Bananagrams
Build a word worm, one turn at a time
Appletters
Young spellers add their tiles to either end of a shared word worm until someone empties their hand.
$12.85
Rated 3.9 out of 5 by 30 players
One word worm stretches across the middle of the bare table, growing longer as players attach new words to its head or tail. It runs on turn taking, with each person building onto whatever letters are left open at either end.
We watch early readers sound out combinations against both open tips. Play slows as the line lengthens and the end letters turn awkward.
| Players | 1–4 |
| Ages | 5 and up |
| A game runs | About 20 minutes |
| In the box | 110 letter tiles |
| You also need | A table and a bit of patience, because this one waits for its turn. |
| The feel | Turns around the table |
How a game unfolds
Start the worm once
A short word goes down in the middle. That is the whole board.
Feed it each turn
On your turn, add letters to make a new word at the head or the tail of the worm.
Or draw if stuck
A player who cannot go takes a tile and the turn passes.
Empty hand wins ends it
The first player to place their last tile takes the game.
What makes it its own game
- Turns pass around the table as players add fresh words to the head or the tail.
- White tiles with black letters come packed inside a square cardboard box.
- Players who cannot place a word draw one tile from the supply and pass their turn.
- Placing your last remaining tile ends the game and claims the win.
Worth knowing before you open the box
It reads as the easy little sibling and it is, for the first ten minutes. Then the worm gets long, both ends get awkward, and it stops being easy.
Who it suits
An adult sitting beside an early reader can help sound out possible letter pairings before each turn. This turn-based pace suits beginners who need a moment to think without someone rushing them. It will feel slow for impatient players who want fast tile flipping.
Before your first game
Start the worm with a very short word so both ends offer easy letters right away. Read both open ends out loud with a beginner before they look at their own tiles. That shows them which letter sounds they are trying to match.
Elsewhere on the shelf
Still reading? That is usually a yes.
One long word worm on the table, and players take turns feeding it letters at the head or the tail.
$12.85