Games and Puzzles

A game for everyone, anywhere.  So simple to learn, such fun to play.

One up on Connect 4, this time you have to connect five.

Take turns to lay your tiles on the table.  The first to get five in a row, up, across or diagonally, wins.

Children seem particulary good at this, annoyingly.

2- 4 players

Age suitability: 6 years plus.

Children can play darts without damaging themselves or the plasterwork with this magnetic darts set.

Two levels of difficulty: on one side is a large conventional target with smaller targets on the rear.

Comes with six darts which you lob gently at the board.

Board measures 65 x 44 cm but rolls up for easy storage.

Age suitability: 4-8 years.

Traditional wooden Ludo set.

Made from FSC™-certified wood.

28cm across.

2-4 players.

Age suitability: 3 years onwards.

Choose which path to take in your life and see who retires the richest.

Go to college and aim for a higher paid job or start earning straightaway instead, buy a house, take out a loan - what will pay in the end?

2-4 players.

Age suitability: 8 years plus.

Answer six trivia questions in six different subjects to win this classic quiz game. 

2,400 questions in 6 categories: Geography, Entertainment, History, Art and Literature, Science and Nature, and Sports and Leisure.  This game is recommended for players of 16 years and up, so many of these questions would be beyond me.

Contents: includes gameboard, 400 cards, 1 die, 6 wedge holders, and 36 wedges.

2-6 players.

Scrabble is one of those games that has been around for ages.  You either love it or you don't.

We sell it in this, the bonanza version  where you get Classic Scrabble on one side of the board and Scrabble Together on the other.  Every one knows the classic version but Scrabble Together is a cooperative game in which you work together to solve word challenges.  If you can't do it, you use a help card.  You lose when you have used up all the help cards.  You win when you complete twenty challenges.

2 - 4 players

Age suitability: 10 - Adult

.

This is a game for 3-6 year olds designed to encourage matching skills and also promotes good manners (please and thank you) and sharing.

Each player takes one 'plate'.  Ten of the cupcake cards, one of each type, are placed face up on the table. the remainder are shuffled and placed in a stack face down.  The first player draws the top card off the pack, matches it up with one of the cards face up on the table and then puts both face upwards on the plate. On subsequent goes, if the cupcake drawn from the pack matches the top cupcake on your plate, add it to your plate.  If it also matches one of the remaining cupcakes face up on the table, add both to your plate.  Should the drawn card not match either the cupcake on your plate or any of the ones on the table, you then offer it to any of the other players.  Here they have to say please and thank you. The winner is the one who ends up with the most cupcakes.

Made of sturdy cardboard.

013

 

Orchard Toys is a Norfolk-based company designing and making their games in-house. They have been going for years and have a reputation for producing good, honest games which are both fun and educational.  All the games are fully tested by teachers and, of course, by children, so they are totally safe and dependable.

Most of the games are aimed at the 3-6 year olds.  To an adult the games will inevitably seem somewhat simplistic but they really know that age group so I never have any hesitation about recommending them.  Obviously children develop at different rates so some children may not be able to follow the instructions at first but that doesn't seem to matter as they enjoy playing with the colourful cards.  As the child develops, it isn't long before they fully appreciate the game and they benefit from the educational aspects whilst enjoying themselves.

.

A speedy, Sh..head-like game, card game where you must lose your cards as quick as you can.  If you are last, you get to wear the delightful scratch and sniff sticker.

2-4 players.

Age suitability: 6 years plus.

Help the rabbits race up the hill towards the juicy carrot but watch out for the naughty mole and the holes that open up in the path.

2 - 4 players.

Age suitability: 4+ years.