Pre-Christmas Christmas Shopping Top Tips #3 – Pictionary
Family board games. They’re a bit of a dying tradition, aren’t they? Except, of course, around Christmas – everyone drags out a few old classics then. But we wanted to show you a few this week, some old, some new, some very-old-but-maybe-new-to-you ones too.
But we’re kicking off with a modern classic. Pictionary. Twenty five years it’s been around – can you believe that? Which doesn’t make it a ‘modern’ classic at all, but a tried and tested family favourite. It’s been updated and re-released for the 25th anniversary, this time with two levels of clues, making it playable with adults and children together. Brilliant, brilliant, brilliant.
We’re fans of Pictionary already, but have never really inducted the children, knowing they’ll be frustrated at the difficulty of some of the clues. So this seemed ideal – and a recent rainy Sunday afternoon saw us all settle down to play, ages ranging from 7 to *cough* grown ups (with the almost-4 yr old in charge of the egg timer as Master of Timing).
Well.
What a riot!
They couldn’t get enough – we must have played for two hours straight. And it was genuinely fun for the grown ups too. Not in a nice-to-see-the-children-amused fashion. Oh no. Proper, side splitting, what-the-heck-is-THAT-you’ve-drawn? fun. Genuine jaw dropping How-did-you-manage-to-draw-THAT amazed pride in the small people, and why-can-you-not-SEE-that’s-a-CUP frustration when I was holding the pencil.
The board layout means it’s impossible for one team to streak too far ahead (important for younger players to not get disheartened), and keeps the game moving really nicely. The double difficulty cards (younger players can confidently draw ‘zebra’ while the grown ups are really wishing they had a zebra instead of ‘rejuvenate’) meant that no one struggled with understanding, and the everyone-join-in rounds meant no one got bored waiting for the other team.
Such a total success – and though the box says 8+ the 7 year old played easily. The box also says 4-8 players, but we have Plans Afoot for a mahoosive Christmas family version with a big wipe board and two large teams shouting. Can’t Wait!
Available from all good toy shops, or if you hit the picture you can head straight to Amazon and buy it now :)
Read MorePre-Christmas Christmas Shopping Top Tips #2 – Pyjamas
It’s odd isn’t it? How right it is to have new pj’s for Christmas? I thought it was just me, but I’ve come to realise that everyone likes to get their small people new pyjamas to snug up in on Christmas Eve.
So there I was, meandering around t’interweb, as is my wont, in need of something acceptable to an opinionated pink one. Robots she loves, but dinosaurs she does NOT. Sparkle she loves, but Mummy does NOT (and ‘No Dora’ is in Mummy’s Pyjama Rule Book too).
Then I tripped and fell through the cyberdoor of Catiouche.
And breathed a deep and gentle sigh of relief.
She would insist on looking at the cat herself...
Here they were, waiting for me all the time. Bee-yoo-ti-ful pyjamas. Soft, stylish, elegantly designed with a touch of whimsy that my girl would adore.
When Pink saw her new pyjamas she squeaked. She did. Then she stroked them gently, literally pink in the face with happiness.
“But – it’s me! On my pyjamas! And look! I have a beautiful big fat happy cat!”
On a practical note, these are really wonderful quality. They have been washed and worn (and washed and worn and washed and worn… she’s not a terribly careful cheerios eater, sadly), and still hold their shape and their softness. The whole range from Catiouche (which includes adorable cat paw print versions for the boys) is made from luxurious 100% organic cotton jersey, and environmentally friendly water-based ink print.
And if that wasn’t enough to win you over to their effortless sweet style, have a read of this:
“Hello my name is Catiouche and this is my cat Max. Max is very soft
but my pyjamas are even softer. They are very special.
They are made out of cotton flowers which grow in a far away place
on the other side of the sea, with the help of the sun, the clouds
and thousands of ladybirds.
I love my pyjamas. And I think you will like yours too.
This lovely pair was made especially for you.
Good Night, Sleep Tight.
Love from Catiouche (and Max) xxx”
NOW tell me you don’t want a pair? At £25 each as separates they’re not cheap; but the quality is wonderful, and they will last and last – the cut has plenty of room to grow. I tell you, they really ARE the cat’s pyjamas.
Read MorePre-Christmas Christmas Shopping Top Tips #1
We all know about the gifts and the turkey and the Wine and the sausage rolls you all have lists and lists all set up for. But before we get into those (we will of course be repeating the fabulousness which was our ‘Bestest Christmas Gifts Guide’ this year, with even more delicious, pretty, unique and just plain gorgeous ideas to help ease the strain of gift buying), we wanted to do the other stuff. The pre-Christmas stuff. you know – advents, stockings, games… the things you need to get sorted This Week really.
So we decided to start with a classic – The Lego Advent Calendar. Now any Lego aficionado knows Lego isn’t cheap. This little box comes in at a hefty £25. But, as with all Lego, it’s all about the play value.
There are pieces in here you can’t get anywhere else – which apparently makes it Very Important, and Really Really Good Mummy. Each day opens a new little pack for you to create a new Lego model, whether it’s a tree, a snowmobile or Father Christmas and his sleigh.
If you’re very very careful, you could keep the figures when they’re made, display them over Christmas, then put them back in the box ready for next year. You could. But that kind of defeats the whole lego purpose, doesn’t it? For me, a little lego time while I’m making breakfast for the massed hordes is a little time spent quietly with my cup of coffee. And the closer we get to Christmas, the higher the excitement grows.. and the more Christmas lego there is to play with. Genius. For me, a gazillion trillion times better than a £4 box of nasty chocolate.
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