Cranium is a fun learning game to use at home or in Speech Therapy. If you are new to this game, here is a quick overview of the rules.

In this game, players are rewarded for creativity and quickness. The new version of Cranium contains a game board that folds three-ways and thus allows players the option of choosing different lengths of the game. Players can play in teams of two, three, or four.

The game board is divided into fields and spaces with different colors (red, yellow, green, blue, and purple). For every color (except for purple) there is a set of same color-coded cards.

The red cards, also called “Data Head”, test the players' knowledge of data and facts. For example, some cards will ask a question and give you four multiple-choice answers to choose from. Other cards might ask your team to evaluate if a given statement is true or false.

The yellow cards are called “Word Worm” and focus on words and their spelling. Players might be asked to spell a certain word or spell a word backwards (without writing the word down first). Some cards require the players to arrange letters so they form anagrams.

The green cards are called “Star Performer”. Do you have an idea what they are all about? They ask players to act out known people or characters without using their actual names. The other players then need to guess who you are!

The blue cards are named “Creative Cat”. These cards suggest a creative, expressive activity, such as molding the clay (included in the game) into a clue in such a way that the other players can guess the required answer. You might also be asked to draw with your eyes closed, while the other players guess the word or phrase you are trying to convey.

There are no purple cards. However, if a player lands on a purple field, he or she can choose any of the other color cards they want.

Each game starts with the teams picking a game piece and putting it on the starting field. The player with the closest upcoming birthday goes first. As players roll the dice, they advance on the game board.

When a player lands on a certain color, he or she draws a card from the corresponding color card stack. The card will instruct the team on what to do.

The team then needs to successfully complete the activity within a certain time frame. Once the team is done with the activity, it’s the next team’s turn.

The Cranium game addresses children’s various learning styles and multiple intelligences, which makes it a great educational game for school-aged children. Language learning will become so much fun!

The Cranium game motivates kids to spell, read, and sound out the words and sentences they see on the cards. They are also encouraged to physically act out what they just read. This kind of activity stimulates the whole brain and involves and connects the left and right brain hemispheres, This process helps to better retain newly learned information.

The age guide given on the box says 12+, however, younger children might enjoy this game as well. It is easy to adapt this game to help kids with delays or developing language skills.

For example, you can fold the game board in such a way that the playtime is shortened. Parents or Speech Therapists can also make it less competitive by not playing with a timer or not using all the cards.

Parents will appreciate that they can actively engage with their child in a fun way and help with language development and learning at the same time.

Now you know all there is to know about using the Cranium game for Speech Therapy – are you ready to play? Have fun! 

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