The Little Spinning Top from My Childhood That Became Carrot Boom!
Do you remember a game from your childhood that didn’t need long rules or strategies? A game that depended only on luck and created tons of excitement? For me, that game was a little spinning top. And I never imagined it would one day inspire me to create a card game.
Beach Afternoons and a Magic Spinning Top:
Every vacation, we went to my aunt and uncle’s beach house. My parents, my sister, my cousins, my aunts and uncles, and I spent the day in the ocean, and when the sun began to set, we all gathered around the table with a little spinning top.
In many Latin American countries, it’s known as a pirinola: a six-sided spinning top with instructions like “Take one,” “Put two,” or the famous “Take all.” Everyone placed a few pennies in the center of the table, and we took turns spinning it.
There was no strategy. Everything depended on luck. And that’s exactly what made it so much fun.
I still remember the look on my youngest cousin’s face when he landed on “Take all” and swept up the whole pile right in front of all the adults. My mom would burst out laughing, and he felt like the king of the night. With that little top, a five-year-old and a fifty-year-old played on equal ground.
From a Memory to a Carrot Bomb:
Years later, when I founded Kawaii Lab Games with my cousin Juan and my son Daniel, I brought that idea to the team: I wanted to create a card game based purely on luck, inspired by the spinning top from my childhood.
Together, we kept refining the idea. The pennies turned into carrots, and a mischievous rabbit appeared, ready to steal them all. Then one day, it hit me: what if the rabbit had a carrot bomb?
Every test game ended the same way: laughter, shouting, and someone saying, “I almost won!” And that’s how Carrot Boom! was born.
The Magic of a Game of Pure Luck:
• Anyone can win, regardless of age or experience.
• You learn it in minutes, and games last 10 to 20 minutes.
• No pressure: nobody feels “bad” at the game because nobody controls the outcome.
• Surprises every turn that keep everyone at the table.
For kids, there’s nothing like beating Dad or Grandpa. And kids know very well when an adult lets them win. In Carrot Boom!, nobody has to let anyone win: when a child beats an adult, they know they won for real. That victory builds confidence and makes them want to play again.
For grandparents, it’s the perfect way to play without memorizing rules or planning moves, just enjoying their grandkids.
For parents, after a long day at work, it’s a moment of real connection without having to think about complicated strategies.
Two Cards, Big Lessons:
When the carrot bomb appears, the whole table freezes. Everything depends on two special cards: with one, the bomb is defused. With the other… BOOM! You lose all your carrots.
In that moment, kids learn something valuable: sometimes you do everything right and the bomb still goes off. They learn how to lose, how to handle frustration, how to win with humility and, above all, how to laugh at the unexpected.
Our Mission:
At Kawaii Lab Games, we create simple, quick, easy-to-learn games so kids and teens can unplug from screens and share more time around the table with their families. Carrot Boom!, for ages 6 to 99, fits in any pocket. Take it on vacation, to Grandma and Grandpa’s house, or to the beach, just like I used to take my little spinning top.
👉 Click here to get Carrot Boom! on Amazon and start a new family tradition.
Because sometimes, to connect with the people we love, all it takes is spinning a little top… or flipping a card.
Remember: the most meaningful experiences are often the simplest ones. So grab a deck of cards, gather your loved ones, and enjoy every round together.
See you in the next game!
Daniel López de Medrano III
The Card Game Maker
