I am one of the first to hoist my hand in the air and admit that T and D love their gadgets, they do offer so much to my autistic children BUT I am also a firm believer in stepping away from those tablets and getting some fresh air.

It’s also a chance to have fun, laugh and make some special memories, for my children also, there’s the challenge of establishing turn-taking and the realisation that sometimes towers fall down/some people will win, again elements that SN children can find hard to deal with.

We were sent three garden games by the lovely people at twolittlefleas.co.uk and we played the games over a series of days as opposed to just the one day as I wanted them both to fully get to grasps with each game, the weather was extremely changeable too!

I was pleased that, not only did T and D both participate (and they are still being played) but with each game, they found a dual purpose to them.

First up was an archery set:

This consisted off a target, a bow with three arrows, a holster and three blow darts and two blow dart tubes (the latter becoming a very firm favourite).

We all found the bow and arrows tricky to use but the blow darts were immense fun. I don’t think either Hubbie or I have laughed so much in ages, trying these out!

The darts have a sucker on the end so it’s a question of working out how to position the blow dart within the tube and …blow!

Really good fun!

Next up was a wooden tower game, very similar to Jenga.

Due to the weather, we tried this out indoors first and then moved outside on another day.

This was a challenge, trying to remove blocks without them crashing down. Inevitably though…

Building skills of a different kind soon took over and caves were being fashioned, together with a handy hiding place for Bunny (D’s comforter):

The eagle-eyed may have spotted the mat that the blocks were being built on, this was part of the final game, Noughts and Crosses.

We all love playing Noughts and Crosses on paper, but this took it to another level.

Nice large pieces and a mat which slotted together, make this a very portable game.

And then we discovered that the pieces could be used as frisbee pieces and also could make some rather funky glasses!

Did we have a favourite? It would have to be the blow darts!

The games were a really welcome addition to our garden this summer and, as intended, a welcome break from tablets and they provided plenty of smiles and laughs!

I’ve checked and all three games are readily available on Amazon, very reasonably priced too. Next on my wish list has to be croquet and chess!

Disclaimer: we went sent three games from a choice, our words and views are our own.

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