Using Hedbanz to Build Language Skills

Who’s the best detective in your family? Let Hedbanz help you find out! But first, check out our short video to see the hilarious fun that Corey and Emelia had playing Hedbanz with their dad!

Hilarious Question-and-Answer Fun!

Get ready for laughs as each player tries to figure out what’s on the card in his or her headband. With three categories (food, animal, or thing), it’s easy to start narrowing down the possibilities—but it’s the nitty-gritty details that will have you racing against the timer! You have to be clever with your questions and quick with your clues to win!

Six adjustable headbands and over 60 cards are included, so there’s plenty of fun for everyone! Hedbanz is recommended for ages 7 and up. A Hedbanz Junior version is also available for even younger children.

Let’s Play Hedbanz!

Give everyone a headband and three blue chips.

Now, let’s get started! Put on your headband, choose a card, and put it in the holder on your headband … but don’t peek! The other players can see what your card says, but for now, it’s a mystery to you!

You’ll discover clues to your identity by asking questions. The Sample Questions card might give you some good ideas of questions to ask. But you can only ask questions that can be answered with a yes or a no.

Questions like What color am I? or What country am I from? aren’t allowed!

Now flip over the timer. You get to go first! A great way to start is to try to figure out which category your card falls into. Try starting with a question like Am I an animal?

The other players look at your card and say Yes!

So now you know you’re an animal. Time to narrow things down a bit. Try asking a more specific question like Am I bigger than a refrigerator?

Well, I guess you can rule out elephants and rhinos! But there are LOTS of animals smaller than a refrigerator. Keep asking questions.

Do I have fur?

Okay…that means you’re definitely not a bird, a reptile, or a fish!

Keep asking questions until the timer runs out. If time runs out before you’ve figured out what your card is, move on to the next player. But don’t worry…you can ask more questions about your own card on your next turn.

After a few more clues, you’re finally ready to guess.

Am I a mouse?

Now that you’ve figured out what you are, remove one of your chips from your pile. If you run out of chips first, you win!

3 Ways to Build Language Skills with Hedbanz

1. Encourage creative thinking. The cards included in the game are deceptively simple—it’s actually harder to pin down what your card is than you might think! Players have to be creative with their questions; for example, asking Am I smaller than a toaster? will give you a better idea of what your card could be than just asking Am I small?
2. Build expressive vocabulary. The 60+ cards depict many common animals, foods, and household items, and interacting with other players provides a great opportunity for your child to add to his or her expressive vocabulary.
3. Develop your child’s working memory and listening comprehension. It may take many questions before you can figure out what your card is. Kids will have to remember all the answers they’ve been given and be able to use those clues to find the answer—and develop valuable memory and comprehension skills at the same time!

Notes from Our Game Testers

• You may need to help younger players place the card into the slot on their headband, especially if they are tempted to peek at the card.
• If a child has sensory issues and dislikes the feel of the headband on his head, simply prop up the card on the table in front of him.
• The game is designed for ages 7+, but you can include younger kids by allowing hints from older players.
• When playing with children who are developing their language or critical thinking skills, allow more time per turn (or ignore the timer completely).

Does your family have a favorite board game that is a fun and “sneaky” way to build language skills? Please share in the comments below!

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