Bananagrams Word-A-Melon Game

(Bananagrams $19.99)

We love the watermelon shape of the playing board with letter chip “seeds” that players turn to find words. This is a game for 2-4 players and can be played in various ways. The basic game is played by placing all the letters into the frame and rolling a die that says how many seeds you can turn. The player takes the letters off the board that he was bale to use to spell a word. Unused letters are turned down again—out of sight. It then becomes something like a game of concentration when remembering the position of unused letters can help the next player. The winner is the player with the most seeds. Truth be told, we like the second game even better than the first. In that game, the unused letters are left up, in clear sight. The next player turns the number of seeds rolled on the die. Only now there are more letters in play, so longer words can be spelled. There is yet another game with all players able to call out a word they see when the letters are turned up; the player who calls longest word gets to take the letters. Although marked for 6 and up, Word-a-Melon is a game older kids will enjoy and a good one for family night games.

Ages: Early School, Tweens

Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold Seal Award 2017