Rush Hour or Rush Hour, Jr game? For a 5 yo?

[MarisaSF]

There are two Rush Hour games by ThinkFun. I saw one in a store recently and now that I'm looking online, I see that there are two versions.

Rush Hour Jr has a smaller board and is rated for ages 6-8:
http://www.amazon.com/Think-Fun-5040-ThinkFun-Rush/dp/B00004WJSN/ref=pd_sim_t_3

Rush Hour has more pieces and is rated for age 8 to adult:
http://www.amazon.com/Think-Fun-5000-ThinkFun-Rush/dp/B00000DMER/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=toys-and-games&qid=1244869844&sr=8-1

My daughter is almost 5.
It's a bit hard to tell from the descriptions the differences besides size and number of pieces. Would the regular version be too hard for a 5 yo? Are the pieces too small to manipulate for littler hands (my DS is 2 and loves to play with everything even if he wouldn't quite "get" it yet)?
Would the smaller version get boring quickly for a 5yo?
Would either or both make for a good travel toy?

TIA!

[racerl1]

DS is 3-1/2 and plays with the regular game. Some of the puzzles are still too hard for him, but he can do a few. The pieces are just fine for him to manipulate.

[Momof3Labs]

Rush Hour Hr has been plenty for my kids for now. Since she's only 5, and Jr is rated for ages 6-8, I'd stick with that version.

FYI, my 3yo loves this more than my 6.5yo - he loves to play with the pieces and set them up to mimic the layout on the cards. Haven't tried to show him how to solve the puzzles yet!

[SnuggleBuggles]

I'd get the Jr.. My ds has been able to play the regular version since he was 5yo but I recently took Jr. in to his first grade class and I'd say at least half of the 6-8yos found it challenging.

Great games. :)

Beth

[MarisaSF]

I'd say at least half of the 6-8yos found it challenging.


And the rest of the kids found it too easy? This is why I'd lean towards getting the regular version -- reviews online led me to think that might be the case. Doesn't seem like it would start much harder, right? It just gets trickier at the more advanced levels of play?

Since your 5yo plays the regular version, does he still find the Jr. version fun?

If I got the regular version, DH and I could have fun with it, too. The kids seem always to want the "real" thing, not the "baby" version.

[SnuggleBuggles]

My almost 7yo still likes to play Jr. because he likes games he can beat. :)

The kids in his class that knew how to play were still having fun playing it and they had to think on the higher levels.

I think I would get the Jr. version. I am terrible at spatial reasoning so I still have fun playing the Jr. version. :)

Beth

[SnuggleBuggles]

Re. travel potential- it would be good to play when you got somewhere but I wouldn't play it in a car or plane because it would be annoying to keep the pieces organized and it would be a bigger pain if they spilled and you had to search for them.

Beth