Soggy Doggy

The Showering, Shaking Wet Doggie Game! 2 to 4 players ages 4 and up

What preschooler doesn’t love animals? Especially dogs. After all, when was the last time you heard someone over the age of 5 refer to a dog as a doggie when there wasn’t someone younger around? And how fun is a wet shaking dog? So much more fun. Put them in a game and you get Soggy Doggy.

Setting up Soggy Doggy

First, the rubber dog that comes with this game is really cute. There is setup that is needed each time you play that needs to be done by an adult. You have to place the dog stand in the tub, then the dog on the stand. Next, you need to put in the shower head. These steps really do need an adult. A child could maybe put in the shower head but the dog needs more skilled hands.

Once the dog and stand are ready, you need to fill the bathtub with water. Next, you need to prime the pump by pressing down on the paw handle. After, you place the tub on the table and then the game board around the tub.

The last step is to have each player choose their playing piece, place it one the basket space and place the matching token near the basket space.

Playing

To start, the youngest player rolls the dice.

If the dice roll turns up the question mark, then the player gets to roll again.

When the paw print is rolled, the player gets to move her playing piece to the space that is in front of the player who is closest to the finish line.

If pink, blue, yellow or red was rolled, then the player moves her playing piece to the corresponding space on the board. She then follows the directions on the space.

The actions are one of two things.

First, if the space has a paw print on it, the player gets to push down on the handle that has the paw print. This showers the dog with water.

On the other hand, if the space has a bone shape on it, then the player turns the handle with the bone on it. This is where the excitement comes in. Sometimes when you turn the handle nothing happens. But other times, the twist of the handle will set the dog to shaking—spraying water everywhere. (You turn off the shaking by turning the handle again.)
When the doggy shakes, the player who turned the handle has to go back to the start line. When this happens, she receives the coin token with her playing piece on it.

The coin token is used the next time that player turns the bone handle and makes the doggy shake. She hands in her coin and can stay on the space on the board where she is.

Winning Soggy Doggy

The basket space is the start and finish line. The first player to make it all the way around the board and back to the basket space is the winner.

What We Like

First, you cannot deny the excitement that preschoolers get from a game like this. The suspense and the surprise are great. The fact that the board is sturdy and waterproof is also good. Kids will love the cute dog and the water play.

Next, the coin tokens are a great addition to this game. It takes the pressure off for getting sent back to the start, something that younger kids can struggle with.

What We Don’t Like

As a parent, the game is very messy. The water really does go everywhere—much like bathing a real life dog. This makes it a play-outside-game. At the very least, a large towel should be placed under the playing area.

Next, the set up for the dog is a little annoying. He doesn’t fit back in the box so you have to take him apart every time you put the game away. Also, the dog takes a long time to dry off. He has lots of folds and is rubber so it naturally doesn’t dry well.

Conclusion

Soggy Doggy is a game full of excitement for preschoolers. With the cute doggy and suspense of being sprayed with water this game is sure to be a hit with younger kids. Parents beware, if you’re adding Soggy Doggy to your Family Game Shelf, be prepared for a wet soggy mess.

You can get your copy of this great prefect for summer game Soggy Doggy here. And Canadians can get their Soggy Doggy here.

For more great fun visit our preschool games here, our game reviews, dice games and card games too.

Rating:

Pros: exciting, full of action,
Cons: messy, setup,
Mom: turn taking, probability,