We have been sent a few games from Spinmaster to keep us busy as a family while we're all at home. It's so great to have this extra family time together and we absolutely love board games, so we were very excited to dive right into these and play!
The four family games that they sent us are Jumanji Falcon Jewel Battle Game, Hedbanz, Otrio and Baby Shark - Let's Go Hunt! Fishing Game.
First we played the Baby Shark Let's Go Hunt! Fishing Game. It is aimed at children from ages 4 and up and can be played by up to 4 players. I do think that slightly younger children could definitely play (and the reason for the recommended age may be more about the safety of small parts) but do note that 2 AA batteries are required to play.
It is a very simple game to play, easy for the kids to play on their own while you work or do jobs around the house. The board spins around and the fish open their mouths, each player has a shark that they use to catch the fish. The hook at the end of the shark catcher can pick up the fish by their jagged teeth. The goal is to be the shark to catch the most fish by the end. It is great for improving hand eye coordination and fine motor skills for younger children. Of course I should mention that it does play the Baby Shark song over and over again, so it will definitely end up in your head all day!
Next we played Hedbanz which really is a classic. It is recommended for children from age 7 and up (but we play together as a family and Ivy is only 6, she needs a little bit of extra help but not much). It can be played by 2 - 6 players.
Each player wears a headband with a mystery card on it and has to ask questions to try to guess which card they have. The game comes with a timer and guess tokens, but often just play for fun without keeping score. It is a great way for the children to work on their deductive reasoning skills and to think creatively about what they may have on their card.
Then we played Otrio, which is a game that we were not familiar with before now. I think that the best way to describe it is as an upgrade to tic tac toe. It is aimed at children from ages 8 and up (but again Ivy was able to play at 6 years old) and is for 2 - 4 players.
Each player has a different coloured set of circles, taking turns to place one at a time on the board. You are trying to get three in a row of your own circles, either all of the same size or in ascending or descending order of sizes.
It took a little while for the children to get the hang of it (I won the first few rounds), but they were instantly focussed and trying to figure out some tactics for blocking the other players as well as winning themselves. It is a great game for concentration and coming up with a balanced strategy of defending as well as winning. They have to think of their next moves and other options straight away. I could definitely see this one becoming one of our regular family games.
Finally we played Jumanji - Falcon Jewel Battle Game. This one is aimed at ages 8 and up (and is quite complicated, so while Ivy was able to play it, I would probably say that it is better for older children). It is also for 2 - 4 players.
It is quite a different format for a board game, not what we were expecting at all. So if you're looking for something that isn't like other games that you have then this might be perfect for your family. Each player has a token card and the aim is to fill your token card with six tokens to be the winner. The game is played somewhat collaboratively, with cards at the side that you choose from and roll to reach a given total. This was fun to work together.
There are also twists to the game as if you choose a berry card you then get to spin the board and everyone ends up playing with a different character. It kept the game interesting and meant that one person didn't necessarily dominate because they had a good spot. This is a fun game to encourage social skills and working together as well as being strategic about who you choose to work with. A great game for slightly older children.
We have been having so much fun playing these games while we're at home, and they all have some educational benefits as well, so they're the perfect addition to our home learning days. They have all been added to our list of Board Games for Playing and Learning at Home too.
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* This post contains gifted items as well as affiliate links, I receive a small percentage of the cost when items are purchased through these links at no extra cost to you.*
The four family games that they sent us are Jumanji Falcon Jewel Battle Game, Hedbanz, Otrio and Baby Shark - Let's Go Hunt! Fishing Game.
First we played the Baby Shark Let's Go Hunt! Fishing Game. It is aimed at children from ages 4 and up and can be played by up to 4 players. I do think that slightly younger children could definitely play (and the reason for the recommended age may be more about the safety of small parts) but do note that 2 AA batteries are required to play.
It is a very simple game to play, easy for the kids to play on their own while you work or do jobs around the house. The board spins around and the fish open their mouths, each player has a shark that they use to catch the fish. The hook at the end of the shark catcher can pick up the fish by their jagged teeth. The goal is to be the shark to catch the most fish by the end. It is great for improving hand eye coordination and fine motor skills for younger children. Of course I should mention that it does play the Baby Shark song over and over again, so it will definitely end up in your head all day!
Next we played Hedbanz which really is a classic. It is recommended for children from age 7 and up (but we play together as a family and Ivy is only 6, she needs a little bit of extra help but not much). It can be played by 2 - 6 players.
Each player wears a headband with a mystery card on it and has to ask questions to try to guess which card they have. The game comes with a timer and guess tokens, but often just play for fun without keeping score. It is a great way for the children to work on their deductive reasoning skills and to think creatively about what they may have on their card.
Then we played Otrio, which is a game that we were not familiar with before now. I think that the best way to describe it is as an upgrade to tic tac toe. It is aimed at children from ages 8 and up (but again Ivy was able to play at 6 years old) and is for 2 - 4 players.
Each player has a different coloured set of circles, taking turns to place one at a time on the board. You are trying to get three in a row of your own circles, either all of the same size or in ascending or descending order of sizes.
It took a little while for the children to get the hang of it (I won the first few rounds), but they were instantly focussed and trying to figure out some tactics for blocking the other players as well as winning themselves. It is a great game for concentration and coming up with a balanced strategy of defending as well as winning. They have to think of their next moves and other options straight away. I could definitely see this one becoming one of our regular family games.
Finally we played Jumanji - Falcon Jewel Battle Game. This one is aimed at ages 8 and up (and is quite complicated, so while Ivy was able to play it, I would probably say that it is better for older children). It is also for 2 - 4 players.
It is quite a different format for a board game, not what we were expecting at all. So if you're looking for something that isn't like other games that you have then this might be perfect for your family. Each player has a token card and the aim is to fill your token card with six tokens to be the winner. The game is played somewhat collaboratively, with cards at the side that you choose from and roll to reach a given total. This was fun to work together.
There are also twists to the game as if you choose a berry card you then get to spin the board and everyone ends up playing with a different character. It kept the game interesting and meant that one person didn't necessarily dominate because they had a good spot. This is a fun game to encourage social skills and working together as well as being strategic about who you choose to work with. A great game for slightly older children.
For more fun, follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest and sign up to receive our newsletter for regular updates!
Follow Play & Learn Everyday's board Play & Learn Everyday - Crafts and Activities from the Blog on Pinterest.
* This post contains gifted items as well as affiliate links, I receive a small percentage of the cost when items are purchased through these links at no extra cost to you.*
