As seen with @thisisabbiemay · Wooden Games · Est. 1795★★★★★ 150 reviews

As seen with Abbie May, the game that gets them off screens

£18.00£32.99 Save 45%

or 4 payments of £4.50 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

Magnetic fishing
Teaches early maths
No batteries needed
Ships in 2-3 days
Wood from sustainable forests
Safe, non-toxic paint
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

Why parents choose Hook the Duck over plastic fishing games

Abbie May's followers saw it first: a wooden fishing set that holds up after 100 plays, not 5. The ducks float in their own portable pond, the magnetic rods work every time, and it teaches counting without a screen in sight. You're not buying a toy that breaks; you're buying 3 years of actual play.

The real win is watching them focus for 20 minutes on something that doesn't buzz or light up. And when they grow past it, the next child plays it too.

Joe Jaques, Jaques of London

What's in the box

What arrives at your door

Everything you need to fish and count, packed in a gift-ready box. No assembly. No batteries. Play within 10 minutes of opening.

Hook the Duck game laid out, showing the pond and wooden fishing rods

In the box

The complete set

6 wooden ducks with magnetic catches, 2 fishing rods with weighted lines, 1 portable pond that holds water, and 40 number cards for counting rounds. Everything sits together in one sturdy storage box.

✓ Ducks float and stay in place
✓ Rods ready to use straight away
✓ Portable pond doesn't leak

Close-up of wooden duck with magnetic catch point

Play style

How the fishing works

Each duck has a magnetic catch point hidden in the wood. The metal hook on the line picks it up every time. No frustration, no fumbling. 3-year-olds land catches on the first try.

✓ Magnetic connection never fails
✓ Weighted line sinks smoothly
✓ Catch feels satisfying in small hands

Child playing Hook the Duck at a table, using the fishing rod

Play style

Counting games included

40 number cards turn fishing into early maths. Catch a duck, flip a card, count that many ducks. Works for ages 3 to 6. Grandparents love the rule-free rounds where kids just fish and laugh.

✓ Grows with the child
✓ No reading required at first
✓ Builds number sense through play

Order by 2pm, arrives Tuesday. Gift wrap ready at checkout.

Was £32.99

Hook The Duck - Fishing game: £18.00

While they play

What they learn while fishing

Looks like play. Works like a lesson.

🔢

Counting and number bonds

Fishing for ducks, then matching them to number cards builds one-to-one correspondence. By week 2, they spot patterns without being told.

🤝

Taking turns and focus

Two rods mean sharing. They sit for 20 minutes on a game that doesn't flash or beep. Screen-time guilt: gone.

🎯

Fine motor control

Holding the rod, aiming the line, landing the catch. Wrist, fingers, hand strength all fire up without feeling like therapy.

🧩

Problem-solving

Why didn't that duck come up? Line too slack. What if I try the other rod? Children debug their own play.

What families say about Jaques of London

Trusted by real families

★★★★★

"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

★★★★★ 4.9/5 from 202 reviews of this product · 4.6 average across 46,000+ Jaques reviews on Reviews.io and Trustpilot

Get ready for life

Why real play matters

Real brain growth comes from real play.

23,000+

Orders from families who trust Jaques

Since 1795, we've sold over 100 million games. Grandparents who grew up with our toys now buy for their grandchildren.

→

2-3 days

Ships fast, arrives ready to play

Order by 2pm, arrives Tuesday. No assembly, no batteries, no charging. Unwrap and fish within 10 minutes.

→

60 days

Warranty covers wear and tear

If anything breaks from normal play, we replace it. Solid wood furniture gets a guarantee; why shouldn't wooden games?

Why this matters right now

6 ducks Each with a hidden magnetic catch Float, stay still, and never tip. The catch point is carved into the wood itself, not glued on. Handles 1,000+ catches without wearing out.

2 rods Weighted lines that sink smoothly Magnetic hooks grip every duck first try. No tangled line, no dropped catches. Children feel successful from cast one.

40 cards Number games grow with them Ages 3 (just fishing), 4 (counting), 5-6 (maths challenges). One game evolves from baby play to early learning over 3 years.

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 Hook the Duck vs. the plastic version at the supermarket

	Jaques Hook The Duck - Fishing game	Cheap Alternatives
Material	✅	❌ Hollow plastic that cracks
Catches land reliably	✅	⚠️ Magnetic fails or won't grip
Played for years, not weeks	✅	❌ Breaks after heavy summer use
Can be passed to younger sibling	✅	❌ Too damaged by then
Non-toxic, child-safe paint	✅	⚠️ Unknown paint origin
Portable pond that holds water	✅	❌ Shallow tray, water spills
60-day warranty	✅	❌ No guarantee at all

Jaques

✅ Real wood, built to last
✅ Magnetic grip never fails
✅ Years of play, not weeks
✅ Passes to next child
✅ Safe, non-toxic paint
✅ Pond holds water tight
✅ We replace broken parts

Cheap alternatives

❌ Plastic cracks fast
❌ Magnets lose grip
❌ Breaks in weeks
❌ Landfill material
❌ Paint unknown
❌ Water spills everywhere
❌ Warranty: none

Order by 2pm, arrives Tuesday. Gift wrap ready at checkout.

Was £32.99

Hook The Duck - Fishing game: £18.00

30-Day Money-Back Guarantee

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

Questions & answers

Questions parents ask before buying

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

Buying for a 3rd or 4th birthday? This is the one. Ages 3-6 all fish on it, but in different ways. At 3, they just love landing ducks. By 4, they count. By 5-6, they run maths challenges with the number cards. One game, three years of play. Catherine McCulloch called it a "perfect gift for any baby's milestone birthday."

Is the wood really sustainably sourced?

Yes. Crafted from sustainably sourced wood and finished with child-safe, non-toxic paint. Every duck is hand-checked for splinters before it leaves us. You're not buying plastic that leaches; you're buying material that gets heavier and warmer in your hand the more it's played with. Manda Monium said it's "worth every penny full price," and that includes the cost of doing materials right.

What if something breaks?

You have 60 days to return it for any reason. If a rod cracks or a duck loses its catch, email us a photo and we replace it. John A noted, "Not the usual tat from China," and Karen Pepper added, "Toys that don't break after five minutes of play." That's the standard we hold.

When will it arrive?

Order by 2pm, it ships the same day and arrives Tuesday or Wednesday. Leigh Hemmings said it "arrived next day, saved Christmas." No assembly needed. Unwrap, fill the pond with water, and fish within 10 minutes. Gift wrap is ready at checkout if you're buying for a birthday.

How much does it cost?

The Hook The Duck - Fishing game is £18.00 today (down from £32.99). 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.

Order by 2pm, arrives Tuesday. Gift wrap ready at checkout.

Was £32.99

Hook The Duck - Fishing game: £18.00

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 lasted. Wooden boards, solid pieces, the kind your grandparent played with, you played with, and your child still can. Hook the Duck carries that legacy. We chose wood over plastic because wood doesn't crack after a month. We weighted the rods and hid the magnetic catches because children need to feel successful, not frustrated. And we wrote 40 number cards because the best learning happens in play, not in a lesson. This game sits on the same shelf as sets from a century ago, and our hope is yours will too.

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