Word lovers get ready for a fast playing game where you score highest when you score first. All play begins on the white side of the letter tiles. Each letter used is worth 10 points. Once used, the tiles are flipped and now worth only 5 points. You play against the timers and your opponents. But you have to act fast to win a round. This is a faster game than most--you can score with smaller words, but there's no time for dawdling or stalling or the timer will run out or someone else may grab the tiles you are thinking of! Designed for 8 and up. We'd say an even better bet for 10-adult.

Age: Later School Years, Tweens, Teens, Adult. Award Year: 2012.

Players take turns drawing a card and reading the three clues aloud. Players then race to shout out the three correct responses that rhyme with each other and answer the riddles. For example: To place your arm around someone, a large cup for hot chocolate, a boat that tows other boats. So the winner would have to say: hug, mug and tug. The cards get progressively harder and there are two levels of play. Winner keeps the card. Winner is the first to collect ten cards. This game calls for both good listening, connecting ideas and coming up with rhyming words. Builds vocabulary as well as listening and rhyming skills. A fun word game for 3 or more players ages 10 to adult.

Age: Later School Years, Tweens, Teens, Adult. Award Year: 2012. Click here to purchase the product on Amazon.com.

Playing this word game is all about stringing ideas together and then selling your connected thoughts to other players. On your turn your object is to come up with an item that fills the description on as many of your cards as possible. For example: Suppose you have cards that say: "can be used in a shower," "can be rolled up," "comes in a variety of colors," and "made with fabric"-- you could put all those cards down if your word was a 'washcloth.' Now the next player can use any of the cards in play on the table to connect their own cards. It's a challenging and interesting game for 12 & up.

Age: Tweens, Teens. Award Year: 2012. Click here to purchase the product on Amazon.com.

Instead of the usual small letter tiles, this Jumbo set comes with 144 tiles that are over 3-inches squares and made of a pliable material. Ideal for playing out of doors, on the floor of the family room, or in the classroom. Players do not take turns as you do in Scrabble. Game play is faster and everyone plays at their own level. With younger kids, try playing on teams or cooperatively. Each play takes 11-21 tiles, depending on the number of players. Someone says SPLIT and all players turns over their tiles and arrange and rearrange them until someone, who has used all his tiles yells PEEL! And takes one more tile from the spare Bunch. Everyone else must also take one tile. A player who cannot use a tile can throw it back but has to take three in exchange.  Play continues until there are no tiles left in the spare Bunch and one player has gotten rid of all his or her tiles. This is great multigenerational game for family gatherings. Be forwarned this Jumbo Set is physically heavy!

For a smaller and less expensive game, check out the original Banangrams($14.99) or the company's Zip It!, both good games for home or easy to pack travel toys.

Age: Early School Years, Later School Years, Tweens. Award Year: 2012. Click here to purchase the product on Amazon.com.