Product Description
Apples to Apples Junior is the game of hilarious comparisons! Based on the popular card and party game, Apples to Apples, this Junior version gives kids hilarious, fast-paced fun while also building their vocabulary and thinking skills. The 576 cards provide hours and hours of fun! Great for ages 9 and older.
Top Customer Reviews
Just as much fun as the adult version - plus shhh they might learn something
By Sapere Aude
** REGULAR VS JUNIOR **
What is the difference between Apples to Apples the regular version and this Apples to Apples Junior? It appears that the main difference is in the types of proper names & pop culture. The words in Apples to Apples Junior are not super simple, they have a very wide variety of vocabulary words, but they don't have as many references to politicians or movie stars - the types of things younger kids would not be aware of. There are still proper names, but they are more kid friendly, like Spiderman or The Statue of Liberty.
** HOW IT WORKS **
Apples to Apples is a party game, it really is for 4 or more people, and in this case it is better with more. There are two types of cards, red and green. The green cards contain adjectives (e.g. calm, bold, silly). The red cards contain nouns or actions (e.g. glass, hamsters, Superman). One person acts as the judge, they flip over a green card and reveal the adjective. Everyone else has red cards in their hand, from those cards they have to pick the card they think best fits the trait listed on the green card. They all place their cards face down and the judge mixes them up then turns them over. The judge then gets to decide which word best fits the adjective. The person whose card that is wins the green card. You play until one person reaches a certain number of cards. The person who won the card then acts as the judge the next time.
** WHY ITS FUN **
What makes this game so much fun is that you have a limited number of choices of cards in your hands, so you often don't quite have the best match, so sometimes the matches are really silly. The judge is under no obligation to pick the card based on the definition - sometimes the funniest combo wins. It's also fun to try to subtly (or not so subtly for kids) influence the judge to pick your own card without giving it away.
** EDUCATIONAL VALUE **
Each adjective card has several synonyms listed on it. So if the child isn't familiar with the word they can figure it out from the synonyms listed. It's great for building vocabulary. The red cards have little sayings related to the words as well. My kids like to read out each card as they turn it over.
** AGE RANGE **
The rules are very simple to understand, but the cards do not have any pictures or anything to indicate what the card is to a child who can't read. My son is a very early reader and we got frustrated playing with him because he had to have the cards read to him constantly and since the cards are supposed to be a secret (so the judge doesn't know) this makes it very difficult. So I would say this is definitely a game for a child who can read at least somewhere around those step 3 readers. However, as long as everyone can read, this is a great game to play with kids and adults, since as I said above the only difference with the adult version is the references to proper nouns.
** RECOMMENDATION **
We've had a great time playing this game, both with the kids and the regular game with groups of adults. A lot of laughs always results and I feel like its reinforcing good vocabulary in the kids as well.
Great game - makes everyone think!
By Kustard King
We made a family summer visit and one evening their 10 year old brought out this game. It was a great ruckus, and we bought it right when we got home. It is probably one of the most versatile, social, "intelligent" games around. It's amazingly simple, and does a great job of creating humorous and good natured competition.
Since winning is entirely based on the opinion of the dealer/judge, the game scales perfectly with whoever is playing. Since everything is pretty much in the open, "cheating" doesn't really exist, and it's loads of fun to argue over which word should be the best match. It's also offers insight into how your youngins' think. For example, my 6 year old, acting as a dealer, gave us a card of "Fragile." We played the cards "Brains," "Plates," and "Alaska." Now, I think Alaska was a great answer, but my son picked Plates
My kids love it, fun for grownups too
By Bookenato
It is very hard--and by very hard I mean next to impossible--to find a game that your kids will enjoy and that won't cause your brain to melt out of your head. Apples to Apples is a rare example of a game all ages will enjoy. My kids and I have had lots of fun playing, and it's easy enough to "cheat" to let the youngest win if that's how things are done in your house. It really makes the kids think about the meanings of works and their synonyms, so it has educational value as well. There are LOTS of cards so you can play over and over without hitting the same subject twice. All in all one of the best games for kids and grownups I've played in a long time.
One the best games ever
By John R. Prince
My wife and two kids (ages 7 and 9) are really into board games. In fact, it's becoming hard to find new ones we don't have. We were given this game as a gift--and I was surprised I had not even heard of it. We had no idea what to expect, but I was encouraged by the reviews I read on here.
I must say this is one of the most entertaining games we've ever played as a family. I rank it second behind HyperDash, and Apples to Apples Jr. is definitely our new favorite board game.
The concept is surprisingly simple:
Apples to Apples Junior is the game of hilarious comparisons! Based on the popular card and party game, Apples to Apples, this Junior version gives kids hilarious, fast-paced fun while also building their vocabulary and thinking skills. The 576 cards provide hours and hours of fun! Great for ages 9 and older.
Top Customer Reviews
Just as much fun as the adult version - plus shhh they might learn something
By Sapere Aude
** REGULAR VS JUNIOR **
What is the difference between Apples to Apples the regular version and this Apples to Apples Junior? It appears that the main difference is in the types of proper names & pop culture. The words in Apples to Apples Junior are not super simple, they have a very wide variety of vocabulary words, but they don't have as many references to politicians or movie stars - the types of things younger kids would not be aware of. There are still proper names, but they are more kid friendly, like Spiderman or The Statue of Liberty.
** HOW IT WORKS **
Apples to Apples is a party game, it really is for 4 or more people, and in this case it is better with more. There are two types of cards, red and green. The green cards contain adjectives (e.g. calm, bold, silly). The red cards contain nouns or actions (e.g. glass, hamsters, Superman). One person acts as the judge, they flip over a green card and reveal the adjective. Everyone else has red cards in their hand, from those cards they have to pick the card they think best fits the trait listed on the green card. They all place their cards face down and the judge mixes them up then turns them over. The judge then gets to decide which word best fits the adjective. The person whose card that is wins the green card. You play until one person reaches a certain number of cards. The person who won the card then acts as the judge the next time.
** WHY ITS FUN **
What makes this game so much fun is that you have a limited number of choices of cards in your hands, so you often don't quite have the best match, so sometimes the matches are really silly. The judge is under no obligation to pick the card based on the definition - sometimes the funniest combo wins. It's also fun to try to subtly (or not so subtly for kids) influence the judge to pick your own card without giving it away.
** EDUCATIONAL VALUE **
Each adjective card has several synonyms listed on it. So if the child isn't familiar with the word they can figure it out from the synonyms listed. It's great for building vocabulary. The red cards have little sayings related to the words as well. My kids like to read out each card as they turn it over.
** AGE RANGE **
The rules are very simple to understand, but the cards do not have any pictures or anything to indicate what the card is to a child who can't read. My son is a very early reader and we got frustrated playing with him because he had to have the cards read to him constantly and since the cards are supposed to be a secret (so the judge doesn't know) this makes it very difficult. So I would say this is definitely a game for a child who can read at least somewhere around those step 3 readers. However, as long as everyone can read, this is a great game to play with kids and adults, since as I said above the only difference with the adult version is the references to proper nouns.
** RECOMMENDATION **
We've had a great time playing this game, both with the kids and the regular game with groups of adults. A lot of laughs always results and I feel like its reinforcing good vocabulary in the kids as well.
Great game - makes everyone think!
By Kustard King
We made a family summer visit and one evening their 10 year old brought out this game. It was a great ruckus, and we bought it right when we got home. It is probably one of the most versatile, social, "intelligent" games around. It's amazingly simple, and does a great job of creating humorous and good natured competition.
Since winning is entirely based on the opinion of the dealer/judge, the game scales perfectly with whoever is playing. Since everything is pretty much in the open, "cheating" doesn't really exist, and it's loads of fun to argue over which word should be the best match. It's also offers insight into how your youngins' think. For example, my 6 year old, acting as a dealer, gave us a card of "Fragile." We played the cards "Brains," "Plates," and "Alaska." Now, I think Alaska was a great answer, but my son picked Plates
My kids love it, fun for grownups too
By Bookenato
It is very hard--and by very hard I mean next to impossible--to find a game that your kids will enjoy and that won't cause your brain to melt out of your head. Apples to Apples is a rare example of a game all ages will enjoy. My kids and I have had lots of fun playing, and it's easy enough to "cheat" to let the youngest win if that's how things are done in your house. It really makes the kids think about the meanings of works and their synonyms, so it has educational value as well. There are LOTS of cards so you can play over and over without hitting the same subject twice. All in all one of the best games for kids and grownups I've played in a long time.
One the best games ever
By John R. Prince
My wife and two kids (ages 7 and 9) are really into board games. In fact, it's becoming hard to find new ones we don't have. We were given this game as a gift--and I was surprised I had not even heard of it. We had no idea what to expect, but I was encouraged by the reviews I read on here.
I must say this is one of the most entertaining games we've ever played as a family. I rank it second behind HyperDash, and Apples to Apples Jr. is definitely our new favorite board game.
The concept is surprisingly simple:
1. Players are provided five red cards made up of "things". For example, "Teeth", or "Dark Alley".
2. Each player takes turn being the "judge". The judge pulls a green card that needs comparison (typically in the form of an adjective or adverb). For example, "Graceful", or "Scary".
3. All other players submit the red card in their hand that they feel best compares with the green card. The judge then makes a decision and the card the judge feels best compares with the green card is the winner (and that player receives a "point"). The first to four wins.
What is so fun about this is playing to each judge's mindset. For example, when my nine-year-old son is the judge and asks to compare something that is "Magical", he might feel a card with "Lunchroom" compares better than "Clouds". Or my-seven-year old daughter might feel a pencil is more "Frail" then "Paper" because she breaks the tips of her pencil quite often. You get the idea... Thus the strategy is to think in terms of what the judge likes best.
I cannot recommend this game enough. While it can be played with 2+ players, the more people playing the better, which is actually a plus!
