Kids Of Carcassonne

by Rio Grande Games

Product Features

• Simplified version of the classic game Carcassonne
• For 2-4 players
• Takes about 20 minutes to play
• No scoring required
• First one to use all the figures wins

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 7.5 x 2.8 inches ; 2 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B002CJCQ9K
• Item model number: RGG388
• Manufacturer recommended age: 4 - 8 years
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #26,254 in Toys & Games (See Top 100 in Toys & Games)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

Each year, the people of France celebrate a national holiday on July 14th. In Carcassonne, the people mark the day by releasing the sheep, chickens and cows from their pens. All day, the children of Carcassonne make great fun by trying to catch the animals and return them to their pens by dusk. This highly simplified version of the best-selling Carcassonne gives small children the chance to enjoy this great game, even with their families. Here, no points are counted. Instead, the first player to use all his figures is the winner.

Product Description

On 14 July, the national holiday in France, the sheep, chickens and cows are set free in the town of carcassonne. The children have big fun to catch the animals before dusk. The players in turn draw a landscape tile and place it; unlike in normal carcassonne, they always match. Amongst other features, the tiles show children in the player colors on the roads. Whenever a road is finished, every player places one of his meeples on each appropriate picture. The first player who manages to place all of his meeples wins the game.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars excellent game to play with young children, September 25, 2010

By 

Rorke Haining (Seattle) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

= Durability:4.0 out of 5 stars  = Fun:4.0 out of 5 stars  = Educational:3.0 out of 5 stars 

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Kids Of Carcassonne (Toy)

If you enjoy euro board games such as Carcassonne and also would like to share them with young children (say, 4 years old), this is definitely the game for you. Carcassonne itself is one of the lighter eurogames and yet still it's well beyond what a 4 year old can effectively play, because there are many tile placements that are illegal and scoring is too complex for a child to incorporate into their planning. This game has all the same fun of tile laying and the beautiful artwork of the adult version (with a child-friendly bonus of artwork showing children on most tiles running around playing with or chasing farm animals) but a much simpler scoring mechanic and there are no illegal tile placements. Each tile has four road connections, one on each edge, but on the tile itself, some of these connections end and some connect to other edges. (Example: maybe the two roads cross where one is a bridge over the other, or maybe all 4 incoming roads end at a large building in the middle of the tile.) Some of the road segments have children on them in 4 different colors. When a road is completed at both ends, it is scored. For example, if a road is completed and that road has pictures of 3 blue children and 1 yellow child on it, then blue places 3 children from his supply on the road and yellow places 1. The winner is the player who runs out of children to place on the tile map first. Very similar to but simpler than Carcassonne scoring.

My 4.5 year old daughter enjoys playing this a lot. I wouldn't call it educational per se, but it's just the right level of mentally stretching for her, as she tries to figure out what roads will end depending on where the tile is placed, and which players will score more points because of it. 4.5 is a bit young, older children would probably enjoy it even more. But the real benefit is that it's a children's game that adults don't mind playing, so you can play together. Adults will eventually tire of this game, of course -- I encourage you to check out the normal version of Carcassonne if you haven't already, as that one keeps adults entertained for far longer and is a great introduction to European strategy board gaming.

Lastly, in case this helps you make up your mind, we received this game as a gift, loved it, and have now given it as a gift multiple times to multiple board gaming friends with children. As I say, it's perfect for gamers with young children.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Game For Kids - Teaches Strategy, December 27, 2009

By 

Talvi - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

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

This review is from: Kids Of Carcassonne (Toy)

This is a great game for little kids. The game consists of tiles with parts of several paths on them. Some paths end and others are open. You match up path tiles and try to put end points to close off a path. If your character's color is in a path that's closed, you place a wood token there. The player with the most wood tokens when all the tiles are done wins. It's that easy! It's a richer version of "pipe" or "snake" games where you build the pieces.

The tiles are sturdy, easy to place, and beautifully illustrated in rich illustrations and bright colors. The person tokens are made of thick wood and the entire set is made from very obviously quality materials - no plastic anywhere! There are no dice, spinners, or any type of counting needed for the game - each player takes turn placing tiles and trying to close off the paths on which their characters are sitting. The strategy is easy here so this is great for families with children of multiple ages.

This is a quality game and we received it as a wonderful gift. It's one of those wonderful gifts that families can enjoy playing together.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Finally, a game I can play with my six-year-old, March 3, 2011

By 

Timur Tabi (Austin, TX USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

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

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Kids Of Carcassonne (Toy)

I'm a big fan of complex board games, especially "German" board games like Catan and Carcassonne. I have two children, six and eight, and my six-year-old gets frustrated a lot because he's the only one in the house who can't read. It's very hard to find games that everyone in the family can enjoy without getting overwhelmed or bored. I tried Kids of Catan and was sorely disappointed in the gameplay.

I am so grateful that I discovered Kids of Carcassonne -- finally I have a game that my youngest can play that also doesn't bore me. He had a little difficulty at first understanding the concept of a closed vs. open road, but after playing it a couple times he gets it. The level of strategy is perfect -- not too much that he can't play well, but also enough that the adults still have to think about their moves. There's also an element of luck involved, so a yonger player can still win even if he doesn't make all the best moves.

I'm looking forward to playing this game and watching my son get better at it over next months and years. I highly recommend this game as a gift for any six- or seven-year-old.