Cranium Hullabaloo Reviews

• Kids have fun and get exercise too

  
  By A36VA6TJSPF3UG on 2003-09-23
  I received this game as a gift, and I would recommend it highly to anyone with young children. My 3.5-year-old daughter had no trouble figuring out the game within minutes, as the instructions are clear and spoken aloud in a fun voice. The game gets you on your feet and dancing around to bouncy music. The only problem is that my daughter wants to play it ALL the time (even first thing in the morning), so I have temporarily hidden it on a high shelf.
  
  

• Excellent activity game!

  
  By AGFW667QNHDOY on 2004-02-25
  I got this game based on reviews after coming across it on a store shelf. My boys (3&4) LOVE it! It is best described as a combo of simon says and twister. The announcer and music is very upbeat and my kids get really excited and "into" the whole play process. Each round of the game is only about a minute long which gives many chances to be a winner. The game requires listening skills, follow the direction, and knowledge of shapes, colors, and identification and classification of foods, instruments, and animals. There is a good and interesting variety in the directions (walk, spin, crawl, swim, stomp, hop, fly ect. to a "food", an "instrument", color, shape, or animal; as well as additional instructions to "sit on", touch your knee, elbow, nose, hand, shake hands with other players, or high five other players. Sometimes the instructions go on for several turns, sometimes just once, and sometimes the game director will instruct players to do step 1, "AND", step 2, "AND", step 3, ect. Thus, you get the twister like game play. At the end of each round players are instructed to "freeze" on the mat they are currently standing on and the announcer then designates one particular mat as the winner! That person(s-throughout all play there may be more than one player on each mat) is then told to take a bow, do a victory jump, or do a funny dance. My kids absolutely delight in listening, following the directions, then eagerly "freeze" and hope that the mat they've finished on is the winning one. They get so excited about the whole game that they have yet to get bummed if they don't win that round because the game announcer just dives right into another round of play. This game is perfect for parties, playdates, or when your kids need to let off alot or a little crazy energy!
  
  

• A game varying ages can play together!

  
  By A2VXXU4HQ436GK on 2003-12-30
  My kids have so much fun with this one. A great choice when you have kids of different ages. If they know their colors and shapes they are old enough to play, but still a lot of fun for older kids because they will have a better grasp of what they are doing. I would guess even a 2 yo would wander among the pads and get caught up in the fun, even if not understanding the point of the game. My 3 and 6 year old enjoy playing this together when usually the older runs out of patience with the younger on other games. After several rounds of hop to ..., stomp to ..., touch your knee to ... , ...one of the categories of pads (blue, musical instrument, triangle, etc), the electronic caller names a winning pad. The winner gets to do something fun like a funky dance or take a bow, then it quickly starts again. The winner gets some attention, but no one seems to mind that they didn't win as it is fun to watch the winner and then they are quickly started back to a new game without dwelling on who won. Its a rare game that can allow a winner without having young losers get upset. We have not played with the volume, so the only downside I could think of is that in a large group there could be too much noise for everyone to hear the caller and he does not repeat. The pads are made of a rubber or vinyl and seem to be pretty durable, don't slide on the carpet, and they all store back in the box. If your kids spend too much time sitting around, this is an excellent one for getting them up and moving without things getting too rowdy, although you do need space on the floor to place pads - I would think the area in front of a sofa/loveseat combo is minimal, but I'm sure they could circle round a coffee table. If they are too close together they will feel like the caller is a little slow though.
  
  

• My favorite game for pre-schoolers and Kind.

  
  By A30W9TQQVNUO25 on 2004-10-20
  I bought this game for my son's 5th birthday and he and his 7 year-old brother play endlessly. It includes some education for young players (ID shapes, colors and themes). The game gives verbal instructions which makes it a blast for early or pre-readers. There are no tiny game pieces for younger siblings to eat or lose. Also, it lets the kids move around and be silly without driving me crazy. It is one of the few games that I own that will keep my boys (and half the neighborhood) entertained with almost no involvement on my part. If the kids get too loud or crazy, they can't hear the next instruction - which generally keeps them focused. My only suggestion would be a volume control for the player to allow for a quiet 2-person game or a loud group, but overall this game is as good as it gets in my book.
  
  

• Hullabaloo ...alotafun

  
  By A2MZYL1NQVOVWC on 2003-09-12
  After playing this game with my grand-daughter, who received it as a gift, I have decided to send it to my other grandchildren. She loved the music and the pace of the game. I loved the fact that it involves physical activity while being playable indoors. I don't like to see young children parked in front of a television. This game will encourage them to get up and move. It's exciting without involving the kind of competition that can cause fights. I was also very impressed by the durability of the plastic player. This is not a toy that will be played with and broken within a few days. Most of all, I love the fact that a three year old could play it with a grandmother and both could be entertained. I'm sure my other grandchildren will love it as well.
  
  
• Fun, but for older kids, doesn't hold attention too long
  By A1ZO9D554VQO9F on 2003-12-08
  I purchased this item as my daughter was having a sleepover party with 7 and 8 year olds. I was happy with the quality of the items, the 16 vinyl pads you spread out on the floor seem quite durable. They are much thicker and "sort of" stick to carpets, unlike the mat that comes with the Twister game which gets all wrinkled up in no time. The speaking unit is nice too. Has a volume control, but I wish it had a speed control too. Sometimes it seemed to me that the voice giving out the directions was too slow. I thought if you could speed it up it might be funner at times, but then sometimes the girls were so loud during their moves that they would miss the next set of directions. I must admit the quality of the voice is very clear and not garbled at all. Overall, the 5 girls that played it seemed to like it as there was laughter and screaming. I did worry at times because there would be only 3 red pads to step on, but there were 5 girls playing. Usually they would all race to the pads and run into eachother getting to them. They would play about 5 rounds of the game and then move onto another activity.
  But my 3 year old keeps dragging it out and playing it by herself, so it will serve its purpose for a few more years. Still, its price is not justified, it should be no more than twenty dollars in my opinion.
  
  
• Played with this game all year
  By A25TSRF4M5F5KB on 2004-10-25
  I purchased this game for my children last yr. C-mas. 3yrs and 6 yrs. They have steadily pulled this game out first throughout the entire year. And they both play together without much arguement. I have even found them playing it alone in their respective rooms. I love the fact that it requires physical activity. I definately recommend this as a gift for anytime of year.
  
  
• Long-lasting, energetic FUN!
  By AS2KAWPEM0L0L on 2003-10-28
  I bought this game for a family gathering, and the six kids (ages 2.5 through 6.5) could not get enough of it. They all were stomping and twirling and laughing in another room (by themselves!) for hours. No grownups required - but we couldn't help ourselves. The kids were having so much fun, we occasionally joined in also.

  Each round lasts only a minute or so, and every time there is a potential "winner". Everyone has equal chance to win each round, though, and I found that the kids were rooting for each other to win rather than trying to win every time themselves. The game then starts again, and changes every time to stay interesting. The game turns itself off if the kids stop playing - but that just won't happen for quite a while.

  Big fun, exercise, good sportsmanship, a variety of ages cooperating, and a neglected TV - what more could you want from a game?
  
  

• Great fun for kids of different ages
  By A1KEPE863BRY4P on 2006-06-22
  I had this game on my Amazon wish list, and a good friend purchased it as a "big brother" gift for my two eldest when their baby brother was born. Since they had lots of toys already, I kept it hidden in my closet for the right day... when the baby would be awake, the downstairs neighbors would be gone, etc.
  
  Well, I pulled it out today, popped the batteries in, and voila! Like magic, my normally squabbling 3 1/2 and 6 1/2 year olds were giggling, bouncing, and leaping all over the place. The great thing is that it's an active game, but they have to listen to the game's instructions, so they don't get overly wild. This is a terrific game for a small birthday party (though you can order spare game pads from Cranium and use it for bigger groups or classes), or just to bring out when the kids are bored and can't go burn off energy outside.
  
  The game is really simple; it comes with the battery-operated pod and 16 pads that you scatter on the floor. They vary in shapes, colors, and emblems (things like animals, instruments, and food). The players have to listen to the pod's instructions (ie "spin over to a circle! Touch your nose to an animal!"), and after a certain number of instructions, the game will tell the players to freeze, and announce that if anyone is standing on a certain pad, they're the winner, and should take a bow or do a funky dance.
  
  I was thrilled to have a game that's active and something that both my kids could play together -- since it's essentially a listening-to-instructions game of luck, one wouldn't necessarily beat the other.
  
  This is a terrific example of how well-thought-out the Cranium games are. I'm sure we'll get lots of use out of this!
  
  
• Great Game For All
  By A3DA0BTIGT3WG5 on 2006-11-10
  I purchased this game for my three boys to play together; Ages 7, 5 & 3. They all love it and friends that come over always want to get it off the game shelf. It doesn't seem to go through batteries either (bonus). The games are quick and easy for the littlest players and they usually have enough time for everyone to win at least once before the youngest players start loosing interest & finding new things to entertain themselves. The only trouble that I see with it is, the volume is a little quiet for playing with so many young ones.
  
  
• This is an awesome game!
  By A1Q001GF2B94V8 on 2004-11-05
  We love playing this game with our 5 year old. She has so much fun jumping around. Its a great game for parents to play with kids or for kids to play together. I would recommend this game to anyone!
  
  
• Lots of fun in a small package
  By on 2003-10-28
  This was a present for my 5 year old son. He and my 3 1/2 year old daughter have lots of fun with this. It is great for apartment living because it doesn't take space to store and helps the kids burn off energy in a controlled way on a rainy day. We love the crazy dances when you're a winner. It is a fun playdate toy too.
  
  
• can't go wrong with this multi age pleaser
  By A28DT3XXS79KCB on 2005-12-09
  this is a great game for a variety of ages...it incorporates listening and thinking skills as well as alot of movement and activity...if you have kids ranging from 4-8 this is the game for you...the talking piece gives directions and you have game "pieces" all over the floor..it will for example say, "fly to something green" and then all you little ones will fly to something green (they will have more than one correct option)..it will give 6-8 commands then tell everyone to stop and will declare the lucky person standing on a certain item the winner...alot of fun...you will need a decent amount of space to play this game. My favorite thing is they get to move while they play...but your child will need at least one other child or adult willing to obey commands like, "hop on one foot to the square", to make this game worth playing or any fun...this would not be a fun game for just one.
  
  
• The Greatest Game for young children
  By A33D7S921LZ6HA on 2004-10-07
  My son received this game for his birthday last January. It is the most wonderful game we have in our collection. Every child that visits our house loves to play over and over and over again. The pads that are placed on the floor are very durable and have been wadded up and stuffed into the box. Simply pull them out and they lay flat again. The game console in only one piece with no real way to break anything and the recorded voice allows the kids to play even if I'm not available. It teaches, shapes, colors, animals and other basics. The music is fun and the longer they play, the more involved the moves get. You will not be sorry if you purchase this. It is worth every penny.
  
  
• Improve Listening Skills and Have Fun!!!
  By A35I0CSODIJH7 on 2006-10-28
  My sons, age 3 and 4, played this today for the first time. Both of them had a ball!!! All of us were laughing and having fun, and I was thrilled that it was requiring them to use their listening skills, follow directions, and share (it emphasizes that more than one player can stand on a spot). It also introduced my three year old to the fact that he can't win every time. I really liked the fact that any of us could win each time. It's really lots of fun for the entire family, and with no little pieces to lose or a small board to crowd around. I highly recommend it to everyone with a preschooler!
  
  
• A noisy but fantastic game for kids
  By A224CB06TCVOX0 on 2005-11-11
  A great way to burn energy without going outside! Perfect for ages 3 and up, maybe younger if they can follow directions well. I love it because my kids can play it by themselves, with each other or even with me. It's a goofy Simon Says meets Twister with music. All you need is about 8 square feet of floor space, you can play for just 10 minutes or a lot longer since the game progresses.
  
  
• my 3 yr old loved this at a playdate, and now i'm buying it!
  By API5JLBRT6FIN on 2004-01-12
  Such a fun game! gets them moving, and fantastic for listening skills. Attending to spoken instructions and following through with a pretty quick pace was so much fun and giggles. His 3 year old playmate who was familiar from playing the game with her sister over the past couple of weeks had no problem following along, tho my son would often skip one. Probably would take 4 yr old to do the 3 part moves, though these kids tried with some help from the adults. Perfect no of spots for 3 kids, but would be a fantastic way for more to share and help their friends get on the right spot. Don't pass on this -- our family loves the regular cranium games too, so the 5 stars on durability though of course I don't know -- but the unit seemed pretty simple and sturdy to operate. Did not have any issue with the volume, though of course, as the giggles and shouts get louder, it might be hard to hear! The smiles as they all did a victory dance were not to be missed.
  
  
• Non-Stop Fun
  By AIXGZZZVNWEE4 on 2004-07-12
  I bought this for my two year old's birthday. We played it with her 5,6,11,12,& 13 year old Uncles and cousins. The older kids played it all that night and all day the next day. My two year old thought it was fun to run around on the pads, but she was able to point at her nose when they said "nose" and point at her knee when they said "knee". Even some of the adults got in on the fun. Very fun game for all ages.
  
  
• We Love Cranium Hullabaloo
  By A3BHLXQL7LEP4K on 2004-09-06
  So far my family is enjoying all Cranium products we have tried. Hullabaloo is our favorite. Can be played by one child or the whole neighborhood (adults too). Gets everyone up and moving. Durable enough to play outside. Handy carry case. I would also recommend for preschools or special education. Emphasis on gross motor, social and language skills.
  
  
• Hullabaloo
  By A36VEYAZRSSHHH on 2006-07-04
  This is a great game. My 2 1/2 and 6 both play it together. It helps the little one to learn colors and shapes and identifying pictures and most importantly to listen to instructions. Its a fun action game because the speaker calls out the new location to find and tells the players how to get there -- spin to a red, crawl to a square. It is even fun to play alone. I definitely recommend this.
  
  
• We Just Didn't Love It
  By A1WG72HYN0P0M1 on 2005-09-21
  I bought this for my 4 year old. We played once, he had an okay time, and then we were done with it and he didn't seem very interested in playing again. I returned it.
  
  There's not much of a challenge in it, and we can dance around and be silly without the electronic prompt.
  
  
• Cranium Hullabaloo or "Hop to the Spaghetti"
  By A1RHXEZUFXGJ92 on 2005-12-11
  Our 5 yr old fell in love with this game seeing it on a TV commercial. The instruction it gave, "Hop to the Spaghetti" stuck with her, and that's what she's always called the game...so we all do. She got it a year ago for Christmas when she was barely 5. The verbal instructions given by the toy are very clear and easy to understand. It is a huge success here, as I love watching all my kids have fun playing it, boys and girls, ages 5 - 17. There is always lots of laughing and fun. I would highly recommend it for families who need a game to span different ages. Everyone has the same chance at winning. The older kids don't have to 'throw the game' so that the younger ones can win once in awhile. It's great.
  
  
• Kids really enjoy this game!
  By A1T2IFMSJ3S6SF on 2005-10-16
  We got this as a gift for my 5 yr old and he and his 3 yr old sister really enjoy this game. It is highly entertaining and keeps them occupied for long. Very upbeat and cheerful, more so than any board game. Would highly recommend this game to anyone. As someone else said it is a combination of Twister and Simon Says. The kids just love this game.
  
  
• Simple fun for Preschoolers and Parents
  By A282BDGW975UDG on 2005-11-19
  Hullabaloo is fun for the whole family, but it is hands down the BEST game I have seen yet for a child too young to read. You do not have to sit still, take turns, or remember and follow lots of rules!! My 3 year old loves it!!
  
  
• Kids Love it - (and they don't know it's educational!)
  By A3N5FJ62JASQ7B on 2005-11-30
  Wonderful game for kids to learn their colors, shapes, and objects. The shape pads are scattered on the floor, the music comes on, and the voice tells the kids what to stand on. When the music stops, if the person is standing on what the voice says (example: the square, or the red triangle, or the piano), that person wins!
  
  
• LOVE this game!!
  By A8ICUBUJN7EWV on 2006-05-07
  I bought this for my kids ages 3 & 6 and they LOVE it. They will get it out to play and have a great time with no arguing. It is a very simple concept and something they can play without needing help with directions or rules. For the first week, they played it all the time!
  
  I teach Creative Movement for preschoolers and this was great fun in class as well. I disagree w/the poster that says it has no educational value. For preschoolers, it teaches color, shapes, words are posted w/the pictures and categories are used. My only recommendation would be to have the ability to set it to repeat commands or space them out longer. For my younger kids, they were barely getting to the right pads & it was off to the next direction. They needed a little more time to think about where to go. Overall, an excellent game & lots of fun to watch or play!
  
  
  
• We love Hullaballoo!!
  By A1UPHGOIUPGZ4L on 2006-05-12
  We've had Hullaballoo for over a year now and my kids (7, 5, 3, 18 months) love to play it. It is helping my 3-yr-old learn his colors, shapes and how to follow directions. It helps my 5 & 7 year-olds to learn to encourage one another and feel happy when another person wins. My 18-month-old just likes to toddle around on the pads (and occasionally steals one or two) and even wins sometimes! It is a fantastic game and the kids will even play by themselves sometimes. I love it!
  
  
• LOVE this game
  By A1E83436ZG9QK8 on 2006-10-28
  My 3 year old LOVES this game and I love it because I can either play with her or she can play by herself. She isn't ready for boardgames where there are spaces that she must count but this game is great. Better to already know basic shapes and colors before playing.
  
  
• IGNORE any bad review! This is AWESOME!
  By AXEIK6DRI3NOL on 2004-04-18
  My 3 year old daughter got this game as a gift and she LOVES to play! My 7 year old also LOVES this game! It is really cute and anytime they play - someone is giggling. (...). It is a good oppotrunity to teach children about being a good winner/loser no matter who wins. That said- this game is just plain fun! I've even played this one with my kids and we all have a good time. You can't go wrong with this!
  
  
• 5 yr old and 8 yr old LOVE this game!!
  By A3HFZWO8SFXGEB on 2004-11-27
  My 5 year old got this game for Christmas last year and it's STILL the favorite game 1 year later! Cranium games ROCK!!! (smile)
  
  

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