My First Bananagrams (2016) Board Game

My First Bananagrams is a children’s word game that was released in 2016 by Bananagrams, Inc. Designed by Kendra Harrington, this game is suitable for kids aged 4 and above. The game aims to help children build their vocabulary, spelling, and pattern recognition skills in a fun and engaging way.

Game Components of My First Bananagrams

80 single letter tiles in lowercase

Combo letter word-building tiles

Green banana pouch for storage

Multiple mini games and progression exercises

Downloadable worksheets available on the official website

How To Setup My First Bananagrams

To set up the game, place all 80 single letter tiles face down in the center of the table, forming the “bunch.” Each player then takes 15 single letter tiles.

Gameplay Mechanics and Game Objective

Objective: Be the first player to use all your letters in a connected word grid without spelling mistakes, proper nouns, or abbreviations.

Setup: Players start by calling out “split” and simultaneously turning their tiles face-up.

Gameplay: Players rearrange their tiles to form intersecting word grids. Players can call out “swap” to exchange one letter for another from the bunch.

Winning: When all letters are used up correctly, the player calls out “bananas” and wins. If mistakes are found, play resumes until a correct grid is completed.

Advanced Play: Includes combo letter tiles that can only be used horizontally but can be built upon vertically.

Player Experience

**My First Bananagrams** is designed to be a fun and educational experience for young children. The game helps build spelling and literacy skills through various mini games and exercises such as spelling names, placing the ABCs in order, and letter matching. The game’s progression is step-by-step, making it easy for preschoolers to learn and enjoy.

Pros

Educational: Aligns with reading curricula and helps build spelling and literacy skills.

Engaging: Multiple mini games and exercises keep children interested.

Portable: Comes in a convenient green banana pouch.

Award-winning: Winner of Parents Magazine Best Toys Award and Creative Child 2016 Game of the Year.

Cons

Limited Age Range: Designed primarily for pre-readers and early learners, which may limit its appeal for older children.

Simple for Advanced Learners: Once the gameplay becomes too easy, it may lose appeal for more advanced learners.

Personal Thoughts on My First Bananagrams

**My First Bananagrams** is an excellent gift for children aged 4+ who are just beginning to learn how to read and spell. It is a well-designed game that balances fun and education, making it a great tool for parents and educators looking to foster a love for reading in young children. As children progress and find the game too easy, they can transition to the classic Bananagrams game for a more challenging experience.

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