Monopoly Junior Party (EA)

Normally I would suggest that a "junior" (meaning dumbed-down) version of a game isn't worth the time to play it or the money to buy it. However, I do recommend Monopoly Junior for families with children in K-3. The reason for this is that even though kids, with lots of help (which most don't usually get), can learn to play regular Monopoly, the game is brutal. I remember several times (when I was in the first and second grades) getting in fights with my parents and crying because I was just a kid and all these adults were kicking the tar out of me. Though there maybe some lessons there, they are still lost on me (did you ever notice that adults always like to play Monopoly with kids when they're in a bad mood).

Anyway, with that said, Monopoly Junior is a really fun game for young children to play. It helps kids learn to take turns, follow directions, and learn basic counting skills. In many ways the game is just like Monopoly. The goal is to end the game with the most money. You have to have a strategy involved (if you don't play by rules included with the game). Properties are bought and there are a lot of money transactions. The major differences are that the game is set up as an amusement park; the money denominations are a lot smaller; the board is smaller; and it only takes about 20-30 minutes to finish one game. There is a bit of luck involved with the various chance cards, but that's no different than the chance cards in Monopoly.

The kids I have worked with really seem to enjoy playing the game, and I really don't find that it is "dumbed down". The game is made with kids in mind instead of adults and cuts out a lot of the brutality common to the regular game. Kids see enough violence nowadays anyway.

I wanted to get my son some board games for Christmas, and I thought regular Monopoly would be too complex for him at this stage. So we got Monopoly Jr., and it's definitely easier for kids...perhaps *too* easy for some kids that are 7 or older.

The Monopoly Jr. board is rectangular, with less spaces than the adult version. Set in an amusement park, there are also Rail Roads, but they're just Roll Again spaces. The "properties" are amusement rides, arcades, or attractions which cost between $1-$4 for a ticket booth. When you land on a space, you MUST buy a ticket booth. Players have an opportunity to "kick out" other players if the property is split, but not if there's a 'monopoly'. There are some Chance cards, but they function in the same way: direct the player to a particular square where he may buy a ticket booth.

As with regular Monopoly, if you land on a space occupied by another player, you have to pay the player the fee. Otherwise, you must BUY the ticket booth.

There are four colored plastic game tokens: a yellow carousel horse, a green "log jammer", a blue bumper car, and a red roller coaster car.

There could be more variety to this game without making it too hard, so in my opinion, the game is a bit too simplistic. However, it's a nice way for the parents to spend time with the younger kids. My son seems to like playing the game, although he hasn't asked, specifically, to play it until Christmas.

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This entertaining junior version of the most famous board game ever features easier rules and a faster pace than its older brother. Its board represents stands and rides (Merry-Go-Round, Ferris Wheel) at an amusement park rather than streets in Atlantic City, N.J.

Like the original, itfeatures house pieces to buy properties, $2 each time you pass go (butremember to collect!) Chance cards that lead you to pay or be paid, andlessons in business thrift. (I was reminded of many of them losing twice ina row to my seven-year-old daughter.) Winning requires discipline,patience, good money management and some luck, and who couldn't use more ofall those to succeed in business? Cheers to Parker Brothers for reachingnot only out with trendy variations of its flagship product (Star Trek,Pokemon Monopoly, etc.) but to the youngest players who would enjoy andlearn from this beloved game. Recommended.

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Anyone who is familar with the original Monopoly will appreciate this scaled down version. It contains all the fun of the original, with a couple of new twists. The smaller board & lower prices on property & "rent" allow for a quicker, less demanding game. And the added twist of being able to bump other players' ticket booths off a site allows for unexpected turns in the outcome of the game. The game is fun for ages through adult, not just the 5-8 specified by the box. Younger children who are not able to read or count money will need help, but our 6 year old had no problem grasping the concepts, and joining in on the fun even without being able to read the cards. In addition, anyone who has been "held hostage" by amusement park prices for food will appreciate the irony that the original "Jail" and "Go To Jail" has been replaced by "Lunch" and "Go To Lunch." :-) What I would change the player markers are too big to fit on the board well, and we had difficulty when more than one person landed on a square. I know the cars where made big to make it easier for little hands to grasp, but these are too big for the board.

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Monopoly Junior is a great scaled-down version of the classic game that is appropriately designed to make it a fun experience for younger kids.The game board is smaller; the money comes in increments of $1, $2, $3, $4 and $5; the markers are large plastic cars; and the gameplay is not so brutal :-)

This is a great introduction to the classic game for younger players.