I'm on my 4th/5th generation in each of my families but I've never seen a gopher. When do they come? How do you scare them away?

watch for the children's status to say Playing on the lawn. they will go play by the bird bath. and chase gophers on their own. Sometimes you can place them by the fountain over and over until their status is playing on lawn, but it takes a while... It never actually says chasing gophers though

So after they dig to China try that?

It has nothing to do with them digging a hole to China, except that the gopher holes look similar to the hole the children dig. Savannah has explained it perfectly. The gophers will appear just above the birdbath and the child's action "Playing on the lawn" is random. You just have to wait for it.

Oh ok. Thanks guys

Oddly enough, I just had this happen after our conversation here, so I screenied for you.

Don't forget that the gophers make kissing sounds followed by 'hey!' or 'whoa!' or 'what??' by the kids. The kids are the only people that can conjur the gophers and they never seem to be able to catch them, but the gophers have fun teasing. If you hear random kisses and 'hey!' or 'whoa!' or 'what??' in kid voice... go to the yard near the fountain/birdbath and you can usually find the gophers out. Praise the kid doing the chasing and get the trophy.

Anyone know how to get the peeps to chase the gophers? I have 5 fams going and on 3rd generation on all and none yet???

In my experience, dropping a child on the lawn close to the birdbath (until the tyke states that it is "playing on the lawn") will start the gopher chasing. However, this is just my own personal playing experience talking.

Keep your ears open, too. If you hear kissing sounds followed by giggles (and no one is trying for a baby), check the lawn near the birdbath, and you will probably find a kid chasing gophers.

I thought at first that the gopher scenario did not occur until a child had "dug a hole to China", but I have learned through playing that that action is not required for the gophers to appear.