Tag Archives: games

Skinny Legs Toss by Hape

Posted on by

Hape_skinny_legs_toss

I must admit that when I received this game I didn’t think my little testers would be occupied for long. How wrong could I be!

They absolutely loved it – all four of them, aged from 2 – 6. The play value was enormous and totally unexpected – on my part anyway. As with all Hape toys it is beautifully made and simple to assemble. The two roller feet quickly snap into the circle of the web. A quick share out the twelve brightly coloured spiders among the four players and you’re ready to play.

Players take it in turns to throw the spiders and try and keep them on the web. This is not as easy as it sounds. Some drop to the floor, others cascade down string by string, others dangle precariously – will they fall or won’t they? The whole thing caused great excitement and lots of squeals as yet another spider bit the dust.

hape-skinny-legs-spider-toss

The little one enjoyed stacking the spiders on top of each other. All the children soon discovered that if they took their time the spiders could be balanced on all four feet and set in patterns around the table. It was played outside and inside, on the table and on the floor. An unexpected but delightful thumbs up for this one.

 

Skinny Legs Toss is £21.99 from Amazon

FROST’S FAVOURITE: FAMILY BOARD GAMES

Posted on by

It’s late afternoon on Christmas day. Bellies are full, spirits are high and it’s time to take the festivities up a notch. ‘How?’, I hear you ask? Well, move over Monopoly and Boggle, take a back seat because here are our favourite board games, including the best free solitaire ever, for Christmas 2018. Enjoy!

 

Guinness World Records

Nothing brings out the competitive edge like the glimpse of breaking a Guinness World Record, right? Well in this version, you completing challenges to break your opponents’ records, so close enough. Skills involve spoon balancing, wearing the most pairs of socks, flipping a bottle of water and many more! You also have 600 Guinness World Record questions to answer but let’s be honest… that’s not why we’re playing.
RRP: £24.99

 

What’s that smell?

This one is suitable for the whole family, no matter what their ages are. A myriad of scents are on the cards, some subtle and sweet, others simply stinky! Guess the scent on the card correctly to win or you could be stuck sniffing the deadly Stank Card including Extra Old Toe Cheese, Diaper Blowout, Hot Chunky Vomit and Smothered in B.O. Delicious.

RRP: £24.99

 

 Taboo

This might be one for before the Bellini’s make an appearance. The aim of this addictive word game is to describe super simple things without using obvious descriptors. If you do, you’ll give away points to your opponents.

RRP: £16.99

 

Survive! Escape From Atlantis

An adventure game for Christmas afternoon – this board is all about escaping a sinking island.

Avoiding and befriending wooden sharks, sea monsters and whales, you must get as many of your explorers to safety and collect the most treasure to win… cute!
£31.99

 

Codenames


Bring out your inner Bond with this one. Two rival spymasters know the secret identities of 25 agent and teammates know the agents only by their codenames. Teams must compete to see who can make contact with all of their agents first by guessing words of the right color while avoiding those that belong to the opposing team. Like with any 007 situ, you’ve of course got to watch out for the deadly assassin.

£16.99

Tumball

Posted on by

It wouldn’t be Christmas without at least one new game to add to the family collection – and one that all the family can play. Apart from the old favourites – Scrabble, Monopoly, etc, I’m always on the lookout for something that the little ones can join in with and this year Tumball hits the spot.

It does say for ages 5+ and I did wonder whether it would be a bit too difficult for the 3 & 4 year olds but with help from Uncle Anthony they soon grasped the technique.

Coloured balls are suspended from a hanger and each player has a white stick and an equal amount of white plastic balls, each with a hole in them. The object of the game is to place the white balls onto the coloured ball platform using the white stick. One false move, too may balls and the platform parts and white balls cascade into the tray below. It’s a game of dexterity and balance.

Tumball

The prize goes to the one who has no balls left but the littlies loved it when the balls clattered down into the tray and thought they were wining in style. And who were we to tell them otherwise.

Easy to assemble and easy to play. After all, once dinner is over and the sherry has been served you want to relax and have fun. Anything too complicated will have to wait.

 

Tumball £17.99 

 

Celebrate Alice in Wonderland’s birthday with Chambord Pop-Up

Posted on by

Fancy venturing down the Rabbit Hole to try out something new?

C8G-square-logo-940x940

In the same year that Queen Elizabeth II celebrates becoming the UK’s longest reigning monarch, Lewis Carroll’s infamous Alice in Wonderland turns 150 years old and from today, Chambord are hosting an end of summer croquet and cocktails pop-up. Chambord Chapter Eight: Games will give the public a chance to put their croquet skills to the test while sipping on a delicious Chambord cocktail and sampling the delights French-American burger legends, Le Bun, are serving up. Best of all, you get to enjoy this experience on a transformed rooftop terrace in London Fields fit for a Queen, and did we mention Flamingo Mallets…? So if you fancy trying your hand at your best ‘Aspinall’ Peel or Forward Balling technique the party will be in full swing from 10th-13th September.

image

Grab your tickets here

http://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/chambord-chapter-eight-games-tickets-17937705159

Tickets are five pounds and include complimentary Chambord Cocktail and Flamingo Mallet hire for Croquet so grab some friends and have a FlaminGO

IMG_0001

Chambord Chapter Eight: Games

Proof, Field Works, Martello St, London

Staving Off Boredom During Winter

Posted on by

Winter can be a rather tedious, bleak time of the year; freezing cold winds and bitter rains mean that many will be trapped indoors throughout winter, unable to enjoy the pursuits they otherwise would be able to enjoy during the rest of the year. If you’re stuck inside, the prospect of boredom is always just around the corner, and if you just don’t know what to do with your time when the snow is blowing outside, here are a few fun things you can occupy yourself with until the spring thaw occurs!

winter in St Pauls

Reading is always a great way to spend the time during winter. Curling up in front of the fire whilst surrounded by blankets and pillows, indulging your bookish side, reading can be a heck of a lot of fun. Either get some ebooks via a device like Amazon’s Kindle, or make your way through those bookcases worth of paperbacks you purchased or were given but never had the time to read in the more pleasant months.

Cooking is also a safe way to beat back boredom, and will do wonders for your culinary prowess. Rustling up a hearty stew or casserole can be a heck of a lot of fun, and whilst recipes are often useful, it’s always nice to deviate slightly away from the prescribed cookery formula, putting your own flair on your favourite dish. What’s even better is that whilst you slave away over that hot stove, you’ll actually be warm!

With so many devices, smart phones, tablets and laptops around nowadays, games are a great way to spend a few hours. If you have a games console, think about getting an RPG game such as Skyrim; whilst it pours it down outside you can live the life of a fantasy hero for a few hours, exploring dungeons, fighting dragons and generally having a great time! Online games are also great fun; Casino.betway.com is a fun site that allows users to play classic casino games such as roulette, poker and blackjack. You’ll even have the chance to win a little money- great if you need a little extra cash over the Christmas period.

Perhaps not as exciting as video games, but just as engrossing, board games are a fun, traditional way to pass time throughout the snowy season. Pop into the loft and dust off those old copies of Risk, Scrabble, Monopoly and Pictionary, invite round some friends, crack open a bottle of something tasty and enjoy a lovely, chatty night in together!

 

 

The Rise Of Casino Games

Posted on by

Something interesting has happened to humanity in the last ten years – we’ve all gone mad
for casino games. Perhaps it’s the promise of a little bit of glamour and escapism, coupled
with the influence of James Bond and the stories of bedroom gamblers who made it big (like
Chris Moneymaker).

CASINO ROYALE

No doubt the relatively recent ability to travel to Las Vegas from most major cities has
something to do with it as well. Televised poker certainly played a part a few years ago, but perhaps one of the biggest causes of this explosion in the popularity of casino games has been the spread of apps for smartphones and tablets. Ubiquitous Wi-Fi connections now
allow us to play roulette or poker pretty much anywhere.


New Players

For new players – and clearly there are plenty of them – it’s important to be able to get
reliable information about trusted sites, bonuses and the various strategies and systems that claim to be able to improve your win rate. Roulette is one of the most popular games online, as well as in land-based casinos, partly because it’s easy to understand.

casino-games-on-internet

New players will inevitably come across the Martingale roulette system at some point, but
beware; there’s a serious downside to it, explained in an article at Fortune Palace. The fact that, in modern casinos, every table now has a limit means that even with a huge bankroll,
the Martingale system can leave you very broke, very quickly!

Set A Limit

If you’re new to casino games, whether online or otherwise, remember Rule Number One:
set a limit on what you’re prepared to lose, assume you will lose it, and walk away when
you’ve done so. The point, after all, is that it’s supposed to be fun! Remember that, in the
long term, the house always, always wins.

Certain games – like blackjack for example – can offer better odds (in the long term) to players than others. Texas Hold ‘Em has enjoyed perhaps the biggest surge in popularity of all casino games, and one of the reasons is that, while it takes a few minutes to grasp the basics, experienced players will tell you that you never stop learning.

Celebrity Players

Hold ‘Em has drawn in a raft of celebrity players, some more successful than others. Tobey
“Spider-Man” Maguire is said to have won millions of dollars in Hollywood home games, while Jennifer Tilly (currently the voice of Bonnie in “Family Guy”) does pretty well as a semi-
pro player.

Jennifer+Tilly+Gamble+World+Poker+Tour+Celebrity+nc_Iw-t17fnl

Ben Affleck is another noted Hollywood poker player, though after a big win ten years ago his success at the game seems to have diminished somewhat. It’s not just Hollywood types that play though – Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps is reported to be an enthusiastic participant and keen to improve. Ex-footballer Teddy Sheringham and Teutonic tennis ace Boris Becker are also regularly to be found poring over their hands.

So if you’re tempted by casino games, remember that the chances of winning big are small,
keep it fun, and get good advice – there’s plenty of it out there…

(Images courtesy of hardboiledpoker.com, pokerfanatics.com, zimbio.com)

Where did the Lottery come from?

Posted on by

The lottery games of today are varied and incredibly numerous, offering a near-endless range of gameplay options, risk:reward ratios and odds of winning. Some people fancy their chances playing online on sites like Coral, whilst others prefer to yell and groan along to the TV. The rules and the mediums differ, but the essence of the game is just about the same everywhere.

 

Lotteries are now played in almost all countries throughout the world, from Ireland to Italy, Australia to the United States of America, but where did the game come from in the first place?

 

The British Isles?

Whilst it may be tempting to search close to home to begin with, the birthplace of lottery games is almost undoubtedly elsewhere on the world map. Perhaps the two best known lottery draws from this part of the world are the nationally televised UK National Lottery – founded in the mid-nineties – and the Irish Lotto, which began in the 1980s. Whilst lottery games undoubtedly arrived in the UK in some form much earlier, the roots of the lottery actually extend far deeper into the past…

 

The Italian Quarter?

‘Italian Lotteries’ were widespread throughout Italian-American neighbourhoods of the USA around the turn of the 20th Century. The link between Italy and lotteries seems a particularly solid one – the nation’s own national draw SuperEnalotto has existed in some form or other for over half a century – and, as our next destination proves, it goes far further back in time.

 

Ancient Rome

Whenever you’re in doubt as to where something useful in modern society comes from, there’s a fairly strong chance that the place of origin was ancient Rome. The Romans gave us everything from viaducts to vomitoriums (we still have those, right?) and are often spoken of as the progenitors of civilisation as we know it. Hard as it may be to believe it, the Romans played the lottery too, in a range of variants from dinner party games to area-wide fund-raising lotteries not altogether dissimilar from those seen today!

 

China

Everyone knows that every great genius steals their ideas from somebody else. If the Romans were those great geniuses, then maybe the ancient Chinese were that somebody else. The earliest evidence of lottery style gaming in China comes from around 200BC, in the form of kendo slips. Remarkably, it is believed that the money raised through the game was used to help fund the construction of the Great Wall of China! Could it be that we’ve been playing the lottery since the dawn of civilisation? Written evidence suggests that the Chinese were doing so hundreds upon hundreds of years before those kendo slips were made!

 

How to get the Zombie look this Halloween

Posted on by

Halloween is here, so to make sure you bag the most treats – Big Fish has created the ultimate guide to looking and walking like a Zombie, to celebrate the launch of its spooky new game Zombie! Zombie! Zombie! (ZX3).

zombie, how to get the zombie look

Getting the look…

  1. First, prepare your skin by cleaning and moisturising.
  2. Create the base. Apply a foundation that is either three shades lighter than your natural skin tone or use a white make-up. This will help give you that cold, dead look. Do not apply the foundation too evenly or thick – unless you want to look like a vampire or a clown! Use either a natural sea sponge or a cheap make-up sponge and pick pieces out to create a destroyed surface by dabbing the make-up around your face. The look you’re going for is blotchy.
  3. Don’t forget to apply the same foundation to your lips and any other skin that is showing – your ears, neck and hands.
  4. Using a purple or light blue eyeliner pencil, draw on some veins around your eyes cheeks and forehead.
  5. Reapply a layer of foundation on top of the veins to wash them out a bit.
  6. Shade the hollows of your cheeks, eye sockets, temples, and under your chin. Use a black matte powder and a large dome blending brush. This creates a gaunt look.
  7. Using a green shade to add to the depth of your look. Apply with another soft dome brush. Concentrate the colour to the outside of your face and around your mouth, including on your lips. Just like your foundation, the application should not be even.
  8. Now it’s time to add the blood!  Use a splatter effect to apply fake blood around your mouth or dip a large sponge in fake blood and take a “bite” into the sponge. Where it is heavy, let it drip and don’t smear the blood.
  9. For the ultimate finish you can add white contacts, stringy dirty hair, dirty looking nails, and torn bloody clothes.

Getting the walk…

  1. Move slowly… Your muscles have wasted… and you have lost your coordination… shuffle and don’t walk in a straight line.
  2. Your neck is broken, so let your head loll from side to side with your movements, and keep your head down rather than up.
  3. Have a limp and drag one of your legs behind you, if you put one shoe on the end of your feet and wear thick socks you can create the illusion that your ankle has snapped – but remember to wear long trousers for this effect to truly work!
  4. Let your hands and arms hang loosely from your sides, when you move them do so slowly as you must remember that you don’t have much muscle power left in your arms!
  5. For extra inspiration and to get you into the spirit this Halloween, download Big Fish’s new Free-to-play game Zombie! Zombie! Zombie! available on iPad. Get ready to think quick, shoot quicker, and fight for your life against endless waves of un-dead with an arsenal of weaponry and zombie blasting power-ups.

Download the game by visiting iTunes.