Wooden Tumbling Tower Game - Gold & Green

54 blocks, 1 die and a 28 cm tower

The box holds 54 wooden pieces and 1 die, in a gold and green colour scheme that looks at home on a coffee table as much as in a playroom. Stacked up, the blocks form a tower 7 cm wide, 7 cm deep and 28 cm tall. The whole set weighs 840 g, light enough to take to the grandparents for the weekend.

It is a table-top game, so do not expect the knee-high garden version: the tower is a little shorter than a school ruler, and that is exactly why it works in a small living room or on the corner of the dinner table.

How a tumbling tower game is played

Build the tower in layers of three blocks, each layer laid crosswise on the one below, and square it up with the flat of your hands. Players then take turns: ease one block out from anywhere below the top, and place it on the summit. The tower grows taller and more full of gaps with every turn. Whoever brings it down loses, everybody laughs, and the rebuild starts.

The die is part of the game too. You can also leave it in the box and play the plain turn-by-turn rule described here, which is the easiest way to start with young children.

Two things worth knowing before the first round. First, play on a bare, hard table: a tablecloth or a carpet lets the base rock and the game ends before it begins. Second, show children to tap a block from one end with a fingertip instead of pinching and pulling. Some blocks carry almost no weight and slide out with a nudge; finding those is half the skill.

From age 3 to the grown-ups: adjusting the challenge

The game is suitable from 3 years, and the full rule is a lot to ask at that age. A few changes make it fair:

• At 3 and 4: build with half the blocks for a shorter tower, allow two hands, and let the child set the removed block aside instead of placing it on top.
• From about 5: full tower, block back on the summit, but testing several blocks before choosing is allowed.
• Older children and adults: one hand only, and a block touched is a block taken. For a real test, use the hand you do not write with.

With mixed ages around the table, give each player their own rule. A grandparent on the strict version and a four-year-old on the gentle one makes for a surprisingly even match.

Steady hands, patience and concentration

Every turn is a small exercise in fine motor skills: the child has to judge how hard to push, feel the block give, and stop the moment the tower shivers. Waiting for a turn while watching someone else wobble the stack teaches patience better than any reminder to sit still. Concentration comes on its own, because the whole table goes quiet when a tricky block is on its way out.

As a balancing game it also gives a first, hands-on feel for why a tower leans: take too many blocks from one side and children can see the result coming before it happens.

A quick game for the family table

A round lasts a few minutes, so it slots in before dinner or between two longer games, and losing never stings for long since the next tower is up straight away. Parents sometimes look for it as a board game with wooden blocks; in fact no board is needed, only a flat surface. If you are building up a games shelf, our wooden board games sit well beside it for the evenings when you want something slower.

The shop also carries a rainbow-coloured tower; this gold and green edition is the one to pick if you prefer a more grown-up look, or if it is a present for a family as much as for a child. Like the rest of our Montessori games, it comes with a 2-year guarantee.

Questions parents ask about this tower game

How do you play a tumbling tower game?

Build the tower, then take turns removing one block and placing it on top. The player who makes the tower fall loses the round.

How many blocks are in a tumbling tower?

This set contains 54 wooden pieces, plus 1 die.

What age is a tumbling tower game suitable for?

From 3 years. The set contains small parts, so it is not suitable for younger children, and three- and four-year-olds do best with a simplified rule and an adult at the table.

How tall is the tower?

28 cm when first built, on a 7 x 7 cm base. It gets taller during play as blocks move to the top.

Specifications

• Contents: 54 wooden pieces and 1 die
• Colours: gold and green
• Tower size: 7 x 7 x 28 cm
• Weight: 0.84 kg
• Age: 3+
• 2-year guarantee

Warning: Small parts. Choking hazard. Please retain this information. Warning: Not suitable for children under 3 years.