Review: Money Match Cafe from Orchard Toys for teaching children about money

When I was introduced to the new game Money Match Cafe from Orchard Toys at London Toy Fair 2018, I could instantly see that it was one we would love to play. And after trying it at home my view didn’t change.

I think Money Match Cafe (£12.50) is a brilliant game for children as the game goes beyond the traditional board game-format and allows children to include dolls, soft toys, or perhaps younger siblings, when playing.

In the game, players add up coins and find meals that match the sum. The game is designed to develop skills in addition, money handling and imaginative play for ages 5-8.

There are two ways to play, and the easiest way is to use the money cards where the coins match the meal price. After choosing a card and finding the meal, players use a spinner to determine which table to take the food to.

There are four cute cardboard tables that come with the game, but this is where the other toys come in. Although it’s possible to play by only using the cardboard tables, it can be fun for children to set up the tables with other toys, and I think this makes it unique because many will enjoy learning about money at the same time as setting up the four tables and serving favourite cuddly toys or dolls, for example.

In fact, Big Boy joined in when Big Girl and I were playing, and everyone enjoyed serving Barbie & Ken on their date night, the baby dolls and the teddies.

Making maths fun!

Tags: Educational toys, Games, Maths, Orchard Toys, Review, The London Toy Fair