Jumbo Games facts for kids

Jumbo Games is a company from the Netherlands. It makes fun jigsaw puzzles and games. The company started way back in 1853. M&R de Monchy N.V. owns it now. Jumbo makes all its puzzles and cardboard games in its own factory. This factory is also in the Netherlands. Jumbo's main office is in the Netherlands. They also have offices in the UK, Germany, and Belgium.

Before it was called Jumbo Games in the UK, the company was known as Falcon Games. This was the name for their puzzles for adults. Falcon started in 1976. Some people in the UK still call Jumbo by the Falcon name.

The Story of Jumbo Games

How It All Began

The company started with two partners, Engelbert Hausemann and Wilhelm Hotte. This was in the mid-1800s in Amsterdam. Engelbert Hausemann owned a department store. Together, they brought games and puzzles into the Netherlands.

Growing Bigger After World War I

After the First World War, Hausemann & Hotte added more toys and games. They sold cool things like Meccano metal building kits. They also sold rubber balls, dolls' prams, and 'Jutta' dolls. Other items included slates, Hohner mouth organs, and cars. They also sold games from a company called Spears.

The Birth of the Elephant Brand

Between the two World Wars, Hausemann & Hotte ordered wooden toys. These toys were made by the Mauritz en Ball company. They had to be super strong. The company said they needed to be strong enough for "a wooden elephant to stand on them." These strong toys were sold under the Jumbo brand name. This is how the famous elephant logo was born.

Making Their Own Games

After the Second World War, it was hard to make things. It was also hard to bring in products from other countries. So, Hausemann & Hotte started having their own games made. Local companies used strong cardboard that was easy to find. The elephant symbol was still used. It showed how strong the products were.

In 1950, Hausemann & Hotte opened their own cardboard factory. It was called De Netherlandse Spellenfabriek B.V. (NSF). This helped them make sure their games were top quality. It also meant they didn't have to rely on other companies.

New Games and Big Successes

In the 1950s, the company introduced the game Electro. They also made more puzzles. A very popular board game, Stratego, was launched. It became a huge success in America. Milton Bradley made Stratego in America under a special agreement.

Jumbo also helped bring the famous Barbie doll to the Netherlands. This showed their strong connection with American companies.

Focusing on the Jumbo Brand

From 1967, the market for games grew a lot. Hausemann & Hotte stopped bringing in products from other countries. They decided to focus only on their own brand, Jumbo. After this, their warehouse and factory moved to Wognum.

Famous Puzzle Artists

In 1980, Jan van Haasteren started drawing jigsaw puzzles for Jumbo. Today, about 40% of all puzzles made by Jumbo are Jan van Haasteren puzzles. In 1997, the unique Wasgij jigsaw puzzle was introduced. "Wasgij" is simply "jigsaw" spelled backward! Wasgij puzzles are drawn by a group of artists. One of them is Graham Thompson, who has worked with Jumbo for many years.

Games You Can Play

Jumbo Games makes many different puzzles and games.

• For adults, they have popular puzzle brands like Wasgij and Falcon de luxe.
• They also have Jan van Haasteren puzzles.
• Other games include Things we Love to Hate, Coronation Street, Carry On, Targui, and City.
• For children, Jumbo has puzzles and games based on popular characters. These include Peppa Pig, Everything's Rosie, the Little Kingdom, Fireman Sam, and Disney.