Pop To The Shops Game by Orchard Toys Review

We love Orchard Toys and when they asked if we had a specific game or puzzle we'd like to review for Christmas it was quite tricky to choose. My 5 year old already asked for Shopping List in his lovely letter to Santa, so I thought maybe Pop To The Shops would be a great idea.

Pop To The Shops is a game for 2-4 slightly older children, with a recommended age range of  5-9. It includes actual play money, which is a new thing for my children and they were very excited when they saw it in the box.

Gameplay is, as usual with Orchard Toys, relatively simple and easy to get to grips with. Each character has a home base which is their family shop, where you return after every purchase. You pick a card from the upturned cards on the table and have to go out to one of the other shops and buy the item you picked and put it in your basket.

Every time you pass the bank you collect 20p, and if someone buys something from your shop then you get to keep the money.

The aim of the game is to be the first to buy six items without running out of money!

My 3 year old is too young for this game, so he helped me and looked after my money. Even so, both boys really enjoyed it and loved the 'money' aspect. My 5 year old has always been encouraged to handle cash and understand how paying works, and this game is fantastic for that. It teaches real life skills that are really quite tricky concepts to grasp.

Within around 3 turns each my boys both understood they had to pay for their item and wait for change. My 5 year old was beginning to get to grips with adding in tens and both boys now know what a 10p, 20p and 50p look like.

This is a great game for developing number and counting skills and learning about dealing with money and shopping. It's ideal for encouraging social interaction and giving a child confidence.

Pop To The Shops has an RRP of £9.50 and you still have time to buy before Christmas. Orchard Toys have free delivery on all orders over £20 and there is a free gift with every order.

I was sent Pop To The Shops to review