Jumbo Goula – Go, Gorilla Balancing Game Review

Reviewed by Debbie Talbot

As a big fan of educational games, I was delighted to be offered this Jumbo Games Goula Go Gorilla balancing game to review. 

The product arrived quickly and the first thing that struck me was how bright and appealing the box looked. It had a lot of useful information on it, but this information is laid out in a clear manner. The gorilla and monkey characters are so cute. I was also glad to see that there was not too much packaging.  

My little boys excitedly opened the box to remove all the game parts. Once the had removed and unpacked the pieces, I was delighted with the quality of the wood used to manufacture the game. Being someone who is environmentally conscious, I love the fact that the game is manufactured from sustainable woods and cardboard. The manufacturer has over 70 years experience of producing games.

The game is suitable for age 3+ and includes:

• 11 wooden pieces
• 9 cardboard leaves
• 4 cardboard banana pieces
• 1 dice
• Game board with ramp 

Having twins, all the toys and games in our house are played with frequently and need to be robust. I think that this game will be something we are able to pass along for another family to enjoy once my sons have outgrown it.

The instructions were clear enough for us to easily and quickly assemble the game. This is a huge plus for me, as we could then get down to the fun of playing the game quickly. I find it hard to follow complicated instructions.

The aim of the game is to build a tree and put the monkey on the top before the gorilla knocks it down. As we each took our turn, the anticipation of when the gorilla would knock down the tree was immense. My boys squealed with delight as the tree fell down. There was so much laughter in the room too. We played the game for a good amount of time, so it clearly has a good long play value.

The game was manufactured to help develop sensory perception and hand-eye coordination skills. In my view, the game is wonderful for this purpose and also helps with their fine motor skills and spatial awareness. It also seemed to encourage conversations between participants, which is always a good thing when encouraging children with their language skills. It also helps with problem solving and encouraging children to take turns. My twins enjoyed naming the colours and shapes used for the game. One of my twins even made up his own rules to the game and played it that way. It is so versatile. 

As a parent who strictly limits screen time, I think that getting away from technology and back to playing traditional board games is a very good thing, not just for the children but for families too.

Because we enjoyed the game so much, and by that I mean the adults as much as the children, I thought I would take a look at the other games available from Goula’s range and there are so many lovely ones that I would find it hard to choose from them.

A fun game with lots of educational aspects. 

Rating: 5/5

RRP: £14.99

Available to buy from Amazon here.