Review of Archery Dice

I'm so excited to be doing another review for the Schoolhouse Review Crew! I'm reviewing  Archery Dice, one of four of SimplyFun new releases. SimplyFun is an online store featuring more than 100 award-winning products which support the needs of today's kids, parents, and teachers. They pride themselves on games that have unique and easy to learn concepts. They also strive to present a specific skill-building feature. Not only does SimplyFun  have games that meet the educational needs of children, the games are just fun -- and not only fun for the kids but for for the whole family.

I was asked to review Archery Dice. Archery Dice is a game for children ages 7 and up. This was perfect for our family since I have two boys that are in the first grade and seven years old. I attempted to let my 4 year old join in, and she was really too young to have the gross motor skills to play. However, I think maybe children as young as 5 would be able to participate. In addition, it was definitely a game that both my husband and I enjoyed. The rules were simple and clear, it didn't last too long, and I wasn't left frustrated or bored (two common problems I have with a lot of kids games!)

The game involves you stacking your dice, taking aim, and flicking. At first, I was a bit confused as to what the point of this educational game was, but it quickly became obvious that my boys were developing two key skills: (1) strategy (2) eye-hand coordination. I have really been feeling that I haven't been doing enough in the eye-hand coordination category in our homeschooling curriculum recently, and I found this game a very simple, fun, and practical way to work on this skill. 

The goal is to hit the bulls-eye and immediately bank a target, however you can also try to knock over your opponents dice stack or steal their target. At the end of the round, the player with the highest number die gets to keep the target. If you manage to keep a target for an entire round, it enters your bank. 

Overall, I found this a very simple and easy game to learn and play. While I didn't find it riveting in nature and it wouldn't be atop my list of absolute favorite games, it is definitely one that my boys will continue to pull out of our game closet for its simple, quick, and fun pace. I love that they are learning something without even realizing it. 

I can always tell how good a toy or game is in my house, by how often my kids return to play it without my prodding. In the weeks that have passed since we first received this game to review, my boys have brought it out many times. I am impressed that they have been able to play it themselves -- without my help. They remember the rules and go back to get it on a regular basis. These are also very strong factors for how popular and successful a product is in my home.