There are a great number of board games which are popular with people of all ages. They can be played by people with a decent reading level all the way through the rest of their lives. These games have been around for many decades and that is because they have a universal appeal. However, there is one age range that most of these games are not suited for. This age is the group of children, generally ages 5-8, those who know how to read but do not have a very high reading comprehension yet. These kids can be rather sharp, yet some games are still above them. That doesn’t mean that they should be denied from enjoying these games, though.
This is why many of these games have come out with Junior editions. These take the premise of the game, but gear it more toward children. It puts the entire game into terms that these kids can not only understand, but enjoy better. After all, most children will not understand the appeal of snatching up real estate property and charging rent to other players, as one would try to do in Monopoly. By the same token, solving a bloody murder mystery, as one would do in Clue, is probably not the most appropriate game for a small child to be playing.
Both of these games have faced these issues head on, though, and produced editions which are much more friendly to children of this younger age. Monopoly Jr. is geared for those children in the 5-8 range. Instead of being set in Atlantic City, as traditional Monopoly, this game takes place during a day at the Boardwalk attractions, much like Coney Island. Each player starts with a colored car mover and a certain number of ticket booths, along with a small amount of “Allowance.”
Players race around the board, landing on certain attractions such as the Roller Coaster or Bumper Cars. If the space is unoccupied, they can purchase the ticket booth from the bank and begin collecting admissions from other players who land on that space. Every time that a player passes “Go,” they will collect an additional $2 allowance. In the end, the last player with money available to them is the winner of the game. This game is great for children because it keeps the spirit of Monopoly, but puts the game into more friendly terms which the children can understand.
Clue Jr. on the other hand does away with the ghastly nature of a murder and seeks to help a group of children solve a mystery. A few different editions of this game exist, allowing children to solve a number of different mysteries in different locations. One case allows the players to discover who ate the last piece of chocolate cake, while another version seeks to discover who hid the toys and where they put them. This more friendly version is a great way to teach children the power of deduction without exposing them to anything as violent as murder. Either of these games are a perfect opportunity for younger children to discover all the delight of the favorite games of the adults.