Reviewed by Charlotte Gatehouse
We are all so excited for Christmas this year, particularly my 6 year old who is regularly bouncing off the walls and overflowing with Christmas Spirit, what better way to countdown to the big day than with an advent calendar.
We were sent the Disney Game and Puzzle Advent Calendar to review, the perfect fit for our household as not only are we big Disney fans (particularly the princesses) but we love a puzzle and a board game too.
The general idea is that behind each door you get a couple of puzzle pieces and a figure or a part for the game, by Christmas Day you will have all the pieces, the jigsaw when completed makes the board which can then be played as a family on the 25th. After all is it even Christmas without a family board game session?
On seeing the advent calendar my daughter had a great reaction, she was so excited to see what was behind the doors. She opened number 1 to find Bo Peep from Toy Story and 2 puzzle pieces, she was delighted, the little figure approx an inch high is well made and very cutesy. However behind one of the other doors was puzzle pieces and a cardbord cut out trophy, she was a little disappointed with this, so generally if she wasn’t finding the figures she wasn’t particularly pleased with what was behind the doors.
There are 16 figures in total, 4 sets, including 4 Princesses, 4 Toy Story Characters, 4 Mickey and Friends and 4 Frozen Characters. The end game is essentially Disney’s version of Ludo or Frustration (or whatever you call it in your house) which can be played with 2-4 players, the aim of the game is to get your 4 pieces around the board and back home, if another player lands on your piece then you have to go back to the start, recommended for 4 years and above.
A lovely additional touch is that the cardboard doors have pictures on them, these can be removed and used for a game of snap.
This is such a brilliant alternative to a more traditional chocolate calendar and really unique as I haven’t seen another one with the same concept. It is a slow burner and the big reward comes Christmas Day when you can complete the Jigsaw Puzzle and then play the board game.. The box is sturdy and well designed and can be used to store the pieces after Christmas as it has a Velcro flap lid.
The Disney Game and Puzzle Advent Calendar RRP is £29.99 it is currently on sale for £15 available to buy from Amazon (this is a great discount and well worth the price and a wonderful choice for families trying to avoid chocolate or just Disney fans in general. I love that it encourages family time and can be enjoyed by everyone.
Rating: 4/5
RRP: £29.99 but on sale for £15 (current sale price, correct at time of writing)
This product is available to buy from Amazon here.