Showing posts with label Christmas gift guide. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Christmas gift guide. Show all posts

Tuesday 24 October 2023

Christmas Gift Idea - Sheep Dip The Family Card Game - A Review

(AD - Gifted) 

If you are a regular reader to the blog then you will know that we enjoy a fun family games night every now and again, so we are always on the look out for something new and exciting to keep us entertained. There are always bonus points scored if it is also a game that we can take on our travels with us, so Sheep Dip definitely appealed as a card game with a difference.

The game comes packaged in a small letterbox sized box and features several brightly coloured images, along with pictures of several cards that display various different sheep breeds. There is some guidance on the front of the box, which recommends the game as being suitable for participants aged 7+ along with the requirement of 3-6 players. It also gives an estimated game time of 20-30 minutes. 

The rear of the box provides some further information on what the game involves, along with a list of contents that include:

  • 71 FLOCK Cards
  • 45 EWE DO Cards 
  • 1 Playing Board
  • Playing Instructions
  • Sheep Breed Facts
On opening the box we found four postcard sized instruction sheets. I thought this was a brilliant idea as it meant I could hand a copy to each player as opposed to reading it out. Personally I take things in better by reading them myself, so thought this was really useful and it also meant each player could refer back to their own instruction sheet whenever they needed to. We also had a good look through the cards and the illustrations before we began to play as we found them to be quite funny.


The aim of the game is to be the player that scores the most points and in order to do this, you need to collect and hold onto has many sheep or flock cards as possible. You start by shuffling the packs and then deal five of the flock card to each player making sure that they are face-up. You then place the remaining flock cards, along with the Ewe Do pack in their position on the board facing down.

In this competitive game, you can then use the Ewe Do action cards in order to help protect your flock and you can also steal or swap your sheep to help you win. When playing a Ewe Do Action card, you must read out the words and carry out the instructions. Once the card has been played, you put it face up in the Ewe Done area and the game carries on until all 45 cards have been played.

There is also the Rainbow card to look out for as this can help you win some valuable bonus points, and the sheepdog cards can help you to protect your flock, however there are also the Hungry Wolf cards which can have a negative impact on your score. 


Overall we found this game to be very easy to understand, simple to play and most importantly good fun. One thing that I particularly like about Sheep Dip, is that the game has an element of luck to it as opposed to just being skill based, which helps to make it more enjoyable for younger participants as it prevents the older ones from always winning. The sheep drawings and accompanying comments are quite comical, so we enjoyed reading through these whilst playing as it definitely provided some sillyness and laughter. 

If you would like to find out more about Sheep Dip or to make a purchase, then you can visit their website here: Sheep Dip

The current price on their website at the time of writing this post is £23.50 which is inclusive of UK Mainland postage.  

You can also find more information on Sheep Dip over on their social media channels which can be found here:


Instagram - @SheepDipGame


*Disclaimer - I was gifted this game for the purpose of writing an honest review of the product. All thoughts and opinions are my own unless stated otherwise. Information including availability and prices is believed to be correct at the time of writing, but can be subject to change. This post may contain external links and I am not responsible for content on external websites.

Wednesday 8 November 2017

Shark Bite Game by Drumond Park - Review and Competition!

Now that the clocks have turned back, the evenings are dark before we know it, so it's nice to have a fun activity to do as a family whilst keeping warm and cosy at home. One of our favourite things to do together, especially when the weather is poor, is to play some family games. We have had some firm favourites over the last year including Stoopido and Rapidough, which are always guaranteed to provide a good laugh together. However, the lovely team at Drumond Park, recently sent us their Shark Bite game to review and we couldn't wait to see how this fared in the fun factor stakes!


Shark Bite was released earlier this year and I am sure the box is sure to have caught the attention of many children when browsing in the toy shops. The front of the packaging features some brightly coloured graphics, displaying an angry looking shark whose mouth is full of fish and lobster delights. It also features a photo of two children playing the game in the bottom left hand corner, which helps you to gain a better understanding of what the product and the contents look like inside.


It is designed to be played by 2-4 players and is recommended for children over the age of 4. This really appealed to me, as my youngest son is 5, so I felt reassured that it would be suitable and easy enough for Riley to play, as well as understand.

The reverse of the box provides some brief information on how you play the game, as well as providing further graphics and images. The contents list is also provided which is as follows:
  • 1 Shark
  • 12 pieces of shark food
  • 1 fishing rod
  • 1 sticker sheet
  • Instructions

After Riley had taken a quick look at the packaging, he couldn't wait to get the box open and get the game ready for us to play. We removed the contents and began to prepare the shark and dice. This was really simple to do and simply involved placing some stickers on the dice, as well as applying the sharks eyes and pushing the shark into its base. Riley insisted on doing this himself and found it really easy. We then took the 12 pieces of shark food and began to push them into the holes in the sharks mouth. In less than a minute, the game was ready to play, with the added bonus that there were NO batteries required. Perfect!


Emma and Ben joined Riley and I, so that we could all play the game together. We read through the instructions and we were all confident that we knew exactly how to play. The game itself is a really simple concept with easy to follow rules. To play you simply roll the dice which shows you how many fish you need to catch. You could roll one fish or two, so it is easy for very young children to identify how many they need. Once you have rolled the dice, you then need to catch your fish, using the fishing rod provided. Riley found it a little difficult to remove the fish during his first couple of attempts, but soon got the hang of it and realised that if he pulled the rod with quite a quick tug, then the fish would come out easily.


This is where you have to be careful though, as when you try to remove the fish, the shark may bite without warning and if that happens, then you need to return any food back to the sharks mouth. The aim of the game is to be the person to collect the most fish.


We immediately fell in love with this game as soon as we began to play. Everyone was laughing, as each person took their turn to try and retrieve an item from between the scary sharks jaws. Each of us hoping that it wouldn't snap on our go. Not only was it great fun to play, but it also encouraged Riley to recognise colours and numbers. It also tested his coordination skills by trying to hook a fish or lobster onto the fishing rod.


We played the game for over an hour, as each time a round ended, I was met with shouts of "Again, again". Due to how easy it is to set up and play, the kids have also been playing it every day both before and after school and I have been really impressed at the fact that it has also been an 'argument free' game so far!


My only minor criticism of the game, would be that I think there should be more than one rod included. I am a little concerned that if the one rod that is included should break, then we would be left unable to play the game properly, which would be very disappointing. If there were additional rods provided, then this would prevent that potential problem. The game could be played by picking the objects out using your hands, but I think that the rod adds more skill to the game, and that makes it more enjoyable.


Overall we all really enjoyed this game and it is certainly very popular in our home at the moment. There are no fiddly parts, no batteries required and no great skill needed to put the game together. It is literally ready to play in seconds and provides lots of fun and entertainment. The instructions are simple and it is the perfect game for families to enjoy together. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend to others. It is available to purchase from all good toy retailers including Amazon and has an RRP of £24.99.

You can also find out more about Shark Bite and the other great games in the Drumond Park range, on their website here:  Drumond Park



We love this game so much, that we have teamed up with Drumond Park, to giveaway a Shark Bite game to one lucky blog reader! If you would like to enter, then please do so, using the gleam form below. Terms & Conditions apply. Good Luck!

Win a Shark Bite Game by Drumond Park

Terms & Conditions

  • There is 1 (one) prize available on a Shark Bite game by Drumond Park. 
  • Entry is open to UK residents aged 18 years or older.
  • The prize is as stated and no cash alternative is available.
  • Competition closes on 6th December 11:59pm.
  • The winner will be notified via email and will have 7 days to respond to the winning email to confirm their acceptance of the prize, before an alternative winner is drawn from the remaining eligible entrants.
  • No bulk or third party entries.
  • The winner's details only will be shared with Drumond Park for the purpose of prize fulfilment.
Disclaimer: We were provided with a complimentary Shark Bite game for the purpose of providing an honest review of the product. All opinions and photographs are my own unless otherwise stated.

Monday 5 December 2016

My Secret Santa Gift Ideas

As you may have seen from some of my recent reviews, my family and I have been trying out some products over the last few weeks, to try and find some great gift ideas to include in our Secret Santa Gift Guide. I think that we have chosen a great selection to feature, and they are all under £20 so won't cost a small fortune either.

1) Morse Toad Chocolate Cards - Give the gift of personalised chocolate this Christmas, with a range of pre-selected wording, or text of your own choosing. This chocolate not only looks great but also tastes delicious and is sure to be a lovely and tasty surprise for the recipient. Stocking fillers are available too from only £2.75. Enter code HappyToadmas at the checkout to enjoy a 10% discount off your order. (Code expires Christmas Day 25/12/16).

2) Letterbox cakes by bakerdays - I absolutely love this concept, and the cake that we sampled, was not only delivered quickly but was a joy to eat too. They offer such an extensive range of designs that there is bound to be something to suit all tastes, with the added bonus that you can also personalise them. This is an ideal secret santa gift for the workplace, family member, or to simply send to someone as a fun festive treat.


3) Jelly Belly Bean Boozled - A great fun game to give as a Secret Santa gift, which is sure to make the gift recipient love you (or maybe hate you depending on how their taste buds are haha). You can't help yourself but laugh through this game, and at only £10 including a refill box, its a great unique gift that won't break the bank.


4) Biscuiteers have an amazing selection of gifts on their website, ranging from biscuits to cakes which all look visually fantastic. They even have a page that is dedicated to Secret Santa ideas. Their handmade Christmas biscuits look delicious, and the site features products to suit all price ranges. My favourite is the Santa Jolly Ginger which costs £6.

5) Amazon.co.uk Gift Card- The ideal gift for the person who has everything. If you are really stuck for that Secret Santa gift, then you can't really go wrong with an Amazon Gift Card. These are available as physical gift cards, or can even be sent via email if you have left your gift right to the last minute.

                                                                             

Disclaimer - Whilst some of these products have been reviewed by us previously, they have been chosen by myself to feature in my Secret Santa gift guide. I have received no additional payment from any of the companies to include them other than the product for my original individual review. The link to Amazon however is an affiliate link and I may receive a small commission payment for any referrals. All opinions are my own.