A Kingdom To Discover
I believe the animal kingdom is something that universally resonates with people. Maybe it’s the majestic beauty of a lion’s mane or the fondness of an elephant has with its kids. Even animals we tend and care for within our homes like cats, rabbits, snakes and dogs; all these creatures bring a closeness and friendship beyond words. Even for children, they can have this inclination and fascination with animals. Think of the toys that are displayed on shelves, or cartoon characters that are available to watch. How many of them are animals?
And it is with this theme that the matching card game First 100 Animals Matching Card Game, debuts itself into the minds of even toddlers. A simple card game of memory and matching pairs for kids aged 2 and upwards. Within this 48-card deck (24 animals) there is an opportunity for learning and fun, even for adults, at the table.
This is a game for children, and as such I have done this review with the help and participation of my nearly 2-year-old daughter. I have reviewed it for the intended audience and players, which is why I have given this game such a high rating.
How To Play
The premise of First 100 Animals is simple, lay out 8 matching cards face down on the table. Then in turn each player flips over one card at a time. The aim of the game is to remember as many of the cards and match the correct animal together. The player with the greatest number of matches wins the game. With older children you can make it more of a challenge and include all 24 animals within the deck. Or you can simplify it for younger audiences and have all facing up, for a simpler matching game.
The main aim of the game is to teach and develop visual perception. This alongside memory and problem-solving skills are all included in this tiny package. It is a great tool for learning animal sounds and getting kids to imitate the sounds themselves.
All Birds Are Ducks
Due to the age range of this game, it is great a chance for children to learn animals, what they look like and be able to distinguish them from each other. When my daughter opened the plastic free box (extra points for this), she was greeted with a tiger as the first card. She was so excited that she kissed the card and shouted doggy!
Almost every day since we first opened this game my daughter has got this game out to play with the cards. Or sometimes simply to look at them. The cards are nice and large with bright bold red, blue, green and yellow used as the background colours. These colours are repeated across the entire deck. My initial worry was that my daughter, would use this as a method of being able to identify the different animals. However, in an experiment with cards of the same background colour, she had no trouble distinguishing her new friends.
This game is exactly what I wanted it to be. I love that we can play it collectively as a teaching and learning experience. But also, my daughter is equally happy to sit on the floor throwing the cards around or arranging them together. The game isn’t over stimulating even with all 48 cards enclosed. There is a good variety of animals with classics from the farmyard, safari trail and even the odd butterfly and frog. All the animals feel right within the context of the game.
Another great aspect of First 100 Animals is the use of real pictures. Sometimes toys and books stretch the truth of what an animal looks like. My daughter has a plastic giraffe, but it could easily be any animal, like a hippo, or even a made up one of her imagination. There is also a plastic cow which on more than one occasion, has been mistaken for a horse. The real-life images in this are clear and high quality.
As I mentioned, the cards are made of strong card, great for little fingers. They are really large and despite her efforts, no cards have creased yet. I think any pre-school child would enjoy this game. When children get older it certainly could become more of a gaming experience with competition in remembering each animals location. With our daughter it is more of an assisted solitaire game. However, it is still great to see such joy on her tiny face.
Conclusion
First 100 Animals Matching Card Game may not have 100 animals (it is part of a larger brand from University Games) but has none the less caught my attention. I cannot over emphasise the amount of pleasure this has brought to our family. From early morning unboxing, to cosy bonding experiences on the sofa; this game can be played anywhere. As she grows, so too can the challenge we place before her. It simply is marvellous.
Scores
Overall: 92/100
Artwork: 4/5
Complexity: 1/5
Replayability: 4/5
Player Interaction: 4/5
Component Quality: 5/5
Pros:
· Cards use real life pictures
· Large and strong cards
· Simple but effective design
· Really good parent child bonding experience
· Great for anyone with young kids
Dislikes:
· Would have been nice to have a wider variety of background colours
· Maybe more animals?
