I had totally forgotten about Connect Four until I saw a review on it the other day.  "Santa" bought this for Christmas for me one year when I was about 7, and I absolutely loved this game.

It's a game for just two people, completing against each other for the most lines of four disks.  There are two colours of disks, red and yellow, each play uses just one colour and is trying to get a line, either horizontally, vertically or diagonally of their colour.  The disks area a bit like coins, around the size of a £2 coin and made out of hard plastic.  

There is a stand-up frame for the coins to be slotted into by row and column.  There are 6 rows and 7 columns in total.  The frame is dark blue and needs to be assembled, it's very easy to put together, there are just two sides which clip onto the sides of the slotted section.  This middle slotted section has a pull-around release cover at the bottom to let the disks out at the end of the game.  I always kept mine in the box so would dissemble it after use.

The game is a very basic idea but is really fun to play.  I would usually  play the frame sitting on the floor and the two players take it in turn to slot their disks in.  It is a tactical game, you are trying to block the other player from getting a connect four but at the same time trying to get your own connect fours.  At the end of the game when all the disks are in the frame and the frame is full the players count up who has the most connect fours and thus wins.

It's a good game for children and the game says its suitable for kids 6 upwards - I would say this is about right.  The tactical element is good, you have to learn to watch what your opponent is doing as well as concentrating on your own game, therefore there is lots of reactionary moves involved.  Younger children would understand more the concept of getting four disks in a line and for that reason it is a good educational tool and the more tactical element of playing would come later when they are older.

Looking online the game is about £12 and I certainly played with for quite a number of years, and I seem to remember my father rather like playing it too!  I am sure I kept it so next time I go to my parents I will hunt it out from my room there as my daughter who is five is just at the age where she would be able to get into playing it and I think it would be a good way to teach her horizontal and verticals!