 
| Blokus Duo Game Mattel $14.99 $16.99  
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Blokus Duo is the perfect strategy game for 2. Two players take turns placing pieces of their chosen color on the board. Each new piece must touch at least 1 other piece of the same color, but only at the corners. When the board is full, both players count up the squares in their remaining pieces and the player with least number of squares wins. It's fun for young and old.
 
| Blokus Junior Game Mattel $19.99 $14.99
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Blokus Junior is the perfect way to teach kids as young as 5 the art of strategy. Similar to Blokus, the fastest-growing strategy brand, the object of Blokus Junior is to get as many pieces on the board as possible by placing each piece corner to corner. Made with younger hands in mind, Blokus Junior has less complicated pieces, a bigger board and 10 mini-games to help kids learn how to play the game. It includes 48 pieces, paper templates, game board and instructions. It's a game for 2 to 4 players.
 
| Blokus Classics Game Mattel $25.99 $18.00
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Sit down with family and friends for a night full of conversation and laughter.
Apples to Apples is an easy to play word association game that ignites conversation each round. You’ll learn a lot about how each player thinks in this game just by watching how they make comparisons in this game.
Apples to Apples is best played with a minimum of 4 players and as many as 10. The more players involved the more fun. Apples to Apples makes a fun game, not just for family game night, but also for parties, family gatherings, and group activities. One group of teens we know plays Apples to Apples every chance they get.
Apples to Apples is a great game for families with teenagers and young adults. It is geared toward players ages twelve and older, some reading skills are required and some of the subjects are unknown to younger players.
For families with younger children, there are ways to adapt the game, and there are two versions that are geared specifically for younger kids.
The Apples to Apples game consists of 756 red cards and 252 green cards.
The red cards are noun cards, displaying a person, place or thing. Red cards also include descriptions or interesting facts about the noun on the card.
The green cards show adjectives, a describing quality like “bright”, “gigantic”, and “awkward”.
Play starts with one player acting as the judge for the round. The judge deals seven cards to each player and then flips a green card for all to see.
Players choose the card from their hand that most closely associates with the adjective on the green card.
When all players have added a noun card, the judge decides which comparison is most appropriate. Here is where the conversation begins as players attempt to justify their choices.
Game play proceeds with a different player acting as judge each round. The judge’s personality will influence each round, the better you know the judge the better luck you will have convincing them that you have made the best choice. If you know the judge’s likes and dislikes, it will be easier to guess what words they would associate with such adjectives as “awkward” or “annoying”.
For full Apples to Apples instructions, you can download the instruction sheet from Mattel, and learn some tips and variations that mix the game up even more.
Not just a hilarious game, Apples to Apples is also an educational resource. The descriptive red cards encourage reading comprehension skills. Drawing comparisons and making associations will help older kids develop stronger analytical reasoning skills.
Use the opinionated comparisons that result during the game to teach teenagers about analogies. Always appearing on standardized testing, making and understanding analogies can seem a difficult topic on paper but, with Apples to Apples teens will be creating analogies without even being aware of it.
In 1999 Mensa International awarded Apples to Apples their “Mensa Select” award, promising structure, excitement and repeatability.
Games Magazine awarded Apples to Apples the “Party Games of the Year” award and last year inducted the game into their Hall of Fame. Games Magazine’s Hall of Fame includes previous years’ award winners who have now been in production for ten years. These games are the new classics according to Games Magazine who points toward their awards and consistent production.
Get an insight into how your friends and family members think, watching as they draw comparisons and judge other players picks. Question their reasoning; the better able you are to understand the judge’s motivations, the more likely you will be able to choose associations they will agree with on the next round.
With Apples to Apples expect a night with fun, great conversation, and laughter. With over 1000 cards the fun will last but, if you have played it a few times and are ready for a change, try the alternative game play ideas included in the instructions. Suggestions include switching the object of the game from synonyms to antonyms. If you still need more, there are expansion packs available with hundreds more cards.
While Apples to Apples is a great game for the older members of the family, some younger members may have a hard time with people and places they have never heard of. Descriptions and facts about the subjects displayed on the cards are helpful but, reading skills and comprehension are required. One way to play Apples to Apples original with younger kids is to pair younger players with older players and see what comparisons they come up with as a team.
For a game that is more appropriate overall for younger players, you might also take a look at these Apples to Apples version, designed specifically for younger children:
Apples to Apples also comes in faith based variations:
The Apples to Apples Bible Edition is specifically designed for Christian families, youth groups, and small groups, rated for ages 9 and up. There are 576 cards. The green apple cards are similar to the adjectives used in the original apples to apples game. The red cards reflect bible-themed people, places, and things. Verses are from the King James Version.
Apples to Apples and the variations for kids can be found at most major retailers, including Walmart, Target, and Amazon.com. List Price is $26.99, but we’ve seen it on sale from $16 to $20.
The Faith-themed variations of Apples to Apples can be found online at Amazon.com and at a variety of faith-based online retailers. The Apples to Apples Bible Edition and Apples to Apples Jewish edition retail for between $20 and $30, depending on the retailer and season.
For more information about Apples to Apples or to read reviews, click here.
The whole family will get silly playing the great game from Spin Master, Hedbanz. The rules of Hedbanz are so simple that children of any age will be able to get in on the fun. It’s even fun for adults.
During the game, each player wears a headband with an identity card attached. You don’t know what card is on your head. The goal of Hedbanz is to figure out who you are. The card on your headband tells everyone else, but how will you find out?
By asking questions – kind of like charades in reverse.
Players have one minute to ask as many questions of the other players about who they are. Other than asking “What am I?” all questions are allowed. Players might ask, “Am I big or small?, What color am I?, Can I fly?”. Any question goes in trying to deduce who or what you may be. You can only imagine the types of silly questions your kids may come up with.
The game is ideal for 2-6 players which makes it a great buy for most families. Players have a one minute time limit to guess who they are so game play is lightning fast.
The question and answer style of the game allows all players to be involved in each play; younger children who get impatient waiting for their turn when playing other board games will stay engaged with Hedbanz.
Everything you need to play Hedbanz is included. In the box are 74 picture cards, 6 headbands, 24 playing chips, a one minute sand timer, and a sample questions card.
The picture cards fall into one of three categories: animal, food, or common object.
To set up the game, each player is given a headband, 1 picture card and 3 playing chips. Players place their picture cards into their headbands without looking at them.
On your turn the timer is flipped and you begin asking the other players questions in an attempt to figure out what you are, what your picture depicts. If you guess what you are before time runs out, discard one chip. If you run out of time before you deduce who you are, take another chip. To win, get rid of all you chips.
The sample questions card can be used if you run out of questions or cannot think of any questions to ask.
Questions listed on the card include: “Can I be eaten?, Can I swim?, Do I make noise?”. Answers to each question asked will give you a better idea of what you are.
The only question you cannot ask is “What am I?”. This provides a great opportunity to see how creative your family members are!
So we know Hedbanz is a blast to play but, little will your children know that while playing they are constructing and reinforcing reasoning skills as well.
Playing Hedbanz, children will be using the feedback they are getting from their questions to deduce who they are. They will be forced to use their logic skills to reason, for example, “If I am an animal and I can fly, then I must be a…”.
The more they play, the more the concept of deductive reasoning will be enforced and the more natural it will become for them to make these associations.
This is not to say that the game gets any easier for those who have more developed logic skills. With such random picture cards as bicycle and igloo, even adults will find themselves struggling to deduce what they are.
The toy industry has taken notice of Hedbanz. Hedbanz has been nominated for Game of the Year in the Toy of the Year awards. Industry spokespersons, academics, and inventors were part of the panel that nominated Hedbanz as a finalist for the Toy of the Year Awards.
This prestigious nomination has launched Hedbanz to the ranks of classic family games; last year’s winner was Scrabble Flash. Winners of the Toy of the Year Awards will be announced on February 11th. With all of the fun family nights and developmental reinforcements promised by Hedbanz, it is sure to be among the winners.
In addition the standard version of Hedbanz, there are two additional variations to the Hedbanz game:
Hedbanz is a great choice for an outstanding family game night or an afternoon of play. Its easy to understand and apply rules guarantee everyone will be able to participate. Fast rounds limited by the one minute sand timer make for fast paced fun in which all will get a chance to show their skills.
An evening with Hedbanz is an opportunity to learn a little more about how each member of your family reasons. No one can resist getting a little silly trying to guess that they might be a light bulb or a rooster.
Hedbanz can be found at most major retailers, including Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com, Target.com, and Walmart.com. We’ve seen Hedbanz priced from between $17 and $30, depending on retailer and time of year. The Disney version of Hedbanz retails for slightly higher, between $25 and $36.
 
| Disney Apples To Apples - The Game Of Goofy Comparisons Mattel $20.99 $19.99
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Now the whole family can experience the award-winning fun of Apples to Apples as they never have before with the magic of Disney and some wonderful new Twists in Disney Apples to Apples - The Game of Goofy Comparisons. For the first time, Red Apple cards come to life with pictures from Disney theme parks, movies and Disney Channel shows. The special card holder makes it easy to pass Green Apple cards around the table. But watch out for the Poison Apple card - which is available only in Disney Apples to Apples -- it'll turn the game upside down. The game comes complete with 360 cards and a card holder. It's for 4 to 8 players.
 
| Apples to Apples Party Box - The Game of Hilarious Comparisons Mattel $26.99 $17.99
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| Apples to Apples Bible Edition TaliCor $29.99 $17.48
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| Jewish Educational Toys Apples To Apples Jewish Edition Jewish Educational Toys $29.99 $23.99
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| Phase 10® Masters Edition in Tin Fundex $9.99 $5.18
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