So, here we are, finally at the end of this epic series all about Orchard Toys. In this blog I will cover all of the best games for each of the categories they produce.
Matching - Old MacDonald Lotto:
Old MacDonald had a farm… and so the song goes. But there is something about farm animals that intrigues us all. Common yet wondrous at the same time. This game is great for learning the names of animals, identifying and placing them on the board.
At its heart, this is a memory and matching game. Each turn, players flip over a tile and try to match it to the correct picture on their little farm. From farmers to geese to quad bikes and scarecrows, the whole farm is covered here. In fact, with my daughter, we love repeating the names of the different tiles as she learns to say them correctly.
The artwork is wonderful with each farm featuring each of the elements needed to match in a background image. Winner of the Mother and Baby award in 2021, this game really has been tested out in the “wild” with real children.
Coordination – Dinosaur Dig
Build the bones of epic dinosaurs and practice your coordination skills in this digging fossil themed game. Players will be trying to pick up bones and building dinosaurs from an archaeology filed of wonders. Using cardboard tools these bones can then be constructed to created epic 3D models. Featuring Made For Mums Award 2023 this game is a gold standard in dexterity and enjoyment.
Dinosaur Dig will have players chatting and laughing alongside each other as they try and piece together the right pieces. Dinosaurs must be built in the correct order to justify a winning digger. This develops the childs memory skills needed for later life and day to day tasks.
Like all Orchard Toys games this one has free sheets of extra fun once the box is put away. For something a little different and more akin to Operation and Jenga this game is a perfect practice group for these titles aimed at older players.
Colours – Colour Match Express
All aboard – come elephant, lion, and bird, you are welcome on the Colour Train Ride journey. Colour Match Express has players creating trains of carriages and matching the right animals to their correct colour carriage. Featuring a coloured-faced dice, you will make your train jigsaw complete.
Promoting motor skills to create that jigsaw and observational skills too. Adding the random element teaches children patience and frustration with Lady Luck. A great place to learn a necessary social skill. Each train wonderfully features different animals
depending on the train your child uses, with more learning of the animal names alongside too!
This game also comes in a mini-Christmas version, great for travelling over the holiday season. It features the same gameplay and multiple ways to play. This game can be played by children as old as six years old simply because of the different ways of playing, adding slightly more complexity and turn taking as you go on.
Imaginative Play – Shopping List Game
The absolute classic of a game is the shopping list game. New grannies and parents will smile with fond memories of this one from years gone by. This game has been a favourite and hit since its inception over 25 years ago. Taking an everyday activity like shopping, this game is good for children as old as seven years old to bring out and play. Plus, you can add clothes and fruit and vegetable expansions just like adult board games.
When you’re out and about with a child, there is nothing better than describing the world around you. And The Shopping List game brings that to your floor or table. Scan your list and match the lotto cards as quickly as you can. But this has a spin of remembering where each item is placed; flip over something that isn’t on your list? Play passes onto the person next to you.
Socially, this game is fun for all at the table. Those skills of remembering will come in handy as they age. And imaginatively, children can think of farm shops, supermarkets, or even shopping malls as they collect their lists. If there is a must-have Orchard Toys game, then this one is one of those close to the top of the list.
Social Skills – Counting Mountain
With a 3D mountain and basic arithmetic Counting Mountain is a fantastic Social game for siblings, friends and even parents to play together. Draw two yeti footprints each with a different number on them. Then player must add the two numbers and move that many spaces up the mountain. If you flip a yeti instead of a number, you’ll be sent backwards – all you hard effort gone! Each player takes turns until one player reaches the top and is the winner.
With opportunities to wait your turn this game is aimed at budding mathematicians 4–8-year-old. Using those maths skills not only will children need to add up but also be able to count the number of spaces they need to move along the mountain. The huge 3D mountain looks impressive as children practice motor skills hanging their little climbers higher and higher!
You’ll be chatting and counting together with children becoming more confident as they grow. A fun little themed game, more obvious in it educational benefits but no less fun because of the maths.
