BananagramsPlaying with children
Updated September 4, 2026 · 2 min read
For a six-year-old child, Appletters, Word-a-Melon, and Gurms match the age listed on the box, offering turn-based play that avoids the simultaneous race of the classic tile game.
- A table with mixed ages
- Before a child can spell much
- Building from a word you already have
- Using a set in a classroom
- Which one by age
The short version
- Choose Appletters for ages 5 and up to build one continuous word worm in turns.
- Pick Word-a-Melon or Gurms for ages 6 and up if you want scored, turn-based games.
- Skip the spelling entirely with Gurms by matching colors and creature symbols.
- Wait until age 7 for the simultaneous racing format found in classic Bananagrams.
Appletters is for ages 5 and up and seats 1 to 4 players. Players take turns adding letters to the head or tail of a single word worm across the table. Games last about 20 minutes, and the turn structure lets each person think before placing a tile.
Word-a-Melon and Gurms are both for ages 6 and up, seating 2 to 4 players for about 20 minutes. Word-a-Melon pairs spelling with memory as players uncover face-down letters, while Gurms uses no letters at all, letting players complete creatures to score by color and symbol.
Classic Bananagrams lists ages 7 and up for 1 to 8 players. In that game, everyone races at once with no turns, starting with 21 tiles each in games of 1 to 4 players, and calls Peel to add tiles until too few tiles remain for another Peel before calling Bananas.
The mistake to avoid
It is tempting to run classic Bananagrams as a turn-based game. The classic rules do not have turns, so choosing a box like Appletters or Word-a-Melon is what to do when you want a turn structure.
Questions that keep coming up
Which games on the shelf are designed for children aged 6 or younger?
Appletters is for ages 5 and up, while Word-a-Melon and Gurms are for ages 6 and up.
Do all games on the shelf involve spelling words?
No, Gurms, The Furglars, and Spiky Dastards do not use spelling.
How many tiles does each player take at the start of classic Bananagrams?
Each player takes 21 tiles for 1 to 4 players, 15 tiles for 5 to 6 players, or 11 tiles for 7 to 8 players.