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Scrabble Junior Beginner Instructions

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Scrabble Junior Beginner is a version of Scrabble that is intended for two to four players aged 5 and up. The object of the game is to cover the game board letters with matching letter tiles and collect the most scoring chips by completing words. To set up the game for play, form the kitty by placing the scoring chips in a pile within reach of all the players. To make the draw pool, turn all the letter tiles face down and mix them up. Have all the players pick seven tiles and place them face up. Choose a player to go first; play passes to the left.

Have the first player play two tiles, either on the first letters of two different words or on the first and second letters of a single word.

Each player in turn will play two of her own tiles, either on an open first letter of any word or on the next open letter of any word already started.

Play the tiles in order by covering the letters, leaving the words correctly spelled. If you are laying tiles on a word that has another word connected to it, cover the letters that match. For example, when J and A are played in JACKET, the A in Water will get covered before the W — but before the T in WATER gets covered, the W in WATER must be covered.

Try to complete a word by covering the last letter. For each completed word, take one scoring chip from the kitty. If two words are completed when a single tile is placed, take two scoring chips.

When all the tiles have been used from the pool, keep playing until all 101 tiles (including the tiles you have left) are on the board. This will end the game. The player with the most scoring chips when all the tiles are used is the winner.

Tip

It is smart to check other players’ tiles to see if a tile you are about to play will allow anyone to complete a word. If you are playing two tiles, you can hold back a tile to block an opponent from completing a word.

Warnings:

  • If you can play, you must play. Always play two tiles. If you can only play one tile, you must choose another tile from the pool. If you can’t play any tiles, you must sacrifice your turn to exchange two of your tiles for two different tiles from the pool. If there are no tiles left in the pool, you must lose a turn.
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