Jaques of London Toy Review

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Jaques of London

Established in 1795, Jaques of London has been making quality toys and games for a long time! They are now one of the oldest toy manufacturers in the world. Jaques of London began life making toys from ivory and wood, nowadays they continue the tradition of making toys mostly from wood (no ivory!). The toys are always quality made and come beautifully packaged.

Why Wooden Toys?

So why do Jaques of London use mostly wood? Well it’s mainly as that’s what the company began with back in 1795, but today it’s more environmentally friendly to us sustainably cut wood. It’s also a much more tactile material than plastic and means that toys and games last longer than weaker plastic versions.

The toys and wooden games are perfect for Montessori education, giving children freedom to play and learn.

4 Player Shut The Box

We have the original single player Shut The Box (also a Jaques of London product). However, the 4 Player Shut The Box makes it easier to all take turns playing.

If you’ve never played Shut The Box then don’t worry, it’s incredibly easy. There are instructions inside the box to explain the premise. Basically everyone takes a turn to roll the dice and can put down any number on their side that match the number on the dice. For example if you roll a 4 and a 5 you can put down 9 or any numbers that add up to 9 (e.g. 3 and 6 or 7 and 2). Once the number has been flipped down it can’t be used again.

The game finishes when nobody can flip down any more numbers. Add together the numbers on your side that are still up. The person with the smallest number left standing wins. Also, if you manage to put all the numbers down you shout ‘SHUT THE BOX’ and you also win.

This is a great game for getting the kids to learn quick addition skills with 1-10. It’s also a great game for learning tactics, such as trying to leave as many small numbers up as possible! Great for kids who need a little practice with their maths skills.

Snakes and Ladders With Ludo

Another classic game for kids to play together with friends or family. Everyone knows how to pay Snakes and Ladders, plus it’s a good game for those who hate to lose. You never know who is going to win as at the last minute someone can slide from the top of the board, back down again!

On the opposite side is Ludo with 4 of each counter ready to play. As with other products there are always instructions explaining how to play, although it’s pretty self explanatory. Both games are colourful and attractive. Definitely enticing children to play!

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Chess

We previously bought the Chess set for the kids Christmas. I wasn’t sure how well it would be used as neither of the kids have played much chess. However, they quickly picked up the rules and both children love to play together. We have so many different board games that I never know which ones they will take to!

The eldest has taken some online chess classes too, so he’s really getting into it! Most games of chess don’t take as long as they used to. Plus we actually have to try to win now! He’s getting pretty good.

I particularly like this chess set as it’s wooden and folds in half. Backgammon can be played on the opposite side and you have counters that can be used for either draughts or backgammon. The pieces are all well made and look great. Very tactile and great for kids to learn with, as well as adults playing together.

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