Uncle Wiggily (board game) facts for kids
| Designer(s) | Howard R. Garis |
|---|---|
| Publisher(s) | Winning Moves Games USA, Milton Bradley |
| Players | 2-4 |
| Setup time | 2 minutes |
| Playing time | 30 minutes/random |
| Random chance | High (luck) |
| Skill(s) required | Reading/Counting |
The Uncle Wiggily Game is a fun board game where players race along a path. It's based on a character from popular children's books written by Howard R. Garis. This game is like a "race" game, similar to the old European "Goose Game."
In the game, players move their pieces from Uncle Wiggily's home, called his Bungalow, all the way to Dr. Possum's House. Winning depends entirely on luck, as you draw cards to see how far you move.
The game was first made by Milton Bradley in 1916. It has been updated many times over the years. Uncle Wiggily is known as one of the first and most loved games for kids. It's often thought of as a classic American children's board game, much like Candy Land.
How to Play the Uncle Wiggily Game
Playing the Uncle Wiggily Game is easy and fun! Here's how you set it up and play.
Setting Up Your Game
- First, open the game board. It shows characters and scenes from the Uncle Wiggily books.
- Place the board on a flat surface so everyone can reach it.
- There are two decks of cards, one yellow and one red. Shuffle both decks separately.
- Place both shuffled decks where all players can easily reach them.
- Each player chooses one of the four game pieces, also called "counters."
- Place your chosen counter on the "Uncle Wiggily's Bungalow" space. This is usually in the bottom left corner of the board.
- Decide who goes first. You can roll a die, play rock-paper-scissors, or just choose the youngest player.
Taking Your Turn
- The first player draws a card from the yellow deck.
- The cards have rhyming instructions that tell you how to move your counter. For example, a card might say, "Peetie Bow Wow helps Uncle Wiggily along four hops." This means you move your piece forward four spaces.
- Sometimes, a yellow card will tell you to draw a card from the red deck instead.
- Red cards can make you move a lot of spaces forward (up to 15!). But watch out, some red cards might make you move backward (up to five spaces).
- If your counter lands on a space that has special instructions, you must follow them. These instructions might tell you to move even further along the path.
- Play continues with each player taking turns drawing cards and moving their counters.
Winning the Game
- The game ends when one player reaches "Dr. Possum's House." This space is at the very end of the track, usually in the upper right corner of the game board.
- The first player to reach Dr. Possum's House wins the game!
