I noticed that many, if not all, of the board games available are not suitable for small children. Those classic board games like snake and ladder, chess, etc, need the players to at least, able to count or read simple instructions. So when a friend introduced me to the Orchard Toys, I jumped into it instantly.
The Orchard Toys board games come in varieties, suitable for children as young as 2 1/2 years old. It only needs the child to be discipline enough to play the game. I have since bought 2 sets of the games and I must say that they are really good, fun and educational. I would have bought the whole store, if only I can afford it. You see, the games are not cheap at all. Plus, they are only available in 2 stores in the entire country. One can get them from online stores of course, but shipping charges will add to the cost. Fun as they are, I would imagine my girls to be bored with them very soon if there is not much of variety. So, in order to keep them attracted to educational games like this, I have come out with the idea of DIY them on my own.
The theme I have decided on is : Time of the Day, featuring School Time, Bed Time, Meals Time and Play Time. I searched for the suitable pictures and did the templates using Microsoft Powerpoint. Next is to print them on glossy paper, which will look more attractive as the colors will be brighter. After that, the print outs were pasted onto a cardboard to make them thicker and harder. The shapes were then cut out and the sharp corners trimmed. I tried to wrap them with cling film to protect them so that they will last longer. However, the outcome didn't look that nice so I decided against it. The game is now done.
There are 4 boards in this game, meaning it can be played by 2 - 4 players. Each board represents a certain time of the day and the small pieces represent the items that are associated with that particular time.
For example :
School Time - pencils, books, schoolbag, black board, writing, water bottle
Meals Time - sandwiches, bread, fork and spoon, plates, fruits, cupcakes
Play Time - playground, ball, music, story book, swimming, cycling
Bed Time - pyjamas, teeth brushing, bath, shampoo and soap, potty, mummy tucking
Instructions to play :
1) Each player choose a board depicting the time of the day.
2) The small pieces are to be put face down. The first player pick a small piece and if the piece matches what she has in her board, then it is to be put on it. Otherwise, the piece is returned to the pool, after showing all the players what it is.
3) The next player should do the same as the 1st player.
4) The first player who collected all the pieces in her board wins. The game can be continued with the remaining players.
This is very easy to do and fun to play. Only I must add that cutting the hard cardboard is really a chore. Next time, I should get a paper cutter instead.
