Animal Safari is a fun, tactical board game from Orchard Toys suitable for ages 5+. With Miss M being a huge fan of games and loving her Orchard Toy collection I knew this was sure to be a hit and I was also keen to try a game with a higher starting age to give Miss M the challenges she needs and thrives on.
The game is suitable for 2-4 players who use a stand up jeep playing piece to move from the camp in the centre of the board, around the board hoping to collect some animals before returning to camp. There are various viewing points across the Animal Safari board that if you land on you can pick up an animal card.
To move around the board are two dice and this is where the game gets interesting. In place are the number six on each, is a picture of binoculars, and rolling one of these allows you to take an animal card of your choice from another player. You can also tactically use the amount rolled on the dice to determine where you land on the board by either moving the amount on just one of the dice or the total of both. By having to total up the two dice also brings in basic mathematical skills which is perfect for young players. Miss M who is 5 is just learning basic addition in her first year of school and I felt this really benefitted her in practicing without realising it.
I was surprised by the variety of different animal cards – to include monkeys, parrots, flamingos, lions, tigers, zebras, meerkats, giraffes to name just a few. They are all brightly coloured and fun pictures to look at which helped add value to the game. Miss M loved looking at them and picking her favourites when she had the opportunity to take some from my pile.
Animal Safari retails at £11.75 which we think is good value for such a durable lasting game that is fun, enjoyed by all and contains hidden educational aspects.
Please watch our short review video of the game in action:
All reviews are my own and my family’s opinions. We are not paid for reviews although we do receive the product to try out and enable us to write the review.