Family fun from University Games (review)

I always think that Christmas - and in particular Boxing Day - is a great opportunity for spending some quality time together as a family, playing board games and having some good old-fashioned fun together, rather than zoning out individually on various screens. University Games recently sent us through some of their products to review and we discovered a great new board game that is fun for the whole family to play together.

I'd never heard of Bunny Jump (RRP £19.99) but Pierre and Juliette knew all about it so I'm assuming they must have seen it on TV or youtube. The rules are very simple so even young players can join in with no help. You spin the spinner to see how many carrots you need to pull out then pluck them out of their holes and pop them in your basket. At some point, the bunny will jump up in the air and whoever manages to catch him gets to take two carrots from another player ... once they've stopped giggling ! It's very similar to other random pop up games like the classic Buckaroo, Pop Up Pirate or (one we discovered recently) Og on the Bog. I was particularly impressed to see that it doesn't need batteries - hallelulia ! It guarantees giggles for all the family and doesn't take too long to play or set up.

University Games also offer a wide selection of stocking fillers that cost under £10, including My Studio Girl, which is a lovely range of sewing kits that capture your child's creative imagination. Whether through sticking and stitching or using dough or felt to make your masterpieces, My Studio Girl is all about expressing yourself and having fun. We received the Make Your Own Travel Buddies set (we got the cat but there are also other animals, such as bunnies and monkeys) and it's a great introduction to sewing - the felt has pre-punched holes, which reminded me of the sewing cards that I had as a child. The metal tin shaped like a suitcase is great for keeping everything safe and it's all really cute. Other equally appealing kits in the range include Onesie Doll, Rescue Pets, and My Precious Pals. (Age 8+ years. From RRP £7.99, available at Amazon and Hamleys.)

We also received a tube of Glowing Stars which are even cooler than I expected because, unlike the glow-in-the-dark stars that we already had on the ceiling in Pierre's room, these ones are 3D so they stand out even more. You get 30 stars in a tube, along with 25 foot of string and some adhesive putty, allowing you to create a galactic scene on your ceiling or walls. They are lovely for providing a reassuring glow at bedtime when your child is ready to move on from a nightlight, and if you are seriously interested in astronomy, the Great Explorations range contains loads of other products, including 2D and 3D planets, stars and Milky Way stickers and stars, to allow yu to invent your own constellations and design new galaxies. (Age 3+ years. From RRP £3.99, available at Amazon and Waterstones.)

If you're still looking for inspiration for Christmas gifts, definitely head over to University Games. They have products to suit all ages so they're well worth a look.

for more information : http://www.university-games.co.uk/

Disclosure : We received the products in order to write an honest review.