When Florence turned three she suddenly became very interested in playing board games. We were given one for her birthday and it really gave her a taste for the concept and now we have lots of games that we play as a family. She doesn’t even mind not winning, she just absolutely loves to play and would happily have a game every evening which I think can’t really be a bad thing!
Lots of the board games we have encourage creative and strategic thinking but essentially, they’re just fun! Why wouldn’t a little one want to play a game when even as adults we like to play? The trick is finding the right ones, ones which are suitable for their age and have a concept that they can understand and remember. Having too many elements is frustrating for little ones because they want to be able to enjoy the game and not constantly be remembering what they are doing next. At the same time they don’t want it to be too easy either – that would be boring!
We like board games because they are something we can do as a family, good old fashioned family time fun if you will and anything that gets families sitting down together has to be a good thing. There’s too much sitting insular on lap tops and tablets these days, absorbed in our own little on-line world and while apps and technology certainly have their place, so do traditional games and I don’t think we should over look their importance!
We have been playing ‘My Very First Orchard’ by Haba Games which is a lovely little board game aimed at age 2+. They have other orchard themed games for older children but this one uses the concept of the game in the most basic format so that younger ones can enjoy it.
So, four trees have four wooden fruit each. 4 green apples, 4 blue plums, 4 red apples and 4 yellow pears. There are also five path pieces and a wooden crow as well as the die which has either a colour, crow or shopping basket on its sides.The die is rolled and as you roll a colour, you pick the corresponding fruit for the basket. If all 4 have already been picked from one colour and that colour is rolled then play moves on. If you throw the die and get the shopping basket then you get to choose which colour fruit you pick. If you throw the crow then the crow piece moves along the path way. The aim of the game is to get all the fruit in the basket before the crow gets to the end of the path.
So what did we like?
Well, it’s very easy and would be excellent as a first game. It would also be very good for families who prefer to not have winners and losers as everyone plays together as a team against the crow. We like the wooden pieces of fruit which I’m sure we shall use in play games as well and it stores neatly in the box.
What didn’t we like?
We aren’t a family who likes to play where no one wins. Florence doesn’t mind not winning herself but was a little disappointed that NO ONE won in the end and I think it kind of defeated the object of playing a game for her. I suspect also, that at three and a half, the concept is well beyond her capabilities.
Overall:
We can say that its great for a first board game to introduce a child to the idea of playing in turn. Its simple and colourful as well as looking traditional with the wooden pieces which are easy to hold for little hands but the fun was lost a bit for us in the fact that there was no competition element and at three and a half it was just too easy and over too quickly. Play lasts around 5 – 10 minutes.
I was not paid to write this post but was sent the game for the purpose of review.
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