This set has a nice folding wooden board and the fun animal-shaped plastic pieces -- the kids like the animals, and the irregular shapes actually are easier to handle than smooth stones. It also stores fairly compactly.

The three things I don't like about this set:

- the clasp is very difficult to work. You will break your thumbnail.

- The pits aren't deep enough to hold more than about 5 stones. This is a problem when you get a big stack.

- The wooden hinges, while allowing the board to lie flat, look flimsy and are difficult to work.

In all, a good game marred by a few technical problems, but the kids won't care.

4 of 4 found the following review helpful:

Mancala  Nov 23, 2001

Mancala is a great GAME THAT TAKES A LOT OF SKILL, TECHNIQUE, AND BRAIN POWER. yOU CAN THINK UP OF MANY DIFFERENT STRATEGIES IN ONE GAME THAT CAN HELP YOU BEAT THE OPPOSING PLAYER. iT'S FUN AND EDUCATIONAL BOTH AT THE SAME TIME AND DESERVES 5 STARS UNDER EACH CATAGORY.

3 of 3 found the following review helpful:

Great gift for 6-7 year olds  Jul 03, 2007
By Caroline B. Poser "Author and Columnist"
We have given this gift for birthday presents several times. It is a good old-fashioned game, i.e., not electronic, not superheros, not spawned by a TV show.

3 of 3 found the following review helpful:

Awesome  Nov 26, 2003
By I'm a dork 24/7
I first played this game at summer camp. All of my friends and I used to fight over who would play. This went on from the beginning to the end and then I wanted to buy it. This toy never gets old. It is fun for all ages and you will just want to keep playing and playing ...

3 of 3 found the following review helpful:

Needs craftsmanship!  Dec 30, 2001

Fun game, kids love the animals, educational, but the wooden case is poorly made and the clasp broke the first time we opened it.

See all 13 customer reviews on Amazon.com