Your very own stage school! (Orchard Toys What a performance!)

Member Name: belglen

Product:	Orchard Toys What a performance!
Date:	10/01/09 (176 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Family fun, straightforward, not too long

Disadvantages: None

At Christmas time we like to get some board games that we can play as a family. This year we got Monopoly Junior and What a Performance. My 2 oldest children are 7 and 5 so we have to ensure the games are suitable for both ages.

What a Performance is made by Orchard Toys, we have had a few board games from Orchard and thy have all been excellent. Orchard Toys produce games that are fun and educational and are suitable for young children, generally the rules are not too complicated and the games are not too long, I find young children get bored if the game is too long. More information on Orchard Toys can be found at www.orchardtoys.com

What a Performance is described as "an action-packed game of fun for all the family", I thought this would be ideal. It is a game for 2 or more players and is suitable for ages from 5 to adult. The game comes in quite a large box 30cm x 25.5cm x 8.5cm, the box is quite attractive, it is mostly red and blue and has cartoon like drawings of children doing various activities such as singing, dressing up, playing an instrument, basically performing some sort of task.

What is contained within the box?
4 large semi-circular pieces that slot together, bit like a jigsaw to form the playing board;
77 activity cards, in a card box
4 counters, red, yellow, green and blue
1 spinner
1 dice with shaker
1 magic decoder
1 sand timer
1 instruction sheet

The game can be played as individuals or as team, but the objective remains the same. The object of the game is to be the first player, or team, to reach the "finish" star, which is in the centre of the board. There are no numbers on the board just coloured squares with activities and directions on them. The directions for the game are very straightforward. As with all the Orchard Toys we have bought the youngest player goes first, always very popular with my son. The player throws the dice and then moves their counter according to the score of the dice, if they land on a pale blue square their go is over, however if they land on a coloured square this shows an activity and they take a card from the pack of 77 cards, this is where the fun begins.

The activities are:
Who am I?
Make a noise
Forfeit
Action
Spin It

The player reads the instruction on the card and then tries to "perform" what is directed on it. If it is "Who am I?" the player mimes a description of what is written on the card, it may be to pretend to be a tap dancer, or a chef, or a runner or even a squirrel eating nuts, there are 77. If the activity is "Make a noise", the player might have to make a noise like a fast car, or a helicopter, or a baby crying. The first player to identify the "who am I?" or noise moves their counter forward 1 square. If the square is an "Action" square the player may have find something like a square object, or a red object, or they may have to remain standing until their next turn, or do 5 star jumps. If the person doesn't complete the action or doesn't want to do it they must complete the "forfeit" on the back of the card. If the square is a "Forfeit" square the player uses the magic decoder to find out their forfeit, a bit like a magnifying glass. The forfeits are on the back of the activity cards but you can only see them when you use the magic decoder, the forfeits may be to go back 1 space, or miss a go unless you are wearing something stripy, or even move forward 1 space. If the square says "Spin it" the player spins the spinner and performs the activity that the spinner points to. The activities have to be carried out before the sand in the egg timer runs out. All players take turns and everyone moves around the board until there is a winner, the game doesn't last too long I think the longest it took us was 20 minutes, just long enough for everyone to have a good go at the activities.

My children have thoroughly enjoyed the game, especially when either of their parents is performing some strange noise or trying to be an animal, my daughter especially enjoys the forfeits, and my son likes being the red counter. The game is not complicated and the activities are pretty easy but fun. The game is excellent at helping children understand about taking turns and being sporting, it is not always about the winning, the winner may not get to do as many activities as the other players.

I would recommend this game it is good straightforward family fun, so far there have been no tears and the children still ask to play the game in the evening. It is also a good opportunity to get them away from games consoles, computers and televisions and spend some quality time together as a family. Games from Orchard Toys can be found in most toy shops or can be ordered directly online, this game cost £9.99. The pieces aren't too small and fiddly and the board is made of a sturdy cardboard. My 5 year old has had no problem grasping the instructions and my 7 year old likes any opportunity to perform.

Summary: A good fun family game to enjoy together