I had a blast playing this game with a four-year-old child.  It was great to teach her the rules and watch her count carefully as she moved her little pegs from space to space.  Granted this game is for 5 years old and up, we did have a great time.  I agree with the recommended age range, but if you are patient, many 4 year old children will enjoy this thoroughly.  The only thing I was questioning was the sturdiness of the popper.  We were sitting on the carpet playing the game.  That may have been the problem.  I would recommend placing the gameboard on a flat surface, such as a kitchen table or coffee table, to make it easier to pop the popper.  Between 5 to 8 years old is probably a good age range for this game.