Enjoy a family game night with Clack!, Cake Off, Connect the Thoughts and Fruit Punch

Amigo Games has kindly provided me with these games in exchange for an honest review.

  
This game is called Clack!  It consists of 35 magnetic discs, 1 color die, 1 shape die and illustrated instructions.  The name comes from the sound the discs make when they are stacked.  This is a 2-6 player game and is suitable for ages 5+.  One die has pictures of shapes on it and the other has colors.  To play, you roll the dice to get a color and a shape to search for on the discs.  Then race to grab all of the discs that have that combination of color and shape and stack them up one on top of the other.  In order to win, you must have the highest stack.  Kids love stacking the discs and hearing the Clack!  Clack! retails for $17.99 and you can purchase it HERE

Next we have Fruit Punch.  It has 56 Linen-finish Cards, 1 full sized Banana Squeaker and Illustrated Instructions.  It is a 2-6 player game and is suitable for ages 5+.  The rules of this game are very simple and very easy to learn.  The players flip their card over until someone spots five of the same fruit on the upturned cards.  Then they race to be the first to hit the banana sqeaker so they can collect the cards to win.  My kids really liked this game.  They especially liked racing to hit the banana squeaker.  Fruit Punch retails for $9.99 and you can purchase it HERE

Next we have Cake Off.  It includes 30 linen-finish cards, 4 Washable Stampers, 1 Cake Plate and illustrated instructions.  It is a 3-6 Player game and is suitable for ages 5+. To play, each player chooses a card from their hand and passes it to the next player.  Repeat.  You are trying to get cards that match, giving you 5 of a kind.  When you get 5 of a kind, you get a washable stamp on the back of your hand.  This is a very simple game.  I think children even younger than 5 could easily play it.  Cake Off retails for $12.99 and you can purchase it HERE .

Finally we have Connect The Thoughts.  It includes 80 linen finish cards, 1 bell and illustrated instructions.  There are no "turns" in this game...everyone plays at once.  Players flip over cards searching for matches.  Once they have a line of 5 cards with matches, they ring the bell to win the round.  An alternative way to play is to search for connections instead of matches.  For example, one card has a dog on it and another has a donkey.  These match because they form a connection (they are both animals).  Connect The Thoughts retails for $12.99 and you can purchase it HERE

Amigo Games has given us a copy of Cake Off and Connect The Thoughts to give away to one of our lucky readers.  Stay tuned for the giveaway!  a Rafflecopter giveaway

Looking for a new game for family game night? Try Bananagrams!

Bananagrams provided me with these games to review. 

First we have Bananagrams The Classic Family Anagrams Game.  It is perfect for ages 7 and up and can be played with 1-8 players per game.  The object of the game is to build an individual word grid using up all of your letter tiles.  The first person who uses all of their tiles is the winner.  The game consists of 144 letter tiles that can be stored in a washable yellow banana shaped pouch. To begin the game, you place the tiles face down on the table (this is called the "BUNCH") and each player chooses a predetermined amount of tiles according to how many players there are.  You then take your tiles and begin forming a word grid trying to use as many tiles as you can.  The game continues with players drawing tiles and trading in tiles they can't find a use for until the bunch contains fewer tiles than the number of players.  Then the first player to use all their tiles is the winner IF they did not make any mistakes in their word grid.  If a mistake is found, then that person is out of the game, their tiles are returned to the bunch and play resumes for the remaining players.  This game is lots of fun and was a big hit with my family.  This game retails for $14.99 and can be purchased HERE .

 My First Bananagrams is a modified version of Bananagrams for younger players.  It is suitable for ages 4 and up and is for 1-4 players.  This game consists of 80 single letter tiles and 13 letter combination tiles that come in a green banana shaped pouch.  The rules for this game is a simplified version of the rules for the regular Bananagrams, making it easier for younger children to play.  These letter combination tiles are the first step in word creation as the children learn to group them together.  It also has multiple mini games that together forms a step by step progression of play towards learning to play a full game of Banangrams.  My First Bananagrams retails for $14.99 and can be purchased HERE .

Have a Family Karaoke Night!

Whether you are a talented singer, or you would just like to be, singing karaoke is so much fun!  The Singing Machine has provided me with these products in exchange for an honest review.

 

This is The Singing Machine Groove Cube.  The really cool thing about this is that it has over 40 multi colored lights on the front, sides and handle that synchronizes to the music, so it's really great for parties.  It's small enough to take along with you and is battery operated (uses 8 "C" batteries, not included), as well as electric.  It comes with one microphone, RCA cables, AC adapter and a code for 5 bonus song downloads.  Plays CDs and CD+Gs or streams audio from any Bluetooth compatible device.  You can hook it up to your TV to view scrolling lyrics on your TV screen.  Record yourself, share and playback using the integrated USB port.  Has a secure cradle to hold your tablet or other mobile device.  It has an echo control to enhance your vocals.  This is such a fun little machine.  It really is all you need for a family karaoke night!  The Groove Cube retails for $69.99 and can be purchased HERE .

 

This microphone is the perfect choice if you need a second one for duets, or if you need to replace a damaged one.  Just plug it into your karaoke machine and you're good to go.  It is lightweight and easy to hold in your hand.  It retails for $9.99 and can be purchased HERE .

This cute little guy is called the Singing Machine Kids Mic Guy Bluetooth Speaker.  This is perfect for kids to take along with them as they are on the go.  It is a speaker and a microphone in one.  It has a rechargeable Li-ion battery that will last for 4 hours per charge.  Kids love the glowing light and the big eyes.  You can adjust the microphone volume and it has echo controls to customize your sound.  It has a small grip that is perfect for little hands to hold on to.  With the Mic Guy, smaller kids can have their own little karaoke party anywhere and any time they choose.  The Mic Guy retails for $19.99 and you can purchase it HERE .  

This is another 2 in 1 microphone and Bluetooth speaker.  It is really very similar to the Mic Guy, but this one is more suitable for older kids and teens.  It has volume and echo controls and lights that sync as you sing.  It has a line in jack to connect to your audio device.  It operates via an included Li-ion rechargeable battery that will hold the charge approximately 4 hours.  It is very lightweight and is easy to hold in your hand.  It retails for $24.99 and can be purchased HERE .

The Splash Attack Action Net is a blast!

Duncan Toys has provided me with the Splash Attack Action Net in exchange for an honest review.

The Splash Attack Action Net is an inflatable floating net for use in a swimming pool (or any body of water where you swim).  It retails for $17.99 and can be purchased HERE .

Each Splash Attack Action Net comes with a Splash Attack Water Skipping Ball and an instruction sheet for various game play options.  The net is brightly colored in red, white and blue, so it is easily visible on the water's surface.   Anyone can play this game, regardless of age.  It's fun for all!  You just inflate the net, place it in the water and let the fun begin! 

Follow the included instructions or make up your own game as you go.  You can use one net or several nets for larger groups of people.  The more the merrier!  Play solo and practice trick shots to hone your throwing skills.  Then show them off to your family and friends.  Divide a large group of people up into teams and compete to win, or play one on one.

If you don't want to let your net float freely in the water as you play, there is an optional weighted cord and weight that you can purchase separately which will prevent that.  But I thought that chasing the net around the pool was part of the fun.  It made it more of a challenge because it moved every time it was hit by a wave caused by us jumping, diving and just generally battling for the ball. And it's fun to watch the ball skip across the water as you try to hit the net. 

This game is a blast filled with lots of jumps, throws, tackles and splashes!  My family enjoyed it immensely.

LOOKING FOR A FUN OUTDOOR GAME THAT YOUR WHOLE FAMILY CAN PLAY, REGARDLESS OF AGE? MURBLES TO THE RESCUE!

Murbles was created by Murray Kramer, who kindly provided me with a 4 Player Activity Set of Murbles (Murray's Marbles) to test and review.  This set retails at $59.95 and can be purchased from the website at murblegame.com .

"What are Murbles?", you ask?  It is a very fun outdoor game that can be played and enjoyed by every member of your family, regardless of their age or level of physical fitness.  This game is perfect for little kids, tweens, teens, adults and even grandparents! EVERYONE can play!

There is nothing to set up, all you need are the Murble balls, so it is very easy to take along on camping trips, family reunions, to parties...anywhere you will have a group of people to play. They even come in a convenient carry bag, so just grab it and go!

Each Murble is 3" in diameter.  They are solid, high density plastic balls that weigh ½ pound each.

Murbles are made in the USA and are available in 20 popular colors.  When you order, you get to choose the colors you want for your Murbles, and even the color of the carry bag!  There are larger sets available to accommodate more players, or you can add additional sets to increase the number of players. 

You can view the rules of the game HERE, but basically there are 2 Murbles of each color except white target ball, of which there is only one.  Each player chooses a different color and one player, the challenger, also gets the white ball.   All players stand in a line, side by side.  The person with the target ball throws it forward, with an underhanded throw.  Once the target ball is thrown, the players cannot move from their positions in the line.  When the target ball stops rolling, the players take turns trying to get their balls as close to the target ball as they can.  The player who threw the target ball must go last.  All must use underhanded throws.   This is called a "ROUND".  The person who gets their ball closest to the target ball, receives 1 point for each ball he has closer than any other color.  Only one player receives points during a round.  At the end of each round, the players collect their balls and then return to their same position in line and a new round begins.  The player who received the point in the round becomes the one who throws the target ball (from his position) for the new round.

A round is 1 to 2 points; a set is when the first player reaches 10 points. A game is best 2 out of 3 sets.

The fun thing about this game is that so many things can affect the outcome of the round.  Tree roots, stones, dips in the terrain, etc. can send a ball off course.  A player can hit someone else's ball with theirs and cause it to roll either closer or further away from the target ball.  Even the target ball can be moved by being hit by a player's ball.  Only the position of the balls at the END of a round matters.  And you can easily modify the rules a little to suit the amount of players you have.  There are 5 of us in my family and we have a 4 player set, so we turned it into a 5 player game by making the person who throws the target ball be the 5th player.  At the end of each round, the one who gets the point becomes the target ball thrower and the previous thrower takes over that person's Murbles.  It worked for us!

My family absolutely loves this game.  We play it as a family and really enjoy it.  I have one son and two daughters, aged 5, 9, and 11; and this is something we can all enjoy together!  I highly recommend it!  Even the name is fun to say...MURBLES!



  

FUN CARD GAMES FOR KIDS FROM HOYLE AND STANDARD DECKS FROM BICYCLE THAT ARE A WORK OF ART

THE UNITED STATES PLAYING CARD COMPANY has provided me with these products in exchange for an honest review.  These products, as well as many others, can be purchased from the following websites:  https://www.bicyclecards.com  and  http://hoyleplay.com .
    

HOYLE is well known for playing cards.  But did you know that they also have card games for children?  

MONKEY MAY I?, SUPER ME! and SHARKS ARE WILD are 2-4 player games for ages 4-6.  They retail for $5.99 each.  Each game is designed to teach children important skills.  Monkey May I? teaches the art of self control, self awareness and how to make good choices.  From Super Me! children learn empathy, helping others and social skills.  Sharks Are Wild teaches children number sequence building and how to recognize numbers.    All feature colorful cards depicting cartoon monkies, people, and sea creatures.  Each game has instructions for two levels of play, so you can adjust the game to suit the players' ages and abilities.  They are easy to learn and very fun to play!  Monkey May I? and Super Me! have both been awarded the Mom's Choice Award.

SEAL SQUAD and MIXED EMOJIS are 2-4 player games for ages 6-8.  They retail for $5.99  each.  These games are also designed to teach children important skills.  Mixed Emojis helps children learn to recognize and express emotions.  It also helps improve memory.  Seal Squad teaches teamwork, decision making and simple strategy.  The colorful cards depict different emojis, cartoon seals and various sea creatures.  Each game is easy to learn and lots of fun! 

4 IN 1 FUN PACK retails for $4.00 and contains four classic kids card games:  Old Maid (for 2-6 players), Memory (for 2-6 players), Go Fish (for 2-4 players) and Matching (for 2-4 players).   Old Maid uses cards depicting fruits and vegetables for making pairs and learning to take turns.  Memory uses cards depicting animals to teach memory recall and animal identification.  Go Fish uses cards depicting colorful fish to teach number values and counting.  The cards are all designed for smaller hands so they are easy for little ones to hold.

BICYCLE has many new designs on their decks of cards that are so beautiful you could consider them works of art.  Photos do not do these cards justice.  

First we have the BICYCLE DRAGON DECK.  This retails for $3.99 and features beautiful hand drawn designs.  These cards would be a hit for any dragon lover. 

Next we have the BICYCLE AUREO DECK.  This retails for $4.99 and features a design inspired by an illustration by Leonardo Da Vinci.  Directly quoting from the description on Bicycle's website:   "In the early 1500s Leonardo Da Vinci illustrated 'La Divina' (The Divine Proportion) a book written by mathematician Luca Pacioli that described a mathematical theory called 'The Golden Ratio' which was used in Renaissance paintings and sculptures to achieve balance and beauty.  Da Vinci later called this section aurea or the Golden section. The gold foil and swirl designs of the tuck bring the Golden ratio to life in this unique deck of cards."

Next we have the BICYCLE STARGAZER SUNSPOT DECK.  This retails for $4.99 and features a large yellow and orange glowing sun on a black background.  They are truly beautiful cards with their bright eye catching design.

And finally we have the BICYCLE FOIL BACK CRIMSON DECK and the BICYCLE FOIL BACK COBALT DECK.  These retail for $9.99 each and feature a shiny foil back in crimson red and cobalt blue.  The colors are so beautiful and reflects the light as you play.