Reviews and ideas for Christmas presents please? Post Reply

[supergirl]

Hi there

Just thought i should ask and it may help others like me!

I have a huge bunch if kiddies presents to get. We have decided with my husband to buy silly games NON digital, the sort if games that used to entertain us for hours on end... So we have come up with list only to read poor reviews about how the new version is either boring, break easily, too difficult, too easy, etc.

My questions are: if you have the new version of one or all the games could you please post an honest review? Also could you make some recommandations?

Operations, Who is it? (English name?), monopoly, pictionnary, taboo (when you have to guess a word without saying a list of words).

Ages range from 6.5 to 2 months old. They are all within a year apart on average. There are 9 kids

Many thanks, Supergirl

S

[Gingerbread]

Hi,

I used to love Monolopy, and still do, great for all the family to get involved but probably 8 years up.

Operation, always a winner, try Buckaroo as well.(A donkey you load up with saddles etc before he buckaroos it all off)

Maybe a chess set, and how to play?

Jenga is always good fun as well.

I played a couple of years ago a game with clay, you had to make an object from a word, if you won you took the opponents clay, good fun but I cannot remember the name.

Good luck!

[Mrs Contractor Mum]

Bananagrams is good fun. I bit like scrabble but without the board.
Snakes and Ladders and ludo are good counting games.
Chess boards, draughts boards, backgammon and battle ship for strategy development (maybe in a few years time rather than this year)
Who's who, who's in the bag, connect 4, buckeroo, jenga, buzz off, twister are also great family games although I may be reliving my youth a bit.
And if you fancy something a bit different, a carrom board is excellent fun too and all the kids will end up with the carrom finger (a slightly reddened/ bruised finger from flicking the carrom piece around the board).

[Mrs Contractor Mum]

I miss the days when we could edit posts too...

'A bit like scrabble'

[supergirl]

Thank you a lot, i m loving all the ideas!

Anymore?

[supermaman]

I would highly recommend Times up. A great game to play in teams and with children without the impression to play "baby games". I recently discovered it and had lots of fun playing with my nieces and nephews who are between 5 and 11 years old. Even the grand parents joined in and were addicted.

Fyi, the latest Monopoly edition has an electronic device. It allows players to buy streets at auction. It is quite fun though it means a bit more noise. It also speeds up the process of buying and you get to build the houses etc quicker. I see it as a plus as there are so many Monopoly games that I have never finished because I was called to lay the table for dinner

Don't also omit Cluedo. A great classic.

Less known and off track is "La guerre des moutons" from Asmodee.

Last but not least, you have the "Les Loups-garous de Thiercelieux". A recent card game but more aimed at 10 + years old.

Good luck!

[supermaman]

Sorry just re-read the original post and realised the age range you are looking at i.e. 6.5 years to 2 months. You may want to save my ideas for a few years...

[nvmof3]

Try popping in to Fun Learning on Northcote road. We have had two games from there recently which my kids (7,5 and 4) have loved - too many monkeys and snorta. They are also really knowledgeable about all their products which helps choose. Also another massive success with my gang is dobble which you can usually get in Just William at the clap south end of Balham high road.

[livegreen]

Frustration is always good fun and easy to learn and Kerplunk, which involves marbles and straws.

[supergirl]

I love all the ideas! This is fab... please anymore???

And dont worry re: age I usually dont really take them into account as I tend to buy for each specific child ie. according to personality and development, so I can see my 6.5 yrs old nephew can easily get a game for 8yrs but not necessarily my niece, etc;

I also want to add I found this morning in TK Maxx a portable fuse ball (spel? table football) quite cheap... I bet this is going to be quite popular and that both children and adults

[lhfc]

Dobble is a fantastic gave for kids. Simple idea but great fun for kids of all ages to play.

[Noonoo82]

I would say go to inside out in Teddington as they have a great choice of childrens prezzies. From wooden toys to teddies.

[coffeelovingmum]

If you have creative girls - Sequin art is fab - keeps them entertained for hours and is something they can dip in and out of.

Lucky Charm is another board game my two have enjoyed - move around the board, collecting charms for your bracelet. They also love snakes and ladders, ludo and twister.

[StacksNorthants]

I'm annoyed that I have exhausted the list of my giftees for whom I can buy 'Cranium' - that might be the game that someone is referring to above - it has a little bit of everything - charades, factual knowledge, spellings, Pictionary, plasticine modelling,

It keeps all the generations happy as it is easy to simplify for younger kids, but also it keeps all types of people happy because everyone can mime - or if not - doodle - or if not, spell - or hum - or pluck an obscure fact from their memories.

Honestly - the best game ever !

they have also since expanded into other games - not one of which we haven't enjoyed at the appropriate age (and long after), but I'll leave you to explore those whilst I go and get our Cranium out for after-school entertainment .... !
Rx