Review of Gigamons - a Game for Family Time

When I first opened Gigamons (from Blue Orange) I thought "Oh it's just a fancier variation of the game of Concentration" I was wrong! It is much more than that.

Yes, Gigamons is a game of memory. But it's also a game that engages our imaginations. The colours and designs are extremely well done and compelling.

My 5 year old grandson loved the Elemons - creatures who have magical powers that are only released when a pair of matching Elemons are put together. Different Elemons have different powers which give whoever holds them a special advantage throughout the whole game. 

Finding three Elemons that are identical allows you to take the matching Gigamon. Three Gigamons and you win the game.

Each player in turn reveals two Elemons on the play area (a 3x3 square of Elemons whose faces we cannot see until they are turned over). If they match, that player takes them. If they do not match, they are turned over again and everyone tries to remember where thy were.

Thankfully there is a reference card that lists each Elemon and its powers or I'd have been lost! The creativity in this game is of high calibre and the visual appeal is very good. Rules are easy to learn, and presented in a colourful fold-out brochure that is somewhat like reading a children's book.

Gigamons is for ages 6 and up, and 2 to 4 players can play together. It's a perfect game for grandparents with a couple of grandchildren, or a family of 4. I loved this game for bonding time with my grandchildren. We played, we laughed, and I talked to them about my grandmother, comparing the kinds of games she would have played and games such as Gigamons. Their great-grandmother comes alive for them as a real person, not just a name on a chart.

There is so much you can discuss education-wise:  problem solving, decision making, planning, tricks for remembering what Elemon was turned over (and where) and so on.

What could be better than combing fun, bonding time with your children or grandchildren, education and yes - genealogy!

Contents:

• 7 Gigamon Figures
• 42 Elemon Tiles
• 3 Rock Tokens
• 4 Reference Cards
• Illustrated Rules

I give this game a 9 out of 10. My 5 year old grandson rates it a "mega TEN!"  

Disclaimer: I was given a free game for review purposes. 

And a Good Time Was Had by All!

The table was set for a smaller number of guests this year at the annual Christmas Dinner I host. Our usual numbers of family and friends is 30 or more. This year it was only 12! But it was lovely because this year my 93 year old auntie was able to join us.

We used my husband's great-grandmother's china for the table setting. My cousin gave me her grandmother's goblets and dessert bowls which match the china beautifully!

I had to figure out how to cook for 1/3 of my usual number but other than that it was business as usual. It seemed sensible to cook the same dishes but in smaller quantities!

If you are interested this was my Christmas Menu this year. I do all my own cooking so I've included links to any recipes that I have online on my Ollies Yummy in Your Tummy cooking blog

• Turkey with stuffing and 3 kinds of gravy
• Ham glazed with Maple Syrup and Mustard
• Ricotta Cheese Gnocchi in Marinara Sauce
• Macaroni & Cheese
• Balsamic Root Vegetables
• Asparagus wrapped in Goat's Cheese & Proscuitto
• Mashed Potatoes
• Kak's Cukes

Dessert was Vanilla Ice Cream with Raspberry Coulis and Wafer cookies




We had a bit of fun between the main course and dessert with a funny game. Everyone has to put a white paper plate on their head and with a coloured pencil, draw a series of items without looking at the plate! At the end you add up points assigned to each item if done properly, and the winner is the person with the most points.

I hope everyone had, or is having, a wonderful holiday no matter what you celebrate!