Students
Raid the Refrigerator But Don’t Wake Daddy!
Game contents
No matter how many times I play the game, Don’t Wake Daddy, I still can’t help shrieking and jumping a mile in the air every time I DO wake up “daddy”! This game has been a favorite of my youngest son for many years. At eight years old it’s still pleasurable to Cameron even though the game is recommended for ages 3-6. Since I now find my brain in constant game designer mode, I ask “What makes this such a great game?”
The object of the game is to get from your bed, past all the noisy obstacles like a barking dog or cuckoo clock, to the refrigerator for a midnight snack—without waking Daddy. The game set up is simple. The game comes with a game board, a 3-part plastic bed (bed, headboard, and Daddy that clips into the bed), Daddy’s nightcap, 24 cards, 4 movers with 4 bases, spinner, and rules and instructions.
The rules are simple. Each player is dealt 4 or so cards that depict noisy activities. These come into play as the player moves along the path. The player moves along a short rainbow colored path. Some spots on the path are plain and some have pictures of noisy things. On his 
turn, the player spins the spinner and lands on one of five colored spots or a purple star. If he lands on a colored spot, he then moves his marker to first available spot of that color. If that spot is plain—the player is safe! If not, the player checks his cards to see if he has a match. If he does, he’s also safe. If not, the player must push the Alarm Clock button…which makes a very loud and enjoyable click with each push…the designated number of times. If Daddy stays asleep, the player is safe BUT if Daddy wakes up the player must go all the way back to bed (or the start). The purple star let’s the player jump ahead one space on the path of the first place player.
So what makes this game great? It has a BIG element of surprise since the players never know when Daddy will wake up…and every player is genuinely surprised when he does…a loud shriek in my case and lots of laughter from the kids. Also, the player never knows what awaits him. Will he be safe and land on a plain space? Will he make a match with one of his noisy cards and be safe? Will he get to race ahead of the first place player?
It has elements of fun, imagination, and a story too. I think most children can imagine themselves raiding the fridge for an extra scoop of ice-cream or glass of chocolate milk when mom and dad are fast asleep. Young players can imagine being naughty with no real-life consequences, and older players perhaps imagine being naughty without the consequence of weight gain.
The mechanics of the game are simple. The rules are easy to follow and the game is appropriately short and sweet. It can keep a 3-6 year old engaged for twenty minutes. (Although I will say most 3 year olds just want to push the Alarm Clock over and over until Daddy wakes up.) Even when the player has to go “back to bed” (start over) it’s not too terrible since the path is relatively short and he or she can catch up quickly.
The aesthetics are appealing and appropriate to this age group—bright colors, age appropriate artwork on the cards and board, and a rather hysterical looking plastic Daddy.
The technology of this game is simple too. The most complicated piece is the Daddy who has to be “snapped” into the bed. All of these essential elements feed into the central theme of not waking daddy on the way to raiding the refrigerator.
So that’s what makes Don’t Wake Daddy fun! So who’s ready to play.
October 24th, 2009 at 7:13 pm
Reading about this reminds me a bit of the game “Operation” because of the audio element. Few games include audio (from the game itself) but it definitely adds another layer to playing and when used right (such as here) can easily improve a game. I would think many games do not use audio because of the added cost, and since it may not flow well with the game.
October 24th, 2009 at 10:26 pm
Don’t wake daddy is a game that I remember seeing commercials for on TV and always wanting to play. The game sounds and the real life situation really adds to the game. I don’t think just the 3 year old will want to push the alarm clock over and over again. I would love to do it over and over. Kaz I am ready to play!
October 25th, 2009 at 11:13 am
I love this game. I wish I had a niece or nephew that was young enough for this game because I would buy it for them for Christmas. When I first read your blog I thought,”how is this educational?” I see now, that sometimes Daddy or Mommy is sleeping, or anyone else in the house, and children must learn to respect that and be quiet. I get a kick out of the Daddy face also. I don’t understand the mechanics of what makes Daddy jump up from the sound though. Thank you for showing me how a super simple game can be so entertaining!
October 26th, 2009 at 11:55 am
When I first read this like Whit it reminded of Operation. I think the concept is fun and can see why children like it especially the role playing aspect of being “naughty” and of course there is the element of surprise and the unknown. This aspect is a great way to keep players engaged. Also, I am sure waking up Daddy would scare me every time. Thanks for sharing.
October 26th, 2009 at 3:00 pm
I think the element of surprise and chance is what makes this game fun. Not to mention the comedy in watching the reaction of other players when daddy is awoken. I bet some kids would play just with the daddy portion of the game and alternate pushing the button until someone wakes daddy. Kind of a like a safe Russian roulette. Another positive aspect is it keeps players engaged in the game when it isn’t their turn because they want to see if the other player will wake daddy. I’m not sure about the educational aspect of the game though. Do we want to be teaching kids to sneak around at night, trying to avoid waking their parents?
A Don’t Wake Daddy commercial from the 90s:
October 26th, 2009 at 3:02 pm
Oops. Here’s the link to the commercial
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x9zbe0_dont-wake-daddy-ad-1993_shortfilms
November 1st, 2009 at 1:36 pm
I also have to admit that even after having played the game countless times,I still shriek when Daddy wakes! The fantasy of the game, sneaking around the house, trying to avoid doing all the things noisy kids love to do makes the game very engaging. In reality, the truly fun part IS waking Daddy. The exaggerated drawings and design let you, as a player know, it’s okay to be silly and shriek, too. The game doesn’t take itself too seriously.
November 1st, 2009 at 11:26 pm
I think this game is educational because it teaches young children to recognize colors, count, and the social/cooperative skills like taking turns, being a good sport, and working together to have fun! I think that’s plenty for a little person to learn.
Thanks for reading my blog.
Karen
November 2nd, 2009 at 1:52 am
Karen, thank you for sharing this game. I have a couple of young children and this game sounds like a lot of fun to play with them. I have never heard of it. I checked the link to the commercial and I still can’t recall hearing about it. It seems very simple to explain to a child. While I’m sure that my two year old would only want to click the alarm clock, I can picture my seven year old enjoying the full intent of the game. He sometimes sneaks downstairs to play video games on the computer or watch some cartoons. I just see this as a game he could totally relate too. Thanks again, Karen.