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ELC Who Knows Whose Nose Game
by loopylou1234
My daughter was bought this for her third birthday last year by her friend. It is a game from the Early Learning Centre and it is called 'Who Knows Whose Nose'.
== Packaging ==
The game is packaged in a brightly coloured, sturdy cardboard box. On the front of the box it shows the contents of the game and a nice ... picture of a boy and a girl playing the game together. On the side of the box it lists the contents on the box, which are as follows: 10 x plastic cards, 10 x plastic noses, 1 x cotton bag and the instruction sheet.
== Price and Availability ==
This is available from the Early Centre's website and it is £10.
== The game itself ==
The game is aimed at ages 2-6 years and is for two or more players. The 'proper' way of playing the game is simple. You have to shuffle the cards and place them face down in a pile. Then take it in turns to take the cards until there is none left. All of the noses get put into the cotton bag and you have to then shake the bag up. The players then take it in turns to choose a nose from the bag, if the nose matches one of your animals you fit it into the hole onto the correct card. When all of the noses have been taken out of the bag, it is the player who has the most cards with the correct noses who is the winner!
== Alternative uses ==
If I am totally honest, we have only played this game correctly a few times. The rest of the time, my daughter and her friends make funny faces with the animals. On the side of the box it lists more playing tips and ideas. This is one of them, 'Crazy Faces', seeing which animals look funny with the wrong noses. Crocodile with a cow nose or an elephant with an elephant with a bird beak, and it then suggests trying to make what noise that animal would then make. 'Snap-Moo' 'Trumpet-Snap'.
It tends to be a game that my daughter and her friends grab to play when they come over.
== Durability ==
I think when toys are designed they should be sent to our house for durability testing. My daughter has an incredible talent for taking things apart/breaking bits off/losing things from sets and then the world ends (for her) when it no longer works!
However, I am pleased to report that this game is very well made, the cards are made from thick plastic with the pictures printed on them. The plastic is very durable, none of them have broken and are still in very good condition. Our youngest daughter (who was 1 in February) likes bashing the cards together and chewing them. They are easy to wipe off and keep clean, which is essential in our house!
== Educational? ==
It does say on the box that is great for learning all about animals, naming the animals and discussing what noises they make. Matching up the trunks and beaks. The child also is playing with their friends and learning to take it in turns.
== Overall Summary ==
I wasn't sure what to expect to be honest in the beginning but I am suprised at how well this game has lasted. I thought at first it was an expensive game to buy but considering how much it has been played with (and bashed about), it was worth it. I would recommend this.
I also like the fact that it is a 'unisex' game, it is aimed at both boys and girls which makes a nice change. We have so many 'pink' toys, which people keep buying us, it is good to have a neutral toy for everyone to enjoy.
Thanks for reading.
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ELC Picture Pairs
by kat1234
I recently purchased a pack of Early Learning Centre Picture pairs for my 20 month old son for the bargain price of £2. At that price, they were too good to pass by, even if my son isn't quite at the stage where he can play pairs or snap just yet. He is, however intrigued by pictures and learning the names of things as well as anything ... that he can 'do'. Therefore, I felt that he could gain some benefit from these, even at his young age.
For your £2 (this is the current sale price, RRP is £6), you get a pack of 54 cards (27 matching pairs) that are the same size as regular playing cards in a cardboard box. On each card is a coloured picture (photo-like) of an object. The objects range from animals (my son's favourite) to food items to vehicles and toys. These are great for expanding my son's vocabulary and understanding. We usually play with these by placing them all faced up on the floor and I ask him to pass me the cows (for example). My son loves this game as he loves to pick out the relevant cards (showing he understands the words) and clap himself when he gets a pair.
We also use them to discuss things like colours - 'what colour is the bus?' and counting - 'how many legs does the cow have?'. As he gets older, we will begin to play pairs properly with them, probably by using 4 or 5 pairs only to begin with and then build this up. We will also use them for sorting - for example putting all toys in a pile, or all animals. Therefore, I think we will get a lot of use out of these and think £2 was a wonderful price to pay.
The cards have a few dog eared corners already, which is only to be expected with a toddler's rough touch I suppose. They are also easily bent, being playing cards but, again, at £2 I really have no complaints. Overall, a lovely basic game for toddlers that helps with language, understanding and counting.
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ELC Picture Pairs
by Coffeetiere
I remember having a "picture pair" set which was zoo animals when I was a child. I loved playing it and competing against my other family members to get the most pairs. When I spotted this picture pair set in ELC in Mothercare I couldn't resist getting it for my kids, oh and me!
There are 27 pairs, 54 in total of ... good quality square cards with child friendly images such as teddy, kettle, fruits, car, animals, house, sport, bus etc. All the cards are nicely printed with clear colourful images on them.
This pack of cards was good value at £6 and a great educational tool for kids in the for of a game. We play match the cards, I started off with a small amount of pairs, putting them on the table upside down and then picking them up and remembering where it's pair was. We you find a pair you take them away and keep it in your pair pile. This is great for developing memory skills. Over time with my daughter (now 5) we have built up to using the whole pack at a time and she really enjoys playing this game and beating Mummy and Daddy!
We also count the number of pairs we have collected at the end of the game, helping with maths skills and I think the competitive element of trying to get the most pairs is good. There are other games you can play with these cards, for example sorting them into piles of similar objects, for example a set of pets, transportation, household appliances, sports. This is a good way of playing with the cards for my son who is 2 1/2 and gaining an understanding of wider groups of objects.
So far we still have a full pack which have remained in good condition bar the odd dog-eared corner. I would really recommend these as a great little education tool which is fun to play with and brings the family together.
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