• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Because dads don’t always think like moms™

  • Dad
    • Celebrities
    • Gay Dads
    • Sex
    • Single Dads
  • Pregnancy
    • Labor or Delivery
    • Pregnant Wife
  • Baby
    • Baby Naming
    • Feeding
    • Sleep
    • Toilet Training
  • Kids
  • Teens
  • Activities
    • Local
    • By Age
    • Movie Reviews
    • Celebrations
  • Toys
    • We Recommend
    • Toys
  • Coaching for Dads
  • Great Dad Talks Podcast
You are here: Home / Gifts / Review: Dabble, Scrabble-style game for dads and kids

Review: Dabble, Scrabble-style game for dads and kids

June 16, 2011 by Paul Banas Leave a Comment

For dads and kids who like words, Dabble is a fun, and speedy alternative to Scrabble. You can play in just five minutes, which is perfect for time-frazzled dads and attention-challenged kids and teens.

We like games like this that are simple and direct. No directions here with tons of exceptions and twists and turns. The rules of the road are simple. You get 20 Scrabble-like tiles and the objective is to make five words out of them: one with 2 letters, one with 3 letters, one with 4, one with 5 and one with 6 letters. It’s both not as hard and harder than you would imagine. My kids right away figured out that the best strategy is to do the long words first and work your way down. Inevitably, you run out of vowels or consonants though as you get closer to the end.

If after three minutes, there is no winner, as in Scrabble, you throw back letters you think have been challenging and hope for better substitutes. But do you throw back just one or ten? The second round obviously moves a lot faster since most players are only looking to finish one or two words.

If the game gets too simple, you can dial it up a notch for all or some of the players by limiting the categories from which players can draw words. Maybe mom and dad can only use verbs, or household items while Junior can use the whole dictionary, foreign words and proper nouns to even the playing field.

The game is for players 10 or older. My 7 year old had more patience with the game than my 11 year old, who got very frustrated when dad won two games in quick succession. My 7 year old made a lot of words, but most of them were misspelled (“phork?”).

And you know what else I like? Dabble comes in a simple rectangular box with a cover that goes on snugly and keeps everything inside. There is one wasted piece of cardboard, but they didn’t throw in a lot of paper to make it a bigger package. The instructions could have been printed on the inside of the box, like the old MB games, but you can’t have everything. Then again, as I said, the instructions here aren’t the complicated.

I’m holding onto Dabble for when my daughter is a few years older. She’s good with words and spelling and I’m sure she’ll be able to beat me in no time.

$24.99 at Amazon.

Filed Under: Gifts

About Paul Banas

Paul Banas is happy married dad of two great kids living in San Francisco. He writes now about kids, new technology and how the two interact for GreatDad.com and for Pregnancy Magazine (pregnancymagazine.com) where he is also the publisher.

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Great Dad Talks

Great Dad Talks
Great Dad Talks

Great Dad Talks is a series of conversations with experts on all aspects of the family adventure. With the perspective that “dads don’t always think like moms,” our mission is to support dad voices and our slightly different approaches to parenting. We’ll try to find solutions to every day challenges like getting kids off the couch and making STEM classes available for both boys and girls. But we’ll also tackle bigger issues when they come. The one main theme will be to support dads in the most important role of their lives that of being a great dad. Connect with us at greatdad.com and watch the video version of these podcasts at YouTube.com/greatdadnews

Spinning Out Family Stress with Michael Blair
byPaul Banas

Welcome to another episode of Great Dad Talks! This week, I sit down with life coach and former psychologist Michael Blair to explore modern tools for family harmony, emotional healing, and child development.

Michael shares the transformative power of his unique “spin” method—a tool rooted in Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP)—that helps kids, parents, and even whole families quickly change negative emotional patterns in just minutes. Listen in as Michael walks Paul through an anxiety-busting spin live, explains why dads’ involvement is critical to healthy families, and shares actionable tips on self-forgiveness and resilience.

Check out Michael’s website at blaircounselingandcoaching.com

Visit these links and embark on the path to becoming the best parent you can be:

– GreatDad.com/coaching 

– GreatDad.com/pq 

– Gratitude course: bit.ly/3NMLDNC

50% off for podcast listeners with code PODCAST50

Spinning Out Family Stress with Michael Blair
Spinning Out Family Stress with Michael Blair
July 15, 2025
Paul Banas
Decoding Dad’s Mental Load with Zach Watson
July 8, 2025
Paul Banas
152. Building Men’s Character and Legacy with Jim Tracy
July 1, 2025
Paul Banas
151. The Power of Playful Parenting with Dr. Larry Cohen
June 24, 2025
Paul Banas
150. The Power of Humor in Parenting with Gavin Bellour
June 17, 2025
Paul Banas
149. Winning College Applications with Hamada Zahawi
June 10, 2025
Paul Banas
148. Healing Generational Trauma with Dr. Sasha Reiisi
June 3, 2025
Paul Banas
147. Discovering Dad’s Purpose with Adam Landrum
May 27, 2025
Paul Banas
146. Balancing Business and Family with Dr. Travis Parry
May 20, 2025
Paul Banas
145. Understanding Children’s Emotional Needs with Dr. David Marcus
May 13, 2025
Paul Banas
Search Results placeholder

More to See

5 Best Earhook Earbuds That Don’t Fall Out 2025

July 2, 2025 By Paul Banas

smart sprinkler controllers

10 best weather-based smart sprinkler controllers in 2025

July 1, 2025 By Paul Banas

Copyright © 2025 . GreatDad