Learning Resources - Alpha-Bug Soup Word Game

by Learning Resources

Product Features

• Grows with children as they develop reading skills and expand their vocabulary
• Very useful for early readers
• Fun for the whole family
• 2-4 players? game
• Recommended age range from 8 years and above

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 1.8 x 10 x 19.8 inches ; 2.2 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 2.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B00004WKQR
• Item model number: LER0333
• Our recommended age: 8 years and up
• Manufacturer recommended age: 5 - 11 years
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #94,025 in Toys & Games (See Top 100 in Toys & Games)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

This game grows with children as they develop reading skills and expand their vocabulary. Early readers learn to recognize letters, while more advanced readers practice correct spelling--fun for the whole family! Includes sandtimer, transparent markers, letters, game cards, dice, 16 bug game pieces and gameboard. For 2¿4 players.

Product Description

For 2 to 4 players

This game spells fun for the whole family! Early readers build letter recognition and vocabulary skills as they call out words beginning with selected letters. Advanced players compete by listing and spelling as many words as possible in the allotted time. Includes sand timer, transparent markers, game cards, dice, 16 critter game pieces and game board.

Awards:

• National Parenting Publications Awards, Honors Award (1997)
• The Education Source Top Ten Educational Games for the Year (2000)
• Canadian Toy Testing Council 3 Star Rating (2002)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

34 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Practice letter recognition, build vocabulary and have fun!, November 23, 2005

By 

Rebeca Mead "rebecame" (Geneva, IL United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Learning Resources - Alpha-Bug Soup Word Game (Toy)

I bought this game for my son when he was almost four and learning his letters in preschool. It provided an excellent way to reinforce his letter recognition and the letter sounds he was learning. Now that he's six, we still play regularly, but we've been able to adapt the game to make it more challenging for him.

The game comes with instructions for play in two modes:
1. for preschoolers learning letters
2. for older kids working on spelling

The rules include several variations of play for each mode, so the game can easily be adapted to the skill level of all players. Either mode is easy to setup for play.

At the beginner level: The object is to collect as many letter disks as you can as you move your 'critters' around the board. Each letter disk has a letter on one side and a cute bug on the other. Players pick a bug and call out a word that starts with the letter on the back. If correct, they roll the dice to advance on the board, and they get to put the bug in their soup. If they don't get a word, they put their bug back in the 'pond'. The player with the most bugs in their soup in the winner.

For the littlest ones, it's a great way to start to recognize letters and the phonetics that go with them. As my son mastered this, we made the game more challenging - like naming a state or type of food that started with the chosen letter.
There is also a variation where the die is used to determine how many letters to choose during a player's turn. The player says one word for each letter disk selected.

The game is lively and fun, and we usually let everyone say a word for each letter. We always end up getting silly and giggly, and the kids never realize they are kind of doing homework! There are also opportunities to 'taste' other player's soups, so you get to steal bugs for your soup. That also causes fits of laughter and friendly competition.

For the older kids, the object of the game is to earn the most points for spelling. A player rolls the die and turns over the same number of letter disks and vowels. All players try to spell as many words as possible from the selected letters before the timer runs out.

The age recommendation says 5 to 10, but I think even younger kids can play if they're learning letter sounds.

I highly recommend this game!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Learning tool, January 14, 2009

By 

Rychefan - See all my reviews

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

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Learning Resources - Alpha-Bug Soup Word Game (Toy)

As a Title 1 3rd Grade teacher these board games are great for Friday centers. They break up the monotany and the kids enjoy competing against one another. There are few learning board games out there. What they normally sell are much higher priced and are just as effective. Worth the price.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fun game, like the different levels, November 17, 2010

By 

DSB (Oregon) - See all my reviews

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

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Learning Resources - Alpha-Bug Soup Word Game (Toy)

I have a kindergartner and 2nd-grader and we play this game together. The basic game is way too easy for 2nd grader but she plays along for her brother's benefit. I like that you can play it several different ways to add more challenge. The kids love the rubber animal playing pieces.