Average Customer Review: ( 6 customer reviews )
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26 of 29 found the following review helpful:
 This is the game that never ends! Yes it goes on and on my friends! Dec 22, 2009
By goonius
Some people started playing it, not knowing what it was,
and they'll continue playing it forever just because...
(music continues softly in background)
We bought this game alongside two other Haba preschool games (Animal Upon Animal and Zitternix) for our 4-year old this Christmas, and she absolutely loves it, claiming 'Socken Zochen' is her favorite of the three. I can see why. Once she locks you into a game of Sochen Zochen, she can be guaranteed your undivided attention for an indeterminate period of time.
Why?
Well, the creators of Sochen Zochen had the brilliant idea of setting no time limits on this game, and not making it turn-based, which at first glance might seem really great and open-ended and whatnot, but instead it drags out into this sort of tedious clock-watching, as you try to restrain yourself from making matches - and winning the game. After a grueling 15, 20, 30 minutes of watching said four-year old dawdle about with her previously-won orange clothespins, trying in futility to clip her single match together, breaking the clothespins, insisting on assistance, and then returning to the same task with meticulous attention, you give in and find a match. "Don't you want to find another match too?" you say, pleading. "Hoooonk!" says child. So you give in and (slowly, so as to not be said to deny her a fair chance) locate the rest of your five, winning and inflicting unprecedented emotional damage to the child who, now at attention, lays aside her orange clothespins, tears of bitter defeat welling in her eyes. And then you feel like a real jerk, you know?
But hey - the other reviews are glowing.
The game is well-made, I'll give it that. The pieces are super-thick cardboard with a high-quality durable coating. It's made in Germany, not China. It could be challenging in the right way to the right kid, and save for the clothespins, the pieces are large enough to have around younger kids.
So, if you decide to take your chances with the never-ending game, or just feel like inflicting a little bit of torture on yourself, here's what three times five will get you:
- 48 socks (24 matches) measuring around 2.2" from cuff to toe and .75" across at the cuff, 2" across from heel to toe. They're harder to match than one might imagine, and apparently, for children like mine, not a heck of a lot of fun to match. They do get a lot of play in terms of being removed from and replaced in the box. Awesome!
- A plethora of miniature (1.75" x .5") orange clothespins (even if the game doesn't work out for you, you can wash some elven laundry... and line-dry it!)
- An adorable Socken Zochen monster, who makes a pretty fine role-play figurine. He's brightly painted and made of solid wood and measures 2.2" x 1.5". My 23 month old loves the monster.
So... bottom line. I think the cons are worth knowing before you decide this would be a really cool way to challenge your child's powers of observation. It might not turn out to be like that Wal-Mart family game night commercial where everyone's all smiling and attentive and - you know - *actually* playing the game. It may be a total bust, or in the words of my possibly disturbed four-year old "Hoooonk!"
11 of 11 found the following review helpful:
 Fast-paced game for preschoolers Jan 03, 2010
By Budinello
This game challenges preschoolers to quickly find as many matching pairs of socks as possible in a big pile of similar socks. The socks are similar enough that even an adult has to look carefully to identify the matching pairs. My 3.5 year old son enjoys this game and is able to play it without much difficulty. Obviously, I have to adjust my speed when playing with him because I can identify matches considerable faster than he can. In that sense, the game is a little less enjoyable for an adult than, say, Memory where my son and I are much more evenly matched. The educational value of the game is mainly limited to sharpening observation skills and practicing self-control (i.e. not grabbing similar socks that are not exact matches). Children need to recognize colors and do some simple counting but they will need to have already mastered these skills in order to play this game.
19 of 22 found the following review helpful:
 Great practice, great fun! Feb 18, 2007
By Jennifer E. McKinney
Our preschooler LOVES to play this game with us, and wants to take the adorable wooden monster everywhere with her! And we're always happy to share toys, books, and games with her that don't tout highly marketed characters like Disney, Dora, Bob the Builder, Barbie, etc.
The only downside is that she desperately wants to clip a pair of the sturdy laminated paperboard socks together once she's earned a clothesline clip, and the socks are too thick for that. Nonetheless, as with every Haba product we've tried, we're thoroughly pleased.
3 of 3 found the following review helpful:
Even the adults had a great time! Dec 28, 2009
By Junebug
This seems like a simple game, but the matching pairs are quite easy to mess up. The pieces are made of a very firm plasticized cardboard, and will hold up for a long time.
Wonderful game Feb 22, 2011
By JWent
My 4 yr. old has such fun pairing up the socks and it has helped develop his attention to detail as the differences between the socks are very subtle.
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