Family Dice Game · Est. 1795★★★★★ 150 reviews

The maths game that does not feel like maths

£17.99£25.99 Save 30%

or 4 payments of £4.49 with Klarna

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

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Standard · 2-3 working days

Plays solo or together
Screen-free 40 minutes
Teaches numbers naturally
Solid wood, not plastic
Ages 5 to adult
Rules take 2 minutes
30-day returns
Klarna available

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

as seen in

Real talk

It's 1:58pm and you need 40 minutes of actual peace

Shut The Box is the game that holds a child's focus when nothing else does. One roll of the dice, cover the numbers, work out what comes next. No screens, no batteries, no time-creep into 90 minutes of prep.

You'll sit down to your call knowing she's genuinely occupied, not just distracted. And the maths happens without anyone noticing.

Joe Jaques, Jaques of London

What's in the box

What arrives

The box arrives gift-wrapped. Inside: a polished wooden board lined with green baize, two dice, and the rules. Everything you need to play within 2 minutes.

Shut The Box wooden board showing numbered flaps 1-12

In the box

Polished wooden board

30cm wide, hand-finished solid wood with a green baize lining. Numbers 1 to 12 printed on individual flip-down flaps. Sits flat on any table or on a lap.

✓ 30cm x 17.5cm, sits on a lap or table
✓ Green baize lining so dice don't bounce
✓ Numbered flaps flip down as you cover them

In the box

Two wooden dice

1.5cm solid wood dice included. Rolled to set which numbers to cover that turn. Weight and roll feel matter more than you'd think.

✓ Solid wood, 1.5cm each
✓ Roll them, add them, flip the matching numbers down
✓ Heft in the hand keeps focus on the game

Child's hand pushing down a numbered flap

Play style

How play works

Roll the dice. Add them together. Find that number on the board and flip it down. Still numbers left? Roll again. Can't make any number left? Your turn ends. Play passes or continues depending on how many play.

✓ One round takes 2-3 minutes per player
✓ Play solo to practise, or pass the dice
✓ Works equally for 5-year-olds and adults

Independent play starts now

Was £25.99

Shut The Box - 12 Numbers Family Game: £17.99

While they play

What quietly happens while they play

Looks like play. Works like a lesson.

🔢

Number recognition

They see the numbers 1-12 and touch them every roll. By week 2 they're calling them out before you do.

➕

Simple addition

Roll two dice, add them up, find the number. No worksheet, just the game asking them to do it again and again.

🧠

Problem solving

Once 8 and 9 are gone, can they make 17 any other way? They'll think through it. Strategy blooms naturally.

⏱️

Turn-taking and patience

They roll, they play, they wait. No shouting, no interruptions. The game pace teaches self-regulation without a word.

What families say about Jaques of London

What parents and grandparents 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."

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

★★★★★ 4.8/5 rated by families across Google and Trustpilot: real reviews, quoted word for word

Get ready for life

Why real play matters

Real brain growth comes from real play.

2 min

Rules learned, play starts

No complex teaching. Roll dice, cover numbers, the game teaches itself. Younger players understand within one round.

→

40 min

Solo focus time

Enough time for a work call, a shower, a coffee. Not so long they get bored. The sweet spot for pre-schooler independence.

→

Years

Played from 5 to adulthood

A 5-year-old plays one way. A teenager plays another. A grandparent enjoys a real game against you. One purchase, multiple decades.

Why this matters right now

Est. 1795 Britain's oldest games company We made this type of game before most toy companies existed. Shut The Box was one of the first games we brought to the UK market.

23,000+ Orders placed Real families have chosen this over the plastic alternatives. They keep ordering it as a gift because it actually works.

Over 100 million Toys and games sold in 231 years We don't make throwaway games. We make games that sit on a shelf for 20 years and then you give them to the next generation.

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 this, not the plastic one

	Jaques Shut The Box - 12 Numbers Family Game	Cheap Alternatives
Material	✅	❌ Plastic gets scratched and feels cheap in a week
Weight and feel	✅	⚠️ Lightweight versions won't hold attention as long
Dice quality	✅	⚠️ Cheap dice bounce unevenly and frustrate kids
Setup time	✅	⚠️ Nothing to charge, nothing to sync, just play
Lifespan	✅	❌ Plastic games yellow and break; this one ages beautifully
Resale or gifting	✅	❌ Plastic clogs charity shops; solid wood gets passed on
Guarantee	✅	⚠️ 30 days to return, no quibble

Jaques

✅ Solid wood
✅ Real weight matters
✅ Quality wooden dice
✅ Instant play
✅ Lasts decades
✅ Worth passing on
✅ 30-day returns

Cheap alternatives

❌ Plastic scratches easily
⚠️ Too light to hold focus
⚠️ Cheap dice frustrate
⚠️ Nothing to charge
❌ Yellow and breaks
❌ Charity shop clutter
⚠️ No return guarantee

Independent play starts now

Was £25.99

Shut The Box - 12 Numbers Family Game: £17.99

30-Day Money-Back Guarantee

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

Questions & answers

Questions parents and grandparents ask

How do I know if this is the right game for my child's age?

Buying for a 5th or 6th birthday or any pre-schooler learning numbers? This is the one. It works from age 5 through adulthood. Younger than 5, watch them play once first. Older than 8, they'll play strategically and actually enjoy it against you, not as a favour.

How long does a single game actually last?

One round per player is 2-3 minutes. If 2 or 3 people play, the full game is 6-9 minutes. Solo play stretches longer because they retry. made for a 40-minute window where you need them occupied while you work.

Is it really solid wood? What happens if it gets wet or damaged?

Yes, solid wood with a green baize lining. It's polished and finished to handle normal play. Spill water on it, wipe it dry, it's fine. If something does break, you have 30 days to return it. After that, a wooden board from Jaques is built to outlast the child who plays it.

What if they get bored of it after a week?

Most don't. Parents report it's still being played months later. But if you genuinely aren't happy, 30 days means no fuss. And the real payoff is: a pre-schooler who can play alone teaches them patience and maths without a screen. That's worth every penny, full price, according to parent reviews. As Manda Monium wrote, 'worth every penny full price'.

How much does it cost?

The Shut The Box - 12 Numbers Family Game is £17.99 today (down from £25.99). 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.

Independent play starts now

Was £25.99

Shut The Box - 12 Numbers Family Game: £17.99

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 made games since 1795 because a good game teaches without preaching. Shut The Box is a 19th-century idea we brought to Britain in the 1950s, and it still works because nothing has changed: two dice, a child's brain, and 40 minutes of genuine focus. No batteries, no charging cable, no screen guilt. Just the weight of solid wood and the satisfaction of a number flipped down. We don't make toys that last one season. We make games that sit on a shelf for decades and then get given to the next generation.

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