Grandad versus the 6-year-old. No screens. Just maths.
or 4 payments of £2.24 with Klarna
🛡️ 30-day full refund, no questions. Fewer than 30 returns from 23,000+ orders.
- No batteries
- Ages 6+
- Maths built in
- Fits a rucksack
- Hand-finished wood
- 60-day guarantee
- 30-day returns
- Klarna available
Delivery in 2-3 working days · 30-day returns · Est. 1795
as seen in
Real talk
The game that broke the screen habit
You already know screens have become the default. This isn't a lecture: it's a wooden box with 2 dice and 9 numbered tiles that your child will actually want to play. Not because it's trendy. Because she wins by doing maths in her head.
And you get 20 uninterrupted minutes while she's thinking.
Joe Jaques, Jaques of London
What's in the box
What arrives at your door
Everything you need to play. No extras. No batteries to hunt for at 6pm.
The game board
Solid wood, hinged lid. The numbered tiles flip down as you count out your dice total. Each turn teaches her to spot which numbers add up to the number she rolled.
- ✓ 9 numbered tiles (1 through 9)
- ✓ 2 wooden dice
- ✓ Hinged wooden box
How she plays
Roll the dice. Add the two numbers. Close down the tiles that match that total. Can't close any? That's when she learns strategy. Do I take the safe small numbers now, or risk chasing a bigger one?
- ✓ 2-4 players
- ✓ 10-15 minutes a game
- ✓ Teaches addition, not drilling it
Takes it everywhere
Weighs less than 300g. Fits in a shoulder bag or car door pocket. Rainy Tuesday at your mum's? Waiting at the dental surgery? This is your quiet-game insurance.
- ✓ Lightweight solid wood
- ✓ Compact hinged box design
- ✓ No pieces to lose
Ships within 2-3 business days
Was £17.99
Deluxe Shut the Box - 9 Numbers: £8.99
While they play
The skills she's building while she plays
Looks like play. Works like a lesson.
Addition fluency
Every roll forces her to find two numbers that add to her dice total. After 10 games, she stops counting on her fingers.
Strategy and choice
She learns that the safe play (closing 1 and 2) might leave her stuck later. Real problem-solving, real stakes, real learning.
Turn-taking and patience
Playing with you or a sibling teaches her to watch, wait, and think while others play. No rushing, no rage-quitting an algorithm.
Number sense
She begins to feel which numbers are high, which are risky, which pairs make 10. Maths intuition, not memorised facts.
What families say about Jaques of London
What real families say
"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."
"Fast delivery, excellent products, extremely good quality and long lasting. My granddaughter loves the toys from here. Good age ranges covered."
"These toys tick all the boxes, educational, colourful, fun, well made and great service. I just keep buying more and more."
"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!"
"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."
"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!"
Get ready for life
Why real play matters
Real brain growth comes from real play.
Age it clicks for
Younger siblings watch and learn. But at 6, she plays to win and understands why she lost.
A game that fits your day
Long enough to feel like proper play. Short enough she wants another round before bedtime fades it.
Plays as many ways
Solo, with you, with a sibling, with cousins at Christmas. Rules don't change. Everyone plays the same game.
Why this matters right now
We really are different
Why this beats the plastic version
| Jaques Deluxe Shut the Box - 9 Numbers | Cheap Alternatives | |
|---|---|---|
| Material | ✅ | ❌ Plastic that cracks |
| Weight and feel | ✅ | ❌ Flimsy, loud when dropped |
| Lasts years, not months | ✅ | ❌ Broken hinge by summer |
| No batteries | ✅ | ⚠️ Beeping and blinking |
| Real skill building | ✅ | ⚠️ Points but no learning |
| Can pass to the next child | ✅ | ❌ Landfill in 3 years |
| Costs less per year played | ✅ | ⚠️ Cheap upfront, expensive later |
- ✅ Solid wood
- ✅ Heavy enough to matter
- ✅ Years of use
- ✅ Silent play
- ✅ Real maths
- ✅ Hand it on
- ✅ Pennies per game
- ❌ Plastic cracks
- ❌ Feels cheap
- ❌ Breaks fast
- ⚠️ Battery dependent
- ⚠️ No learning
- ❌ Bin it
- ⚠️ Pricey once
Ships within 2-3 business days
Was £17.99
Deluxe Shut the Box - 9 Numbers: £8.99
30-Day Money-Back Guarantee
Not right? Return it within 30 days. Full refund, no questions.
Questions & answers
Questions parents ask
Is this the right game for my 4-year-old?
It works best from 6 upwards, when she can count confidently and hold strategy in her head. At 4, she can watch and start learning. Buying for a 6th birthday or a confident 5-year-old who loves numbers? This is the one. If you're not sure, ask yourself: does she already enjoy simple board games or dice rolling? If yes, she's ready.
When will it arrive?
Order by 2pm and it ships the same day. Most arrive within 2-3 business days. If it's a birthday gift and you're cutting it close, contact us before you buy and we'll be honest about the timeline. We also wrap gifts beautifully, show her it was chosen with thought, not panic.
Will she actually play it, or will it sit in a cupboard?
She will if you play the first game with her. Not teaching mode, just playing. Once she wins a round, she'll want another. Parents tell us it becomes the game she asks for instead of the iPad. One mum said her 4-year-old didn't ask for screens for 20 minutes straight, a small miracle.
Is it worth the money?
Solid wood lasts. Your child will play it. Your friend's child will inherit it. Played 50 times a year for 5 years, that's 250 games. Less than the cost of a single month of a children's app subscription. Worth every penny full price, as one parent told us. And if it doesn't land in your house, we'll refund you within 60 days.
How much does it cost?
The Deluxe Shut the Box - 9 Numbers is £8.99 today (down from £17.99). 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.
Ships within 2-3 business days
Was £17.99
Deluxe Shut the Box - 9 Numbers: £8.99
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.
In 1795, Jaques made games that taught strategy and maths without screens because screens didn't exist. Two centuries later, that's still our job. Every game we build is supposed to be the thing a child reaches for before the tablet. Shut the Box isn't an app disguised as wood. It's what happens when a game maker actually watches a child think. You roll. You add. You choose. And the next thing you know, she's leaning forward, biting her lip, and you've got peace and quiet.
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
Break the screen habit this week
Was £17.99
£8.99 Save 50%
🛡️ 30-day money-back guarantee · 🚚 Delivery in 2-3 working days · 🏛️ Est. 1795
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