Cranium Balloon Lagoon Reviews

• Captures the fun of a carnival

  
  By A24CX7AIB0Y6N0 on 2004-11-17
  A great game for the family--especially with mixed ages. My 4 yr old, 9 yr. old and I all enjoy playing and have an equal chance of winning. THe other day, I had to pull away two 9 year olds from playing it. Great design and graphics. It sounds like a cliche, but it's FUN FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY!
  
  

• great game for all

  
  By A23LPHC3CC3VGP on 2004-10-24
  We're not big game folks, but this one is well made and fun. each turn you spin the wheel to determine your challenge. press the timer and do the challenge. when the timer stops, you recieve one balloon for each challenge won. my son got this for his fourth birthday and can play it easily. seven year old friend loved it too. you'll be happy with this game.
  
  

• fun for 3 year olds, too

  
  By A3JU5I2YTZOZ05 on 2004-11-16
  I agree with the other reviewers on how much fun 5 year olds can have with this game. Just wanted to add that my 3.5 year old loves it, too. She plays by herself without the timer for half an hour at a time. The challenge is much reduced if the time pressure is gone, and therefore the game is no longer frustrating for younger kids. When she plays with her almost 5 year old sister she is given "double allowance" for time to complete the tasks and she actually managed to win some games. The game is not that "academic" but then not all games need to be. Instead, it trains coordination and quick responses. It does have many small pieces to lose, but then, it may be used as an example to teach children to be mindful about their toys.
  
  

• Cranium toys rock

  
  By A1A5NAO82AMNO3 on 2004-10-28
  We got this toy for my daughter's 5th birthday. She loves it, and so do we. We aren't even tired of the timer music yet. It's great because it's a game that younger kids can play and yet involves more than just picking a card (Candyland) or spinning a wheel (Chutes and Ladders). You spin revolving cubes to make a drawing of a mermaid, scuba diver, etc. Or you can go fishing for magnetic letters to spell a word. Or you can roll picture dice to try for four of the same picture. We all agree that flicking the frogs into the swamp is the hardest game, but that just gives us parents a chance to extoll the virtues of practice. We've been playing the game on the (carpeted) floor, but I think it might be more sturdy on a flat table. On the floor, the pieces tend to get loose. I just love Cranium games because they're fun and creative without dumbing down for kids.
  
  

• the best cranium yet

  
  By A33A11Z2QQZMJ9 on 2004-11-10
  We have a bunch of cranium games, and this one is the favorite at my house. I have a 5-year-old and two 6-year-olds, and they play this game together for an hour at a time. For once, something that looks like fun and sounds like fun actually IS fun. One big advantage: this game is good for non-readers and readers alike. The only drawback is there are lots of little pieces to lose, but then again, that's true with all board games these days.
  
  
• Lots of fun for all ages
  By A1P7WIG6LOLMH4 on 2004-09-05
  We ordered this game for our 4 year old daughter's birthday a few weeks ago. She loves the game and her older sister who is 8 loves it too. The whole family plays this one or the girls can play by themselves. Highly recommended and we have several other cranium games also.
  
  
• Fun game for entire family
  By AY4UKJ7YVX44W on 2005-12-06
  This review is for Cranium Balloon Lagoon. Our daughter got this for her 4th birthday. This is her first Cranium game. Each player chooses a receptacle at the beginning of the game and the objective of the game is to collect balloons to fill up your receptacle. There are 4 areas (games) on the lagoon that can be played to get points (balloons). Each player get a turn to spin the carousel in the center of the lagoon and play the game the pointer points to, for so long as the carousel music plays. One of them requires basic reading/alphabet recognition skills. We have played this game with a 3-year old friend who did just fine with a little assistance. The other 3 games get easier with a little practice. I am hoping that this game will last us a few years.
  I agree with another reviewer that the Cranium reviews on Amazon need to be sorted out. It is hard to tell which specific Cranium game the review was written for.
  
  
• A great toy that can be enjoyed by the whole family
  By A3C0XVHBHMYK3I on 2004-10-26
  I purchased this toy for my six year old daughter's birthday. It was by far her favorite toy and, surprisingly, has been played with more than her Barbies. The game is made up of four different challenges that provide learning opportunties for her, and fun for the rest of the family. It is made so that everyone - adults and her 9-year old sibling - has an equal opportunity to win. It is durable and visually very attractive. The game strengthens her emerging reading skills, visual discrimination abilities and even fine motor skills. This is an excellent game!
  
  
• Not nearly as good as Cranium Cadoo
  By A1677L3QAOMFE8 on 2005-01-16
  We bought this for our daughters, ages 8 and 6. Once you've played it a couple times, then fun seems to disappear. There are 4 "challenges" that get old quickly. There is not enough variety. In Cranium Cadoo, the puzzles/clues keep changing so the game reamins challenging and fun.
  
  The games involves almost nothing in the way of creativity or educational value. There are six words that you try to spell in letter lake, that's it. The rest is rolling some picture dice, tyring to flip frogs into a "bucket" and spinning wheels to make a picture.
  
  Yes, some kids will still find it fun, but our daughters seem to prefer the other games they got for Christmas better - Sorry Card Revenge, Mastermind, and the Blink Card Game among others.
  
  The scoring system of collecting baloons is a fun idea, but inserting the tiny balloons into the little game pieces is very difficult for adults, and even more frustrating for kids.
  
  I guess I was most disappointed by the fact that the other Cranium games are excellent, and this game aims to capitalize on the thier great reputation. They may have succeeded in selling lots of the games, but they did not come close to matching the creativity and fun of the other Cranium games.
  
  
• Fun for the adults too
  By A2WZPJQRO48IGU on 2006-07-24
  Great kids game that teaches several skills. The timer is musical and not the annoying tick, tick, tick. Three generations played at once and all had fun.
  
  
• Fun for pre-schoolers - BUT - too easy to master for older kids
  By A1YDEKQP0RCJMX on 2005-12-29
  Some of the reviews for Ballon Lagoon seem to be talking about other CRANIUM games, so read carefully, and make sure the review is for THIS game. My son got this when he was 6 and loved it. All the kids liked it a lot at first, but it wasn't long before they got bored, and now we never use it. PROBLEM IS it's too easy to learn. Any 5 or 6 year old ( and some 4 year olds )will be able to jump all the frogs into the pond in no time at all. Fishing out letters to spell words, also, is quickly mastered by even the youngest kids. The best parts are the "chance" games ( e.g. the spinning pictures, and the dice rolling part ). It would help if you could adjust the amount of time that the music plays, since it really is quite easy for the kids to finish any of the tasks with plenty of time left over. It doesn't account for a child's ability to learn! Too bad, because it's a neat looking game, and it's easy to set up. Kids are immediately drawn to it, and it will provide an hour or two of fun at first... but trust me, they will tire of it fast. The game was 5 STAR fun at first, but, in the end, only 2 STARS. Probably an OK game for 3 or 4 year olds, but any older than that and they will be bored. I had hoped for better, and was impressed at first, but, it simply is too easy to learn, and it can't be adjusted to keep up with your child's learning ability. PLEASE BE SURE WHICH GAME IS BEING REVIEWED! This is BALLOON LAGOON - it is NOT Hullabaloo, Turbo, Cadoo or any other of Cranium's many games. There are no puppets, no drawing, no acting out...just 4 carnival games: Letter Lake, Frog Pond, Tumble Tides and Snack Hut. They are all very easy to master for anyone 5 or 6 years old. the recommended age of 5 - 12 is way, way off for this game. I haven't played any other cranium games, and maybe some of them are good for older kids, but this one is definitely for 3 and 4 year olds only.
  
  
• Fun for ALL Ages!
  By ADCC050XSVSR1 on 2006-07-17
  We actually bought this gift using an Amazon's gift certificate. Did not know what to use it for, so I saw this game. We received it really quickly and opened it at once. The game is for ages 5 and up but the 4 year old who recieved it - has no problems playing it. And its fun and challenging for his older brother, his Mom and Dad. It brought "Game Night" back to our weekends.
  
  
• balloon lagoon gets old fast--too simple
  By A1CZZ69MNJI3XF on 2006-06-01
  I bought this for my 3 and 5 year old kids. We played it a few times and then they lost interest. It just isn't challenging enough and the more you play it, the more it stays the same.
  Depending on what the spinner lands on, you either pull magnetic letters up from a "pond" with a fishing pole to spell a word; pop plastic frogs into a pond with your finger; roll dice to get matches; or press a button to spin cubes (similar to slot machine action) to form a picture.
  My kids quickly mastered the simple skills required for this game and became bored. Me too.
  
  
  
  
• Great for all ages
  By A1Y07RQNIN9LE6 on 2006-06-16
  I bought this as a 'joint' gift for my kids. Ages 2, 4, and 6. All three love it! And my husband even enjoys playing it with them. Great game.
  
  
• Cranium has done it again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  By A1KO22HZI2BOMI on 2004-12-03
  What I, a mother of 4 (3 who can play the game) heard right after we started playing this game was, "Mom. We want to play again!!"
  They played it at LEAST 4 times in a row the first day. They love it. Both of my 7 year old twin girls say the best part of the game is that you have to go fast. One of them says, "It's a RUSH!" We look forward to all of the Cranium games. I say, spend the extra money. Get a Cranium game. The kids love them!!!!!!!!!!!
  
  
• Fast, fun, very captivating
  By A2W5KKING9A4O2 on 2004-11-12
  This game was a gift to my 5 year old son, and he really enjoys it. One of the quadrants (the frog hoppers) is the hardest for him, and he gets frustrated when he keeps landing on that quadrant; however, he still enjoys this game. It's been fun for him (and myself - although I find myself continually trying to make sure I don't win too often, since it is quite easy for adults) and he wants to play over and over again. It's not as educational as other games, but it does have some educational value (matching letters, shapes and pictures). It's fun and challenging for him to get all the balloons to fill the game piece, the carousel music isn't bad, and the time constraint makes it exciting.
  
  
• Cool Lagoon
  By on 2004-11-28
  Balloon Lagoon is a cool game. I like the frogs, snack hut, and the mermaid match. It is fun. I want to play it all the time
  
  
• Fun for kids, gets old quickly for adults
  By A3MQ19HBB0RGE0 on 2005-10-12
  My child: 4.5 yrs. We have had this game for 1 year.
  
  Pros:
  --My daughter and her friends love to play this game.
  --It is simple enough that they don't need much (if any) help.
  --It has some educational value (matching, letter/word recognition).
  
  Cons:
  --The game may become tedious for adults after just a few rounds. The activities are very easy. (Of course they are easy! This is a kid's game. However, if you are the parent of an "only" or the parent of a child that needs lots of hand-holding, prepare yourself for the tedium.)
  --Since the activities are so easy for adults, it is difficult not to outscore the children, quickly. While we don't believe in letting our child win every game she plays (whatever the game is), we find the "blowouts" that can happen with this game to be a little too much. Our way of compensating is to continue to play until everyone's character is filled with balloons. Then, we play the timer music while the characters have a parade around the lagoon.
  --If any of the game board sections warp, the "carousel" will frequently (almost always?) stop on the section that is warped. This means that the players end up doing the same activity over and over and over and..... (In our case, it was actually the carousel base that warped. "Luckily", we are able to change the activity which will be repeated, but it still makes for a dull game.)
  
  
• The most fun game for 4 and up boys OR girls
  By API5JLBRT6FIN on 2005-07-30
  This is really fun using left brain, right brain, motor skills etc so that no one needs to be left behind. The concept is simple with four different and equally fun, challenging activities some of which are just as challenging for adults!
  
  We just play the music twice for younger ones sort of like a golf handicap -- This would be one of the must have games for your pre-k and up child. A year after owning this toy, we still bring it out often and play at least a 3-4 rounds.
  The original version of cadoo and hullabaloo too has been outgrown by my now 5 yr old son but this continues to engage.
  
  Durability wise, I gave it a 4 mainly because of a ton of small pieces which tend to get lost. but no different than hungry hippo marbles or hi ho cherrys :-)
  
  
  
  
• One of the best gifts we received
  By A1IQT7E8OR4A4P on 2005-11-26
  My daughter received this for her 5th birthday and she LOVES it! It is not only fun, but is educational. It helps with letter recognition and spelling, matching, gross motor skills, and more. It is not only fun for her, but I find it one of the more fun games to play with her and do not get bored with it as with some other games. I highly recommend it. Buy and enjoy!
  
  
• Wonderful game!
  By A2ZV558P3D29VV on 2006-01-11
  I love this game. We have many and some are just too repetative or too many rules for the little ones. This game is wonderful and I can guarantee I will be taking a second look at all the cranium games. Its hard to set up a game and read directions when young children are waiting and "helping" sooo much. I was amazed that the directions for play were so simple and took less than 3 minutes to read and we were up and playing. My children love this game and my son is only 3 and this is the only game I can play with him without him getting so distracted hes making up his own rules. I think they should have lowered the recommended age cause younger than age 5 can play without a problem. I think so better than candyland or plenty other younger games. You must buy this its a great family game.
  
  
• Super Fantastic!!!!
  By AGFW667QNHDOY on 2005-01-08
  This game is such fun, total eye candy to look at and play! I have 4 & 5 yr olds who took to this game like ducks to water. The game is totally durable and has a great thick, strong, divider filled box to store all the game pieces neatly in. The premise of the game is interesting and festive; kids will feel like they're taking a stroll through a small town midway carnival. That being said, I would be surprised if the older than 8 group would find this game exciting at all--it's probably ideal for ages 4-7. The games are based more on chance and luck, and require only minimal skill. My family loves Cranium games and this is an outstanding new comer for the younger kids! Cranium Hullabaloo is a superb activity game, but for those times when a more "traditional" board game is desired this is a super fun innovative alternative! It will be a sure fire hit and worth every penny!
  
  
• Fun for the young
  By A2GC4KKY1WW84J on 2005-08-02
  This is a great game for kids. It teaches some simple game concepts, such as: completing tasks within a given time frame, spelling, matching, etc. My four-year-old daughter loves this game and can often be found trying to convince her parents to play it with her.
  
  
• An excellent first game - my almost-5 yr old twins love it
  By A3T4RRNMJ36U85 on 2006-11-27
  We played this game at a friends' house and then I ordered it from Amazon. It's a lot more fun that the other games we play, there's more to do than just moving a peice around, and the kids get really excited about.
  
  We have not added the batteries to the spinner, this disables the timer function. When we play, each person gets to do the activity until they complete it, and everyone always gets a balloon. They are having so much fun they aren't concerned with who's winning, which is good, because without the timer it's a moot point.
  
  Most games I buy from thrift stores, but this one was definately worth buying new.
  
  
• Cranium Balloon Lagoon
  By A1RJWUY9BL43LC on 2007-01-09
  My kids love this game! The board sometimes comes apart when moved, but otherwise excellent. The music is infectious, but not annoying. Fun for all ages; challenging enough for my 7 year old, but simple enough for my 5 year old.
  
  
• Looks just like another toy with pieces for kids to lose
  By A1KDK9K4MAHYMH on 2005-05-03
  It was extremely fun, once we put all the pieces in place. I dreaded putting it together (it's not difficult, but has lots of small pieces), and thought that this was going to be another mind-numbing board toy experience. Instead, my son, who was four when he received it, had a BLAST! In fact, we all did (him, his father, me, my mother, and his buddy). He absolutely loves the music of the "timer" for the game (it's catchy, and not annoying at all), and the rules are straightforward but challenging enough for all to have a great time.
  
  
• Fun for kids younger than five!
  By A2OAASYY40YKKJ on 2005-05-14
  I bought this game because my four-year-old son has been really into board games lately, and I was getting bored of playing "Chutes and Ladders" and "Hi-Ho Cherry-O" ALL THE TIME. This game was an instant hit, both with him and with my two-and-a-half-year-old daughter. Because of the timer, it's fast paced and is great for introducing the element of competition (e.g. beat the clock) to your young child, which is, after all, a part of life. The four different areas of the game keep it varied and insteresting. None of the activites were too difficult for even my daughter to master. I would highly recommend this game to parents with kids younger than five. It's perfect for starting a tradition of family game night.
  
  
• Fabulous Find!!
  By A2O75914N3ABY7 on 2006-02-22
  I first ordered Balloon Lagoon for my 6 yr.-old grandson who is autisic and is primarily homeschooled. He lives far away so I didn't have a chance to see it until just recently when I visited at his home. His mother said his teachers really liked the variety of activities involved with the game and the fact that it changed often. My grandson has problems with changes. As a result of the game he was able to play the whole game with no frustration due to the changes because he became used to it. After watching him play and playing with him, I purchased one for my daycare group. All those children loved it too and occasionally when their parents came to pick them up the parents would take a few minutes to play. I found that with a few modifications to the rules, the game is great for ages 3-adult! The package suggests the ages 5 and up for best playing. There are a few too many small parts to be safe for anyone under 3. Balloon Lagoon was, indeed, a fabulous find for me!
  
  
• Great game for everyone
  By A327561Z12BQCG on 2007-01-01
  I just purchased this game for my 3-1/2 year old son, based on other reviews. This is by far our favorite game now (of course, it's still new). But it's educational, builds motor skills, and is a lot of fun. I'm not sure why it's rated for kids 5-7, since my son caught onto the games immediately. Well worth whatever price they are asking.
  
  
• Another excellent Cranium game
  By A2UKIXVWNQ7LHF on 2007-01-23
  We got this one as a gift for my 4-year-old son. It is really cute and we always enjoy playing it. The activities are fun and the frog pond is really challenging, even for adults! The box and pieces are durable like all Cranium games, and I love the compartments in the box (great for storage).
  
  

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