Kids Board Games

Qwirkle Board Game

The Qwirkle board game is tons of fun for kids of all ages. This is what maskes Qwirkle one of Christmas' hottest toys. The tactile wooden block game combines the logic and strategy of Set® with the creative multi-maneuver game play of Scrabble®. Easy-to-learn rules mean you'll be creating columns and rows of matching colors and shapes in no time! Look for opportunities to score big by placing a tile that touches multiple pieces and matches both shapes and colors; the player with the most points wins.

Qwirkle Board Game Features

* 2-4 players
* ages 6 and up
* 45 minutes
* Games Magazine Award: Best Family Game Runner-up 2007
* Mensa Best Mind Game Award Winner 2007; Major Fun Award Winner 2007

Qwirkle Review

As a mom with 6 kids of different ages, I look for games that my younger ones can play but that don't make me crazy with boredom (ie CandyLand, Chutes and Ladders) My 4 year old can only make it through 1/2 a game, the end gets too complex for him, but my 7, 10, and 12 year old boys love it, as do my in-laws and everyone else who has played it with us. I like games that only take minute to explain and start playing but that have enough strategy to keep the mind occupied. Also at 30-45 minutes a round, it's enough of a distraction but doesn't take hours to play. The game consists of wooden tiles with 6 different shapes and colors and that's it. Very durable, my 4 year old loves to build Qwirkle castles. I recommend this game. My other favorites are Blokus, Othello and Rummikube, all the same genre, fun, easy to explain and play and yet a challenge.

Bananagrams

Bananagrams is a fast and fun word game that requires no pencil, paper or board. All you need is a table. One hand can be played in as little as five minutes. It is a great for family fun as well as being educational. Bananagrams portability makes it perfect for travel. Just grab the pouch and go.

Bananagrams Features

* It hides a word game with huge appeal
* Features 144 letter tiles that are face down in the middle, from which players choose their tiles
* For 2 or more players
* Great for travel
* Recommended for 7 years and up

Bananagrams Review

Do you like Scrabble but get hung up trying to use those special point squares, are bummed when someone "steals your spot", or dragged down by Debbie Dictionary ("just let me look up this one word") or Slow Joe (who takes 20 minutes for each turn)? Well you would love Bananagrams, because it solves those problems. There are no special squares (or squares at all), no points on the letters (all are worth the same) and no time to dawdle. You are instead rewarded for speed and flexibility in making your own crossword. You can completely pull apart your crossword and start from scratch if you need to or just swap out a letter here and there, but don't get caught with a bunch of spare letters when an opponent goes out!

It is exciting and challenging to play this game with adults, but it can be fun to include the kids. You can easily adapt the rules to suit yourself. We "handicap" the adults by drawing two tiles for every one the kids draw. You can play solitaire or have several players.

Blokus Classics Game

Blokus develops logic and spatial perception while kids learn to be tactical. Players take turns placing pieces on their board, each starting from their corner. Each new piece must touch at least one other piece of the same color, but only at the corners. The goal is to get rid of all your pieces. The game ends when all players are blocked from laying down any more of their pieces. Includes one game board with 400 squares, 84 game pieces in four bright translucent colors, and an instruction guide.

Blokus encourages creative thinking and has received a Mensa award for promoting healthy brain activity. The goal of this game is for players to fit all of their pieces onto the board. When placing a piece it may not lie adjacent to the player's other pieces, but must be placed touching at least one corner of their pieces already on the board. The player who gets rid of all of their tiles first is the winner and strategic thinking helps as you block moves from your opponent. Blokus sometimes comes to an end because there are no more possible moves.

Four players make this abstract game especially fast and exciting; however, it can be just as fun for two or three players. Blokus has come up with a number of different ways to play the game to make it more thrilling when playing with less than four players. Draft Blokus allows a player to use more than one color and Reverse Blokus reverses the entire game so that the person who places the least amount of tiles on the board is the winner. It can even be played in a solitaire version when one player attempts to place all of their pieces in a single sitting. A game of Blokus typically lasts a 30 minutes. As a practical feature, raised edges on the board help keep the tiles in place and allow convenient clean-up. This game includes 84 pieces in four vibrant colors, an instruction guide, and one gameboard with 400 squares.

Blokus is simple to understand, but the game's complexity is revealed shortly after everyone begins to play. It can be addictive, even for those not normally into abstract games. Blokus is a catalyst for spatial thinking, as players form images in their mind before placing the pieces on the board. Children and adults can play together for hours of competitive family fun.

Blokus Features

* Blokus great strategy game for the whole family!
* Promotes healthy brain activity
* Includes 400 - piece game board with raised edges
* Winner of over 20 prestigious awards
* The most awarded game of the 21st century

Blokus Review

This is the third time in two years I've purchased this game. Why so many? The original game was purchased for school. We had extra money to use for educational games, and Blokus jumped out at me, with its brightly colored box. At first, the students weren't that interested (it's not electronic), so the teachers decided to tackle the game. It became an obsession. In short time, students began to edge their way to a corner and take over the game. Again, as much fun as this is to play, it's also a great way to get work from students before they sort out their pieces. Bribe, you wonder? Maybe.

What a fantastic way to think critically, offensively and defensively. Blokus promotes planning and strategy in a fun and playful way. It creates alliances "I won't corner you if you go in another direction." Players (kids especially) learn to handle confrontations when moves are in short order.

Blokus is not a game to gather dust in the back corner of a shelf. It challenges players of all ages and levels. Most surprisingly, the students who I thought would play easily (because of their scholastic abilities) were the ones who had to think hardest. It's a great tool for geometry, spatial relationships, and artistic creations!

SET Game

This award winning card game is for one or more players. It is recommended for ages six and above. The object of the game is to identify "sets" of three cards. Each card is unique in its four features; color - red, green or purple, symbol - diamond, squiggle or oval, shading - solid, striped or open, and number - 1, 2 or 3. A "set" consists of three cards on which each feature is either the same on all of the cards, or different on all of the cards. This game contains complete instructions for play, 81 cards, and a durable plastic carrying case.

SET Game Features

* Award winning card game
* For one or more players
* Game contains complete instructions for play and 81 cards
* Comes with a durable plastic carrying case
* SET has become a classic game

SET Game Review

It's destined to be classic card game, potentially of "UNO" fame. Set! Set! Set! The concept of the game is so simple but the game is addicting-ly fun. For the money, its one of the best deals out there. There is a little learning curve to picking out the sets but once you get the hang of it, you will be scrambling for the cards in no time getting your SETs together. It definitely took me a few games to even be able to pick out the SETs, but I'm telling you, once you get going its one of the best card games around.

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