What is Cariboo?
If you don’t have a Cariboo game, you probably have been wondering how this game is played and why speech pathologists love it. I made a how to video so that you can see what the hype is all about. The video will walk you through the mechanics of the game, but I will share a little more…
How to Play Cariboo
The contents of the game are the plastic game itself, 5-6 large balls, and the purple key. The front of the game contains removable images and the inside is hollow. There are three large holes at the top of the game where you put the balls to start the game. To the right there is a vertical tray with a treasure chest in the upper righthand corner.
First, you customize the images on the front of the game to target the goals your student is working on. Then you lay the game flat on a surface like the table or the floor. After that you or the student put the balls randomly into the holes. The balls drop down and hide at random behind a few of the images.
To start, the student(s) takes turns choosing an image to look behind. But before the student grabs the purple key to open the door, make sure the student names the picture or answers a question related to the image of their choice. Then, using the purple key to open the door, the student looks to see if a ball is behind the picture. If there is a ball, they remove it and place it in the vertical tray to the right. If there is no ball, then they keep on trying.
Once the student has found all the balls, the switch inside the tray triggers and the treasure chest opens, revealing a large diamond. I say 5 or 6 balls because if you only have five balls, you can actually trigger the opening of the treasure chest manually. Opening the treasure chest is hugely rewarding for the student. In fact, the whole game is fun to play and students don’t realize they are working on their goals.
Where to Find Cariboo
Unfortunately the company that made Cariboo, Cranium, has discontinued production of the game. If you want to find a Cariboo game, you can only find them randomly at thrift stores and garage sales. Sometimes you can find them online on auction websites.
Purchasing Speech Therapy Cariboo Cards
Here are the links to the Cariboo cards that I made that I use in with my Cariboo game. They are pictures only without words, so they work for Spanish speakers as well:
- Seasonal Cariboo Cards for the Whole Year! $3.00 (210 cards)
- Basic Concepts and Vocabulary Cards $3.00 (180 cards)
- More Categories and Vocabulary $3.00 (180 cards)
- Buy the Bundle with All Three and Save 20%: $7.20 (570 cards)
I could charge more because they are graphics heavy, but I want to make these cards accessible to you!