Matthew BaileyAfter creating quite a stir a week or so ago with my review of “Tummy Ache,” and my general aversion to Orchard Toy games, a statement by Mae Funnell may have made a significant impact in my children’s (or at least Henry(2)’s) board game development which went as follows:
“They are educational toys, not games…” – (Mae Funnell, 2023)
With this new perspective in mind, I decided to give one of the Orchard Toy games we have a try.
I’m still counting this as game 41 though – it is my list after all! 
therefore…
Game 41 of the “Bailey Family Summer 2023 Board Game Bonanza” is “Dinosaur Race,” played by Henry (2) and myself, with Jack (.8.) very much lending a helping hand.
In “Dinosaur Race,” you set up the game by assembling an impressively sized track, which Henry enjoyed as he’s currently into jigsaw puzzles. Then, you place double-sided dinosaur tokens randomly in the centre of the track. The key concept here is that the tokens don’t have matching colours on both sides, leading to variations as they get flipped.
Each player selects a coloured dinosaur and places it at the starting point. You then spin the spinner, and where the arrows point indicates how many steps each dinosaur will move based on the number of coloured discs of that specific dinosaur in the middle.
This aspect was enjoyable, as it allowed Henry to practise colour recognition and counting the number of dinosaurs, assisting with basic counting up to about five (which is roughly his current limit).
The process continues until someone crosses the finish line and emerges victorious. There are some shiny trophy tokens awarded to the winner, although these serve primarily as visual embellishments.
Now, let’s get one thing clear before I delve further. As I’ve mentioned in my previous Orchard Toy review, this isn’t a game. There’s absolutely no decision-making involved, and the outcome is purely a matter of chance as to who wins. While playing, I found myself vaguely contemplating how I could transform this into my own version of “Camel Up” by introducing some form of betting mechanic.
However, if we don’t approach this as a game but rather as an educational tool, aimed at aiding very young children in colour recognition, matching similar images, and basic counting, then it’s actually a quite engaging and beneficial toy. It boasts a substantial size and captivating table presence, and I was genuinely impressed by the components – something that hasn’t always been the case with previous Orchard Toy “games” I’ve encountered.
So, would I recommend it? If you’re seeking something to assist very young children, then this is a delightful and interactive method to achieve just that. I would suggest it’s suitable for children aged two or a maximum of three. However, if your goal is to find actual games rather than educational toys, then yes, there are certainly better options available. Nevertheless, even using my previous criteria, this is a rather reasonable offering from Orchard Toys.
Perhaps it’s time for me to revisit some of the Orchard Toy games I’ve previously passed over. My new perspective, thanks to Henry’s developmental stage, has given me an idea for a feature once the summer marathon concludes – tentatively titled:
“Extra Rules to Infuse Orchard Toy Games with More Gameplay” – a work in progress.
