Started out easy - we took The ‘New’ Touch blue container right out of the box and placed it on the table, opened all the toy pieces and threw them in – but, wait a second, our team wasn’t exactly sure what to do next?!  After a couple reviewers took a look at the directions (and noted they were still a little lost), the team decided they would just jump in and figure it out as the game went along.  As the reviewers got to playing (from the youngest to the oldest), the team determined that it’s extremely easy to use if you make your own rules – while the rules included seemed to be a decent suggestion, there appeared to be numerous ways to make it work.

Overall, the base container, a blue flying saucer style unit seems fairly well-made.  The play pieces were also impressive – not junky little toys or pieces – with a nice weight to them.  Only a couple minor problems were recorded – first, when some of our more rambunctious spinners took a turn, the container slid a bit across the table – obviously, this issue can simply be solved by playing on a different surface – but we would expect a table game to easily be able to be played on a table.  The second issue was a discussion on the hand entry into the container.  While perfect in size for the children, a couple of the dads on the panel had hands that were the full size of the hole – the concern was that their hands may eventually ruin the game when trying to reach inside – therefore, they just exerted caution!

The ‘New’ Touch rated extremely well in this category.  This is no “guess what’s in the brown bag”!  The blue, flying saucer style unit is inviting and interesting to the eye – the kids were definitely drawn to check it out.  The included pieces were detailed and colorful.  The play cards were interestingly shaped (different from the cards in other table games we’ve seen), and the pictures were up-to-date and easily identifiable.

Even though The ‘New’ Touch came with directions – our review team found a multitude of ways that this game could be utilized. Starting with our youngest reviewers (two-to-three year olds), the game can be used as a find and match to the cards, either through the transparent container, or just with the pieces laid out on the table without using any time restraints. For the next group (about four to eight), we used about half the pieces and cards to make it a little easier and used the timer for the older kids in this group. And – for all those older (including the adults!), we used all the pieces and all the cards – and had just as much fun as the younger ones! Discussion arose with regard to the possible use of this product for therapy purposes – while our review team is not specifically special needs driven, multiple people noted that they would expect this product would be useful for occupational and physical therapy as well as other special needs fields for both the young and old.

Yep, great products cost lots of money! Here’s our issue – for at home use, a few reviewers on our panel were willing to go back to the good, old brown bag once price was discussed. The panel felt the cost was a bit high in the games category. Additionally, they felt, for the price, that the package should at least include scoring sheets to make it easier to keep track of the game (if played as the directions guide). It gets better, though - once we got past this issue, further discussion developed on the possible use of The ‘New’ Touch in schools and at therapy centers where many children would get use out of it – in this case, the team felt the price was well worth it!

This educational, hands-on game stands in a group by itself. Our reviewers weren’t aware of anything else out there like it. From the unique blue container to the ability to purchase expansion packs to keep the game fresh, our team was blown away by the uniqueness of the product.

A little tough at the get go, and a bit pricy, BUT our reviewers concluded that this product is a winner! So many uses and a great way to keep the entire family entertained! There aren’t many games out there that truly span the ages – so this one is worth it if you’re looking for something different that can grow with your family.