Word Games for Kids and Adults

Fun Activities to Improve Reading, Spelling, and Vocabulary Skills

	Boggle Junior Letters Editorial Review from Toysrus.com & Amazon.com: There’s no need to be boggled by words. Boggle Jr. helps children learn letters, spelling, and reading while having loads of fun! This easy version of the terrifically popular adult Boggle uses pictures and matching games to allow children to make the connection between objects and their names. With two skill levels, players can challenge themselves further as they become more adept at identifying letters and words. It will seem like no time at all before kids are begging to play their parents’ version of Boggle! The game, for one or more players, includes a game tray with word cover, 30 picture/word cards with 60 three- and four-letter words, and eight letter cubes. --Emilie Coulter Boggle Junior Letters Boggle Boggle Hand Held
	Pictionary, Jr. Editorial Review from Toysrus.com & Amazon.com Speed, not artistry, is the key to Pictionary Junior, a party game that stole the show from Charades in the ’80s. The kids’ version, which has been updated with hundreds of new words to draw, has hints and two levels of play. There are 144 two-sided cards. The red side is more challenging, and the blue side is easier--for younger players. Both include a theme to be read aloud and start everyone thinking on track. Teams go head-to-head to guess the word their "picturist" draws within 60 seconds. How fast can you draw an apple pie, an eyebrow, or a coin? It takes a quick hand and good guesswork to move around the game board from start to finish before the other team. A timer and easy-to-read instructions are included. --Lynne Sampson Pictionary, Jr. Pictionary
	Scattergories Editorial Review from Toysrus.com & Amazon.com: Scattergories is a fast-paced word game that’s a real crowd pleaser. Each player takes a category list with 12 categories--such as vegetable, state, president, things you throw away--and must write down the name of one item that fits into each category. Sounds easy enough, but each item has to begin with a specific letter that is determined when the 20-sided die is rolled. For instance, you roll the letter "R." Your answer list for the above categories might look something like this: rutabaga, Rhode Island, Roosevelt, rubbish, etc. You have to think fast, because a round lasts only 3 minutes! Players score points for each unique answer. --Alison Golder Scattergories Scattergories Bible Edition Game
	Scrabble Junior Editorial Review from Toysrus.com & Amazon.com If there’s any game out there that normally makes little kids feel left out, it’s Scrabble, the word game that’s usually played by adults and older kids. But Scrabble Junior is a great way to introduce young children to the game and get them interested in how words are formed. In the beginner game, specially developed for younger kids, players draw seven tiles from a pool, then work to match letters to the ones printed on the board. As they work through their tiles, they spell out the words, one letter at a time, and receive points for finishing each word. By the end of the game, they’ll have used over a hundred letters to work through a variety of different words. On the other side of the board there is a basic version of the classic Scrabble game with simple scoring rules. Once your children master the advanced game, you might be surprised to see that they’re ready to take you on in a match of the original Scrabble. Just be prepared to lose gracefully. --John Longenbaugh Scrabble Junior Also: Disney Scrabble Junior Game Monopoly Junior
	Taboo Junior Editorial Review from Toysrus.com & Amazon.com: Now younger players can experience the fun of Taboo with this junior edition featuring over 200 words specifically chosen for kids. The rules sound simple enough: get your team to name common words without voicing a few choice descriptors. But can you describe bubble gum without mentioning pink or blow? Taboo rewards those who think--and speak--fast. The team that correctly identifies as many words as possible in a minute (measured with the included hourglass timer) wins. If a member of the opposing team, armed with the blaring buzzer, catches the clue giver using any of the taboo words, a point is deducted from the group’s score. It’s a good idea to separate people who know each other well, because familiarity can be too advantageous. Playing Taboo requires one AA battery--and a sense of humor. Taboo Junior Taboo
	Upwords This is an excellent game to teach word families. Editorial Review from Toysrus.com & Amazon.com: Upwords takes the likes of Scrabble to new heights. Players get more power out of every word and create more play possibilities. Players can build from words crossword puzzle-style or by stacking letters on top of tiles already on the board. The challenge is to make new words each time. For example, "stack" becomes "snack," then "snapshot." If it sounds like 3-D Scrabble, there’s more to know. Scoring is simpler: each tile earns two points, and each stacked tile earns one. The usual Nos apply: no capitalized, hyphenated, or abbreviated words, etc. The set comes with 100 letter tiles, tile racks for two to four players, and a plastic game board. --Lynne Sampson Upwords