Rules for kids

[Folkydokey]

Hi,

What are your favourite rule changes to help kids get a leg up?

I've been playing with fewer Meeples for the grown ups and letting the kids have a hand of three tiles to choose from, rather than just drawing one at a time.

Cheers, Rich


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Linkback: https://www.carcassonnecentral.com/community/index.php?topic=3101.0

[dirk2112]

My son considers himself victorious if he has the highest score before farmers are counted.  So I would imagine playing without farmers would be the best.

[yimhj]

My son considers himself victorious if he has the highest score before farmers are counted.  So I would imagine playing without farmers would be the best.

I play with pupils  of my school (I'm teacher) and, I don't play with farmers because, it's difficult, the first times to play with this rules. They have 8-10 years old and I introduce the farmer's rule after 5 games at least.

[danisthirty]

Yes, same here in that my daughter (6 y/o) and I play without farmers too. We'll introduce them at some point but for now she is enjoying learning to play the game based on the rules she understands.

We also have a special tile which automatically gives her 7 points if she draws it, but nothing to me. It was designed by KJW especially for her and is called "Jessica's Garden"

[Decar]

KJW obviously thinks Jessica is not far behind your own ability Dan.  He obviously though 7 points was all Jessica needed to give her a boost!

[Just a Bill]

Hmm ... my youngest daughter is also named Jessica. I might have to create such a tile for us and adapt your rule to say it counts for 7 if drawn by any player whose name is Jessica.

[SamoolSamosa]

I once played with my younger brother (was 6) and we didn't use farmers

[What If?]

A little different from kid to kid I guess. One of my sons picked up Carc early (5ish) and at 8 he plays with full rules and defeat me from time to time. When he was 6 he played with one meeple more, not so much anymore.

My other son, 5, doesn´t get the farmer concept while playing yet so we avoid them, he also gets a meeple or two extra.

So in a manly family feud I have 6 meeples, the 8-year old 7, and the smallest gets 8. But then I also play friendlier towards the little guy whereas the older one gets angry with me if I don´t play aggressively towards him.

[Push]

Both my daughters have been playing  Carcassonne from 4-5 years. And we always play WITH fields because theirs absent leads to loss of strategic concept (it is already small even with standard rules) of the game and increasing of random one. A convenient way to minimize the difference in the playing skills is a handicap. We began from a handicap of 30-40 points and diminish it on 2-5 points when kid wins and increase if she doesn’t.
Now my elder daughter (12 years) has a handicap in front of me of 3-7 points, younger daughter (7 years)  -  8-12 points (and everyone has additional 5 point in front of father/husband). Both are actively deploy meeples on fields (or its analogues in spin-offs)  and make meeples trapping. So our games are very competitive and everyone try to use all (legal) ways in order  to win.

[Decar]

That's a great way of applying a variable handicap to games!  Thanks for sharing 

[TheSteveAllen]

Both my daughters have been playing  Carcassonne from 4-5 years. And we always play WITH fields because theirs absent leads to loss of strategic concept (it is already small even with standard rules) of the game and increasing of random one. A convenient way to minimize the difference in the playing skills is a handicap. We began from a handicap of 30-40 points and diminish it on 2-5 points when kid wins and increase if she doesn’t.
Now my elder daughter (12 years) has a handicap in front of me of 3-7 points, younger daughter (7 years)  -  8-12 points (and everyone has additional 5 point in front of father/husband). Both are actively deploy meeples on fields (or its analogues in spin-offs)  and make meeples trapping. So our games are very competitive and everyone try to use all (legal) ways in order  to win.

What an excellent idea! Have you tried the same 'handicap' idea with introducing new players, or only the children? I am trying to entice friends and family to play, but I see no point in me playing if I don't try too hard and avoid blocking, which is the main tactic of the game in my opinion. This seems like it might encourage new players and make it a suitable challenge for regular players at the same time.

[Vinçon]

I'm really amazed at how fast kids can grasp the rules and enjoy the game. My girlfriend's nephew, who is 6, played a couple and games and besides really liking the game was even correcting us when we missed some incorrect placements or unscored cloisters.

I agree with the loss of strategic perspective when farmers aren't playing but, at this pace, I really think that any kid who likes the game can understand the concept with three or four games played and some good and easy to understand explanation.

But before that, he will have to deal with Abbots and Inns & Cathedrals. 

[Push]

What an excellent idea! Have you tried the same 'handicap' idea with introducing new players, or only the children? I am trying to entice friends and family to play, but I see no point in me playing if I don't try too hard and avoid blocking, which is the main tactic of the game in my opinion. This seems like it might encourage new players and make it a suitable challenge for regular players at the same time.

I have tried to play with a handicap with adult players  but had an ambiguous experience.
The fact is that not everyone really likes to play Carcassonne. Some people play just "along for the ride", someone thinks that Carcassonne is the sort of Solitaire for 2-6 gamers with the scoring procedure. For  gamers who don't try to win  a gandicap is useless and sometimes adult player may feel aggrieved when a gandicap is offered for them . 
Only if you see that your opponent is on the edge of her/his seat during  the game it is worth gave a gandicap to keep (maintain) the interest.
 

[t2k]

Kids rules should be altered until they can grasp the whole of the general rules, which is same way we get new players introduced to Carcassonne.

Suggested Changes are:

1)  Abolish Farmer and Abbot rules, but follow all the other rules.

2)  Place the Abbot on the scoring track and use all 8 followers to play.

3)  Have each player pick one tile right after they place a tile; that's a house-rule for many of us and it's been used in tournament play.

As  kids understand end game scoring, bring in the Abbot and Farmers, even if at different times.