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Candyland

by Jennifer Asimow

4 more weeks of exploring board games seems like a good idea right about now, especially since playing board games is one of the ways parents engage in overt math experiences with their children (according to my very-far-from-scientific study).

CandylandCandyland is one of our all-time family favorites. Did you know that it was designed by a woman and it is in the Toy Hall of Fame?

Here are some of the reasons I love Candyland….

  1. This is one of the first games that American children play and it simply teaches how to love to play.
  2. It is pretty and colorful and altogether visually appealing.
  3. You don’t have to read at all to play.
  4. It is super inexpensive. Anyone can get a box for next-to-nothing.
  5. It is anyone’s game at any time.
  6. There is matching, counting, jumping, following rules, and getting stuck in molasses.
  7. Everyone is excited to find themselves in the Cupcake Commons or the Chunky Chocolate Mountains.

7 Replies to “Candyland”

  1. I have that board game in our family game night.It will be the game for sat. night five year old going love it. It is a good simple math concepts and numbers to help build on in a fun way. She and I will have tons of fun.

  2. This was the first game I bought my son as a toddler. The game helped him learn what comes after another (sequences) it helped him with matching colors and the pictures. This was also one of the first board games I had as a child. I still enjoy playing this game with children.

    1. This is one of my childhood games as well. I supposed when they are good they last for generations. My boys started thinking that this game was \”girly\” later one- maybe because there are pink flowers and red hearts on the board. Who knows- they loved it when they were little.

  3. I believe that candy land is a great game that has a lot of different concepts that can be taught to the child by using this game. Recently, I have done observations on children\’s play and I was able to observe children between the ages of 5and 6 years old playing this game. I think board games like candy land have a lot of good concepts that can be taught from this to young children. One concept I saw children picking up while playing candy land was color recognition. Some of the children stated the colors they saw and counted the squares along the path. On the other hand others would try to match the colors along the path and some children I over heard even would match the colors to their colors that they were wearing on their clothing. I really liked this idea of playing candy land because I feel it is a game that is developmentally appropriate for children and is a game that is fun for children to do.

    1. Sometimes it is color recognition, especially if you ask the child, \”What color is on your card?\” Sometimes, they are matching what they see. When they turn the card to show you but can\’t label the color, you can point out the same color on the board and then show them with a gesture, which direction they are moving. Then say, \”Move to the next place that you see the same color on your card.\”

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