Bananagrams

What's all this about Bananagrams?

Bananagrams is a word game, kind of like Scrabble without the board or points. It's a bunch of letter tiles in a pouch shaped like a banana. Players use tiles to create their own crosswords. The rules are simple, the game is educational, and all levels can play. Beginning readers can use the tiles simply for creating words. It's also Kate's and my favorite game these days, very portable, and absolutely addictive.

When I was trying to come up with something we could bring to offer to kids in orphanages and schools we visited, I thought of Bananagrams. Knowing we couldn't afford to buy very many of the games, I wrote to the creators of Banagrams and suggested a donation in exchange for some photos of African children playing with the game. They replied immediately with an enthusiastic yes, and sent me a box of 12 games.

We gave games to the school at Chimfunshi village, to the village school near Ngepi Camp, the new village preschool in Siankaba, and to the Chishawasha Orphanage in Lusaka. In each place, the game was welcomed with excitement and appreciation. Even kids who didn't speak English got the idea when we showed them how to make a crossword with their names, and everybody wanted to play. It was a perfect ice breaker.

Along the way, we played the game in our free time, infecting several others with the Bananagrams virus. We highly recommend the game!