Typecrush

Typecrush
Ages: 7 and up
Cost: $25, includes shipping

We were given a Typecrush game to try out. I had never heard of it before and I was looking forward to seeing what it was all about. It arrived in the cutest tin packaging. If any of you have children and game boxes, you know this was a MAJOR bonus...no box to be crushed with pieces scattered all over the house. I think the can is kinda cool...nice colors, fun words...just all calling out to be opened and played with.

In case you are about as knowledgeable about Typecrush as I was, the website says:

"Typecrush™ is a word game based on letter frequency analysis—how frequently letters appear in the English language. It's kind of like a color-coded hangman, but way more entertaining and educational. Best for players age seven and older, Typecrush is as simple or challenging as your imagination decides.

There’s only one rule in Typecrush—whoever solves the word first gets to choose the next word. That’s it. If you’d like more rules—you’re free to make up your own. Typecrush is about communication and connection more than keeping score, so feel free to give a hint or turn over a letter if a player asks. We recommend playing themes like US states, types of animals, celebrity names and more. The options are endless.

Can you imagine how much fun this would be to play for history or for SAT vocab words, or word families for a beginning reader...and I MUST confess...the scrapbooker in me REALLY wanted to take these over...so many ways to incorporate this game into your everyday life. While we just played a traditional game, many of my reviewer friends had some great suggestions for using this game...like golf, a crossword style version (very similar to another popular game you play with wood tiles), getting the words from children's word search books (LOVE THAT IDEA)


So, I was a little surprised with what happened when the children dug in...my two younger ones actually LOVED this game...the olders were not really attracted...My little boy, DD just went across the color rows, letter by letter until he got each letter right. As a beginning reader, I think this was the best he could do. My daughter and son played together several times and always had fun. I think it would be fun to do a mental guessing game, where you have to figure out the entire word..like this:


Go on and take a guess...

I also REALLY like the idea of doing a crossword style game...that sounds fun. I think it might also be fun to play it more hangman style, drawing something with each wrong answer. I think this would be fun to use with SAT words too!

While the cost is about the only thing that would hold me back(why are games SO EXPENSIVE anyway?), I think Typecrush is a quality product...the tin is VERY STRONG!!! With all the potential ways this could be played...I think you will enjoy it. And if you add it to your schoolwork...don't tell your children it is school! The game comes in the can pictured above and you get 98 letter tiles, two letter frequency charts and a direction sheet. The game pieces are all letter-pressed and made from 100% recycled material. I think Typecrush would be fun for so many families in so many different ways...I am still working on my older boys too...

Please see what my team mates had to say about Typecrush here





p.s. The animal was monkey and mine was