Category: Toys

Board Game Review: Sheep Dip

We were sent Sheep Dip for review purposes. All images and opinions are our own.

A lifetime or more ago, I wanted to step out of the rat race and become a shepherd. I’ve always loved sheep and even now, some twenty odd years later, I can’t pass a field without admiring the flock. These days I get my sheep needs met by watching This Farming Life and now it seems, playing the Sheep Dip game.

Sheep dip game

Sheep Dip is aimed at players aged 7+ and is for three to six players. It takes around half an hour to play and the rules are thankfully simple.

It comes in a small box which contains a playing board, two decks of cards and four sets of easy to understand instructions. Firstly, I’m a big fan of having more than one set of instructions, with one set, you are never quite sure if the person explaining might be pulling a fast one, four means that most players can be in sight of a set of rules throughout.

Sheep dip game

How to play the Sheep Dip Game

You begin by shuffling both decks of cards – the Flock cards and the Ewe Do cards. There are 71 Flock cards, each has a cartoon sheep on it and a number. The Flock card deck also contains a few sheepdog cards, wild cards and one special rainbow sheep card, which is worth a potentially game winning 20 points! The deck contains four different sheep breeds, each with 15 unique characters; there’s Hardy Herdwicks, Leggy Leicesters, Sturdy Suffolks and Bonnie Blackfaces.

The Ewe Do cards are action cards, each with instructions for each player in each turn. There are 45 Ewe Do cards which allow you to protect, swap or steal to grow your flock.

Sheep dip game

You deal out five Flock cards to each player, and from them in take it in turns to pick up a Ewe Do card and compete the action. The aim of the game is to collect five cards of the same sheep breed and put them in a “fold”, or just to one side if you prefer. The more sheep folds you gather, the greater your points potential is. You keep playing until the last Ewe Do card has been drawn. The winner is the player with the highest score, it’s as simple as that.

Board Game Review: Sheep Dip

Our first game we took slowly, learning the rules of the game and trying to steal the sheep, and the points from each other! Once we knew what we were doing, the action hotted up and we started to get a bit more strategic about it all.

It was a fun game, and a strong competitor for our post Christmas dinner family game this year! It is such wholesome fun and the cartoon sheep, complete with their own individual descriptions are really quite funny. You don’t have to be a sheep farmer or an ovine enthusiast to appreciate this game, it’s for townies like me and you too!

Board Game Review: Sheep Dip

Sheep Dip is available online and at a selection of toy shops for around £23, and if you’re after some quick-fire sheep based fun, then this is the game for you!

For more board game reviews, click here.

Review: Geomag Mechanics Challenge Strike!

We were sent the Geomag Mechanics Challenge Strike for review purposes. All images and opinions are our own.

Since my son discovered Geomag about five years ago, he’s enjoyed playing, building and creating with this innovative, Swiss made construction toy. He’s had a few different sets over the years, but the Geomag Mechanics Challenge Strike kit was something a bit more challenging for him. He’s 11 and dyspraxic, so sometimes struggles a bit with his fine motor skills, but at the same time likes to stretch himself in that department. This kit was ideal for that.

Review: Geomag Mechanics Challenge Strike!

Geomag is a magnetic construction toy which is made in Switzerland. The sets contain various different pieces, but the basic kits are usually made up of plastic coated metal bars and other pieces with magnets inside on each end and metal spheres which can act as corner pieces. Magnetic forces hold the bars and spheres together, creating the possibility for millions of different construction designs. There are basic sets of bars and balls and also specially designed sets where you can build specific designs, like this Geomag Mechanics Challenge Strike set.

If you’ve ever watched the TV show, Total Wipeout, then this fun game might remind you a bit of that. Once constructed, you use the small metal balls to spin the corkscrew gravity motor, which powers the arms to try and knock over the plastic towers along the edge of the circular board.

Review: Geomag Mechanics Challenge Strike!

See the Geomag Mechanics Challenge Strike in action over on Instagram.

Suitable for ages 8+, it can take a little while to build the Geomag Mechanics Challenge Strike set. Children might need the occasional bit of help from an adult for the fiddly bits. The set comes with a very detailed instruction booklet, which is easy to follow. There are 185 pieces to put together, these are mostly made with 90% recycled plastic, which ticks a big box for me. There’s also a detailed instruction manual, a board to build your set on and a set of metal balls.

Review: Geomag Mechanics Challenge Strike!

The set can take a little while to build, so we sat together while he did it. I assisted where needed, passing him the pieces as he needed them, and so on. I think most of the fun in these kits is the build itself, which kept him occupied for a good hour or so. Once built, he enjoyed dropping the metal balls through the corkscrew gravity motor and making the swinging arms spin. It really was like a kitchen table version of Total Wipeout. We all had a go, and there is a bit of a knack to getting it to spin hard enough to knock down the little towers, but once you’ve got it, it’s great fun for all the family.

It’s not just a one-trick wonder, there are a few different options for how to play, so that you can choose to make things more challenging once you’ve got the swing of things. You can play this alone, or against up to three other players. It’s also a game where dexterity and timing are the key to success; not always things people with dyspraxia are known for, but it’s good to work on them, and so we did.

Review: Geomag Mechanics Challenge Strike!

The Geomag Mechanics Challenge Strike set is a great addition to the Geomag stable. It’s a step up from the more basic building kits we’ve been using at home. I also like that once built, you can play games with it, set up challenges and dabble slightly in the world of physics.

The Geomag (779) Mechanics Challenge Strike is available in America from Maisonette for $69.99. In the UK you can purchase it from a range of toy shops and online for around £45.

Toy Review: Heroes of Goo Jit Zu Goo Shifters

We were sent a Heroes of Goo Jit Zu Goo Shifters figure to review on this blog. All images and opinions are our own.

In 2019, Heroes of Goo Jit Zu crash landed onto Netflix, and a new craze was born. In Heroes of Goo Jit Zu, a meteor crash transforms a group of zoo animals into squishy, gooey and stretchy superheroes with special powers. To accompany the hit TV series, a collection of Goo Jit Zu figures were launched. Just three years since that launch and several incarnations of Goo Jit Zu figures later, we have the Heroes of Goo Jit Zu Goo Shifters.

Toy Review: Heroes of Goo Jit Zu Goo Shifters

Fans of Goo Jit Zu will be thrilled to hear that the heroes have returned and are ready to be powered-up. This latest series of Goo Jit Zu figures, each contains a goo filled orb, which when squished and squashed, bursts and fills the figure with a contrasting colour. This activates their “goo-formation” and releases their inner power!

Toy Review: Heroes of Goo Jit Zu Goo Shifters

There are 7 heroes with ultra-powered up styling to collect (in the Hero packs). Blazagon, Thrash, Pantaro and Tyro are back and have a “goo-forming” core plus there are new Goo Shifters Heroes to transform. Meet the heroes’ new friend Bengal; she’s super gooey and ready to rumble! The heroes will need all the help they can get when they face Rock Jaw and his new companion Corruptagon – the Ultra Rare villain with a light-up Core!

Toy Review: Heroes of Goo Jit Zu Goo Shifters

The Goo Jit Zu Goo figures have always been goo-filled and stretchy, but the goo-filled orb is new and rather cool. It does take a bit of squashing and squeezing to get the orb to burst – which is one of the reasons why we failed to catch the moment on camera as it took us a bit by surprise. When it does burst, it fills your Goo Jit Zu figure with a contrasting colour. We had the Blazagon figure who was a pale pink colour at first, but once his orb had burst, he was filled with a bright red goo.

Toy Review: Heroes of Goo Jit Zu Goo Shifters

These figures are suitable for ages 4+, but my 11 year old, who loves squishy things and the Heroes of Goo Jit Zu TV series really loved playing with his Blazagon figure. He told me it was like a really cool fidget toy, all squishy and stretchy and relaxing to play with. He has some sensory needs, so this really ticked a big box for him. He’s been squashing, squeezing and stretching it since he got it; and it does seem to be a big hit for him.

These Goo Jit Zu figures cost around £12 each and are available from a range of toy shops including Smyths Toys Superstores.

Review: SuperThings Rivals of Kaboom: Rescue Force Series 10 collectables

We were sent these SuperThings Rescue Force Series 10 figures and playsets to review. All images and opinions are ours.

Like most children, my son LOVES collectables. He’s been a fan of SuperThings for years, indeed, since they were known as SuperZings. When each new series is launched, he gets all excited and starts his collection afresh. Thankfully they’re very much pocket money friendly, so he can well afford to splurge each week on a couple of the blind bags.

SuperThings Rivals of Kaboom: Rescue Force Series 10 collectables

For the uninitiated, SuperThings are little rubber collectable characters. They come in rival factions, so for every SuperThings superhero there’s a rival super villain to collect. They are very pocket money friendly, so you can buy them in blind bag form, but there are a number of different larger sets to collect, which are more suitable for little treats. Like with most collectables, there are rare SuperThings to look out for, these are mostly gold or silver coloured and are highly prized!

SuperThings Rivals of Kaboom: Rescue Force Series 10 collectables

The SuperThings Rivals of Kaboom: Rescue Force Series 10 has more than 80 new superheroes and villains to collect. It’s helpful to know that you can tell who’s a goodie and who’s a baddie because the super villains have yellow eyes, whereas the super heroes have white eyes.

We were sent a big box of the new SuperThings Rescue Force Series 10 collectables to check out, and it was a bumper haul for my little SuperThings fan!

SuperThings Rivals of Kaboom: Rescue Force Series 10 collectables

Available in SuperThings Rivals of Kaboom: Rescue Force Series 10

  • Starter pack, which contains a comic guide, a chrome SuperThing, a normal SuperThing and a special metal jet (RRP £5.99)
  • Ten pack of SuperThings, including 1 super rare gold SuperThing (RRP £9.99)
  • A six pack, which contains 4 SuperThings, 1 rescue jet and 1 jump wing
  • A Kazoom Kid, with 1 SuperThing and 1 accessory (six to collect, RRP £5)
  • Rescue jet with 1 SuperThing
  • Blind bags (RRP around 80p)

New to this series is the addition of the Kazoom kids (Starlock, Toolie Kit and Watermax who are the super heroes, and Cahillion, Breakmania and Funfire who are the super villains). These are larger figures than the regular SuperThings, and my boy was very impressed with them. They fit easily onto the rescue jets, which enhances their play value. They cost around £5 each, but he really enjoyed playing with them, possibly because they’re a bit bigger and easier for him to handle.

SuperThings Rivals of Kaboom: Rescue Force Series 10 collectables

The starter pack is always a great way to kick off your collection. It’s got all the info you need to get going and the comic is colourful and fun, just the thing to pack for a summer holiday long journey!

My son loves collecting SuperThings, but he also enjoys playing with them, especially in the bath for some reason. He really enjoys the various vehicles they’ve had over the years, this year it’s most jets and jump wings, which is super-fun! They really enhance his play.

SuperThings Rivals of Kaboom: Rescue Force Series 10 collectables

Each SuperThing comes with a collectable leaflet, so you can tick off what you’ve got a keep track of where you’re up to with your collection. SuperThings have been a perennial favourite for my son; each July when they launch a new series, he’s on it and suddenly starts helping more around the house to earn some more SuperThings for his collection.

SuperThings Rivals of Kaboom: Rescue Force Series 10 collectables

As a mum, what I really like is that they’ve changed their packaging, so it’s made of paper and cardboard which is easily recycled. The SuperThings Rescue Force collection is out now at The Entertainer, Amazon and local Tesco, ASDA and Co-op stores.

Review: Inflatable Giant Pass the Pugs

We were sent Giant Pass the Pugs for review. All images and opinions are our own.

My son has always loved anything to do with dogs, he’s got lots of dog themed games and puzzles, so when I spotted Giant Pass the Pugs, I knew that it would be something he would enjoy. It looked like an excellent garden game for the summer!

Inflatable Giant Pass the Pugs

As a child, I used to play Pass the Pigs almost weekly with my Grandma. It was, and still is a brilliant pocket sized game you could take and play anywhere with a flat surface. The rules were easy, toss your pair of pigs into the air and score points depending on how they land. Pass the Pugs is exactly the same, but my version came with two giant inflatable pugs.

Giant Pass the Pugs includes two pugs, a bag to keep them in once deflated and a score book. It’s suitable for people aged 6+, but it’s really not that difficult to play, so I don’t see why someone younger couldn’t join in the fun if they’re game! It’s for two or more players, and I reckon could be a great outdoor party game for the right crowd.

Inflatable Giant Pass the Pugs

The pugs took a bit of inflating. I tried blowing them up but I didn’t have enough puff, so we used a pump, which worked well. Within minutes we were ready to play.

As I’ve already mentioned, the rules are quite simple; throw your pugs into the air and you score points, or lose points depending on how they land. I’m not great with games with lots of rules, so this is very much on my level. The game comes with a scorebook, with the prize winning pug positions pictured on the front. It took me less than a minute to explain the rules to my son, and then we just got stuck in.

Inflatable Giant Pass the Pugs

It’s definitely a game best played outside in the garden. No one wants a pair of inflatable pugs flying around their living room. Thankfully, the sun was shining, and there was very little wind; so the conditions were just right for a game of pug tossing.

They do warn you that your pugs might need pumping up a bit during game play, but ours stayed firm throughout.

Inflatable Giant Pass the Pugs

I really liked that they’ve released a dog version of this game. I know my son was probably 100% more interested and engaged with the dog version, purely because dogs are his favourite thing ever. Who can blame him, this pair of inflatable pugs as as cute as anything.

We spent a good hour chucking them about in the garden. They are well balanced, in that they fell in different positions, which made the game quite interesting. Of course, there’s a bit of a knack to throwing them. If you throw them too hard they just land on their low scoring sides, but once you get the hang of it, you can try and throw some higher scoring rounds.

Inflatable Giant Pass the Pugs

Inflatable Giant Pass the Pugs is really great fun and the ideal outdoor game for the summer. I know that this will be played regularly this summer, and he’s already making plans to have a Giant Pass the Pugs party with some of his friends.

Giant Pass the Pugs is widely available and costs around £14.99 online and in good toy shops.

Giveaway: Win a That’s Magic Big Box of Magic Set

We were given the That’s Magic Big Box of Magic Set for review purposes. All images and opinions are our own.

Growing up I was aware that I was enjoying an especially magical childhood. My Dad was a magician and every week he would host Thursday night get togethers in our house, where his friends would practise their magic tricks on us. My brother and I spent many evenings, sat in our pyjamas watching ladies being sawn in half, rabbits be pulled out of hats, and we marvelled at magic tricks large and small.

Sadly my Dad died five years ago, and my son has missed out on all the magic he could have shown him. I am not very magical, but I am very enthusiastic about magic, so we launched into the That’s Magic Big Box of Magic Set with gusto!

That’s Magic Big Box of Magic Set

The That’s Magic Big Box of Magic Set contains a massive 325 amazing illusions and tricks. You can make objects disappear, reappear and even transform in your ‘bare hands’. You can make coins travel from one magic cup to another ‘invisibly’. Not only that, but you can learn an array of exciting card tricks to fool all the family!

That’s Magic Big Box of Magic Set

The 325 easy to perform tricks are supported by online instructional videos. You just scan in the QR code provided and away you go. You will need some everyday household objects to complete some of the tricks; e.g. cotton thread, spoon, pencil, paper etc.

The tricks inside this pretty comprehensive box range in difficulty; my son (who is dyspraxic) picked up the linking rings almost instantly, and the look on his face was priceless. He then spent half an hour or so mastering it so it looked seamless. I confess it brought a nostalgic little tear to my eye.

That’s Magic Big Box of Magic Set

The magic set comes with a 48 page instruction manual, so you can learn how to do each trick step by step. Each set of instructions has some photos alongside them so you can see what your trick should look like. If you get stuck, you can always visit the website and watch the video on how to pull off your trick successfully.

Remember that with most things, practice makes perfect, but this applies doubly so with magic! And it’s worth remembering that the secret to a successful magic trick isn’t just in how you do it; but it’s also in keeping how it’s done a secret too!

What is especially pleasing to me, is that it’s not just any old magic set; it’s officially approved by FISM, the Fédération Internationale des Sociétés Magiques – the international body bringing together the world’s leading magic societies, which is a mark or real quality and approval, in magic circles at least.

That’s Magic Big Box of Magic Set

We loved this magic set. It is incredibly comprehensive, with a fantastic range of magic tricks to try your hand at. It’s aimed at ages 7+, but I think it’s pretty bang on for my 11 year old.

The That’s Magic Big Box of Magic Set is currently available from Amazon for £25.03 which I think is a pretty incredible price for a set this big and well thought out. The ideal gift for any budding magician.

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STEM Toy Review: Science Mad Toy Collection

We were sent a selection of Science Mad toys for review purposes. All images and opinions are our own.

My son has always loved science and for as long as I remember, we’ve done all kinds of experiments and activities at home. He’s had chemistry sets, telescopes, make your own slime kits, you name it, he’s exploded it in my kitchen. This year, Science Mad have launched a range of at home science sets for STEM loving kids.

STEM Toy Review & Giveaway: Science Mad Toy Collection

Science Mad! Digital Metal Detector

Over the weekend, we put a few of the kits to the test. The first one (and the one we were most excited about) was the Science Mad! Digital Metal Detector (£24.99). It feels like every beach we’ve ever been on has had a metal detectorist or two combing up and down it. A metal detector has always been out of our budget; but this junior version costs a smidge under £25 and as far as I can tell, it works just as well as the bigger ones.

STEM Toy Review & Giveaway: Science Mad Toy Collection

Light-weight but still sturdy, this Science Mad Digital Metal Detector is ideal for indoor and outdoor fun. This Metal Detector features sensitivity and volume controls, as well as LED lights and audio alerts. We combed up and down our garden and found a selection of buried metal items, no actual treasure though, not this time.

The metal detector is easy to set up and the instructions are really simple. You do need to use a 9 volt battery though, so that’s worth buying in beforehand if you’re giving this as a gift. It is designed for use by a child, so the arm is just about the right height for my ten year old to use without bending too much.

It’s a simple piece of kit, it’s great fun to use and it’s clearly a huge hit with my STEM loving son.

Science Mad! 5-in-1 Weather Station

Another part of the Science Mad range is the 5-in-1 Weather Station (£17.99). This was really simple to set up, we chose to put it in a plant plot in the garden. The weather station features,; a 3-cup anemometer to measure wind speed in MP/H or KP/H; an indicator that points to where wind is coming from; an integral compass to record wind direction; a thermometer to measure temperature in both degrees Fahrenheit and Celsius and a pull out rain gauge to measure inches and millimetres of rainfall.

STEM Toy Review & Giveaway: Science Mad Toy Collection

When we set the weather station up, the forecast was for a settled few days ahead. This meant that the first few times we checked it, there was nothing very interesting to report. However, autumn suddenly kicked in, and the rain gauge quickly filled up. We were also able to see how fast and in what direction the wind was blowing.

It’s a very well thought out piece of kit, with everything an amateur weather person needs. It’s suitable for ages 6+ and it’s so easy to set up, just slot everything into place and plant it firmly outside, somewhere where it’s not sheltered from the weather.

Science Mad! Night Vision Goggles

Lastly we put the Science Mad! Night Vision Goggles (£16.99) to the test. They are light-weight and hands-free, and if you’re a child who loves to go on spying missions, then these are ideal for that. The blue-tinted lenses and bright LED light beams help to give you night vision. The flip-out scope and 2X magnifying lens can help you get a close up view of things in the dark.

STEM Toy Review & Giveaway: Science Mad Toy Collection

My son reckoned they would be brilliant to take on camping trips and sleepovers, and I think he might be right. We also like to go on bat hunts, so these would be handy for those times too.

The Science Mad collection offers kids real scientific equipment and kits with real working features, which is excellent for learning more about science at home.

There is so much to discover in the Science Mad range; Telescopes, Microscopes, a Chemistry Lab Set and a Crystal Growing Set; a Planetarium Star Globe, a Light Up Globe, a Build Your Own Vacuum Cleaner Kit, Digital Walkie Talkies, a Rock Tumbler kit and a Circuit Lab kit!

The kits are great fun, and whilst we’ve enjoyed experimenting with them at home, we are very much looking forward to taking the metal detector out on the beach and the night vision goggles camping. The weather station is brilliant, and we will be doing a small project with it over half term, measuring the weather each day to learn more about it.

The Science Mad collection is available from a range of retailers including Very.

Toy Review: Mr Frosty Ice Crunchy Maker

We were sent the Mr Frosty Ice Crunchy Maker for review purposes. All images and opinions are our own.

Many moons ago, when I was a little girl; all I wanted for Christmas was a Mr Frosty Ice Crunchy Maker. I was wooed by the adverts showing how easy it was to create shaved ice treats, topped with suitably 80’s technicolour flavours. I never did get that original Mr Frosty for Christmas, but good things come to those who wait. Last week the boy and I took delivery of our very own Mr Frosty, and the iced treats possibilities before us are now endless!

Toy Review: Mr Frosty Ice Crunchy Maker

Suitable for ages 3+, Mr Frosty is a simple bit of kit. Ideally it should be used with adult supervision; mostly because of the possibility of spillages and maybe the need for a stronger arm to crank the handle; but its plastic mouldings are designed for the safety and comfort of smaller hands.

The box contains –

1 Mr Frosty The Ice Crunchy Maker,
3 ice lolly moulds
2 Mr Frosty spoons
1 penguin juice dispenser
2 Shaped ice tray moulds
2 Mr Frosty bowls

Toy Review: Mr Frosty Ice Crunchy Maker

It’s easy to set up. It does include instructions, and although I’d always recommend reading them; essentially you put some ice under Mr Frosty’s hat, turn the handle and crushed ice comes out into the box in his tummy. Scoop your ice into a bowl and top with your favourite flavour (from the penguin juice dispenser). We used apple and strawberry cordial, because that’s what we had, but it would be great with any cordial or squash.

Toy Review: Mr Frosty Ice Crunchy Maker

Once we’d made and enjoyed our little bowls of slushies, we made up some little ice lollies with some more of the diluted cordial. They were frozen and ready to eat a few hours later.

The box also contained some cute ice cube trays, which we will use for cooling our drinks in the future. There is a selection of fun fruit shaped ice cubes, with some Mr Frosty shapes, because why not.

Toy Review: Mr Frosty Ice Crunchy Maker

All in all, it’s a fun toy for kids of all ages. The ice can be a bit hard to crush; but the instructions suggest you get the ice out of the freezer and let it sit at room temperature for half an hour, which does make it easier. Occasionally an adult might need to help out turning the handle, but it’s lots of fun and it makes delicious ice slushies. My son gave it 10/10!

Toy Review: Mr Frosty Ice Crunchy Maker

Mr Frosty is widely available from a range of stores including Argos. It costs around £22.99 and is suitable for ages 3+; though my 10 year old loved it and has been inspired to create a whole range of tasty frozen treats for the family.

We have previously reviewed the Mr Frosty Choc Ice Maker Kit.

Review: The Best of Sport and Leisure board game

We were sent The Best of Sport and Leisure for review purposes. All images and opinions are our own.

I was chatting to someone this week about board games, and how as a family we’d fallen back in love with board games during the pandemic. Lockdown had made us dig out the board games and reacquaint ourselves with the rules of all kinds of games which had been gathering dust for years. We’ve also added some new ones to our collection, like The Best of Sport and Leisure, where the questions are all about sport; everything from football to fishing, badminton to basketball, and walking to weightlifting.

Review: The Best of Sport and Leisure board game

The Best of Sport and Leisure is the latest game release from the LOGO family. Question cards are divided into the famous LOGO favourites; Picture cards, Theme cards and Potluck cards. There are questions even people who don’t really love sports (me, this is me) can answer.

The questions aren’t generally about who won a race in 1922 or who scored the winning goal in the 1966 World Cup Final; it’s all the things you pick up without even knowing it, like “Which ex-England footballer has the name of a borough of New York City tattooed across his lower back”. So it’s a fun game to play, even if you’re not a sports-super fan!

Review: The Best of Sport and Leisure board game

The box contains –

  • 252 Question Cards
  • 12 Action Cards
  • Playing Board
  • 2 Playing Pieces
  • Instructions

Ideally you need two teams for this, with at least two people per team. It’s aimed at people aged 12+ and the rules are pretty simple to pick up. Two teams race to the finish, answering questions along the way. There are three kinds of question cards (each card has four questions on), pot luck, picture cards and common theme cards.

Review: The Best of Sport and Leisure board game

To keep everyone on their toes, there are six different kinds of action cards. These are mostly used to disrupt play and throw your rival team off their game. Each team takes turns in being the Question Master; it’s a fun, fairly fast-paced game which really gets your brain working.

I think the more people on your team, the better. It is pretty simple to pick up and if you have a mixed age team, then your chances of winning are probably higher. Despite it being all about sport, my team did pretty well answering the questions; because it’s not so much about remembering facts and figures, but more general stuff. I was surprised at how many questions I knew the answers to, and I did wonder how I’d managed to remember so much info about surfing, for example.

Review: The Best of Sport and Leisure board game

The Best of Sport and Leisure is made by Drummond Park for Tomy and costs around £24.99. I spotted it on Amazon, but it is widely available in toy shops and larger retailers.

Review: Foul Play Murder Mystery Card Games

We were sent the Once Upon A Crime and Manor House Murder card games by Foul Play Games for review. All images and opinions are our own.

When we were asked to play and review these card games, I was really excited, because I fancy myself as a bit of an Jessica Fletcher type. I do love a good whodunit. Foul Play Games have released two different game packs to play – Once Upon A Crime and Manor House Murder. So with a table of snacks at the ready, we pitted our wits and tried to solve the murders.

Review: Foul Play Murder Mystery Card Games

We’d heard that the Once Upon A Crime game was easier to understand, so we started with that. It seems quite rule heavy at first, but once the game play begins, it’s surprisingly straightforward. Firstly choose which type of game you’re going to play – good cop or bad cop and then following the instructions, lay out the crime scene in cards and deal each player their cards and away you go.

Once Upon A Crime is based on fairy tale characters you know and love; but they’ve turned bad, obviously because one of them is a murderer! Each pack contains 4 instruction cards, 8 suspect cards, 15 evidence cards and 28 action cards.

Review: Foul Play Murder Mystery Card Games

There are cards to trip you up, steal clues from your fellow detectives, block their moves or uncover evidence from the crime scene. Essentially you are taking turns to pick up and discard cards. To win you have to collect three evidence cards and the suspect card of who you think did the crime. Once you have those, you can declare that you have a suspect and then you present your evidence to your fellow detectives.

It’s fun, and once you’ve understood the rules, it’s fairly fast and you can quickly play a few rounds of this murder mystery game. I really enjoyed it and so did my 10 year old; though he was less keen on losing to Jessica Fletcher here. Sorry son.

Review: Foul Play Murder Mystery Card Games

Once Upon A Crime costs £8.95, it’s suitable for ages 8+; it’s suitable for 2-5 players and it’s really great fun. Each pack contains two versions of the game – good cop and bad cop, so it’s twice the murderous drama! As it’s the size of a regular pack of cards, it’s a great thing to pack and take on holiday, or for in-car fun on days out this summer.

We had a bit less success with the original game, Manor House Murder. The instructions were less clear, so it took us a while to figure it out. I suspect if they we re-written in the same style as the Once Upon A Crime game it would be easier to pick up. The game play is similar though, and once we understood that, we had lots of fun tracking down the murderer.

Manor House Murder costs £8.95, it’s suitable for ages 8+; it’s suitable for 2-5 players and like the other game, it’s good clean family fun.

Review: Foul Play Murder Mystery Card Games

Find out more about these Foul Play games by visiting their website.