Cranium Cariboo Reviews

• Great beginner's game

  
  By A29L4QWSIXKRE3 on 2003-09-20
  We bought this game because the next "level" of cranium game would be cadoo which is ages 7 &up. My daughter is 4.5 and it was fun the first 2 times we played it and then it got boring. Another reviewer had the right idea when they said to make variations up. It helps the game last much longer than if there were none. My daughter really likes the bouncy balls and the key though. Bottom line is that if your kids know their abc's and 123's then I would suggest you find another game. It's a great beginning game though!
  
  

• Best family game on the market!

  
  By A1YVO5V1SO18DZ on 2002-11-29
  Man, it's hard to find a good family game these days. If you've already bought the classics, then there are very few games out there that aren't simply rehashed TV episodes. True, the kids might clamor for a Powerpuff Girls or Dexter's Lab game, but they're poorly designed and the gameplay doesn't even sustain the kids through the first evening of play.

  Cranium Cariboo, on the other hand, has enough sound and motion and excitement to keep the attention of the video game generation while still doing some genuine teaching. Granted, it's not PhD-level stuff, but this is about fun, not homework. We found Cranium Cariboo to be the sort of game that almost always gets taken out of the game closet first, and that's the highest recommendation our family can give any game--especially at gift giving time. Enjoy!
  
  

• Cariboo Variations Add to Entertainment Value for Older Kids

  
  By A3MH1L583EZL65 on 2003-05-18
  With a little creativity, it's not hard to make Cariboo more entertaining and educational for older kids, perhaps even up to age seven or eight. The play value is extended considerably over the base game.

  Variation #1:

  Turn Cariboo into a "rummy" and logic game but dealing a hand of five cards to each player. Each turn you must turn in *two* cards that have the characteristic on the box to open it. After playing these cards, you can open the lid. Refresh your hand.
  This makes it challenging to figure out how to play out your hand in order to open a certain lid. A player also has the opportunity to "turn in" his hand, or trade from 1-5 cards with an opponent, getting rid of "dead" cards.
  (Try with three matching characteristics - if you enjoy this kind of thinking a better game called "Set" which Amazon sells does this very well).

  Variation #2:

  Close lids after opening. The child must remember which have been opened and closed, turning this into a good memory exercise.

  Variation #3:

  Rather than the last ball wins, assign a consistent or variable point value to the colored balls or the order in which they appear (first ball worth 1, second 2, etc), with a bonus for the last ball.

  Variation #4:

  Add a "tic-tac-toe" like element, with points, to selecting which lids to open. e.g 3 lids in a column with X points, 5 lids in row worth Y points.

  Good luck! Apply similar thinking to games in your closet and encourage your child to do so as well and you might find a budding game designer!
  
  

• Cariboo is better than TV!

  
  By A1C87JZ9Y3V33U on 2002-10-20
  My son played this game all day! The television never got turned on! Levi was as excited to play this game with us as by himself. He played it over and over again. I'm sure the initial excitement will wear off- but every visitor to our home is sure to be offered the Cariboo challenge!

  Other good points-- there is not a lot of set-up involved to play this game. The game is fairly self-contained--the pieces tend not to stray too far.
  
  

• CariBoo Review

  
  By A32JRYB13SAZUT on 2006-08-24
  This is a review of the children's game, CariBoo, by Cranium. It requires no batteries, which is great. It has two sets of cards for either Beginner or Advanced levels of playing, which is also nice. It's ideal for preschool-age children. The skills required include simple counting, matching colors/shapes/letters - even in the 'Advanced' level. However, the fun is in hoping to find a Treasure Ball under one of the Doors, so older children often enjoy playing this with a younger child. I wouldn't buy this game for anyone beyond kindergarten-level, although, as an adult, I haven't gotten tired of playing it yet. =o) One game takes only 5-10 minutes to play, which goes by fast. (Much speedier than Candyland!)
  
  When you remove the lid of the box, you find the bottom part of the box - the game itself - already assembled. =o) There are three holes along the top of the game board to drop six bright rubber balls. They roll around and randomly settle under different doors, in shallow pockets. It helps to jiggle the game slightly, to make sure each ball found its own pocket to settle in. You need to play this game on a hard, level surface, because otherwise the balls can be easily jarred from their pockets. Even then, sometimes a ball won't settle into a pocket, and when you open the Door you see two balls crowded there. We just consider that a Special Bonus.
  
  If you want to play the Beginner Level, you're ready to play now. The youngest player goes first. She draws a card from the Beginner Deck, and it will either be a Letter (A,B, or C), a Number (1,2,3, or 4), a Color (blue, yellow, red, or green), or a Shape (circle, square, or triangle). No reading is required for either level of this game.
  
  In each door, a card-insert shows a picture. (You would have to flip over the card-inserts to play the Advanced Level.) For the Beginning Level, the card-inserts each show a picture like three red round Cupcakes, or one green square Alligator. If you drew a C card from the Beginner deck of cards, you can choose any door that has a C---- picture. The pictures are all clearly labeled, so nonreaders just match the beginning letters which are bold and capitalized.
  
  The player inserts the tip of the key into a little hole above the door, which makes the door pop open. Then you look down in there, to see if a Treasure Ball happened to settle underneath that door. If so, the player pulls it out and drops it into the hole/chute along the right side of the game board, which leads to the Treasure Chest. (Nothing happens yet.)
  
  Play continues, and as balls are found, they are all dropped into the hole/chute leading to the Treasure. The player who finds the last Treasure Ball (of six) is the Winner. This last ball must be pressed into the crowded chute, which pushes the line of balls to press a hidden lever which makes the lid of the Treasure Chest slowly open. The Treasure Chest has gold glitter and a large plastic gem that does not come out. It's just exciting to see the Chest open. That's the end of the game!
  
  For the Advanced Level of play, the deck of cards have either an uppercase/lowercase set of letters (Aa, Mm, Oo, etc. - printed in four different colors), or a numeral from 1 to 10 (printed in four different colors). The player can choose to open a Door with a picture of that many objects (8 strawberries, etc.) or if the label of the picture includes the Letter he drew (doesn't have to be the first letter). OR, they can open a door if the picture is the color of their printed letter/numeral.
  
  The game moves fairly quickly, and doesn't have to be played competitively. A child could play alone, or with one player drawing the cards and the other player using the Key each time, etc. It could even be played alone.
  
  Our preschool daughter LOVES this game and begs to keep playing it over and over again. I highly recommend it for FUN, and developing quick observation skills - although there is no time-limit, the excitement of possibly finding a Treasure Ball motivates the child to quickly count sets or seek matching letters.
  
  Great game!!!!
  
  
• Lots of fun but could be better with one change
  By on 2002-10-25
  My 5yr old loves this game! It's one she can play over & over, sometimes even by herself. My one problem with the game is that the "doors" that are unlocked do not have interchangeable cards. By the 5th round of playing, my daughter had practically memorized the board. Being able to change the cards on the doors would make the game much more challenging. Other than that one alteration, this game is excellent for preschoolers.
  
  
• Fun! Fun! Fun!
  By on 2002-11-10
  My two and half year-old loved this game from the moment we opened the box. She played it over and over again, squealing with glee everytime she unlocked a door with the key and found a ball. I do agree with one of the previous reviews, it would be nice to have interchangable cards. That would increase the educational value of the game. I still say this game is great!
  
  
• Balls, Keys, Doors, Dark Holes, and a Treasure Chest!!!
  By A2I5QQ5KUDIVZJ on 2002-11-22
  My not quite 2 1/2 year old son has many fixations, especially holes - dark holes! This game is his dream come true, while we aren't utilizing the cards just yet, he cannot get enough of dropping the balls in the holes, unlocking the door with the key, and finally revealing the treasure. I disagree with the non-interchangeable card comments. Whether your child memorizes what is on the doors is irrelevant - it's matching the card to something and being rewarded with the possiblilty of finding a ball that makes it fun. Not just for the kids either, we love playing with our son too. It is just a well thought out, well made game that will be a hit for a few years. As it says on the box - ages 3 to 6.
  
  
• Fun for Everyone!
  By A2ZHBCYL2H34A5 on 2005-12-12
  We received this game for our four year-old last year and he loved it. He turned five not long after he got it and his brother turned two. We were able to use this game in different ways for both of them to enjoy.
  
  The only complaints I would have are that the balls are easily lost and that the cards are very small.
  
  That being said, our whole family enjoys playing this game, although our older son quickly grew out of it. He enjoys Cadoo more. The younger one learned his numbers very quickly using this game and he still enjoys playing with it.
  
  I would recommend this game for ages 2 1/2 - 4.
  
  
• Fun and Uncomplicated Game
  By A2H0JPLC4VYFW2 on 2002-11-18
  You have to love a game that only has a 4 step How-to-Play instruction card.

  My 8 year old got this for his birthday. It's a fun game that all three of my kids can play ALONE 3,5 & 7 (the 5 & 8 yr old help the 3 with her counting).

  I only wish it included more letters and numbers in the cards and board (why I gave it a 4 instead of 5 stars in the educational field). It would be nice to be able to mix up the squares as well. I think I'll get the Cadoo version for the 7 year old to play with friends and for all of us to play but this one is great for the kids to play by themselves. They love the fact they can set it up and play without Mom and Dad!!!
  
  

• great game, excellent customer service
  By A3I0Q3HGPFRTOE on 2006-11-15
  This game was given to my children as a gift when they were 5 and 2. We've had it for almost a year and they both love it. Having a beginner and advanced set of cards helps stretch this game for a longer usability period. This is also one of the few games that my children can (and WILL!) play independently together. They share the key, take turns, cheer each other on and have fun. They (and I) love that they can play this game together without mom. AND, the games are short enough that I will often stop what I'm doing to play this. It's also short enough to hold my two year old's attention through an entire game. I couldn't be happier.
  
  The only snag we hit was when the game was left down low for a while and the kids started playing with the balls as toys. Within a week, half of the balls were lost. Hearing about Cranium's great customer service, I emailed them asking them how to order another set of balls. I just heard back from them and they are sending me a new set of balls free. Now THAT is great customer service! I am very impressed and will be putting more games from this great company on our Christmas list!
  
  
• great toy
  By A2Q3TQSJ5JKMQX on 2002-07-16
  I was looking for a new toy for my 6 and 5 years old, when we opened the box and started to play, they litterally played it over and over, it is now one of their favorite pass time, i'm looking forward to see more games of this quality on your web site, thank you.
  
  
• fun for a while but save your money
  By A16ET7TM7RW4MD on 2003-11-25
  I bought this game because I heard it won so many educational awards, but actually, it is a boring game. It was fun for the first few plays then was set aside. I e-mailed Cranium to see if there were any different cards for the game board, maybe to shake things up a little. They told me they were making more but I have not seen a thing. Several months ago they e-mailed me and asked if we would like to be on a "preview board" for new cards, I responded but they have never replied. Save your money.
  
  
• Not as great as i had hoped!
  By AR220B5AABLGZ on 2005-10-04
  I bought this game for my two boys (6 & 3) last year for Christmas. Yes, it is a neat game at first, but my boys pick up on things quickly and this game was way too easy and got old fast. They do like playing with the balls and the key. I wish they (as in Cranium) would have been able to incorporate more of the jewels or treasures for winning, because that was what my boys found fascinating at first. Then they kept on saying "Is that it?". I was not impressed at all.I wouldn't buy this game for children who already have even a small understanding of numbers and colors.
  
  
• Gets boring quick and is ONLY for younger kids
  By A20U9P9ED8EP99 on 2005-11-03
  This concept is good and the game can be fun but for a 3yr old who already knows their ABC's and 123's this was very boring very quick. I can't believe Amazon's recommended age was 4-7yrs old. I personally think anyone kindergarten or higher would be very bored with this one. GREAT for kids 2-4 yrs old though, of they are still learning their letters and numbers. Oh and be careful - those balls will bounce away and hide!!
  
  
• The Game My Kids LOVE!
  By AAQ8PNHD4DW4X on 2003-02-11
  I purchased this game for my four year old. He is very difficult to please and getting him to try new things is equally difficult. I have not been able to interest him in games or much of anything besides trains and planes, which he normally plays with alone. Giving him Cariboo was an attempt to encourage his relational and interactive abilities and to provide a platform for him to engage with the rest of the family. I am still amazed at how he has taken to this game. My five year old also loves it and even my seven year old enjoys playing. Quite an accomplishment to get three siblings of varying ages engaged so peacefully and enjoyably together! Even our nine year old neighbor has played several rounds with my five year old. It is such a simple, straightforward game, but I think that the simplicity is part of its charm. There is something peaceful about this game and it encourages interaction with each other rather than with just the game itself. It is competitive enough to make the kids want to play again to try to win, but it is quite gentle competition. I am so appreciative of how this game encourages relational interaction within our family. In our family, the educational aspect is not from the standpoint of "teaching" something new, but in continually reinforcing the use of numbers and letters and making this knowledge useful for pre-readers. Even though I have played games for young children with my kids in the past, it has always been a sacrifice of love. This is the first pre-school board game that I can actually play repetitively without feeling crazy. But more importantly, that stubborn four year old of mine actually enjoys it. No small feat!
  
  
• No brainpower required for this "Cranium"
  By on 2003-11-28
  It looks like a neat toy, and is fun to use, but it becomes boring after a short time, even for young children. There is no strategy, and no brain power involved. With a little thought, the game makers could have made this a game that would keep kids and parents interested longer. An o.k. first game for 3 year olds, but I wouldn't waste money on it. A much better choice: good old Candyland.
  
  
• Great practice for kindergarten!!!!
  By A3VLGMB2IV5DBR on 2003-12-01
  I was a little unsure if this game was going to be age appropriate for my 5 year old son, but he received it as a gift. It is perfect for him because he is just learning his ABC's. We have two older girls 7 and 6 who already know all of their ABC's, shapes, numbers and colors. Our three children play this together (and I don't have to supervise). The kids LOVE this game!!!! This game teaches some of the basics children need to start kindergarten. We have only had it for a few days and they can not get enough of it! I even have fun playing. It is very durable and really keeps their attention. The rules are simple and can be played by just the children. I would not recommend this game for children over 6, because it would be too easy. My only wish is that it had replacement "doors" to add more letters and numbers. Great practice for kindergarten! The children learn without even knowing they are doing it! AWESOME!!
  
  
• For extra challenge, close doors after each turn.
  By on 2003-12-30
  Our 2 1/2 year old LOVES this game. It is the only game he asks for. He has joined his brothers in playing Candyland, Chutes and Ladders, etc. but doesn't seem to understand the purpose or care what happens in those games. Finding Cariboo's balls and opening the treasure chest is a very tangible goal which he finds exciting.

  My 4 and 6 year old also like this game. When the older kids play, we make it more challenging by closing each door at the end of every turn. They try to remember which doors have already been opened so they can improve their chances of selecting doors which might actually have a ball hidden below. I think the company should print this "Challenge Version" in their game rules; it extends the interest in the game for older children. While my 6 year old has had fun playing this game with his younger siblings, I probably would not purchase Cranium Cariboo for a 6 year old as I think they would probably become bored with it before long.

  This is an excellent first game for young children!
  
  

• A Little Too Easy
  By A1HU0QYUQ5W7NB on 2004-07-22
  I got this game for my 3 year old and 6 year old. My 3 year old is just learning his ABCs and I was hoping this would help BUT it only has A, B and C - the three letters he really knows. I was hoping when it said "ABCs" on the box that it would utilize the entire alphabet. My 6 year old plays with my son but it is really too easy for her. It also only covers the numbers 1-4 (1-10 would have been better.) They are having fun with the game and it's easy enough that I don't have to supervise, which is nice. One more thing - they quickly figured out that you can peek and try to find the "hidden" balls. I would classify this more as for ages 2-4 instead of the 3-6 stated on the box.
  
  
• Cranium game
  By A3LPHPU9A7HBDC on 2005-11-27
  I have eight children ranging from 18 to 4 years of age. They all look forward to playing Cranium together, even if the little ones need help. Some of my children are very artistic but not super spellers and others have the opposite strengths, so they have competitive edges in different parts of the game.
  
  Cranium is a great purchase for families and I am always interested in this company's latest offerings. However, since Amazon posts reviews of all of the company's games together, it would be very helpful if reviewers stated which game they are commenting on.
  
  
• Cute Game That Needs Harder Levels - a review of "Cranium Cariboo"
  By AQ6AGWKWMTY8H on 2006-12-29
  Essentially, I would say that Cariboo is a gamed geared for three and four year olds. It's fun and educational. Children love the balls and using the key to open up the surprise boxes. And for the right age range Cariboo will allow children to learn and practice their letters, colors and numbers as well as learn how to take turns. (It's amazing how hard that concept can be to learn -lol)
  
  Other points of interest -- this game is NOT noisy, and it is not one of those onerous games that older children and adults avoid like the plague.
  
  Four Stars. Only good for a short while, but it serves it purpose in allowing children to learn and practice their number, letter, color, and turn-taking skills. In our experience, a game that adults and older children don't mind playing.
  
  
• Treasure hunt fun!
  By AXJTNYD3UK1BP on 2004-02-25
  My 4 yr old daughter received this for Christmas last year (2003). She & her older sister (5 yrs old) started playing with it immediately! Once you've been thru the game a few times, there's not a lot of surprise involved anymore. However, my girls still pull it out now and then and spend a good hour or more playing it.
  
  The game is enclosed in the bottom of the box itself. There are six rubber balls that you put into the game. Move the box around a bit to be sure no one knows where the balls are located. (The balls are concealed below 3 rows of tiles.) Each player takes turns drawing a card. You must then match that card to one of the tiles (something with 3 items on it, something green, something that is the shape of a circle-etc.) You then "unlock" and flip over that tile, hoping to find a ball under it. If you do find a ball, you place that ball in a chute leading to a treasure chest. Once all six balls are found the treasure chest opens and the game starts all over.
  
  It does help to teach younger kids their shapes and colors and numbers...I would recommend this game to 3 - 5 year olds. The more knowledge they have about the colors, numbers and shapes, the less likely they are to want to play the game too long. It is a fun game for toddlers - but can get boring for the older kids.
  
  1smileycat :-)
  
  
• Little sister has entered the Cranium Universe!
  By A24H59VYY8C4FK on 2005-06-20
  Sometimes being the youngest member of the family can be frustrating. Our three year old wanted to play Conga or Caddoo with us (parents and seven year old brother), but except for running off with the clay, she just wasn't ready.
  
  Enter Cariboo, a game made specifically for the preschool set with a key, brightly colored balls, and a treasure chest that opens once all the balls have been placed into the holder. This game has been great for helping with letter recognition and counting. It also aids with colors and shapes if your preschooler has not mastered them yet.
  
  The beginner level is quite simple, but luckily there is an "advanced" set of cards that expands the game to all letters and numbers 1-10. Parents will like that it is a teaching game, kids just like it because it is fun.
  
  Most important in our house; it made a three year old feel like a big girl with her very own Cranium game.
  
  
• Best Preschool Game Ever!
  By on 2002-07-06
  We love Cariboo. Our kids love it. Best of all, we can play with them and have a great time as a family!
  
  
• Needs more cards!
  By A25T93TEE4QZ90 on 2003-04-21
  I wholeheartedly agree with the other reviews regarding the supplemental cards. How much could it cost to add a second set or for that fact sell them separately. After playing the game twice my 3 year old was finished with it. There no more challenge for her. I can't believe the age range is up to six years old.

  The game is so basic. Primary color recognition. Very basic shape recognition, circle, square, triangle, and "a", "b", and "c" letters only.

  I would love to buy some additional cards because my daughter loves this game.

  On the fun side. The concept is great. Kids love a suprise and after matching a card they get to look to see if they got a very pretty colored ball.
  
  

• The age range is a little generous...
  By A3OAXGN5WIYHZP on 2005-02-06
  ...but I guess its tough to market a toy with an age range of 2.5~3 years. My daughter was about 3 1/2 when we bought Cranium Cariboo for her for Christmas 2004. She does enjoy it, but its a little limited in scope. It only teaches 4 colors (red, yellow, green, blue), 3 letters (A-C), 4 numbers (1-4), and 3 shapes (square, circle, triangle). There wasn't much learning involved for her as she already knew all the colors, the majority of the alphabet, numbers through 15 or so, and all her shapes.
  
  She does enjoy looking for the treasures (rubber balls) though, even if she's not really learning anything. The game still has her interest and she asks to play it; I'll have to see how it holds up long-term.
  
  If the Cranium people are reading this, one suggestion would be to have replacable cards so you can insert new categories, colors, numbers, etc. I guess you could make your own with some card stock...?
  
  
• Best game for a 3 year old
  By A41FH2WA010UH on 2005-07-04
  My son received this game for his 3rd birthday and he loves it! We all play with him, and even though he already knew his shapes and colors, he is using it to learn his numbers and letters. It is definitely not boring, and he enjoys playing even if he doesn't win every time. There is fun in just discovering the hidden balls and waiting to see the pirate chest pop open! We play this game at least 3 times a day!
  
  
• This is a great great toy for a three year old
  By on 2003-02-20
  I gave this to my just turned three year old son for Christmas and he loves it (and he has the attention span of a fly). We've given it as a birthday present to many of his friends, and their parents report they love it too. I get the best results when I play with him and hold the cards and the key, otherwise the whole game degenerates into an exercise in opening the little doors. The game is pretty solid but I gave it three stars for durability because the cards can become torn and scattered unless you're vigilent, and there are balls and the magic key to keep track of as well. It strikes me as a little odd that small children love this game so much -- I mean, who would have thought? But they do and I highly recommend it.
  
  
• Fun until you get passed the ABCs or 123s
  By on 2003-07-11
  This game is fun and very educational. Both my boys(3,5) like to play this game but they already know more than just A..B..C and 1..2..3. Now they just like to play with the colorful bouncy balls and throw them off the floors and walls.
  I would recommend this game for children who are just starting out and haven't learned their numbers or letters.
  
  

• Cranium Conga
• Cranium Booster Box 2
• Cranium Tin Edition
• Cranium Cadoo Booster Box

• Cranium Hullabaloo
• Cranium Balloon Lagoon
• ThinkFun Zingo
• Sequence for Kids
• Hi Ho Cherry-O