Next Step Children’s Board Games: Hey That’s My Fish!

As summer comes to an end, children return to school and the nights draw in, I’m starting a new blog series. I’ll be looking at games for children that come after the early-years staples (e.g. Shopping List, Mermaid Fun) and before the classic “gateway” games (e.g. Ticket to Ride, Carcassonne). 

These games are still colourful and friendly, but they offer more structure, more decision-making, and more opportunities for players to practise their strategic thinking. They’re calm (but focused), still relatively easy to learn and fun even for beginners, and they steadily build the skills that prepare children to enjoy more “grown‑up” games. They take a little longer to play than the pocket games I’ve been writing about, but still rarely stretch beyond 20-30 mins. 

I’m starting with Hey That’s My Fish!

In a nutshell…

What I love about it

Hey That’s My Fish! Is off to a good start with its appealing penguin theme. In our edition, the four penguin playing pieces are different so my son loves giving prime starting spot to his favourite.

The game is easy to learn. Players quickly get the hang of moving their penguins in straight lines and picking up the tiles they leave behind. There are plenty of fish available at the start so individual moves feel low-stakes. Nobody is distressed when their opponent picks up three fish because quite likely they will do the same on their next turn.

Initially (and often for their first few games) most players focus on gathering fish. As they gain experience, they realise that poor placements can block their own penguins later in the game. From there, players also work out that a well placed penguin can do the same to someone else. They begin to trade off fish numbers against moves that improve positioning and spatial advantage, with payoffs in future turns. They also start to look at how their opponents might move, considering how to protect fish groups for themselves, and where their penguins might get stuck.

Here’s a link: https://link.amazon/B04ptgQZW

When I use it

I use Hey That’s My Fish! when I want a game that feels playful but still offers stretch. It’s not too intense so my son can manage it after a day at school. It is probably easiest to learn with two players because there are fewer options to track, but it works well for three and four players too. It’s also good for mixed groups, as even players who lose will have collected plenty of fish before they do. Just look out for less experienced players running out of moves and losing interest.

If you have an older version, the set-up involves lining up dozens of small hexagon tiles. I’d expected it to be time consuming and frustrating (and therefore a limitation on when we play) but it’s become part of the fun. It does take a little time but my son usually enjoys the process. Depending on mood, we either race to complete rows or he does the lot himself and takes pride in a beautifully lined-up grid. Newer versions have a convenient “ocean board” frame to fit the tiles in, which also prevents any accidental knocks to the display.

Why Hey That’s My Fish! fits the way we play

My board game choices draw on similar criteria to the ones I use for pocket games. With calmer home settings and less time pressure I can introduce games that need sustained concentration and a little more patience. I ask players to work with more information and more complex decisions. And I gradually introduce more deliberate competition. Here’s why Hey That’s My Fish! is a good fit.

• Everyone stays involved: Turns are short, the board changes constantly, and players naturally watch each other’s moves. 
• You can see what is happening as you play: The board is visible and easy to read. Players can start thinking ahead more but they don’t have to remember anything specific to do so.
• Mistakes are manageable: A penguin stuck on an island is a clear consequence of a player’s decisions, but they still have several other penguins to play with. They can see why it happened, adjust their approach and try a new idea next time.
• Results make sense: The winner is simply the player who collected the most fish. It won’t always be obvious until the end but there’s no dispute over the result.
• Focused and calm: The game stays gentle and playful, and players can take their time. It does require concentration and some forward planning.

What Hey That’s My Fish! helps us practise

I will always prioritise having fun over “learning” experiences but in this blog series I will look briefly at the skills these games are helping players practise. These matter to me because they can help them access more complex (and hopefully even more fun) games in future. For Hey That’s My Fish! I’ve identified:

• Spatial control: Players think about where to place their pieces at the start and how to gain control of useful areas by limiting access.
• Moving to block: Players learn to make moves that restrict another player’s options (without it feeling personal or punitive).
• Planning ahead: Players look ahead to anticipate their opponents’ moves and understand the consequences of their own, spotting where future advantage might emerge.
• Evaluating options: Players compare the choices available to them, weighing immediate gains against longer‑term potential.
• Adapting to change: Players adjust their plans as opponents move, the ice breaks apart, and the playing area shrinks.

Alternatives

Games I’ve already written about with spatial reasoning and control elements include:

• Swish is a calm, visual way to practise spatial reasoning and imagining movement, using transparent cards instead of a board. [It’s always hard to find this one but here’s a link that might work – Swish]
• Bandido (or Bandida) is a cooperative tile‑laying puzzle game where closing routes and controlling space matter as much as they do here but without the competitive edge. [Here are the links – Bandido and Bandida]

New suggestions (and blogs coming soon) include:

• Labyrinth is a child‑friendly maze game where players slide tiles to reshape the board and open new paths to collect treasure. The maze changes every turn so players plan routes carefully and use shifts to create openings or slow others down. [Here’s the link – Labyrinth]
• Blokus is a colourful tile‑placement game where players fit different shapes together on a shared grid. Each piece must fit neatly into place, so players think ahead about how to claim space and block others. [Here’s the link – Blokus]

Some links in this post may be affiliate links. I only link to games I already use.