Australia Geography Game – Second Edition, By Knowledge Builder - REVIEW

Nature/ Type:          Board game for kids 

Rating:                     ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Recommended age:  5 year-old ++   

Who would love this: Kids/ adults that enjoy travelling and want to learn more about the famous landmarks around Australia 

I love an adventure of discovering wonders of places - MINUS the motion sickness, logistic planning, and budget juggling. 🤣 Knowledge Builder provided us with this “Australia Geography Game – Second Edition” for a review, and I can’t wait to share about it! 

Why I love ❤️ this game: 

(1) Learn About Australian Landmarks Through Games - I love that we get to learn about Australian famous landmarks through a game! The instructions are simple - throw a dice, choose your route, move your counter, collect sufficient “Landmark Cards” (at least 20 points and one card from each State and Territory), and be the first player that reaches Canberra. This is a competitive game, but no one is obsessed with being the “winner”; instead, we enjoyed the “process” of getting to the final destination, choosing our routes, admiring the Landmark Cards, and acquiring new knowledge along the way. The 2nd edition contains 126 Landmark Cards, and 10 additional blank Landmark Cards (to “add on”with your favourite Aussie locations). Each Landmark Card has a picture of the place, and fun facts on the reverse (for example, do you know that Kakadu National Park is the largest in Australia, and “Broken Hill” is also known as the “Silver City”?). 

(2) Two Ways To Play - I love that the game incorporates little “twists” into the game by throwing in 40 “Outback Cards”. Many of them would send you to a new destination (e.g. “go skiing in the Snowy Mountains NSW” or “Move to Uluṟu NT”) - which would either disrupt your entire strategy, or set you nearer for the win! I also love that the game provides an alternative and advanced way to play - for example, player who got an “Outback Card” would have to answer a question on the card before given a chance to decide a next step [eg “which Australian landmark is the world’s largest rock” (answer: Mount Augustus)]. You can also add more “kangaroo stickers” (included) on the board to increase the encounters of Outback Card. 

(3) Quality Components and HUGE Game Board - The foldable board is gigantic (800 x 750 mm), completes with clear labels and geographic icons (mountain, river, desert etc). I love the 2 clear plastic trays (to keep the Landmark Cards organised) and the sturdy storage box. 

# gifted in exchange for review 

Where to buy this: 

https://www.knowledgebuilder.com.au/product/australian-geography-game-toy-products/

Enjoy the video! 

Pocket Money 2, By Knowledge Builder - REVIEW

Nature/ Type:          Board game that teaches about management of money 

Rating:                     ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Recommended age:  8 year-old ++   

Who would love this: Older kids who are curious and want to learn more about money management in a fun way!  

I’m guilty of occasional splurges, and “special celebrations” (which coincidentally, includes Christmas 😆🤣) are always great excuses to spend! I am really pleased that there is a game that focuses on the concept of “spend-wisely” without sounding too “preachy”. This is one of our family’s latest favourites - “ Pocket Money 2” from Knowledge Builder ! 

Why I love ❤️ this game: 

(1) Learn Basic Skills to Manage Money Through Play - We love Pocket Money 1, but Pocket Money 2 is of a whole new level for the older kids! We get to learn the basics of managing money, including understanding the differences between “spending money” and “saving money”, need and want (paying phone bills is a “need”, but enjoying a theatre experience is a “want”). We also learn to balance and allocate a portion of money for charity, saving in bank, and unique experiences. Each player will start with $100. To win, you need to have $250 in the bank, purchased 2 Wish cards and 1 Charity card.The key is to spend strategically; eg we should first earn enough cash prior to buying a charity / wish cards to prevent ourselves from getting “bankrupt” too soon. 

(2) Multiplications & Divisions - This is an amazing game to practise mathematics skills through play! For example, the proceeds from “Cupcake Stalls” or “Car Wash” are meant to be shared equally (i.e divided) amongst all players.We also need to calculate total earnings by multiplying hourly rate with the number of work done (eg, 3 hours of supermarket work ($11 per hour) would earn a player $33). Each time a player passes the “Start” space, they earn 20% of the money held in Saving Account. There are also rules about “rounding up” to next ten, exchanging smaller notes and coins for equivalent larger denominations, and a chance to work with decimals and whole numbers. 

(3) Realistic-Looking Aussie Currency Cash - The notes and coins are realistic-looking based on Australian currency. Included are 70 coins and 80 notes (from $5 to $100). I love the money tray  that neatly organised all the cash based on denominations. The notes are made of synthetic paper, not easily tearable, and the coins and tray are made of high-quality ABS plastic. I love the quality and the educational value of this game! 

# gifted in exchange for review 

Where to buy this: 

https://www.knowledgebuilder.com.au/product/pocket-money-2-toy-products/ (Australia) 

Enjoy the video! 

Time Tables Jigsaw Puzzles, By Knowledge Builder - REVIEW

Nature/ Type:          Innovative resources to learn multiplication in a FUN way! 

Rating:                     ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Recommended age:  7 year-old ++   

Who would love this: Kids who are learning multiplication, or who want to discover interesting patterns/ strategies about multiplying numbers! 

Mathematics used to be THE subject that I dreaded most; it was dull, confusing, and had too many “rigid memorising” that didn’t make much sense to me back in school. I am truly grateful to Knowledge Builder for sending me this “Time Tables Jigsaw Puzzles”, and opening my eyes to the colourful patterns hidden in numbers that I never knew existed! 

Why I love ❤️ this set: 

(1) 4 Jigsaw Puzzles - Included are 4 sets of 27-piece jigsaw puzzles - each can be assembled into a multiplication table in grid format which shows us the strategies, patterns and relationships of the numbers using colours! The first puzzle shows us that the order in which numbers are multiplied does not change the answer (eg 7x5 is same as 5x7, the two “35” in the grid are both in orange and placed diagonally to each other, separated by a purple “boundary”). I love that it uses a simple technique to demonstrate something that should be a “common sense” but so easily missed! 

(2) Discover Patterns - The puzzles encourage the kids to ask questions and find out the “pattern”. In the second puzzle, all the “0” are in red (showing us the pattern of “any number multiples by zero equals zero”). The time table for 1 is highlighted in orange (demonstrating the simple rule that “any number multiplied by one remains the same”). 

(3) Doubling/ Halving Strategies - The third puzzle teaches us the “doubling” and “halving” strategies by grouping the related time tables in the same colour. For example, multiplications for 2, 4, and 8 are in the pattern of “doubling, doubling and doubling again” (all marked in red), and the 5 times table is essentially the “half” of 10 times table (both in green). 

(4) Interesting Multiplication Facts - The 4th puzzle taught me a new interesting “checking” method. In a 3 x table, the digits in each number always add together to form a pattern of 3,6,9,3,6,9 😱. In 9 x tables, the digits always add up to 9. Again, the patterns are cleverly linked up using colours. 

(5) Colour-Coded - Each of the jigsaw puzzle is colour coded on the reverse to make it easy to identify each set (eg all the pieces belong to the first puzzle are printed in green on the reverse). I also love the sturdy storage box! 

Another awesome product! 

# gifted in exchange for review 

Where to buy this: 

https://www.knowledgebuilder.com.au/product/times-tables-jigsaw-puzzles-toy-products/

Enjoy the video! 

Pocket Money 1, By Knowledge Builder - REVIEW

Nature/ Type:          Educational game for kids to learn about money  

Rating:                     ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Recommended age:  5 year-old ++ 

Who would love this: Parents and kids who love monopoly and looking for something with an "Aussie touch" 

Our family loves classic Monopoly, but I always thought it would be super awesome if we can incorporate actual Australian currency in the game to give it some real “Aussie” touch. So imagine my excitement when Knowledge Builder sent us this “Pocket Money 1”. This is a fantastic game to practise money-counting in Monopoly-style, but with a kids-friendly pocket money theme! 

Why I love ❤️ this game: 

(1) Pocket Money Theme for Kids - The rules can’t be simpler; throw a dice, move your token, earn or spend money as indicated on the landed space, and be the first one to gather $50 in cash. Instead of “purchasing lands”, “building properties”, “paying super tax” or “going to jail” like in Monopoly, what we have in this game are something more relevant to the kids’ day-to-day life. We pay $1.25 for cupcake, earn $2.50 washing grandpa’s car, earn $4.35 from recycled bottles, and ride a merry-go-round for $1.50. The boy loves the “tooth fairy” space that earns us $6.00. I love that the game includes events and tasks that are familiar to kids. This is a great game to reinforce money awareness and to reevaluate our spending habits (the boy said he would never buy another bubble wand ever again 🤣 ). 

(2) Realistic, Aussie Currency Design - The set includes 70 coins and 12 each of $5 and $10 notes. I love the realistic-looking play money, and how they replicate the true Aussie currency design on both sides of the cash (but with the words “Play Money” printed on them), just like the “Play Shop” set I have previously reviewed. We get to spend and earn, practise giving out change, counting cash, and learning about equivalent values (eg two 50c coins have equal value as a $1 coin). This is a perfect example where we get to learn new skills whilst having fun! 

(3) Quality - The notes are made of synthetic paper with fantastic tear-resistant, and the coins are made of light weight durable ABS plastic. I love the foldable game board, and the resealable bags to store the cash. 

I love the simple rules of this game. However, if you are looking for something more challenging for older kids, then “Pocket Money 2” might be a better option. I will review about it next time. 

# gifted in exchange for review 

Where to buy this: 

https://www.knowledgebuilder.com.au/product/pocket-money-game-toy-products/

Enjoy the video! 

Fishing for Numbers, By Knowledge Builder - REVIEW

Nature/ Type:          Classic fishing game with a "number" twist. 

Rating:                     ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Recommended age:  4 year-old ++ 

Who would love this: Mathematics + Fishing Game lovers / Parents looking for a creative teaching tool 

Any 80s babies here remember the plastic electronic pond, with fishes bobbing up and down, opening and closing their mouth hungrily while players raced to capture the fishes? 🤣🙋‍♀️ The fishing games these days come in all shapes, sizes, and styles; This “Fishing for Numbers” by Knowledge Builder is probably my personal favourites fishing-themed game so far, and I’m going to share about this fantastic version today! 

Why I love ❤️ this toy: 

(1) Creative Ways to Learn Maths - This set includes 22 wooden fish with numerals and words from 0 to 10. The reverse side of each fish has corresponding number of dots matching the number on the other side. We also get two magnetic fishing rods, a game board, and a teacher guide. The potential of this set is almost limitless and there are SO MANY ways to play with it! The youngest kids can train up hand-eye coordination by doing “fishing” randomly with no particular order, a three-year-old can start with dots counting and arranging the fishes in sequence, before moving on to number recognition. Preschool kids would love a challenge of reading the words. We can also do “fish for numbers that together make ten”, “match the numbers, words and dots”, and any creative games involving additions, subtraction and multiplications! I love watching my kids (three and six year-old) playing with this set simultaneously, laughing together, while testing their mathematics and matching skills of different levels! 

(2) Awesome Components - The components are cleverly-designed and chunky for little hands to handle with ease. I love the big folded game board with simple design of blue pond surrounded by greenery and seaweed. Each fish is of a good size, clearly painted with large white font of words, numerals and dots for easy recognition. 

(3) Sturdy Materials - I love the good quality materials - the 22 fishes (including the “zero” pink starfish) are made of wood, painted with bright and visually-appealing colours, and crafted slightly differently (10 different fishes representing each number). The games board is thick and solid. We also love the sturdy storage box that keeps everything organised in one place. 

Overall, I’m impressed! 

# gifted in exchange for review 

Where to buy this: 

https://www.knowledgebuilder.com.au/product/fishing-for-numbers-toy-products/

Enjoy the video! 

Let’s Play Shop, by Knowledge Builder - REVIEW

Nature/ Type:          Fantastic educational resources to learn about money 

Rating:                     ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Recommended age:  5 year-old ++ 

Who would love this: Parents who are looking for money-learning resources + pretend play lovers

My kids LOVE to “play shop”; our house is constantly in a mess with furniture being re-arranged and toy-groceries lined up as display. I am really grateful to Knowledge Builder for providing this set of “Let’s Play Shop” to us for review. This game completes our pretend store set-up, and the kids have great fun learning about money through engaging games! 

Why I love ❤️ this set: 

(1) Realistic Aussie Play Money - I love the realistic-looking play money in Aussie currency! If you are looking for quality educational resources to learn about money denomination, buying-and-selling, and cash-counting in the Aussie way, this set is a MUST-HAVE. I have seen many pretend money sets before, but this is probably the most “useful” one due to the large quantity of play money included (from the smallest 5 cent to $100 note, with a total of 100 of them) ! I love how they replicate the true currency design on both sides of the cash (but with the words “Play Money” printed at the top, of course!). For example, the 50 cent coin is in the shape of 12-sided polygon, featuring the Commonwealth Coat of Arms on one side, and the reigning monarch Elizabeth II on the obverse. $10 note has Banjo Paterson on one side, and poet Dame Mary Gilmore on the reverse.

(2) Shopping Cards & Games - The set also includes 24 laminated shopping cards (with illustration of items and their prices printed on each card). The price tags range from the straightforward (eg $5 for a kite) to the slightly more challenging ones (eg $9.90 for a tennis set). There are 2 suggested games included, but feel free to make up your own games! We created so many “shopping” game versions, from the “I have $45 only dilemma”, “shop keeper with only coins for change”, and “discount day”). I love how versatile these resources are! 

(3) Quality - The notes are made of synthetic paper with fantastic tear-resistant. The coins are made of light weight durable ABS plastic. I love the quality! 

(4) Cash Drawer + Box - I also love the cash drawer with neat compartments moulded with coin denominations labels, and the sturdy storage box that keeps everything tidy and organised! 

I love this product!

# gifted in exchange for review 

Where to buy this: 

https://www.knowledgebuilder.com.au/product/lets-play-shops-game-toy-products/

Enjoy the video!