Chickyboom

Board games have taken over our house. Well, our linen cupboard at least. It started when I innocently bought home my old game of Guess Who that I found at my mum’s house.  Mouse Trap, Trouble and various others quickly followed suit. There’s something to be said though, about a wintery afternoon or evening spent crowded around the coffee table, enjoying good old fashioned fun. Except for Monopoly. Monopoly games only ever finish in tears or an upturned board. You’ll find bits of paper money down the back of the couch for weeks.

The latest arrival to our games shelf is Chickyboom, from the amazing range at Funatical. The postman delivered it at about 1pm. By 4pm, we’d played it about 487 times. As you can see, it’s a game that little ones just don’t tire of – with a basis in learning about balance, counting and hand/eye coordination, it’s like a really simple (and much more colourful) version of Jenga. Basically, you stack up the cute little chickens, some hay bales and wagon wheels, balance the whole lot on the ‘barn’, and take them off one by one until the whole lot topples over. The winner is the person who has collected the most points from the pieces they’ve safely removed. Funatical is such a great site you can even watch a little YouTube clip about it!

Chickyboom is made by BlueOrange, an eco-conscious company who plant two trees for each one used in the making of their wooden games. The box says ages 5 and up, but my almost 4 year-old cottoned onto it almost immediately – it’s not a multi-award winning game for nothing!

Funatical  also stock a huge range of environmentally-friendly and innovative brands that are hard to find elsewhere in Australia – brands like Gen 42, Tantrix, Trefl, PhotoPearls and EchidnaKidz who all supply educational and stimulating games, jigsaws, craft activities, card games…I have to admit I had not previously heard of Funatical but I know where I’ll be stopping by next time I need a gift!  The store has games and puzles for everyone from babies through to Mensa-hopefuls, and shipping is just $10 Australia-wide.

Guess I’d better clear out more room in the linen cupboard!