Over the years, the kids have received their fair share of popular boardgames bought from the malls. While I did like that it got them to play together, what I didn’t like was that the games were based mostly on luck instead of skill. I was delighted when I discovered My First Games which is a local online store owned by a mum of 3 kids, selling a mind-boggling array of good games specially culled from USA and Europe. We have been playing quite a few of her games and the kids absolutely love them.
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| Pixy Cubes $29.90 |
One of her best sellers is Pixy Cubes, as surprise surprise, it seems to be the closest thing to an IQ test. No wonder parents were snapping them up. For me, I love that it is an open-ended game and can be played in a variety of ways. Although it says ‘ages 6 and up’, it can be managed by kids as young as 3 or 4 years old.
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| Beginner |
The simplest way is to play it individually, whereby the child has to follow the pattern on the card. It can also be played with 2 kids, and they each take a card and challenge each other to see who finishes first.
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| Difficulty level increases |
Once the child can master the simple shape using 4 cubes, they can move on to the shapes without the grid lines which uses all 16 cubes.
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What I love about #5 is his creativity, and after going through all the card patterns, he had a great time constructing his own designs. Not only is it good for building up their attention span, it also helps with their fine motor skills.
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| #5’s fort |
Another good game to exercise their brain is 7 ate 9. This is a Math speed card game, and can be played by any child who can add and subtract. The older girls initially thought it was a childish game meant for the little ones, but ended up having fun as well.
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| 7 ate 9 ($15.90) |
Another personal favourite of our family is Ubongo. This can be played with a maximum of 4 players. Basically, the fastest person to complete their card using the puzzle pieces wins. They never fail to take this game out when their friends come over for playdates. I have seen kids from as young as 7 who are able to handle this game.
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| Ubongo extreme |
It is also suitable for the older folk to get their mind moving. We visited my aunt who is 82 years old and they had a good time bonding over it.
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| Great family game for all ages |
I can confidently say that any parent would be happy to receive any of their games for their kids’ Christmas presents. Well, I would (hint, hint).
They're all so pretty! Great activities for kids. These days, most would just keep them occupied…and quiet playing games on their ipads
kids Kindergarten