Jaques of London Games: Review

If you’ve got kids of any age, you probably would have heard of Jaques of London. If not, here’s some toys-and-games trivia for you: The Jaques family have been inventing and making toys and games since 1795 (whoa!), and are currently in their 8th generation of games makers!!!

The Jaques’ believe in the power of play and quality family time spent together, and their toys and games reflect that perfectly. All their products are individually handmade from superior quality wood, making them look great and feel special (and are safer than their plastic counterparts especially for babies and toddlers). There are toys for all ages and interests – from construction toys to play food for babies and toddlers to educational toys and games and even Montessori Learning tools. They also have an extensive range of board games and I was kindly gifted two to review.

Folding Chess Set (with Draughts and Backgammon)

The first one I chose was the Folding Chess Set – Chess Draughts and Backgammon Set. We enjoy playing chess in our house, and whilst we already have a set, owning a handmade wooden Staunton-like chess set is something else! And this one didn’t fail to impress.

Made from 100% FSC approved wood, this set is solid and robust (and looks luxe) whilst still being light enough to be portable as it folds in half. The best part is it also has handy storage as the playing pieces can be stored inside the board, which makes it even more convenient for when you are on-the-go or travelling.

However, the cherry on the cake (or should I say chess board), is the fact that you get 3 games in 1 with this set – it also comes with Draughts playing pieces (as the game board is the same for chess and draughts), and the reverse side has the set-up for Backgammon.

Chinese Checkers – Go Bang

The second game I chose was the Chinese Checkers – Free Go Bang – again, being a reversible board game, you get two family board games in one set (real value for money too). The circular game board is handcrafted from timber and finished with a beautiful gloss varnish and features a Go Bang Game on the reverse, along with solid wooden hand carved playing pieces.

Great gifting option too!

All their products arrive gift-wrapped in their signature Jaques of London packaging with a hand-tied ribbon, making for a thoughtful and well-presented gift for any games lover. And there’s also a special newspaper-like sheet inside the box, giving interesting information about the history of some of the games… a nice additional touch.

Disclosure: I was gifted the games for the purpose of the review; however, all opinions are my own.