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Preschool Game Review – Cranium Cariboo
By Charlene Haukom
Leave it to Cranium to make learning fun! Preschoolers will have a blast learning letters, numbers, shapes and colors – all while exploring the fun-filled island of Cariboo!
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Cranium Cariboo will send your preschooler on an exciting treasure hunt on the magical island of Cariboo. Players age 3 and up can explore the island’s castles, boats, balloons, and more.
Match letters, numbers, shapes and colors to unlock secret doors and discover hidden treasures. Cariboo Expanded Edition grows with your child with an advanced set of cards. Each round takes 10 to 15 minutes to play – the perfect amount of time for preschoolers.
Perfect for family night, children of mixed ages, or just preschoolers, this preschool game comes with a board featuring Cariboo Island, six treasure balls, two sets of cards (beginner and advanced), a treasure chest, and a key.
Cranium Cariboo has received several prestigious awards, including the Platinum Best Toy Award from the Oppenheim Toy Portfolio™.
2. Make sure all the doors and treasure chest are closed, then drop the colorful treasure balls into the secret tunnels. Jiggle the board to make sure the balls are well hidden.
3. The youngest player gets the key and draws the first card.
4. Players take turns choosing a card, then matching the card to the doors on the game board. For example, one player might choose a card that has an “A” on it. That player will have to find a word on the game board that begins with the letter “A”. When the player finds the word, s/he’ll unlock the corresponding door in search of a hidden treasure ball.
Color cards will match colored objects on the doors, number cards will match corresponding numbers of objects (i.e. a card with a 4 will correspond to a door with four squares), and shape cards will match shapes on the doors.
5. When players find a hidden treasure ball, they drop it into the Tumbling Tidepool. When the last ball is dropped into the tidepool, the treasure chest will pop open. Whoever opens the chest wins the game!
This game isn’t just fun for preschoolers, it’s fun for the whole family! Cranium Cariboo is perfect for family game night because it’s simple enough for preschoolers to play, yet the thrill of a treasure hunt appeals to older children and even parents and grandparents!
Cariboo encourages preschool critical thinking skills. The doors have more than one possible match, which means your preschooler will have to be able to find a match among many. Cranium takes letter recognition a step further by making players pick letters out of an entire word rather than simply matching a single letter. This extra step develops preschoolers’ reading skills. The number cards also go beyond simple number recognition by requiring preschoolers to count objects. Preschoolers have to do more than match a picture of a number – they’ll have to know what the number means.
The expanded game with advanced cards combines skills. Letters are printed in colors and preschoolers can either match a letter (any letter from a word on a door), or they can match the color of the letter to the color on a door. Giving preschoolers a matching option further encourages critical thinking.
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Leave it to Cranium to make learning fun! Preschoolers will have a blast learning letters, numbers, shapes and colors – all while exploring the fun-filled island of Cariboo!
About the Game
Match letters, numbers, shapes and colors to unlock secret doors and discover hidden treasures. Cariboo Expanded Edition grows with your child with an advanced set of cards. Each round takes 10 to 15 minutes to play – the perfect amount of time for preschoolers.
Perfect for family night, children of mixed ages, or just preschoolers, this preschool game comes with a board featuring Cariboo Island, six treasure balls, two sets of cards (beginner and advanced), a treasure chest, and a key.
Cranium Cariboo has received several prestigious awards, including the Platinum Best Toy Award from the Oppenheim Toy Portfolio™.
How to Play
1. Choose your level of cards. Beginner cards focus on the letters A, B, and C and letters 1, 2, 3, and 4. Advanced cards feature the entire alphabet and numbers 1 through 10. Place the cards face down near the game board.2. Make sure all the doors and treasure chest are closed, then drop the colorful treasure balls into the secret tunnels. Jiggle the board to make sure the balls are well hidden.
3. The youngest player gets the key and draws the first card.4. Players take turns choosing a card, then matching the card to the doors on the game board. For example, one player might choose a card that has an “A” on it. That player will have to find a word on the game board that begins with the letter “A”. When the player finds the word, s/he’ll unlock the corresponding door in search of a hidden treasure ball.
Color cards will match colored objects on the doors, number cards will match corresponding numbers of objects (i.e. a card with a 4 will correspond to a door with four squares), and shape cards will match shapes on the doors.
5. When players find a hidden treasure ball, they drop it into the Tumbling Tidepool. When the last ball is dropped into the tidepool, the treasure chest will pop open. Whoever opens the chest wins the game!
From the Reviewer
This game isn’t just fun for preschoolers, it’s fun for the whole family! Cranium Cariboo is perfect for family game night because it’s simple enough for preschoolers to play, yet the thrill of a treasure hunt appeals to older children and even parents and grandparents! Cariboo encourages preschool critical thinking skills. The doors have more than one possible match, which means your preschooler will have to be able to find a match among many. Cranium takes letter recognition a step further by making players pick letters out of an entire word rather than simply matching a single letter. This extra step develops preschoolers’ reading skills. The number cards also go beyond simple number recognition by requiring preschoolers to count objects. Preschoolers have to do more than match a picture of a number – they’ll have to know what the number means.
The expanded game with advanced cards combines skills. Letters are printed in colors and preschoolers can either match a letter (any letter from a word on a door), or they can match the color of the letter to the color on a door. Giving preschoolers a matching option further encourages critical thinking.
Your View
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