Customer Reviews

Sleepy Princess and the Pea

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Sleepy Princess and the Pea is a beautiful game for children ages 3-12. It is made by Haba toys, a German toy manufacturer that makes games and toys using real materials like wood and fabric to produce top-quality products that will make any parent and every child happy.

Sleepy Princess is based on the classic fairy tale where a disheveled young girl shows up at a palace one rainy night and claims to be a princess. The queen tests her by putting her in a bed with dozens of mattresses, pillows and blankets beneath her and a tiny pea buried beneath them all. If she is a real princess, thinks the queen, she will be so delicate that she will feel the discomfort of the pea beneath the huge pile of bedding. Of course, the princess passes the test and is rewarded with the prince of the palace's hand in marriage.

This game is a relatively simple game, all the players have to do is stack the provided mattresses on top of the pea without allowing them to tumble. Children do not need to be able to read to play this game, but it will help them develop their fine motor skills and the cooperative version of the game does away with the winner/loser sensibility that so many American children's games have.

Children will find the charming concept and fun and colorful game pieces (including the adorable wooden princess doll) irresistable. This game is particularly enticing for children who are studying Waldorf or Montessori methods of education, where tactile learning is encouraged.

This is a fun game and quite educational. It is not a "winning game", but a consensus builder that lets everyone be part of the winning team (or losing team...if you fail, you all fail together too). Builds cooperation and good play skills, while also teaching balance/ placement skills. That being said, the cardboard bed and circular game board are of poor quality. The bed falls apart easily and was already chipped and fraying after only three uses, and the game board does not lie flat, which is frustrating for kids, as the princess slides off it.

My other complaint is that the game is quite costly for what it is (Over $[...] for some flimsy cardboard and fabric pieces), and while it is clearly marked "made in germany" on the outer box, the fabric tags on the bedding pieces say "made in china". In fairness, they do seem to be of good quality: the material is nice and the stitches tight and even, but I was a bit annoyed by the bait-and-switch. I don't mind paying more if the product is actually made in the EU, but when something is advertised (and priced) as of EU manufacture and the items inside the box say "made in China" I feel more than a bit swindled. If the manufacturer is cutting costs by manufacturing in China, or elsewhere, I want that product to be clearly labeled as to its origin, so that I can make an informed decision based on accurate information and the price of the item.

Like most Haba toys, this one is very well made. My 3 year old likes playing with the wooden princess and bedding as much or more than playing the game. FYI: The bed is heavy cardboard, not wood. The price is a bit high, but at least it wasn't made in China!

My 3 year old daughter loves this game and it comes with two types of play - one is simple enough for her to understand and the other is a little more complicated. That way, the children can play the game for years. The whole thing is just so cute. I would recommend this game to parents looking to buy a first game for a young child.

We remebered this game from Toy Testing and my child really enjoyed it. It's hard to find, but worth it. It's definetely not for over 6 year olds...my older child loses interest quickly, but is fine for the younger preschool set.

My daughter has more fun playing with her little toys with these beds and pillows than she does playing the game. It is a good concept. What you see in the picture is what you get (for some reason, I thought that there were more beds and pillows). Overall, we like it.

This is a cute game, but a little boring for older kids, and the little ones end up just playing with the pillows and the little wooden princess.....but hey, nothing wrong with that! Overall, a nice little game, but nothing to get crazy about.

We bought this for my daughter's St. Patrick's Day Birthday and have not yet played it because the bed would not stay together... The kids have since played with many of the pieces and lost the princess AND the pea... so I am wondering if we will ever play it...

Just sad that the bed wasn't staying together. Looks like an adorable game... but it's been 9 months and we haven't been able to play it because the bed was such as issue. The rest of our Haba games have been amazing... so bummed about this one! Hopefully other customers have had better luck.

Like all HABA toys, the pieces are beautiful and whimsical. As a game, it works well as a tool for kids to learn patience and play cooperatively. I love that my two toddlers can and want to play this by themselves. But, it is not a game they want to pull out and play over and over like some others. This is not a must have on your game shelf but if you want something that the kids will play with together that an adult does not need to help with, it's a good choice.