Thrift Treasure: Pengoloo
I guess while we’re playing around with memory games, it wouldn’t hurt to continue by picking one up at thrift. We usually don’t opt for ones quite this simple or designed for smaller kids, but the cuteness level of Pengoloo by Blue Orange Games was off the charts. The fact that the components are all wooden only sealed the deal.
The basic game of Pengoloo is very simple. There are twelve penguins in the center of the play area, each having a different colored egg underneath. Two included dice have colored pips that match the egg colors, and on your turn you roll both and try to find a penguin with a matching egg.
If you successfully find one, place the penguin with its egg on your iceberg score track. Match both dice and take an extra turn! If you cannot find a match from the penguins in the center, be sure to reveal the colors you did find so the other players can try to remember its position. You can also try to match one of your opponent’s to try and continue your roll, but you cannot collect them to your iceberg.
First player to collect six penguins (or have the most when all penguins are collected) wins Pengoloo. Overly simple, right? That’s why Pengoloo is recommended for ages 4+. But there are optional rules included that make the game much more fun and cutthroat. Don’t worry, your kids will love it!
This alternate version is played in exactly the same manner, but instead of just grabbing penguins from the center, you can also try to match a penguin on another player’s iceberg or even your own! If you correctly match one of theirs, move that penguin to your home. Matching one of your own is a way to continue your turn by matching two.
With these more advanced rules, a game of Pengoloo will last a little longer as penguins shift from iceberg to iceberg until one player has six in total. Even though they recommend this ruleset for ages 6+, don’t underestimate the ability of younger kids to remember exactly what you collected and rejoice in stealing one from dad!
New copies are still available on Amazon for under $20 shipped, and while ours came from our local Goodwill, we haven’t seen this one pop up too often. It is probably due to the quality of the components – people just don’t like to get rid of well-made things!
What’s the latest game you found at a thrift store?
Sounds like a fun game to practice your children’s memories. I think it’s awesome to get this for the kids and play it with them too!
This is really fun! I think the penguins are adorable. The concept of the game is great too. Perfect for helping kids develop their memory skills.
The game sounds simple but looks pretty fun! My son would enjoy playing with this with his cousins. 🙂
It looks so cute and so fun to play with! Kids will enjoy it and learn a lot from it.
My boys enjoy playing with anything that has animals included so I am sure they would love this. They are also at the age now where they enjoy playing memory games.