Don't Rock the Boat

One of the gifts my 5 year old received for Christmas was the game "Don't Rock the Boat".  In this game you have a pirate-style ship that balances on a stick/pole thingy.  Each player is given a set of pirate penguins.  The goal is to take turns placing a penguin on the ship without the ship tipping off the pole.  If the ship tips enough such that a penguin falls off, the game is over.

Don't Rock the Boat!!!

Much to my pleasure, there's quite a bit of physics and critical thinking involved in this game.  My daughter struggled at first, but she quickly realized that you can't randomly place a penguin on the ship.  If the ship is leaning in one direction, the next penguin must be placed on the other side of the ship to help balance the ship.  This game revolves around center of mass.  If too much mass ends up on one side, the ship will tip over.  The center of mass of the ship needs to stay near the balance point (the pole).  There are a total of 16 penguins to place on the ship.  Our record thus far is 8 penguins, so we still have some work to do!

This is a great game that helps teach physics and develop a child's critical thinking skills.