Granny Apples is a great and compact early game which teaches kids how to do simple addition while they're having fun. What more could a parent want?

The game comes with 8 wooden apple halves, which, on the "inside", have either a picture of an apple cross-section (as you'd expect) or a picture of a worm, a pie, a bird or Granny. One player rolls the 8 apples like dice, and each player must count the apples as quickly as possible. The first one to shout out the correct answer wins the round and some small apple tokens for their collection.

Each apple that lands face down counts as one apple. An apple that lands face-up with the picture of the cross-section counts as a half-apple. If the apple with the pie shows face-up, players must subtract two apples from the total. If the apple with the worm shows face-up, players must subtract one apple from the total UNLESS the apple with the bird shows face-up, in which case they cancel each other out. If Granny's face shows face-up, one apple token gets put into her basket.

So, say the player rolls the apples. 5 apples are face-down, 1 is face-up with a cross-section showing, 1 is face-up with the worm showing, 1 is face-up with the pie showing. The score for this roll is 2 and a half. The first player to shout it wins 2 and a half apple tokens. Throughout the game, because of the Granny face apple, Granny's "basket" will slowly fill up. When her basket contains twelve apples, the player with the most apples wins. This is a tremendously fun game that teaches kids addition, subtraction and even basic fractions (halves) all while having fun! What's not to love?

GRANNY APPLES AT-A-GLANCE:

GAME BOX CONTAINS: 8 Wooden Apple Halves (4 Plain, 1 Worm, 1 Bird, 1 Pie, 1 Granny), 10 Half Apple Tokens, 75 Whole Apple Tokens, Granny's Basket

YOU'LL NEED: Nothing

SUGGESTED RETAIL PRICE: $11.95

AWARDS WON: Parenting Magazine Toy of the Year, iParenting Media Award, Dr. Toy's Best Vacation Products, Canadian Toy Testing Council 3 Stars (Highest Rating)

TRY IF YOU LIKE: Yahtzee Junior, Leaping Lizards, Montessori or Waldorf Educational Methods

PERFECT FOR: Bringing along on a car or plane trip, its small size makes it highly portable.

RATING: Five delicious apple pies out of five.


Granny Apples Game