The Summer holidays are on their way, and once your children get older the opportunities for playing outdoors together become more limited. Tactic Games have sent us the Finnish skittle game Mölkky to review, and it is perfect for the whole family or group to play together - pretty much wherever you are.
Suitable for 2 or more players aged 6 or over, Mölkky involves throwing a large wooden skittle at a group of pins on the ground. Your game comes in a very neat crate for carrying, transport and storage, and is 100% wood (except for rope handles), plastic-free and solidly made.
You'll need some outdoor space and fairly level ground to stand the pins, but it can be played on grass, sand or any hard surface. Because the skittle is thrown, not rolled, you don't need a very large flat area as you would for bowling. Brilliant for home, visiting, days out or holidays, Mölkky is so easy and quick to play that it's also a great way to entertain everyone at a barbeque or other outdoor get together with friends or family.
Missing the BBC TV game show The Traitors already? Don't panic, because now you can play it yourself at home. Ginger Fox Games have released a card game version for 4-8 players aged 8+, and they've sent us a copy to review.
Firstly I have to admit to never having watched The Traitors on telly, so this was a complete unknown for all of us. I was worried it would be a vicious and heartless game, but it turns out that isn't the case. This is a very quick game to play, each round takes about 30-45 minutes depending on the number of players, and although it's all about strategy, there isn't really enough time to be mean to anyone else - especially good if you are playing with younger gamers.
Our latest review for Cheatwell Games is Christmas Express. Designed for 2 to
4 players aged around 6 or over, this a very nicely illustrated family board
game with the aim to get your 'train' all the way to the North Pole first
- without sliding backwards down a bridge or getting caught in a
snowstorm.
The illustrations really are excellent, this is an attractive, bright and
colourful game, with a very festive feel. The player pieces are card, with 8 cute animal characters to choose from, so everyone is happy.
Movement around the board is via a hand of cards. Each time it's your turn,
you pick up cards so that you have 5 in your hand. Most give a number of
spaces to move forward, but some are more specialised....
Host Your Own Family Quiz Night has been sent to us for review by Cheatwell
Games. Recommended for 2 or more players aged around 8 or over, you play as 2
opposing teams. All of the cards have 2 general knowledge questions - one of
which is more suitable for the adults, and one a little easier (and sometimes
more recent) with multiple choice answers for the younger family members. We
played adults vs kids, and it was brilliant.
The game board is relatively small, so you can play without having to clear a
big table, and play is instant - set up from brand new took about 2 minutes.
Putting the game away is just as quick.
The questions are split into 8 themes, and the board has corresponding spaces,
so if you land on 'People', then you get a 'People' question. It's really
varied, and the questions very well selected, so none of the categories
actually became dreaded or favoured (even Geography).
Because we love Orchard Toys games it's no surprise that we asked Santa to bring some for Christmas.
We took advantage of the free postage for orders over £15 and ordered Where's My Cupcake? and What A Performance, which had both come highly recommended at Playfest on Twitter and Facebook. Where's My Cupcake was mainly for boy no.4, who is 3 in March, and What A Performance was for the whole family to play together. As with all Orchard Toys games and puzzles they are designed and
manufactured in the UK from strong 100% recycled board. They have really
bright colours, modern pictures and chunky pieces that don't bend or
come apart during even quite boisterous play. They are built to be
played with, and built to last.
We love Orchard Toys here, and having used them previously as a childminder and in a nursery, I know that they are really popular games and puzzles which can encourage even the quietest child to start talking and join in.
We were lucky enough to review both the Three Little Pigs and Old MacDonald Lotto for Izziwizzi Kids Playfest. As with all Orchard Toys games and puzzles they are designed and manufactured in the UK from strong 100% recycled board. They have really bright colours, modern pictures and chunky pieces that don't bend or come apart during even quite boisterous play. They are built to be played with, and built to last.
Three Little Pigs ~ Age 3-6
The Three Little Pigs game retails at £11.75. It is suitable for 2-4 players and the suggested age range is 3-6. It is perfect for nursery or pre-school aged children who are learning to count, and beginning to become confident with numbers. It teaches turn-taking and basic game play, and also the concepts of winning and losing via a more indirect path, as a player can be 'winning' but then have a couple of unlucky throws and fall back.
We loved the 3D nature of this game, the little pig characters and the houses made it really tactile and held the interest of the younger children, they were also excellent for encouraging a little imaginative play!
Old MacDonald Lotto ~ Age 2-6
Old MacDonald Lotto retails at £9.50. It is suitable for 2-4 players and the suggested age range is 2-6.
This game is ideal for a younger child who is learning to turn take and play games. It teaches recognition of different animals and objects, and their corresponding actions or sounds, expanding a child's vocabulary and increasing their confidence. It encourages observation, memory and matching skills.
The aim of the game is to collect all of the matching cards shown on your lotto board before the other players. If you find a matching card you then perform an action or sound that corresponds with that card before placing it on your board.
Our 2 year old especially was delighted with this game and felt really special that we have a game he can play on an almost even level with his older siblings. He very quickly learnt all of the names for the objects which appear, from the very familiar through to 'woodpecker' and 'milk churn' which are not so commonplace.
He picked up the idea of taking turns very quickly, although found it harder when there were 4 players and spent a lot of time being confused as to when it was his turn, but it was all good. We liked that we could change the game slightly to match the ability and interest of the children playing. When the 2 year old played he really liked the 'farmer' characters, so we let him choose one before we even started, otherwise he couldn't concentrate on the game because he was too keen to, in his words 'choose a player'!
Orchard Toys are available direct from www.orchardtoys.com , or if you prefer to shop offline you can find your nearest stockist on their website
We were lucky enough to be sent these games to review, but the opinions and reviews are our own genuine thoughts.
