How hard is it to say things with short words? I’ll try to do that here and see if I mess up. That is how we have to think when we play this game. We keep things short and get our team to guess our card. You see, you can only say one syllable... *Whack*
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Short Explanation of How to Play
Poetry for Neanderthals is a really fun variant of party games where you try to get your team to guess the word that is on your card. The twist with this game is that you are only able to use one syllable words. If you use a two or more syllable word, then a person from the other team gets to whack you in the head with a blow up bat, and your team loses points. The tension for the person who is explaining the words is that they want to move quickly to get as many points as they can, but they have to slow down enough to only use one syllable words. This game invariably ends up with people laughing at the one word explanations and the latest person to get whacked.
Why it Works/Doesn't Work For Our Family
What Worked: This game is a ton of fun and easy for the people playing to get involved in. Kids love being the chance to hit parents and other adults with a blow up bat, and it is fun to do this with other friends and family as well. The single syllable limit brings out some very creative ways to explain the topics on the card. Whenever I have asked if everyone wanted to stop or go around the room one more time, we have kept playing the game since everyone was so into it.
What Was Challenging: The most challenging aspect of this game can be playing the game with younger kids who may not understand what the cards mean, and/or mixing younger kids with competitive adults. The kids are having a blast with the game, but the nature of their limited knowledge and a developing understanding of what one syllable words might impact the competitiveness of this game
Why it Works/Doesn't Work With Friends
Everyone I have played this game have loved it, with some going out and purchasing it after we played. It is a great party game.
Teacher's Corner
The educational benefit of this game is learning vocabulary, and understanding the grammar of syllables, and differentiating between one syllable words and more than one syllable words. If used as a teaching opportunity for younger kids, don’t play it with a competitive group.
Overall opinion, rating, and recommendation
6 year old son - My son enjoyed the game, particularly getting to whack family members with the blow up bat. When he was the person who was explaining the words, he had challenges with keeping the words to one syllable at times, but he improved as he went along.
9 year old daughter - My daughter competed to win, working hard to think of good explanations of the cards that she had in her hand. She became proficient at this game very quickly.
Mine - I will rate this game Casual Family. It can be played in a mixed group of young and old, casual and competitive game players, just be aware of the competitiveness of your gaming group if you want to play with them and young kids who are still learning vocabulary and grammar. One way that the mix can work is have the young kids pair up with an adult and they can go at the same time, together.
Games with similarities with this one at each rating level:
Casual Family: Pictionary / Taboo / Catchphrase
Heavy Family: Cranium
Casual Adult: Masquerade
Heavy Adult: -
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