The lesser known dotty dinosaur (Orchard Toys Dotty Dinosaurs)

Member Name: mumto3

Product:	Orchard Toys Dotty Dinosaurs
Date:	16/04/09 (219 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Two games for the price of one - fun - easy to play

Disadvantages: cartoon dinosaurs may not appeal to older children

My three year old son is dinosaur mad. He likes anything to do with dinosaurs and has done for quite a while.

Shortly after his second birthday my brother, knowing his dinosaur obsession, sent him this Orchard Toys Dotty Dinosaur game for Christmas.

The game consists of four different dinosaur shaped boards in different colours, 24 shaped pieces and 24 coloured dots. You also get a shape dice, a colour dice a dice shaker and your instruction sheet. The dinosaur boards are double sided and a different game is played on each side. I'm not sure if the dinosaurs are supposed to be images of actual dinosaurs but one is obviously a Stegosaurus and another is a triceratops.

On one side of the board you have six different coloured dots on the body of each dinosaur. To play this game you need the dinosaur boards, shaker, colour dice and 24 coloured dots. The idea is for each player to have a dinosaur board in front of them and then place the coloured dots face up in the centre. Each player then takes a turn to throw the colour dice. The player then selects the coloured dot from the centre and places it onto the corresponding colour on their dinosaur. If you already have the coloured dot you miss a turn and the winner is the first player to get all 6 of the coloured dots.

The second game is played using the reverse of each dinosaur. This game is a shape matching game. To play this game you need the dinosaur boards, shaker, shape dice and 24 shapes. Each board has six different white shapes on the body of the dinosaur. To play this game each player has a dinosaur board and the shapes are placed face up in the centre. The shapes are in the same four colours as the dinosaur boards so you can either collect the same colour as your board or mix and match! Each player takes a turn to throw the shape dice and then collects that shape. Again if you already have the shape you miss a turn and the winner is the first player to collect all six shapes.

The manufactures recommended age range is between 3 and 6 years or age but at just over two my son picked up the game straight away. Obviously being a little younger it was more difficult to explain about taking turns and having to miss turns but he enjoyed the game anyway. I would say that a child over 6 years old may find the game a little childish but if playing with younger siblings I don't think this would be an issue.

My children aged 5 and 3 both enjoy this game and have played it many times over the past year. My son is obviously very pleased with the dinosaur theme but also enjoys winning and beating his sister!

The boards and coloured dots and shapes are made of thick cardboard which is easy for little fingers to pick up and hold. The sizes of the dots and shapes are just right and the pieces aren't too fiddly and can be placed easily. We have had this game just over a year now and all the pieces are still in excellent condition despite being played with many times.

I have been very pleased with the game as it can be quite a quick game to play which I feel is just right for this age range. I have always been pleased with my purchases from Orchard Toys and this game is no exception. The quality is excellent, the colours are bright and the dinosaurs are fun and friendly looking. I think that the game is very good for colour and shape recognition and encourages learning in a fun and entertaining way. I play this game with my son on a one to one basis and he also enjoys the game when played with his siblings.

This game is currently available from www.amazon.co.uk for £7.83 with free delivery and www.orchardtoys.co.uk direct for £9.00 with postage of £2.50 but for orders over £15.00 they do offer free delivery.

I would recommend this game to anyone with younger children as it is fun and entertaining and can be enjoyed by girls and boys alike.

Summary: Two great fun games for younger children