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Thinkfun Zingo ! 1-2-3 Game
by firasha I recently got this game from the Amazon Vine programme and was really looking forward to get it as I was sure my 3 year old (nearly 4) boy would love this - and I was right. It is basically a bingo game, which has 6 cards and a zinger machine where you keep all the numbers and they are dispensed from there. The ... zinger machine is easy to operate, you simply slide the top and the numbers are dispensed into the area below. The only hiccup we had was my children kept trying to load the numbers in the wrong way round or a bit too scattered, whereas they do need to be loaded in nice and straight and neatly in order to dispense properly but that was not a major issue. The machine does not need any batteries, which is always a good thing. The quality of the cards and machine is good, the cards look very thick and durable. The overall look of the game is good quality and not cheap and nasty. There are 6 cards so plenty of people can play at once, if you like. Although even one person can play it and still enjoy it - as I found out on the weekend when I was a bit busy but my son was desperate to play so he did it by himself and it kept him quiet and busy for ages! Which I was really pleased with, as I never realised before that it could actually be used as a one person game. I must add I did play it with him myself before that too, not just left him to play on his own with his new toy - I am not that mean! My son loves maths and numbers so he was very excited with this game, and I like it as it will help him learn, and is also fun. It is also supposed to help with word recognition of the written numbers, as they keep seeing them on the cards, which is something good too because my son is starting to learn to read at the moment. When you turn the card round there is another version on the other side, about addition, so if your child wants a bit more of a challenge they can play the addition version instead of the normal. My son was sticking to the normal for now, but I think he will enjoy both sides of the cards, maybe the addition one more when he is a little bit older. Overall I found it really good - for both education and fun so we are very happy with it. I had not heard of 'thinkfun' before this, but I will be having a look what else they have got as this game seems like good value. I would recommend it for children around 4 years old, as the box states, or 3.5 would probably be okay. We had to keep it out the way of our 2 year old as it is not really suitable for him and it does have small pieces (the number cards) which I wouldn't say are a real choking issue but he would probably throw them all round the house. However when he is a bit bigger it is something that children could play together by themselves as the zinger machine is very easy to use I have also reviewed this on Amazon but expanded it on here. Read the complete review |
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Chocolate Fix
by emmachilcott Earlier in the year, my youngest son received Chocolate Fix by Thinkfun for his birthday from a friend who said that her own son thought it was such a great game, they simply had to spread the word, and as I also think that it is a great game - I am going to do exactly the same thing! Chocolate fix comes in a colourful ... box but we have long since discarded it as it became ripped and tatty, but another advantage of this product is that you don't need it. The entire game fits nicely into the drawstring fabric bag provided (which can be washed if it gets soiled), making it a lot easier to transport and store which I think is ideal and a really good idea by Thinkfun - I believe they do this with most of their products which gets a definite thumbs up from me. So, what's in the bag? This game consists of a 12cm squared plastic chocolate tray which is very similar to a cupcake baking tray; it has nine "holes" on it. You get nine chocolate pieces to go on it - 3 milk chocolate, 3 dark chocolate and 3 pink chocolate which have one of each shape; triangle, square and circle and also a small (10cm x 9cm) flip chart type pad which has forty game play cards and which also contains the instructions. To learn how to play the game is very simple and this is helped by the easy to follow instructions that are well illustrated which they need to be as this game is very visual. Essentially, you use the clues on each challenge to fill the tray with the chocolates in the correct order - this is a little bit like Sudoku; you are given a few clues like which colour or shape goes where and by means of logical deduction, you have to work out where the rest of the pieces go. There is only one correct solution to each puzzle and when you think that you have the answer, you can flip the page and check on the back where the answers are given. ~*~ My Thoughts ~*~ Once you start playing this game can become somewhat addictive and very frustrating - the challenges are divided up into beginner, intermediate, advanced and expert and I would recommend working your way up slowly - I went straight in at expert thinking that this is a childs game and so would be a doddle but I quickly threw my toys out of the cot (or in reality, the game on the floor) as I could not do it and frustration got the better of me! You learn as you go along the art of deduction and I am now proud to say that I have completed all of the challenges and it has only taken me four months on and off as the frustration gave way to a slight addiction! This game really does get you thinking and so I think that this is especially good for children as it teaches them to think laterally - it has long since being said that games along the same lines as Sudoku actually boost the power of the brain, encourage logical thought and sharpen intellect so this is a great introduction to such challenges in my opinion. By making the pieces "chocolate" and with the inclusion of the fun colours, ThinkFun have turned what could essentially be a very dull game into something that is fun to do and it also visually appealing. The solid and chunky pieces are well manufactured making them easy to hold and pleasant to play with. The flip book which contains the challenges either folds flat or it can be stood on its base so it is easier to see, and again, it is good quality and none of the pages have come anywhere near to looking worn or tatty despite extensive use. Because of the handy carry bag, this game is easily transportable and it would make an ideal game to play on a long journey, especially since it is a single player game also once the pieces are in place they stay in the tray to an angle of about 40 degrees therefore if you are being bumped about in a car, they stay put happily. The only negative thing that I can think of about this game is that the challenges run out, but that is not a massive problem as they can always be repeated and the chances that you will remember them, I think, is very slim. Overall I think that this is a good educational game which is also fun to do. It is a good quality game and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it. I think it is suited from about six upwards, depending on the patience and intellect of the child, but it is also a fun game for adults too. Chocolate fix is available in many good toy shops from £9.99 which I think is fairly good value, and it is also available on the internet, but after having a quick look I have noticed that there are several other versions available with what looks like cards with them so if you want this simple version in particular, make sure you double check before you buy. Also posted on Ciao! under my username chilcott1 Read the complete review |
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Roadside Rescue
by gillyman I love puzzle games - the more frustrating the better! That way when I finally do get to finish them, the feeling of satisfaction is all the greater. The main drawback that I've found however, is that I do tend to get very caught up in them and have been known to lose sleep in order to finally solve a tricky problem. I'm at a ... loss to explain how I never completed the Rubix cube (taking the stickers off doesn't really count does it?) and the only excuse I can find for that is Homer Simpson's "if something is hard to do, it isn't worth doing!" Roadside Rescue was given to me as a present by my newly wed friends who's wedding I had helped out with (it's the thought that counts!) Produced by ThinkFun, it is one of a series of innovative puzzle games which are equally suitable for kids and adults alike. You can find details of this and other products on their website www.thinkfun.com and should be able to pick their products up in most decent toy shops. The game looks innocent enough and in actual fact would be fairly easy to dismiss as a kids toy if you saw it on the shelf. It comes in a brightly coloured box, the centre of which is a blister pack containing a series of coloured vehicles. Do not let appearances deceive you however - this game will drive you mad, time and again and is fiendishly difficult at the advanced levels. The playing surface is a 3 lane road upon which you set out a number of appropriate coloured vehicles, potholes and construction cones according to one of the 42 challenges in the puzzle book provided. The aim is to maneuver either the police car, ambulance or fire engine or a combination of them to a designated spot on the playing surface by moving the other vehicles out of the way. Although this sounds straightforward, the basic premise is complicated by making the vehicles different sizes or overlap into each other's spaces. The challenge book provides a solution to each puzzle but only a coward would dare to look at these! There is a distinct method to solving the challenges but sometimes you will solve them by luck. The luck element becomes less of a factor with the more complicated challenges (which involve more of the emergency vehicles) but at the lower levels it can be immensely frustrating - just imagine puzzling over it for 1/2 and hour only for an 8 year old to move three pieces, announce the puzzle finished but with no idea of how its been done - then go back to the start and attempt to replicate the feat! In that the booklet provides the shortest solution, you can continue the challenge even after completing the puzzle by trying to do it in the fewest moves. After completing the puzzles you are unlikely to remember how you did them so this does have a fairly long shelf life. The higher levels have still got me flummoxed and I admit that I have given up on certain challenges and will go back to them later - promise! In addition, you can pick up another book with a further 42 challenges and this is just one of a number of similar games. In the run up to Christmas, this is an excellent and inexpensive (retails at around a tenner) stocking filler which could be given to almost any member of family. This, and other games produced by ThinkFun are packed with excellent ideas and provide hours of entertainment for all ages. Read the complete review |
Think Fun Board Game |
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2 reviews Brand: Think Fun / Board Game / Type: Educational Toy |
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1 review Manufacturer: Think Fun / Type: Board Game |
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1 review Board Game / You can find ThinkFun products in specialty toy and gift stores around the world. Or if you prefer, you can buy them directly online. |
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| Think Fun Board Game Recommendations 1 | ||
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