Can of Worms and Match Madness Junior Review

Make math fun with two new games that get kids ages 4 and up working dexterity, memory, and more. 

Can of Worms is a fun memory and math game. Place 10 worms into the holes and spin the can. The first player flips over a card, which will have a number on it. The player pulls out one worm of their choice and lays it on the ruler to measure its length. If the player’s worm matches the number on the card, they get to keep that card and replace the worm. If the worm’s length is smaller than the number on the card, the player can choose to keep pulling worms or pass their turn. Any passed worms stay on the ruler. If the worm is bigger than the card’s number, the player must replace their worm and take a worm token with the worm side up. On their next turn, they flip the token over to show either a -1 or +1, and this can be used to add or subtract to match the number on the card. You can combine one or two tokens at a time to make a number match. Once used, the tokens are placed back into the game pile. Special cards can be added to the base game for more variety. Flip Two Cards allows a player to turn over two cards, giving them an extra number to try to match. Longest Worm Cards create a race among all players to pick the longest worm from the can. The player with the longest worm wins a token. And Bonus Worm Cards makes one worm available for any player to use on their turn instead of drawing from the can. The first player to earn four cards wins the game. You can play this game with two to six players ages 4 and up. The game comes with a spinning can with lid, 10 worms, 24 number cards, 12 special cards, 12 worm tokens, and one ruler.

Match Madness Junior is a classic matching game that tests observation skills. There are three ways to play and four levels of difficulty. In the Quick-Play Game, you want to be the fastest to recreate your blocks with the pattern shown on a card to win the card. The first player to four cards wins the game. Each player gets four blocks numbered from one to four. If you’re playing at Level 1, the cards will show you a suggested block placement outline and a number to help you start puzzle matching. If you’re playing at Level 2, you’ll see a suggested block placement with no block number. Level 3 and 4 are regular puzzle cards with no additional clues. Once you’ve chosen your level and shuffled the cards, flip over the top card. This is the pattern that all players have to match by turning their blocks. There’s also a Match Madness Race Game, which is similar except each player gets their own stack of cards. If you match your card first, you get to try and solve the bonus card in the middle while the other players continue working on their first cards. The player who solves the middle card first ends the round. After four rounds, the player with the most cards wins. And you can also play the game solo by setting a timer for a predetermined length of time and seeing how many matches you can make. This is a game for one to four players. The game comes with 16 playing blocks, 48 numbered pattern cards, and game rules with solutions.