Croquet · Est. 1795★★★★★ 150 reviews

The wooden croquet ball they keep coming back to

£21.99

or 4 payments of £5.49 with Klarna

🛡️ 30-day full refund, no questions. Fewer than 30 returns from 23,000+ orders.

Express · order today for next-day delivery

Standard · 2-3 working days

Solid wood
12oz weight
Double scored
Hand-finished
Plays for years
Gift-wrapped
30-day returns
Klarna available

Delivery in 2-3 working days · 30-day returns · Est. 1795

1 Free Gift Spend £50

2 Free Gifts Spend £75

3 Free Gifts Spend £100

as seen in

Real talk

The ball that actually teaches strategy, not button-mashing

This isn't a plastic novelty. The Challenge brown is weighted at 12oz, solid wood throughout, and hand-finished so it rolls true. Your child feels the difference the moment they pick it up: real weight, real physics, real thinking required.

Twenty minutes concentrating on angles and placement instead of asking for the tablet. Grandparents love it because it lasts long enough to pass to the next grandchild.

Joe Jaques, Jaques of London

What's in the box

What you're getting

One single brown Challenge croquet ball, ready to play as part of a full set or collected over time.

Brown Challenge croquet ball, 12oz, solid wood

In the box

Brown Challenge Ball

Solid wood, hand-finished, 12oz weight, 3 5/8" diameter. Double scored surface for accurate play. Built to be played weekly for 10+ years.

✓ Solid wood construction, no hollow plastic
✓ 12oz weight feels substantial in small hands
✓ Hand-finished, rolls true every time

Play style

Real strategy, real focus

Croquet teaches angle, patience, and two-player negotiation. No screens, no timers, no levels to unlock. Just wood, grass, and thinking.

✓ Teaches angles, spacing, forward planning
✓ Played as singles, pairs, or four-player matches
✓ Works for ages 5 and up with adult introduction

Collection of croquet balls in Jaques gift box

Play style

Build your set over time

Buy one ball now, add others when you're ready. Each Challenge ball is identical in weight and finish so you can mix colours without affecting play.

✓ Collect individual balls as gifts arrive
✓ Same 12oz weight across all colours
✓ Full 8-ball set builds gradually without pressure

Ready to get them outside?

Brown Challenge Croquet Ball (12oz): £21.99

While they play

What croquet quietly teaches

Looks like play. Works like a lesson.

🎯

Angles and geometry

Aiming through hoops, bouncing off other balls, and planning two moves ahead. Real spatial reasoning, no diagrams needed.

⏳

Patience and planning

You can't rush a croquet shot. Every turn invites a pause, a look, a decision. Attention span rebuilds in real time.

🤝

Taking turns, reading people

Croquet is social. You watch your opponent, you negotiate who goes next, you experience real consequences for your choices.

🌳

Time outside

A single ball in the garden is an invitation to play that doesn't require a plug, a screen, or a learning curve.

What families say about Jaques of London

What buyers say about the Challenge range

★★★★★

"Excellent quality wood toys, so well made, no sharp edges, all lovely & smooth, very colourful & plenty of choice. Very reasonably priced & so beautifully wrapped you don't want to open them. Highly recommend this company."

Lynda Evans✓ Google review

★★★★★

"Fast delivery, excellent products, extremely good quality and long lasting. My granddaughter loves the toys from here. Good age ranges covered."

Danella Jones✓ Google review

★★★★★

"These toys tick all the boxes, educational, colourful, fun, well made and great service. I just keep buying more and more."

Irene Johnstone✓ Google review

★★★★★

"We love our toys from Jaques of London. The quality is excellent and they're the perfect size for little hands to hold and play with easily. Beautifully made, sturdy wooden toys that will last for years. Highly recommend!"

Tegan✓ Google review

★★★★★

"Harrods grade gifting for a very reasonable price. Not the usual tat from China. Had several hand picked orders fron Jaques, nice to know its a UK business with old school quality."

John A✓ Google review

★★★★★

"I am a real fan of this company. If only I had come across them years ago when my boys were little. It's my go to for beautiful, good quality toys for my granddaughter now and any gift I need to buy. They arrived quickly, prices are reasonable and the special touch is they are beautifully packaged too. I love the heritage of this business!"

Sarah Lardner✓ Google review

★★★★★ 4.6/5 average across 46,000+ reviews of Jaques of London on Reviews.io and Trustpilot

Get ready for life

Why real play matters

Real brain growth comes from real play.

52%

Bought as gifts for grandchildren

Grandparents choose the Challenge ball because it's the one they remember playing, and it lasts long enough to hand down again.

→

23,000+

Orders ship from our UK warehouse

Est. 1795 means we understand what plays. We still make croquet the way it was meant to be made.

→

10+ years

Average lifespan with weekly play

Solid wood doesn't chip or fade. One family's season is another family's heirloom.

Why this matters right now

12oz Weight in your child's hand Heavy enough to teach real physics. Light enough for a 5-year-old to control. Not the flimsy plastic version from a garden centre.

3 5/8" Diameter, same as tournament play Built to real croquet specs, not a toy shortcut. Your child learns the actual game, not a watered-down version.

Est. 1795 Making games since before the railways Over 100 million toys and games sold in 231 years. The Challenge ball is what happens when a company remembers how to make things last.

230 yrs of making things worth keeping Jaques of London has been crafting games and toys since 1795. This one is built to be handed down, not thrown out.

We really are different

Why the Challenge ball isn't the plastic version

	Jaques Brown Challenge Croquet Ball (12oz)	Cheap Alternatives
Material	✅	❌ Hollow plastic, cracks on hard ground
Weight feel	✅	❌ Lightweight, bounces unpredictably
Lifespan	✅	❌ Fades, degrades, 1-2 seasons
Teaches real physics	✅	⚠️ Too bouncy, angles don't work
Hand-finished quality	✅	❌ Seams, rough edges, assembly hassle
Heirloom ready	✅	❌ Landfill in 2 years
Worth it at full price	✅	⚠️ Feels cheap, buyer's remorse

Jaques

✅ Solid wood, hand-finished
✅ Proper 12oz weight
✅ 10+ year lifespan
✅ Real croquet physics
✅ No assembly required
✅ Pass it on
✅ Worth every penny

Cheap alternatives

❌ Cheap plastic cracks easily
❌ Too light, bounces wrong
❌ Fades, breaks in 1-2 seasons
⚠️ Too bouncy for angles
❌ Rough edges, seams visible
❌ Bin fodder
⚠️ Feels like a shortcut

Ready to get them outside?

Brown Challenge Croquet Ball (12oz): £21.99

30-Day Money-Back Guarantee

Not right? Return it within 30 days. Full refund, no questions.

Questions & answers

Questions before you order

Is this the right ball for my child's age?

The Challenge 12oz is designed for ages 5 and up. If you're buying for a 6-year-old's birthday, this is the one. A 3-4-year-old can play with adult help and lighter pushes. We recommend starting with one ball, adding more as they grow into full matches.

Will it really last a decade?

Yes. One customer told us 'Not the usual tat from China' and that's the entire point. Solid wood, hand-finished, and played weekly in most homes for 10+ years. It's the ball you pass to a younger sibling or grandchild. As one parent said, 'worth every penny full price'.

How do I know it will arrive in time for their birthday?

We ship from our UK warehouse and gift-wrap every order. Surface your delivery window at checkout. Most orders arrive within 3-5 working days. One customer said it 'arrived next day, saved Christmas'. If you need it faster, flag it in the notes at checkout and we'll prioritise.

What if they don't play with it?

30-day returns, no questions. But here's what actually happens: once you set one ball on the grass, the invitation to play is there. Grandparents report their grandchildren ask to play croquet over the tablet. One review stuck with us: 'perfect gift for any babies' 1st birthday'.

How much does it cost?

The Brown Challenge Croquet Ball (12oz) is £21.99 today. Klarna is available at checkout if you prefer to spread the cost.

What's your returns policy?

30 days, full refund, no conditions. Return it for any reason and we refund in full. We've been standing behind what we make since 1795.

Ready to get them outside?

Brown Challenge Croquet Ball (12oz): £21.99

Our story

Making toys worth keeping since 1795.

Jaques of London was founded in 1795. We invented croquet, table tennis, and the Staunton chess set. For 230 years, we've been making things that pull children away from passive entertainment and into active, curious, hands-on play.

Jaques has been making croquet since 1795 because the game itself teaches what tablets can't: patience, angles, strategy, and the satisfaction of doing something real with your hands and mind. The Challenge brown isn't a shortcut or a trend. It's what happens when you decide a ball should feel good, roll true, and last long enough to mean something. We hand-finish every one because that's what solid wood deserves.

Toys and games that leave something behind: a skill, a memory, a piece of play that gets passed on.
Joe, Jaques of London

Ready when you are