Cranium Cariboo

by Cranium

Product Features

• Kids will love every minute of Cranium Cariboo as each turn gives them the chance to match fun drawings
• Rounds of Cariboo last about 10 to 15 minutes, great for young attention spans
• Kids learn while matching letters, numbers, shapes and colors AND practice sharing and turn-taking by passing the key with each turn
• Cranium Cariboo comes with a Cariboo Island game board, six treasure balls, two sets of cards (beginner & advanced), one key, and a treasure chest
• Cranium Cariboo is the magical treasure hunt game designed especially for young children
• Unlock secret doors, and even discover hidden treasures

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 16 x 10.5 x 3.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S. and to APO/FPO addresses. For APO/FPO shipments, please check with the manufacturer regarding warranty and support issues.
• ASIN: B000063XO3
• Item model number: 104010000.100E
• Our recommended age: 36 months - 6 years
• Manufacturer recommended age: 36 months - 6 years
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #40,491 in Toys & Games (See Top 100 in Toys & Games)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (207 customer reviews)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes

Product Description

Editorial Review

Taking a step away from trivia questions and clay sculpting, the makers of Cranium have instead created a game for teaching wee ones a few colors, shapes, numbers, and letters. (And, if you know 3- to 6-year-olds that won't lose all the included cards and balls, they may also learn sharing, cooperation, and imaginative play.) The bottom of the box houses the game itself, with three chutes along the top that the balls are dropped into and three rows of flip-up panels that are decorated with various colored objects. Players draw cards, match them to a panel, flip up the panel, and hope there is a ball underneath it. Once all six balls are recovered a treasure chest pops open and gameplay can begin anew. --Pam Lauer

Product Description

3 years & up. Magical treasure hunt game that reinforces four early learning fundamentals: letters, numbers, shapes and colors. For 2 to 4 players.

See all Product Description

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

102 of 104 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great beginner's game, September 19, 2003

By 

AP mama "aspiringmidwife" (New castle, de United States) - See all my reviews

= Durability:4.0 out of 5 stars  = Fun:4.0 out of 5 stars  = Educational:5.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Cranium Cariboo (Toy)

We bought this game because the next "level" of cranium game would be cadoo which is ages 7 &up. My daughter is 4.5 and it was fun the first 2 times we played it and then it got boring. Another reviewer had the right idea when they said to make variations up. It helps the game last much longer than if there were none. My daughter really likes the bouncy balls and the key though. Bottom line is that if your kids know their abc's and 123's then I would suggest you find another game. It's a great beginning game though!

55 of 57 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Cariboo Variations Add to Entertainment Value for Older Kids, May 18, 2003

By 

hb-497 "hb-497" (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews

= Durability:3.0 out of 5 stars  = Fun:3.0 out of 5 stars  = Educational:3.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Cranium Cariboo (Toy)

With a little creativity, it's not hard to make Cariboo more entertaining and educational for older kids, perhaps even up to age seven or eight. The play value is extended considerably over the base game.

Variation #1:

Turn Cariboo into a "rummy" and logic game but dealing a hand of five cards to each player. Each turn you must turn in *two* cards that have the characteristic on the box to open it. After playing these cards, you can open the lid. Refresh your hand.
This makes it challenging to figure out how to play out your hand in order to open a certain lid. A player also has the opportunity to "turn in" his hand, or trade from 1-5 cards with an opponent, getting rid of "dead" cards.
(Try with three matching characteristics - if you enjoy this kind of thinking a better game called "Set" which Amazon sells does this very well).

Variation #2:

Close lids after opening. The child must remember which have been opened and closed, turning this into a good memory exercise.

Variation #3:

Rather than the last ball wins, assign a consistent or variable point value to the colored balls or the order in which they appear (first ball worth 1, second 2, etc), with a bonus for the last ball.

Variation #4:

Add a "tic-tac-toe" like element, with points, to selecting which lids to open. e.g 3 lids in a column with X points, 5 lids in row worth Y points.

Good luck! Apply similar thinking to games in your closet and encourage your child to do so as well and you might find a budding game designer!

46 of 48 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best family game on the market!, November 29, 2002

By 

fair_deal_guy "BB" (Prior Lake, MN USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

= Durability:3.0 out of 5 stars  = Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars  = Educational:5.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Cranium Cariboo (Toy)

Man, it's hard to find a good family game these days. If you've already bought the classics, then there are very few games out there that aren't simply rehashed TV episodes. True, the kids might clamor for a Powerpuff Girls or Dexter's Lab game, but they're poorly designed and the gameplay doesn't even sustain the kids through the first evening of play.

Cranium Cariboo, on the other hand, has enough sound and motion and excitement to keep the attention of the video game generation while still doing some genuine teaching. Granted, it's not PhD-level stuff, but this is about fun, not homework. We found Cranium Cariboo to be the sort of game that almost always gets taken out of the game closet first, and that's the highest recommendation our family can give any game--especially at gift giving time. Enjoy!