Ages 3-6; No Reading Required
Cootie Games is a line of Tabletop Games aimed at young children. These games are characterized by large, simple rules, and colorful artwork. Besides Cootie itself, each entry in this line is a Dexterity Game. First created in the mid-20th century by William Schaper, the games were eventually bought by Milton Bradley in 1986 and remained owned by parent company Hasbro to this day.
Games in this line include:
- (The Game of) Cootie (1949)
- Don't Spill the Beans (1967)
- Don't Break the Ice (1968)
- Ants in the Pants (1969)
Learn the Tropes:
- Accessory-Wearing Cartoon Animal: Two of the body parts required in Cootie are legs and antennae. In most editions, some of the options for legs include shoes, while the antennae has a hat or two as alternatives. Some editions go a step further, putting glasses on a pair of eyes.
- Animate Inanimate Object: Don't Spill the Beans prominently features a jar with hands, eyes, and a mouth. Furthermore, on most boxart, the beans are also depicted with faces, bouncing around somewhat carelessly.
- Danger — Thin Ice: Don't Break the Ice centers around knocking blocks of ice loose while keeping the guy in the center from falling through. The game ends when someone's move causes the figure to fall through.
- Firehouse Dalmatian: While subtle, editions of Ants in the Pants featuring the dalmation have him wearing a fire helmet.
- Pun-Based Title: Ants in the Pants, Don't Break the Ice, and Don't Spill the Beans are all puns on American-English idiomsnote , but also depict the object of the game.
- Squirrels in My Pants: Or ants, rather. The point of Ants in the Pants is to launch ants into the plastic pants prop. No, the guy on the box doesn't seem to mind.
- Themed Stock Board Game: Ants in the Pants had a themed re-release to Spongebob Squarepants in 2005, while Don't Break the Ice saw releases themed to Frozen in 2013 and 2019.
