If you go down to the shops today... (Orchard Toys Shopping List)

Member Name: kingfisher111

Product:	Orchard Toys Shopping List
Date:	22/04/07 (136 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: fun, easy to play and educational

Disadvantages: none

Shopping List is a lovely simple game from Orchard Toys which is both enjoyable and educational at the same time! Most little children are also used to being wheeled around sainsburys or Tesco with Mum or Dad, so this game can relate to very real experiences for them!

Shopping List arrives as quite a small box which contains four cards with pictures of shopping trolleys on them, four cards containing shopping lists and thirty two items to put in the trolleys. The way you play the game is that each player (up to four) has a shopping trolley and a shopping list, and the aim is to be the first person to fill your trolley with the items on your list. The way you do this is by spreading out all the individual shopping items face down and then taking turns to pick them up. When you pick up an item you see whether it is on your shopping list - if it is it goes in your trolley, and if it is not, it goes face down again with all the other shopping items. If you collect all your items first then you win the game!

So, as you can tell from the above description it is quite a simple game, so it is easy for children as young as three to play the game. (The recommended age range is from three to seven) My daughter is three, and she can play with older children on an equal footing. You might think that a three year old would be disadvantaged by not being able to read the words on the list, but as each word is accompanied by a picture this is not the case. Also, the pictures on the lists are exactly the same as the individual pictures you pick up, so there is no confusing any of the items.

There are some interesting items on the list too - lots of different vegetables which help your child know their peppers from their onions for example (I'm sure Jamie Oliver would approve of this!) However, there are some not so healthy options too like sweets and lollipops, which I do think the makers could have left off! (I don't really want my daughter getting ideas the next time we go round Sainsburys!)

The game is very good for helping children develop their recognition skills, and also in helping them develop their powers of observation, as they have to try to remember where a discarded item from someone else's trolley has been placed. Therefore it is a very good memory game. Also as children start to become readers, having the words along side the pictures should help them develop their ability to read the words and identify initial sounds, etc.

All the pieces are made of strong cardboard so they are all quite sturdy and hardwearing and have a surface that is easy to clean. All of the pictures are very colourful and enticing which motivates children to play while possibly making them feel hungry at the same time! Everything comes neatly in a small box and at a RRP of £5.99 seems pretty good value. My daughter certainly never seems to tire of playing this game and loves finding all the items on her list, so it is definitely one that comes out again and again!

Summary: A simple game to play with little ones!