Story Cubes, By Purebaby - REVIEW

Nature/ Type:          Wooden story cubes 

Rating:                     ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 

Recommended age:  3 year-old ++ 

Who would love this: Kids with BIG imagination + story creators! 

This “Story Cubes” from Purebaby is a precious little gift found in our Victorian Three-Year-Old Kindergarten kit. Today, I’m going to share about how these 4 beautiful cubes captured our hearts. 

Why I love ❤️ this toy: 

(1) Simple 4 Cubes - Simplicity brings happiness. The “Story Cubes” does exactly that. The 4 lovingly-designed blocks have unique and nature-inspired illustrations on each side. Each of the cube serves the perfect purpose providing an element to a story; a “character” (platypus, cockatoo, possum, koala, snake, kangaroo), a “setting” (mountain, river, waterhole, tree, camp, home), a “plot” of events (wind, rain, clouds, star, moon, sun), and an additional element for a surprise or conflict (man, woman, child, food, feather, music). We roll the cubes and take turn to create our imaginative tales of a kangaroo that got tickled by a feather, koala that made a wish upon a star, and a musically talented platypus that sang in the rain. There was never a dull moment playing with these inspiring cubes. Small cubes, BIG imagination! 

(2) Culturally-Inspired Symbols - The illustrations were drawn by Nikita Rotumah, a proud Gunditjmara Bunitj woman, a local artist. I love the culturally-inspired symbols and pictures; a “man” is represented by a “U” (person) and an arrow or probably a spear; a didgeridoo and clap sticks for “music”, a series of concentric rings for “waterhole”, and wavy rippling lines for “river”. 

(3) Great Material - I love the 100% beech wood material, non-toxic and chemical-free. I love the natural timber feel, the durability, and solidness, the careful craftsmanship, and beautiful engraving of the illustrations. 

(4) Travel-Friendly - I also love the small travel-friendly size of the cubes. I like that the blocks are conveniently-packaged in a minimalist white cardboard box. The “Story Cubes” is an amazing and engaging learning resources, perfect for home or play “on the go”. 

Where to buy this: 

https://purebaby.com.au/products/story-cubes-natural

Enjoy the video! 

Dragon Inferno, By SmartGames - REVIEW

Nature/ Type:          Quick two-player game with a very cool dragon-theme  

Rating:                     ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Recommended age:  7 year-old ++ 

Who would love this: Strategy game lovers 

The world of dragons captures our fascination; we are fans of Smaug from LOTR and the Hungarian Horntail from Harry Potter! Really, who can resist these mysterious creatures that can conquer the sky! When I saw this “Dragon Inferno” from SmartGames , my heart leaped with excitement! Thank you Leisure Learning for sending this to us for a review.

Why I love ❤️ this game: 

(1) Dragon! - This is a COOL game with an impressively formidable theme; The defence of kingdom, intrusion of flame-spitting dragons, towering castles. Players take turn to expand their kingdom by placing tiles on the vacant corner / or adjacent to tile of the same colour. A dragon egg in the midst of such tile bestows the power to summon a fire-breathing dragon that can burn down an opponent’s built territory. The winner is the one that has tactically built the largest kingdom in the valley. The instruction is easy to comprehend. The dragon theme keeps young kids interested and engaged. This is one of the most frequently requested games by my five-year-old, and it’s easy to see why! 

(2) Awesome Components - The components are well-designed and encourages strategic planning in each step. The 7 kingdom tiles are in tetromino form (4 square segments) of different configurations, each contains a castle (for extra point) and a hole (for a dragon egg to fit in and dwell on). The 5 dragon tiles are pentominoes, meaning it can “destruct” five square segments of kingdom each time. This creates various possibilities on how the game would end, as the players strategically plan each step, from the location of dragon eggs during set-up, the expansion of kingdom, to which 5 segments to destroy each round. I love the slightly translucent red tiles with 3D dragon attached at the top which cleverly gives the impression of burning flame “consuming” the land. 

(3) Quick & Easy Game - I love the child-friendly, easy scoring system. Each protected segment counts as a point, and each castle gives an additional point. I also love that this is a relatively short game (normally we are done within 10 minutes for each round), which is perfect for young kids with short attention-span. 

Overall, super awesome! 

# gifted in exchange for review 

Where to buy this: 

https://www.leisurelearning.com.au/dragon-inferno (Australia) 

https://www.smartgames.eu/ (Website) 

Enjoy the video: 

Australian Alphabet Puzzle, By Buttonworks Australia - REVIEW

Nature/ Type:          Wooden puzzle with an Aussie-theme  

Rating:                     ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 

Recommended age:  3 year-old ++ 

Who would love this: Parents looking for wooden alphabet learning toy with an Australian touch 

 I have always been a fan of Buttonworks Australia . I love its range of heart-throbbingly beautiful, truly Australian puzzles; from unique butterflies theme, colourful native birds, well-known Aussie animals, to the marvellous Australian flora. They are original, elegantly-made, and full of artistic touches. Today, I am going to share about another of my favourite wooden puzzle: the Australian Alphabet Puzzle. 

 

Why I love ❤️ this toy: 

(1) Alphabets + Aussie Icons - The puzzle includes 26 individual square pieces, all precisely laser-cut in equal size and shape. Each piece has an illustration of an Australian animal / plant / icon that starts with an alphabetical letter, together with the word in upper-case printed beneath the picture. We have “B” for boomerang, “C” for cockatoo, “G” for Gum Tree, “Q” for quokka, and “U” for Uluru. My personal favourite is “V” for Vegemite, our well-loved dark brown Aussie breakfast spread with exquisite taste. There is also a “N” for Ned Kelly the famous bush ranger, and this mumma has also just learned a new spelling for a long “X” word - “Xanthorrhoea”, a native Australian plant. I love that we get to learn ABC’s in such a uniquely fun Australian way! 

(2) Pure Beautiful - I love the softness of colours that matches perfectly with the natural feel of the timber. The puzzle is beautifully-designed, each piece is meticulously-cut with smooth finishes, and fits onto the puzzle board perfectly. I love that the puzzle is light-weight and compact, easy to be carried around, and so heartwarmingly delightful! The craftsmanship is impressive. 

(3) Australian Made Product - I love that the product is proudly 100% Australian made in Mornington Peninsula by a family business. Each puzzle is made from sustainably sourced Australian timber. I love how Buttonworks acknowledges that each product varies in appearance and colours, just like how each tree is different. The timber materials used in the production is harvested in accordance with Australian Forestry standard. 

Where to buy this: 

Buttonworks Australia  

Enjoy the video: 

The Fox And The Mouse, By Londji - REVIEW

Nature/ Type:          Wooden Blocks for patterns / shapes / animals building 

Rating:                     ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Recommended age:  3 year-old ++ 

Who would love this: Kids who enjoy building / construction toys 

Tangram, pattern blocks, shape puzzles. They come in all forms and materials. What I love about Londji is how it always gives that little extra touch that can transform a supposedly common idea into something unique. Antipoda Co sent us this Londji’s “The Fox And The Mouse - Wooden Animals Construction Game”, and we are SO IN LOVE with it! 

Why I love ❤️ this toy: 

(1) 16 Wooden Pieces For Shapes/ Animals Building - Included within are 16 wooden pieces of flat polygons and geometric planes; from rectangular pieces of a few different sizes, two “teardrops” in exquisite pastel peach, semicircles, an isosceles triangle that looks like a pencil tip, right and left-angled mini triangles, to a large-sized quarter circle in mysterious teal colour. I love the natural wooden range with an occasional pop of exciting colours. The set reminds me of night sky, quietness, and an adventurous nocturnal life. I love that the pieces look slightly different on each side which substantially increases the combinations and possibilities of creations. For example, the  teardrop is painted “plain” on one side, and is decorated with “fur pattern” on the reverse. The set provides 50 suggested images that can be formed using these 16 pieces, including Valerie the Swan, Bob the Rhino, Angelina the Whale, and my personal favourite - Clare the Lioness. We enjoyed creating animals in two-dimensional, and sometimes, vertically by balancing them on flat surfaces. 

(2) Foldout Storage Board - I love the smartly-designed storage board that can be folded-out like a magic booklet. I love the beautiful spread of pages with suggested creations, and we absolutely enjoy “packing up” the pieces by re-arranging them into the thick cardboard base with cut-out shapes of fox, mouse and a crescent moon. It feels like a a “hidden” puzzle composition within a slim line box. 

(3) Materials + Quality - The materials and quality are the usual Londji style! The pieces are made of beech wood from sustainable forests, finished with water-based stains. Londji toy meets the European Toy Safety Standard EN71, and are designed and made in Spain. I love Londji’s respect to the planet, inspiring design, and its artistic touch in everything it creates. 

# gifted in exchange for review 

Where to buy this: 

https://antipoda.co/collections/londji (Australia) 

https://londji.com/en/ (Website) 

Enjoy the video! 

Snow White and Seven Dwarfs, By Doron Layeled - REVIEW

Nature/ Type:          Wooden puzzle 

Rating:                     ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 

Recommended age:  3 year-old ++ 

Who would love this: Young kids who enjoy fairy tale/ puzzles  

There is something about Doron Layeled puzzles; it’s the joy of simplicity, the wooden material, and touch of nostalgia. This “Snow White and Seven Dwarfs” puzzle is another good puzzle selection, perhaps not quite my personal favourite (for reasons I will explain below), but a good one nevertheless. 

Why I love ❤️ this toy: 

(1) Fairy Tale - We love that the puzzle is based on a familiar fairy-tale. The puzzle has 13 removable pieces - Snow White, the evil Queen, the prince riding on a white horse, 7 dwarves, 2 cottages, deer with toadstools. These are fantastic story-telling pieces that appeal instantly to any fairy-tale lovers! 

(2) Chunky Round Knobs - I love puzzle pieces with big round knobs. Young kids can train up their pincer grasp skills. The knobbed puzzles are kids-friendly and easy to be handled by small hands. This is an easy to medium level puzzle challenge, great for young or slightly older kids. 

(3) Wooden Material - I love the wooden material and the very durable (and slightly heavy) base of the puzzle. This puzzle is gigantic, in long rectangular shape, and perhaps a little inconvenient in size. This puzzle is probably more suitable for daycares or schools due to the large size. I love the sturdiness and heirloom quality of this puzzle. 

(4) Colours - The puzzle pieces are bright and colourful. As per usual Doron Layeled style, the illustrations have thick black outline that accentuates the child-like feel of the puzzle! 

(5) Display "Channel" - I Also love the thoughtful “channel” at the bottom of the board where the puzzle pieces can be displayed vertically, perfect for a story-telling session in a creative way! 

Having said that, there are a few things I wish the puzzles could have been designed differently. Firstly, the kids think Snow White looks too much like “Goldilocks”, very different from the “black hair and rosy lips” princess from the popular Disney version. The “queen disguised as old hag” doesn’t look evil enough, and the appearance of the 7 dwarves are too similar to each other (a missed opportunity of creating interesting personalities for the characters). I also think there should be a castle for this puzzle (instead of having 2 mini cottages). 

Where to buy this: 

https://www.doronlayeled.com/product/e72512050-snow-white-knobs/ (Website) 

Enjoy the video: 

“Comparing Quantities” LOGICO Primo, By LOGICO - REVIEW

Nature/ Type:          Educational Games/ Learning Resources 

Rating:                     ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Recommended age:  4 year-old ++ 

Who would love this: Parents looking for screen-free educational resources/ mathematics learning worksheets in a fun and unique way! 

With so many visually-stimulating and screen-centric learning resources in the market, I find LOGICO to be such a breath of fresh air. Today, I’m going to share about the “Comparing Quantities” LOGICO Primo set from Logico , a non-electronic educational toy perfect for young kids who enjoy anything engaging, not too fast-paced, and different! 

Why I love ❤️ this set: 

(1) Non-Electronic Educational Game - Appearance wise, LOGICO Primo feels like a tablet with pushable buttons on an iPad-sized frame; but it’s non-electronic, non-battery-operated. It’s an educational game on a smartly-created frame, completes with double-sided learning cards. It’s a “matching” activity in an interesting and tactile way. “Comparing Quantities” is a mathematics counting game, but you don’t need to know the numerals (the actual symbols like 1, 2 and 3) to do the activities (which is perfect for young kids who have yet to learn how to write). There are multiple “thinking process” involved to complete the activities; first, solve the puzzle; next, match the colours; and lastly, push the 6 colourful PRIMO buttons around the board right next to the answers. It’s just pure joy watching the kids challenging themselves to another level! 

(2) 16 Counting Activities - This set contains 16 mathematics games with a focus on counting up to 10. I love the bright and delightful illustrations. We started with the simple “matching pictures with same quantity” game, to the slightly more challenging “guess the dice number” game by counting the coloured dots on the path, “find the missing number”, and identifying which picture has “more” or “less”. I love that there are varying difficulty levels, from the straightforward activity, to the slightly trickier ones. 

(3) Self-Check - The best part? The self-checking system definitely! Once the puzzles are done, simply flip the learning cards over, compare and confirm the answers. We love how LOGICO encourages independent learning. 

(4) Easy-To-Travel PRIMO Frame - The PRIMO frame is light-weight, solid, with easy-to-manoeuvre and chunky push-buttons. I love that it’s such a compact board with no loose components, portable, easy to be brought around, and perfect for travel! 

We love it! 

# gifted in exchange for review 

Where to buy this: 

https://www.logicotoys.com.au/ (Australia) 

Enjoy the video! 

Pirate Adventure Wooden Puzzle, By Melissa & Doug - REVIEW

Nature/ Type:          Wooden puzzle with an adventurous pirate theme  

Rating:                     ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 

Recommended age:  3 year-old ++ 

Who would love this: Puzzle-loving kids, especially fans of pirates and sea dragons! 

Treasure hunting, peg leg and eye patch, true dangers and non-stop thrills. A pirate adventure never goes out of style and will continue to fascinate generations to come! We found this Melissa & Doug in our local toy library. The kids instantly fall in love with this precious little gem. Today I’m going to share about this beautiful piece of art. 

Why I love ❤️ this toy: 

(1) Exciting Pirates Theme - We love the adventurous and colourful pirates scene with hints of humour and child-like cuteness. This is a 48 pieces puzzle, not overly difficult but challenging enough to keep the six-year-old highly interested and engaged. We love admiring the completed artwork jam-packed with thrilling actions and bursting with vibrant of colours! Daring captain wielding his cutlass sword, fearlessly bracing the strong waves amidst the sea of octopus tentacles, grey shark and gigantic sea dragon! A Jolly Roger symbol with skull and crossbones, parrot with eye patch and nautical spy glass stationing at the crow’s nest, a black cannon, marine rope ladder, barrels with sneaky spying eye, wooden peg leg, classic vessel and golden masts. We love the fun details! 

(2) Wooden Puzzle - I love that this is a “crafted by hand” wooden puzzle, using non toxic coating and meeting US toy safety standard. The pieces are light weight and easy to fit in. 

(3) Puzzle Tray/ Base - The sturdy wooden puzzle base is a big plus. It keeps all the pieces in one place, easy to be stored away in a tray, and also looks great for display. 

If I could change a few things, I wish that the puzzle image could have been printed as a separate poster that can be placed beside for reference during the assembling process. Instead, the image is found at the reverse side of the puzzle frame, which makes it a bit more challenging for kids, without having the help of reference image when playing. Also, the paper image has started to peel off from the edges of the puzzle pieces, which is really quite a shame given how much the kids love this exciting pirate puzzle. 

Overall, this is a good product, but could be better. 

Where to buy this: 

https://www.melissaanddoug.com/ (Website) 

Enjoy the video! 

Robot Q, By Apitor - REVIEW

Nature/ Type:          Building bricks + STEM engineering / coding techniques 

Rating:                     ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Recommended age:  6 year-old ++ 

Who would love this: Kids that enjoy construction + technology 

It’s no secret that we LOVE construction and STEM engineering toys. So imagine our excitement when Apitor sent us this intelligent Robot Q set! This toy is full of delightful surprises, and there are so much more to explore, discover and create! 

Why I love ❤️ this toy: 

(1) Building Bricks With Technical Functions - The package includes 233 building blocks, guide, and control module linked to infrared sensor and colour sensor. We love the bricks with special and technical purposes, such as beams with circular holes that can be securely held together with axles of different lengths and attachable with gears/ wheels. The result is numerous models that look advanced, complex, and COOL! We love the building process, clearly-labelled illustrative guide, and the level-suitability of this toy for a six-year-old. I’m impressed with the strength of the interconnecting pieces, and I love that they are compatible with most major building blocks - meaning, more potential for expansion! 

(2) Control Module + Apitor Kit App - I love the battery-powered control module with studs at the top and holes at both sides, completes with infrared and colour sensors. The magic created by the combination of building bricks and mechanical motor is simply incredible! We can remotely control our built models using the smart “Apitor Kit” App connected via Bluetooth. Our racing car zooms in all directions, the spinning top launcher rotates in furious speed, and the rocking boat swings to and fro like a childhood ride in amusement park. I love the “Gyroscope Control” setting where we can “direct” our robot movement by simply tilting our smartphone or tablet forward, backward, to the left or right. There is also sensor technology and coding programme which we haven’t tested out yet, and we can’t wait to learn more. 

(3) 20 Models - The App provides building instructions of 20 models - gorilla, tower crane, basketball machine, seasaw, elevator and more, each with their unique features and moving mechanism. 

(4) Great Storage Box - I love the storage box with compartments, which is pretty handy for organising the bricks during the assembling process. 

# gifted in exchange for review

Where to buy this: 

https://www.amazon.com/Apitor-Projects-Remote-Control-Building/dp/B0B62RFPPH

Enjoy the video! 

Match Madness, By Foxmind - REVIEW

Nature/ Type:          Speed game with colour blocks! 

Rating:                     ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 

Recommended age:  7 year-old ++ 

Who would love this: Board game families 

This game is for the competitive, speed-loving players with great visual perception. This game can be played solo, but would also make an insane and thrilling adult party game! Thank you Leisure Learning for recommending and providing this “Match Madness” from Foxmind to me for a review! 

Why I love ❤️ this game: 

(1) Speed Challenge - The set comes with 20 blocks (4 sets of five different blocks), 60 pattern cards (in 5 difficulty levels), and a game rules. Each of the block is in three-dimensional prism, with paired symbols on each of the four rectangular faces. This game is all about being fast and furious. Players sprint and scramble, flip and turn, using lightning speed to be the first to match their 5 blocks with the patterns shown on the challenge cards. The symbols are visually discernible, bright and colourful. The entire challenge lies in sorting the blocks in the right configuration quickly; a wrong first move, bad assumption or erroneous starting position would inevitably slow down the completion process! The game combines dexterity, speedy brain processing power, pattern recognition, and a small element of luck. There are two ways to play: quick play or total madness modes, both require fast reflexes and great measure of skills. 

(2) Great Components - I love the chunky and light weight blocks. Each of them is numbered for easy distribution amongst players. They are easy to spin around, great for a fast-paced game, and should be able to withstand loads of abuse associated with such action-packed competition! 

(3) Awesome Family Game - I love that the game can be played by kids and adults, which makes this a great family game! I also love that we can play with this solo at our leisurely pace, in pair, or with a team of 3 or 4 players. I’m not quite a speed-game or visual puzzle person, but this game is engaging and keeps me interested! 

(4) Storage Box - I love the organised box with allocated spaces for all components. 

# gifted in exchange for review 

Where to buy this: 

https://www.leisurelearning.com.au/match-madness (Australia) 

Enjoy the video! 

Children of the World, by Mideer - REVIEW

Nature/ Type:          Beautiful art puzzle for kids  

Rating:                     ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 

Recommended age:  3 year-old ++ 

Who would love this: Puzzle lovers  

Alison Jay, Eric Carle, Miyanishi. I love how Mideer collaborates with the most spectacular children’s book illustrators, and transforms their artworks into aesthetically pleasing puzzles that capture our hearts again and again. This “Children of the World” is another artistic work extracted from a book of the same name, illustrated by award-winning David Dean , published by Barefoot Books . 

Why I love ❤️ this puzzle: 

(1) Children From Around The World - The artwork itself is exciting, heart-warming, and bursting with overflowing of childhood innocence. David Dean captures the features of diversity and playful expressions of the 8 kids beautifully. The colours are vibrant and attractive, bright and full of energy. A straight hair “Viking” girl, gritted teeth and fearless eyes, showing a unique helmet mounted with two sharp horns; cheeky “sinister” grin with sideward gaze, pairing with an unmistakable pointed cone-shaped witch hat; a sheriff “cowboy” hat with curved-up brim from the Wild West, with a serious “don’t mess up with me” eyes staring up from beneath; polka dots clown hat and funny face, stripy tiger hat and a roar, classy top hat and a big smile, golden crown and “snobbish” look, and I’m loving that vintage 1930s hat and stylish braided hair. 

I love that there are 8 different hairpieces, 8 diverse ethnicities, 8 special cultures, 8 fun-loving expressions - but ALL sharing great fun. I have not read the book myself yet, but from the inviting illustrations, I know this is going to be one delightful and informative book jam-packed with all things wonderful about children around the globe! 

(2) 84 Puzzle Pieces- Quality wise, the 84 puzzle pieces are thick, large-size, all nicely contained within a durable cardboard box. 

(3) Colours! - The wide array of colours and distinctive images made this a relatively easy puzzle to sort and assemble. The kids divide the puzzle pieces by treating the image as 8 separate rectangular mini puzzles of 9 to 12 pieces each. The standard ribbon cut on grid form definitely helps with the quick completion. 

(4) Other Accessories - The set also comes with an enamel pin depicting one of the characters on the puzzle, a glue and scraper.

# gifted in exchange for review 

Where to buy this: 

https://www.toyslink.com.au/brand/mideer.html (Australia) 

http://www.mideerkid.cn/ (Website) 

Enjoy the video! 

Magnetic Mix or Match - Dinosaurs 1, By Popular Playthings - REVIEW

Nature/ Type:          Magnetic Mix & Match Dinosaurs toy  

Rating:                     ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 

Recommended age:  2 year-old ++ 

Who would love this: Kids that love dinosaurs + create something crazily fun! 

Today, I’m going to share about the “Magnetic Mix or Match - Dinosaurs 1” set, which is largely similar in concept with the other Popular Playthings mix or match magnetic range (snap, click, and build a crazy new creation!), but different in colours, styles, and species. This is another magnetic mix and match range that the kids really enjoy playing. 

Why I love ❤️ this toy: 

(1) Creative Dinosaurs Toy - As per many Popular Playthings products that we have previously played with, this set look and feel “plastic”, light weight, and probably, not too aesthetically pleasing like many other heirloom quality, wooden and natural material toys out there. But you know what? The kids LOVE them regardless - they laugh, discuss, create, and laugh again at their ridiculous imaginary creations! This set comes with 16 separable chunky pieces that can make a Stegosaurus, T-Rex, Triceratops, and Parasaurolophus. Each of these dinosaurs are easily recognisable with their unique features: Stegosaurus with its multiple green plates on its back, Triceratops with the iconic three horns, T-Rex with two tiny arms, Parasaurolophus and its signature long crest on the skull. This is an educational toy that kids can learn colours and 3D puzzle matching in a fun and “roar-some” way! 

(2) Mix Them Up! - But of course, if your kids are like mine that enjoy a bit of silliness, they will mix them up and compete amongst themselves to build the most illogical and funniest-looking pre-historic creatures! From a green-headed monster with gigantic brown body, to horn-ornamented unknown-species with dual-colours limbs, the combinations are amusing and full of “impossibilities”! 

(3) Chunky Pieces - I love how large and chunky the individual pieces are. I love how easy it is to connect these pieces together and pull them apart, thanks to the cleverly-designed hidden magnetic locking system. Overall, we love the versatility, ease of handling, and the creative possibilities of this innovative toy! 

Where to buy this: 

https://www.leisurelearning.com.au/mix-or-match-animals-dinosaur

Enjoy the video! 

Dragon Market, By Blue Orange - REVIEW

Nature/ Type:          Board Game with a colourful floating market theme! 

Rating:                     ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Recommended age:  7 year-old ++ 

Who would love this: Board game / strategy game lovers! 

Murky river banks, labyrinthian of floating sampan, vibrant livelihood, eye-catching colours. Dragon Market from Blue Orange has everything I love in a board game - exciting theme, unique components, clever game! Thank you Leisure Learning for providing this to us for a review.

 

Why I love ❤️ this game: 

(1) Creative Market Theme + Fun Game With Rotating Boats - I am in love with the market theme with rich Asian flavour, incorporated impeccably into a strategy game! The set comes with a game board, 10 boats, 4 “heirs”, 2 dice, 4 merchandise tokens, 12 coins, 13 red objective cards, 10 blue objective cards. On each turn, players roll the 2 dice to determine the number of moves, and then plan the required actions to accumulate the required goods specified on the objective cards. Players can move the heir token, slide a boat in a straight line, rotate a boat 90 degree, jump onto an adjacent boat.  Few rules to be observed: the heir cannot cross over a sailor, the boat can only be turned using the sailor as the rotating “axis”, and players can “save” their moves and gather coins instead. The first player to collect all items shown on the assigned objective cards and return to their pontoon is the winner. I love that the steps are sufficiently sophisticated to attract the adults, but easily comprehensible enough for kids to visualise. 

(2) Love the Components! - The components are marvellous! The game board is a tranquil blue of waterscape, the boats are made of thick quality cardboard; the wooden sailors wear hat with circular cone painted in mysterious gold; the merchandise are interesting and iconic (bonsai, Buddha statue, folding fans etc). The graphics are visually appealing, and I love the storage box with organised inserts. 

(3) Different Variants of Game Rules - This is a family game that can grow with the kids. We can play the basic level or advanced variant by using different objective cards. 

(4) Numerous Configurations & Set-Ups - I love that each game can have different configurations and outcomes, depends on how we set up the boats and the merchandise tokens, which objective cards we drew, the roll of dice, and the number of players. I love the combination of skills and luck, strategising and randomness. 

# gifted in exchange for review 

Where to buy this: 

https://www.leisurelearning.com.au/dragon-market

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!