Simply woof-tastic: Shelby's Snack Shack Game

When it's dull and raining, you can either sit and complain about the fickle British weather or count it as a blessing and an opportunity to stay indoors and play. We have just received a box of Shelby's Snack Shack Game (Educational Insights) for reviewing, so Eddie and I opened our box with great interest.

While Eddie was taking the things out and asking "Mama' what's that? Mama, look, bones!", I quickly read the short instruction guide.

"Shelby needs help finding her buried bones! This unique counting game encourages players to spin the first spinner to determine play then spin the second spinner to see how many bones they collect using the Shelby Squeezers. The player with the most bones at the end of the game wins. Develops number, counting & fine motor skills and is suitable for children ages 4+!"

What's inside the box? A game board, a Shelby squeezer (dog-shaped squeezer to pick up the bones), 4 bowls, 40 bones, a double game spinner and an instruction guide.

Eddie is almost three, and is learning to count, so I thought this educational game would be a perfect opportunity for him to hone his counting skills (so far he can count up to 12). 

We liked the whimsical image: the pug is absolutely adorable.

The box acts as the game board itself, and has cute illustration of the beach scene inside which reminded us of the lovely days spent by the seaside in Cornwall.

What will your child learn while playing this game?

- recognizing the numerals from 1 to 5

- counting

- taking turns

- hand-eye coordination

- early addition and subtraction

The game is for children aged 4+, but you can play it with a younger child as well. Eddie enjoyed spinning the wheel and was eager to move the bones. He found the squeezer a bit tight for him, so perhaps that's the only disadvantage of being younger. But he understood the concept perfectly well and we both had fun.

I love educational games when children play and learn at the same time. That is surely the best way to learn.

The weather might be miserable but we are glad to stay indoors and have a hoot playing.

Simply woof-tastic!

If you think your little ones would enjoy playing this game, hurry to enter a competition from Learning Resources to win 1 set of 5. Competition closing date: 9 July 2013

Good luck!