There is no doubt that the best gift on Children’s Day will be time spent together and being together. That’s what board and card games do – they eat up kids, parents, and even grandparents! The editors of the Last Tavern have prepared special board games for you, which are worth buying for our kids on the occasion of their holiday.
Animal peloton
The series of games for children about animal racing from Egmont is already a classic. If someone does not know them yet, I am in a hurry to describe them. The common element for the three games are wooden animals that translate nicely on the way to the finish line.
Speeding turtles
Playing cards in the colors of turtles, we move them towards the finish in such a way that our player in the shell wins. The turtles can overlap, so when the one at the bottom moves, it takes the entire column with it. The game has simple rules, a lot of interaction and tactical use of situations. The first one at the finish line wins.
Speeding snails
This time we will use cubes for movement. After throwing all five, choose one that will move the indicated snail, and pass the rest to the next player. When we stand on the field with other pawns, we push them back and get points. At the end of the game, we check who scored the most points, but beware – each player is supporting two players.
Speeding hedgehogs
The most difficult of the set. We start the game with a hand full of cards. By playing them, we move the hedgehogs to the spaces that determine how much they will be worth at the end of the game. However, we are faced with a dilemma – when we play a card to move the hedgehog, we get less points for it. So we have to plan which pieces we will move (strategic part), and how to react to opponents’ moves (tactical part). – Jarek Wójcicki
Takenoko
Children like it to be fun and colorful, they can build something, but also take something away. On top of that, let’s add a cute figurine, tasks to do and we’ll have… Takenoko ! It is a beautiful family game that impresses with its performance, and its main character, the panda, attracts even the most unrepentant players.
In the game, we aim to complete a certain number of tasks. To be able to achieve them, we will expand the play area by adding tiles, collect bamboos with the help of a panda and help the plants to grow thanks to the gardener. With a bit of luck, we can also count on the weather, although the weather conditions will not always be favorable. Takenoko will not only draw children to the table and encourage them to play. The game components can also prove themselves while playing outside the board, thanks to their solid workmanship. Whoever has not played this title yet, make it up quickly. Panda is waiting for you! – Katarzyna Satława
Caladale Locks
Are you looking for a board game that you can play with your kids? So I recommend Caladale Locks. This is a game for virtually everyone. Although the box suggests that it is intended for people from the age of eight, I am sure that the younger ones will also be fine. The more that the game elements can be used as puzzles and kids can make one big castle from them. It will certainly be perfect as a family game. What about the older ones? I admit that you need to think about it and choose the right tactics, and above all, build an interesting structure, which is a lot of fun. Although there are not many interactions here, and it is not very suitable for a break between long games in other board games, but in the end it is worth playing an architect and building your own castle – alone, with family or with friends. In any case, the game will give us fun to create our own building, and the final effect will certainly delight. –Piotr Markiewicz
Crazy Knight
The Crazy Knight is an example of a great position for children. First of all, it is cooperation, so we win together, we lose together. Secondly, it is an excellent arcade game that perfectly captures the spirit of computer platformers. Third, it is easy to use and the first twenty missions are a great warm-up, while the last ones require very good coordination and are therefore extremely rewarding. In addition, Knight Mad is well made and during the game you can tell a fascinating story about a knight who fights the evil’s minions to save the princess. Finally, it is worth mentioning that you can also play against time, thanks to which the gameplay will provide even more excitement. – Hubert Heller
Plush stories
When I think about childhood, the motive that immediately comes to my mind is one of the guardians (usually a parent) reading his child’s fairy tale. Who doesn’t like fairy tales ?! They are usually beautiful and have a moral at the end. But what if all these advantages were transferred and could still participate in such a fairy tale? Plush storiesis currently, in my opinion, by far the most interesting production of those aimed at the youngest. The target group, however, are slightly older children, I think those over six years old. A great idea with a book that tells the story and is also the game board is by far the biggest plus here. The workmanship is very solid – the figures, tokens, cards and the book are of a high standard (and those buttons!). However, what is most important in this case – the stories themselves are very warm and wise, and each ends with a topic for conversation with the child. Mandatory item. – Bartek Jaworski
For help!
I tested Egmont’s game on my four-year-old son, who quickly understood the rules, because To the rescue! is a typical memory book with elements of associations. Our kid chooses one of the four available vehicles (in a given turn) – an ambulance, police car, fire engine or tug. Then he reveals one of the Threat cards if they match and gains it, otherwise he flips the card again. Great fun, uncomplicated rules, working on concentration and developing a reaction to threats in our kids should convince each parent to buy this game. I recommend! – Mateusz Michałek
Grajeczka
For children aged 8 and over, I recommend Grajeczka from the publishing house 2 Pionki. It combines elements of a tile game and a card game. It teaches strategic thinking and can support learning to read.
We use the tiles to build a fairy-tale world of the Kingdom, on which beautiful figures of the Knight, Queen and Dragon move. Each player is given a random deck of cards consisting of the pages of the book on which the heroes’ adventures are described. There are two sentences on the cards: one specifies the action to be performed and the other a fragment of the fairy tale that we read after its implementation.
The story of a fairy tale can go very differently, which results in a lot of funny and unusual situations. Grajeczka will bring a lot of fun to both children and their parents. – Aga Bot
Take the train: Europa
My proposal for this holiday is a joint trip around Europe, but without heavy luggage and delays … Will we pass London, Vienna, and maybe Moscow? The task of each player is to build railway connections and complete the superior route, drawn at the beginning of the game. The players do not know the plans of the others, which is why they observe the course of the turn like experienced poker players. The less you need to complete the route, the more you board the train: Europe evokes more and more excitement. An intricately planned route, our ticket to the winning number of points, can sometimes be blocked by a single opponent’s car!
Take the train: Europe is an excellent family title. It will involve both experienced players and new players in a very wide age range. The rules and mechanics are not complicated, but the gameplay takes on color thanks to a hint of randomness or competition. The youngest will consolidate their knowledge of Europe, including key cities, and will also train their strategic skills. – Paulina Czajka