Jumping Jack Game Review

*Home Life Abroad has received no compensation for writing this post. The product was given to my daughter as a present from a family member. All opinions, however, are 100% my own!

My daughter is starting to like board games a lot, so we have been adding some new games to her collection. We saw the Jumping Jack game on television and Sofia loved it from the first sight. We pushed buying the game further as I thought that it was quite pricey (around 31€/$34) at that moment.  When my mom came to visit us Sofia mentioned this game to her and of course, my mom had to get the game for her granddaughter.

About the Jumping Jack

Jumping Jack (the Spanish version is called Barni Hop Hop) is created by Goliath Games.  It’s a board game for 2-4 players ages 4 and up. The game contains a bunny hill, Jumping Jack rabbit, 12 carrots, a spinner, 4 gardening baskets and a set of instructions.

Instructions

This game is really easy to play! Plant the carrots on the bunny hill, place Jack on top of his hill and start playing. Every player chooses a basket they like the most and start spinning the spinner.

The spinner has 4 options:

The players start pulling the carrots out of the bunny hill depending on what the spinner says. One of the carrots will make Jack jump in the air, and that’s when the game ends.  If Jack jumps on your turn and you catch him in the air YOU WIN! If you don’t catch him, then the player with the most carrots wins.

The game targets the following learning objectives:

• developing observation and attention to detail skills
• recognizing colours
• associating number and quantity
• developing counting skills
• familiarizing children with sums
• developing motor skills
• hand-eye coordination
• taking turns
• quick reactions

The positive:

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• Even if the game is meant for ages 4 and up, I find that it’s also suitable for younger players. As the rules are really simple, even a 3-year-old understands and enjoys the game.
• It might look like a boring game, but actually, it’s a lot of fun. I’m still taken by the surprise when Jack jumps and it’s entertaining to try to catch the bunny.
• My daughter always laughs and squeals with joy when Jack bounces off the hill. I really like how this game helps to develop counting skills. Sofia loves to count the carrots and to see who’s the winner.
• Great for Easter time.[/list]

The negative:

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• Placing Jack on top of the hill might need some help from parents.
• Sometimes it’s really hard to pull out the carrots and if your kid is clever enough they’ll know that the carrot which offers the most resistance will be the one that makes Jack jump.
• The baskets are really small, so they tend to fall over and placing more than 4 carrots in a basket is tricky for younger kids.[/list]

In general, this Jumping Jack game gets thumbs up from us. It’s fun, exciting and perfect for Easter or any other day when your kids are bored and need some diversion.

What’s your favorite board game?