Wooden table curling game with sling puck – 2-in-1 reversible board

Two players, one elastic each and ten pucks to get across

The players sit at either end of the board, each behind a red elastic. Count down "three, two, one" and both start at once: rest a puck against the elastic, pull it back, let go. The puck slides towards the crossbar in the middle and, if it is lined up, slips through the gap into the other half. Aim badly and it hits the wood and comes back, so you pick it up and shoot again. That is the whole idea of the sling puck game: a race in which each player empties their own half while the other keeps sending back whatever arrives.

On this Goki board, each half carries a trapezium marking with red arrows pointing at the gap, so your child can see straight away where to aim. The pucks come in two colours, five red and five natural wood, which tells you at a glance whose puck is whose and who still has the most on their side.

Turn the board over and the table changes game: no crossbar, a single elastic launcher and, at the far end, a target of red rings marked 10, 20, 30 and 50 points. Speed no longer matters. This table curling game is all about precision, and players take their shots in turn.

Aim fast on one side, judge your strength on the other

In the duel, everything runs through hand-eye coordination: look at the gap, line the puck up, pull the elastic straight back. In the first games children pull hard and crooked; after a few rounds they realise that a well-centred puck gets through better than one fired with force. The pace adds speed of reaction, because a puck that lands in your half has to go straight back. That makes it a true reaction game, where you watch your own shot and your opponent's at the same time.

The table curling game asks for the opposite: take your time. For a puck to stop in the centre circle, your child has to hold back, stretch the elastic a little less, look at where the last shot stopped and correct. Pinching the puck, setting it straight against the elastic and releasing it without knocking it off line also works the fingers, which is why the board sits among our fine motor skills toys. The difference is the game to win, which makes children happy to repeat the same careful grip again and again.

Curling brings in numbers too. Unlike many educational toys for six-year-olds, the learning here is tucked inside the contest: adding 10, 20, 30 and 50 at the end of a round is mental arithmetic your child wants to get right, because it decides who has won.

The first game, then the variants in Goki's rules

The principle fits in one sentence: the first player to send their pucks to the other side wins. The instructions offer two endings, to be chosen before you start: either all your own pucks must be in your opponent's half, or all the pucks on the board, including those sent back to you. With a child who is new to the game, start with the first, shorter ending. The rules also let you place your puck on the centre spot of your half before shooting, which helps to aim straight. That is really all you need to know about how to play the sling puck game.

The common mistake is to play the very first round at full speed against an adult: the child loses without understanding why their pucks keep bouncing off the crossbar. It works better to take a few shots each in turn, without counting, to feel the tension of the elastic, and only then start the countdown. Once your child has the hang of it, switch to the second ending. It lasts longer and the returns become decisive, because a puck sent back at the right moment can turn a round that looked won.

On the target side, the table curling game rules in the instructions score each puck by the outermost ring it touches. The 50 points are given only if the puck is entirely inside the centre circle, and a puck beyond the outer ring scores nothing. In the first version, each player shoots their five pucks of one colour one after the other, then you add up before clearing the board. In the second, each player has only three, you shoot in turn and you may knock an opponent's puck out of place: only the final positions count, which older children enjoy.

From the first games at 6 to family game night

From 6, children play the sling puck side against a brother, a sister or an adult who slows the pace a little. Games quickly get close, and it is often the child who asks for a rematch. Curling can be played alone to practise or with several players, according to the instructions. It becomes a family game from about 7, once everyone can add up their points and wait their turn, and a few rounds of the table curling game fit easily into a family game night.

It earns a place among family games to play at home because the adult controls the difficulty: shoot a little slower in the duel, or give the child five pucks against your three in curling. Both sides are children's table games in the true sense: the board sits on an ordinary table, and there is nothing to reset between rounds beyond collecting your pucks.

Among great gifts for six-year-olds, it has the advantage of being playable straight away, with nothing to assemble, by the person who gave it. It also suits Christmas gifts for six-year-olds, when the family is at home and looking for indoor games that children and adults can play together. You will find more ideas for this age among our toys for 6 to 9 year olds.

Looking after the board and the elastics

Wipe the wood with a dry or barely damp cloth, without soaking the board or leaving it next to a radiator. Before playing, check that the elastics are properly in place and in good condition, and put the ten pucks away with the board after each game: a missing puck throws off the count in curling as much as in the duel. Like all our wooden toys, it is best stored away from damp.

A tabletop sling puck board with a second game on the back

Compared with the large sling puck boards that go on the floor or along a long table, this one sits on an ordinary table and stores flat. Above all, its reversible board gives you two games instead of one: the fast duel on one side, the table curling game on the other. Both sides share the same pucks, so there is nothing extra to put away. If you want a table game like curling that a child can also practise alone, the target side does just that.

The two colours, the arrows and the graded target make it a wooden game with pucks that children understand before anyone has read the instructions. It is also a quick game for two: one round follows another without setting anything up again, you simply collect your pucks. It sits alongside our other board games, with one difference: in the sling puck duel, both players shoot at the same time, with no waiting for your turn.

Questions parents ask

What are the sling puck game rules?

Each player uses the elastic to shoot their pucks through the centre gap into the other half and sends back any that land on their side. The first player whose half is empty, according to the ending chosen at the start, wins the round.

How do you score at table curling?

In this table curling game, each puck scores the number of the outermost ring it touches: 10, 20 or 30, and 50 only if it is entirely inside the centre circle. A puck outside the target scores 0, and you add up each player's pucks at the end of the round.

How many players can play?

The sling puck side is for 2 players, face to face. Curling can be played alone for practice or with several players, each shooting their pucks in turn.

What age is this game suitable for?

It is recommended from 6 years: children need to aim, pull the elastic with control and, in curling, add up their points. It is not suitable for children under 3.

What's in the box

• Recommended age: from 6 years
• Contents: 1 reversible 2-in-1 wooden board (sling puck side with a centre crossbar and an elastic launcher at each end; curling side with one elastic launcher and a target scored 10, 20, 30 and 50), 10 wooden pucks (5 red, 5 natural wood), rules of the game
• Players: 2 for sling puck; 1 or more for curling
• Materials: wood (board, frame, pucks), red elastic launchers
• Weight: 1 kg
• Brand: Goki (reference 56635)
• Guarantee: 2 years

Warning: Not suitable for children under 3 years.