| Recommended Age: | 5+ |
| Players: | 2-4 |
| Cost: | $11.99 |
| Company Site: | www.bananagrams.com |
| Website: | www.bananagrams.com |
Have you ever played Dominoes? If so you get the basic idea BUT all those dots confuse ME (hush…) so I knew they would be tricky for my kids. Bananagrams came up with an awesome solution to my problem without even knowing I had a problem! Introducing Fruitominoes!
Fruitominoes is seriously played just like Dominoes but with fruit pictures instead of dots. I like looking at fruit and my kids recognize it and it is easier for them to figure out matches. Adding dots is great for learning but takes awhile and frustrates my son and my daughter counts them twice.
Their website actually sums up the game quite nicely.
A fresh, fruity, and colorful twist to the classic game of dominoes! Each player takes turns matching the six attractive fruit patterns. Twenty-eight Fruitominoes in a compact pouch make this a game that’s great for young and old.
See? Great summary! Plus it’s all true! Even the pouch! They come in this cute little zip up pouch with a handle. inside it even has this plastic bottom so the tiles aren’t just all over the place. It makes it insanely easier to put away. The tiles are sturdy so you don’t have to worry about them breaking but don’t play on glass. That might end badly. And now a video from Bananagrams!
If you get a chance check out their YouTube channel….Bananagrams does Harlem Shake!! Hilarious! Now back to the game and how to play and then how to adjust for a 2-3 year old.
Setup:
Open the little pouch and dump all the tiles. Flip them upside down and form a draw pile area. Then each player draws 5 tiles unless you only have 2 players, then each draws 7. The tiles are wide enough to stand on their sides so only you can see them and you can see them all the time. Very convenient so you aren’t constantly flipping to see what you have.
To determine who goes first you have to find what is called a Double Domino. This is a tile that has the same fruit on both halves and has the most of them. So 1 Banana on each half won’t work unless it is the ONLY Double Domino.
Object:
To be the first to play all your tiles and yell “Fruitominoes!” Yes you have to say Fruitominoes…its the name of the game and no I didn’t make up that rule.
Play:
Play goes clockwise (my husband tells me this is standard game direction but apparently I still think counter clockwise) unless you are only playing with 2 players and then whoever didn’t start is next. So whoever is the first player should play their Double Domino and the second player has to match one of the halves of that first tile.
You can play the matching tile to just one half like a “L” shape or connect to both halves like a “T” shape. During the second move is the only time you can choose. Any other time you play a Double Domino you must make a “T” shape so that it forms two new directions to play.
Everyone takes their turn playing a tile if they can. If they have no matching tile they have to knock on the table (just once will do) and say “Pick” and then draw a tile from the pile. Then their turn is over and play continues. Again…I did not make up the rules but they are amusing.
If for some reason you end up with no tiles left to draw from you just have to try again on your next turn or until you can either place a tile or someone wins.
The Gentleman (age 5) picked up on this game very quickly and without almost any explanation. We never played dominoes before (remember the dots thing?) so I was a little surprised but pleasantly so. My daughter understood the matching part well enough but we left out any extra rules.
For the Diva (age 3) we flipped all the tiles over and each drew 5. I started the board with a Double Domino but then I found and placed a match on either side. It looked sort of like this “–|–” (apologies for the keyboard art but I had to). Then we took turns placing a tile and drawing a tile.
She loved finding the matches and identifying the fruits and I didn’t have to change the rules hardly at all. If she was younger I would turn it into a match finding game like Memory! You could also set up a random couple of tiles and then put 3 options out with one match for either side and have them select the one to add to the “board”. This would be a great way to introduce them to dominoes, fruit and matching!
This game now travels with us in my purse or bag when we go to the Y or a Doctor appointment. It is very convenient, easy to learn and play and a lot of fun. My husband and I even play together but tend to be a bit more competitive than the kids are. For now.
