Angry Birds are back. Only this time, in person.

When my kids first discovered Angry Birds, I admit that it didn’t take me long to join the legions of lovers. There is something about the smug little faces and the clueless looking swine that gets me every time.

But there is this little problem called “too much screen time” (no matter how fun the game) and the fact that the game is one player only. Enter, Angry Birds, the board game.

We all knew that it was only a matter of time before someone grabbed the license, and turns out it’s Mattel, who delivers in a big way with the Angry Birds Knock on Wood Game. It’s basically dominoes 2.0, only we have a catapult to take things to the next level.

Here’s how it works: A player draws a card with a picture of a pig habitat and must build the structure with the pieces provided before his opponent launches an enemy bird. The game is fun and simple, and engages my three active boys without requiring a single outlet or battery.

My one beef (what? I could have said pork) with this game is all of the plastic. The faux wood could have easily been made out of the real thing ala Jenga. I’d encourage Mattel to make an eco-friendly version of this game; I for one, would pay the difference for the quality craftsmanship. I don’t think that the the poor piggies would be any safer, though. –Eva

Angry Birds Knock on Wood Game is available at your local independent toy shop and online at our affiliate Amazon.

And just for fun, click here to learn how one science teacher has made Angry Birds part of his curriculum.