Per your article -

http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art36791.asp

You asked for comments in your article, here are mine:

LOL. Candyland sure looks simple to those who already can match like to like, in this case color to color.

And it seems natural to move along following a pathway. But that has to be learned before basic writing on a line. And then reading on a line.

Just saying move to the next square of the same color teaches the square shape.

Since it is moving while learning I'd call it fun kinesthetic learning!

Susan
My kinesthetic lessons here at BellaOnline - http://www.bellaonline.com/subjects/5285.asp

Well put! I remember this as a favorite from young childhood. As you pointed out, what's actually happening is sequencing skills and learning to follow a line, an neccesary skill in reading.

As for the candy aspect....I'm reminded of the new Charlie and the Chocolate Factory movie and Willy Wonka's father. His father was obsessed with not allowing his child to eat candy. In turn Willy Wonka became obsessed with candy!

The key is in moderation in all things.

I agree with you both.

Playing a game about candy isn't the same as eating too much of it.

Candyland is designed to be a first game for young children - not only teaching the vital skills mentioned above, but also the basic gaming skills of taking turns and following directions.

Also, a game is as educational as you make it... as my youngest (now 4) mastered the above skills, he added his own twist - like naming the colors and counting them as he moved forward.

One final note - there is too much emphasis today on things being "educational". Play is educational by nature and doesn't need to have stuff added to it.

These are all really good points! Thanks for sharing! Another editor emailed me and told me that she upped the educational ante of Candyland by writing the names of the colors on the cards. You could also write random words and have your child sound them out before they can take their turns. Any other ideas? Also, anyone from the opposition have anything to say?

Being the mother of two, I have never thought about the game being bad. My son(4) and I played the game, so we could practice his colors. I added the "What color is this" part to the game. He had to help follow the road and find the next color. It was more of an attention practice for us. But my kids would rather eat apples and cheese than candy, so this might be why I had no concerns about the candy part.

Why can't children just have fun? We over structure our kid's lives. No one just plays ball in a vacant lot. Everything either has to be a major competition or educational. Let children be children!

Well, some would argue that playing ball in a lot has a lot more benefits than playing Candyland... the kid is outdoors, being active, being forced to come up with creative ways to play with the ball, developing large and small motor skills. Candyland clearly has its advantages (as all these great comments have shown), but is it really the best choice? There are so many other "spin and move", "roll and move", "pick a card and move" games out there.

Would anyone argue that a huge part the popularity of Candyland is that kids like candy and therefore, kids like things that are associated with Candy?

I say think that this game is just a "primer" to get kids used to the rules of taking turns, following lines, etc. when playing games.

You can't start a child off on a game like Trouble, it's too complicated. You have to introduce one or two simple rules at a time.

I think the "candy" concept came up at a time when there wasn't such a glut of sweets like there is now. Plus it's just so colorful, it catches a child's attention.

I say anything that gets a family together to do things is good!

So does this mean that if you play "war" with cards you advocate actual war? Or if you play cops and robbers (does anyone do that anymore?) that you advocate theft?

Candy Land was one of my son's first board games. He's 7 years old and has never had a piece of candy in his life. Cookies and cake, yes. But not candy. And he doesn't ask for candy before, after, or during play.

To be honest, in light of all the things that often go on in homes--parents arguing, kids being abused, neglect, etc.--extolling which games are "best" or "more educational" seems silly to me. The public school systems already tries to make little scholars out of kids, robbing them of valuable play time and the true love of learning.

Other posters mentioned what can be learned from playing Candy Land. (And Chutes and Ladders is way too complicated for a first game.)

Better or worse is all relative. Different activities can teach a variety of lessons and skills. Learning is happening all the time, and happens more readily when kids don't KNOW it's educational (and when they're enjoying themselves).

The most important thing, IMO, is parents actually spending TIME with their children.

what i like best about candyland is that you can use the board for so many other homemade games <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

We've used it with flashcards and dice to learn math facts, phonics, how to tell time, even signs.

meg