Cranium Cariboo - Best Games for Christmas
From Hasbro Games
Customer Reviews
A wonderful game!
I have to completely disagree with the one star reviewer. I find it delightful, and I like to play it. I think the hidden balls and key action keep kids amazingly engaged. The mystery factor is unique to this game, and it never feels like a boring review of numbers, letters, shapes and colors. NO batteries, and two levels of play! If your child knows every single lowercase letter and can count groups of objects to ten, then it is too easy for them. But most 3 to 4 year olds are working on these concepts (and some of this age range are still counting to 4, learning shapes, and the basic colors which is the content in level one). To me the only con is that the cards on each trap door should be laminated, because when children flip to level 2 play (the lowercase letters) they get too bent. I am here to buy this (yet again!) to give as a gift to a nephew who just turned 4.
Treasure hunting fun!
This game has been a favorite in our house for the past 3 1/2 years. My oldest daughter received this game as a gift and it was instantly a hit. She loved that the treasure was revealed at the end of each game and I loved that it was a quick game to play [some games like Chutes and Ladders for example, make me want to run screaming from the house].
I particularly like that this game has two levels of play. For a younger child you start off with the beginner level where you match by shape, color, number (1-4) or letter (A-C). My daughter who is three now is now quite skilled at playing this game after being introduced to it about two months ago. It is one of her favorite games, just as it was for her big sister. I would rate the advanced level of the game on a pre-K level. In the advance version you match based on lowercase letters instead of just 3 upper case letters. The number range on the advance level is also higher than 4.
The only issue I have ever had with this game is a few of the balls started to crack and crumble on us after about a month of playing with it. I contacted Cranium about it and they sent us replacement balls free of charge. The replacement balls have been in use for over three years now and they're as good as new.
We have been very pleased with this game. It's fun to play and set up. We have given this as a gift to many friends over the past few years. Whether you have a pirate or princess on your hands, this treasure hunting game is sure to please.
Fantastic family game!
This is a wonderful, fun game to play. I especially like that it grows with the child, as you can play the easier or more difficult games. I bought it as a present for my little girl's 3rd birthday, and she loved it from the start.
I would have loved a few small alterations - it would be nice to have a place to keep the cards and the key. Little hands often knock over the stack of cards when trying to take one from the top. (We only use half of the cards at a time, but it still happens.) Also, it would be good storage for these items when you aren't playing the game. Also, our "treasure box" has never opened very easily, and it isn't easy to remove the balls once they are all in there. These are pretty picky changes for a game that is well worth the price.
Product Description
Cranium Cariboo is the magical treasure hunt game designed especially for young children. Kids love exploring the golden island of Cariboo, where they find castles, boats, balloons, and more. Cariboo reinforces four early-learning fundamentals - letters, numbers, shapes, and colors - and its packed with fun! Cariboo Expanded Edition grows with your child with an advanced set of cards that doubles the fun. Cranium Cariboo has received several prestigious awards, including the Platinum Best Toy Award from the Oppenheim Toy Portfolio.
