlled movement in removing sticks. 

VERSIONS:  Multiple similar games:  Honey Bee Tree by International Playthings, Tumbling Monkeys by Mattel, and Ker Plunk by Mattel.  All of these games were better rated than this game. 

MODIFICATIONS:  Suitable for individual play to practice skills, but would need to be secured so as not to tip over. 

NUMBER OF PLAYERS:  2 to 4 players. 

AGES:  6 and up. 

BRIEF OVERVIEW:  Play of this Mattel game is similar to Ker Plunk, also a Mattel product.  In this game, monkeys replace marbles.  The monkeys’ tails can hook on the sticks, making them tumble less quickly or easily than marbles. 

AMAZON CUSTOMER RATING:  4 ½ of 5 stars from 16 raters. 

SKILLS:  Steady, controlled movement in removing sticks. 

VERSIONS:  Multiple similar games:  Honey Bee Tree by International Playthings, Tumble by Pressman, and Ker Plunk by Mattel.  This seems to be the best rated of these games. 

MODIFICATIONS:  Suitable for children to play alone to practice skills. 

NUMBER OF PLAYERS:  1 or more participants. 

AGES:  6 and up. 

BRIEF OVERVIEW:  Kit includes 24 large cards with pose and descriptive poem, 24 page teaching guide, music CD. 

AMAZON CUSTOMER RATING:  4 ½ of 5 stars by 7 raters. 

SKILLS:  Concentration, balance, strength and flexibility.  Also motor planning (sequencing of unfamiliar movement or task). 

MODIFICATIONS:  Each participant can perform to his or her own level. 

NUMBER OF PLAYERS:  2 to 4 players. 

AGES:  5 and up. 

BRIEF OVERVIEW:  Hasbro game, around since 1966.  The designated spinner spins to determine on which color players have to place right or left hand or foot.  Players get tangled and ultimately one or all topple. 

AMAZON CUSTOMER RATING:  4 ½ of 5 stars from 61 raters. 

SKILLS:  Motor planning to carry out unusual movements, gross motor coordination to place hands and feet, strength and endurance to hold positions. 

VERSIONS:  Spanish version, Twister Hopscotch, Dance DVD, Take Out, Hannah Montana, High School Musical, Twister Moves, Outdoor Scram. 

MODIFICATIONS:  Concessions can be made for younger players. 

My Game Review Hubs

Toys- Board Games for Children 3 to 8

Toys- Card and Dice Games for Children 3 to 8

Toys- Family Board Games for Children 8 and Up

Toys- Family Card and Dice Games for Children 8 and Up

Games That Promote Hand Skills for Ages 3 and 4

Games That Promote Hand Skills for Age 5 and Up

Family Games That Promote Motor Skills for Age 6 and Up

Family Games That Promote Motor Skills for Age 8 and Up

My Other Pediatric Topics

Interacting with Your Premature Infant:  Developmental Care in the NICU

Children’s Behavior- Sensory Regulation, A Different Perspective