Candy Land - The Kingdom of Sweets Board Game

CUSTOMER REVIEW



...there are several good reasons why "Candy Land" is the first board game children learn to play:

First, the game does not require children know how to read. They do not even need to know their numbers as they do in "Chutes and Ladders." Movement is based on a child being able to recognize colors and symbols. What could be easier than that?

Second, the game is based on luck (or chance or divine intervention or however you want to characterize it), which means it is a great equalizer. This is a game where a kid has the same chance of winning as their parents, older siblings, grandparents, babysitters or whoever. Children are not going to be interested in playing a game they cannot win, which is why "Candy Land" is where they begin instead of "Monopoly" or "Trivial Pursuit."

Third, the game teaches the basic skills of board games. The hardest lesson kid have to learn with this game is to...take turns. Yes, this might be one of the first times in their young lives when kids are confronted with the regiment of structure that will afflict them the rest of their lives. But from board games like "Candy Land" to sports like baseball, structure and rules are a basic consideration. Strategy and tactics come later, but learning to take turns comes first (and I could argue is a basic lesson in civil behavior).

Therefore, I would respectfully submit that "Candy Land" remains the ideal choice for the first board game you play with your children. Just pick a card, move to the appropriate square, and proceed to have a great life.