Not to be corny, but I “connect” with Connect Four. I think it came out when I was a kid – I can’t exactly remember, but it was so darn cool. In the days before 3D video games, here was a clever game that was delightfully vertical instead of the standard horizontal. And it was so easy for us to learn, since it was simply the classic tic-tac-toe game turned on its side with extra rows.

And the noise… do you remember the noise? There’s a little “zoom” before the click as the pieces slip into the slots. I loved the feel of the pieces in my fingers, too.

And then, of course, you had the exciting moment when you released the pieces from the bottom of the game after someone won. There’s nothing little kids love more than colorful chips that fall and roll and make noise.

My nephews are 5 and 2. Although the game is recommended for kids 6 and up, I will be the favorite aunt when the older boy opens his gift on Christmas. And then we’ll sit down and play together so I can hear the clicks and the zooms and recall the memories of my own days of wonder.

Connect Four is available online at Amazon.com

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