Perplexus Epic

Perplexus Epic Review

Perplexus Epic Feature

• Flip, twist and turn the sphere to solve the puzzle
• Easy to play but challenging to complete
• Improves hand-eye coordination and spatial relations
• Develops motor and dexterity skills
• Great for travel - no loose pieces

You've mastered the Original - can you beat the new Perplexus Epic? Navigate the steel ball along the tracks, through 125 barriers of varying difficulty as you try to defy gravity. With gnarly new twists, turns and barriers, Perplexus Epic provides hours of challenging, three dimensional fun. 8 1/2" in diameter.

Boochie, A Whole New Ball Game

Boochie, A Whole New Ball Game Review

Boochie, A Whole New Ball Game Feature

• 2 to 4 players
• Playing time: 15 minutes
• Four toss rings, four bean balls, fourwrist trackers, 1 12-sided Boochie target, vinyl travel bag
• High gloss graphics
• Made in the USA

Toss out the soft foam Boochie target and then try to land your ball and hoop as close to it as possible. Keep score on a special wrist tracker. The player with the most points win. Gamewright. Ages: 8+

Rat-A-Tat-Cat

Rat-A-Tat-Cat Review

Rat-A-Tat-Cat Feature

• Children's card game that helps develop timing and basic mathematical concepts
• Teaches strategy, memory building, and addition
• Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Best Toy Award; Mensa 1996 Best New Mind Game Award
• Includes 54 rat, cat, and power cards
• For 2 to 6 players

It's never too early to develop a good poker face. With Rat-a-Tat Cat, a poker face is just one of the skills players need to perfect. As in poker, luck, skill, strategy, and intuition each play a part. Players are dealt four cards, which are kept face- down, except for a quick peek at two of them. Each player in turn pulls a card from the draw pile to replace one of the four. Memory is important, as the object is to end with the lowest score, and players must keep track of the values on their four cards. "Peek," "Swap," and "Draw Two" Power cards turn up occasionally, allowing players to maneuver and strategize further. Delightfully witty pictures of cats (the good guys--low points) and rats (bad guys--high points) illustrate each of the 54 cards. Young card sharks will develop a sense of timing and greater ease with numbers, and can begin to grasp the concept of probability. Winner of Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Best Toy Award and the 1996 Mensa Best New Mind Game. For 2 to 6 players. --Emilie Coulter A game of suspense, strategy, and anticipation. Get rid of the high cards (rats) and go for the low cards (cats). Sneak a peek, draw two, or swap cards for an added twist. Low score wins the game. (A poker face helps!) As children play Rat-a-tat Cat, they develop a sense of timing and an understanding of basic, but essential, mathematical concepts. They learn ways to remember their cards and strategies to figure out what cards other players might have. They also begin to develop an intuitive sense of probability. Rat-a-tat Cat requires skill, strategy, and awareness, challenging both young children and adults. enhances the following skills: * Math * Memory * 2 to 6 players * Playing time: about 20 minutes

Chutes and Ladders Super Hero Squad

Chutes and Ladders Super Hero Squad Review

Chutes and Ladders Super Hero Squad Feature

• Ready for a climbing, sliding, super adventure
• Choose to be one of 8 popular characters to move along the gameboard
• Ladders will zoom you forward, but watch out for chutes that will slide you back
• The classic up and down game featuring your favorite Super Heroes
• Preschool birthday party game

Hasbro Games Chutes and Ladders Super Hero Squad

Ready for a climbing, sliding, super adventure? Race to the top with your favorite super heroes. Choose to be one of 8 popular characters to move along the game board. Ladders will zoom you forward, but watch out for chutes that will slide you back. Be the first to the finish line and you're the super hero winner. This game includes 8 Super Hero Squad character pawns, 4 pawn stands, a spinner with base and arrow and instructions. It's for 2 to 6 players

• Product Dimensions: 1.4 (L) x 15.8 (W) x 10.5 (H)
• Age: 3 to 6 years

Monopoly

Monopoly Review

Monopoly Feature

• Classic family board game
• A game of luck, chance, and wheeling and dealing
• Buy and sell properties in Atlantic City
• Corner parts of the board, build houses and hotels, and charge other players exorbitant rent
• Includes a new game piece and rules for a shortened version of the game

In 1934, in the midst of the Great Depression, an unemployed heating engineer from Pennsylvania created the game of Monopoly. Realizing that his get-rich theme might appeal to other Americans, he had the game printed and distributed in a Philadelphia department store. When he couldn't keep up with the overwhelming requests for more sets, he arranged for Parker Brothers to take over the game. And the rest, as they say, is history. But Monopoly is far from a quaint historical relic. To this day, it remains a riveting game of luck, chance, and savvy wheeling and dealing--all of which can make some lucky dog rich, rich, rich! Based on the purchase of Atlantic City real estate (a city currently renowned for its get-rich gambling opportunities), Monopoly is now printed in 26 languages with more than 200 million sets sold worldwide. Players still scoot the same beloved board pieces: the old shoe, the terrier, and the hot rod. This set also includes rules for a shortened version of the game and a new token, winner of Monopoly's recent "design a token" contest. This is capitalism at its most fun and ruthless, a must-have edition in the family game closet. --Gail Hudson Everybody remembers the Monopoly game - that's why it's still the most popular, most widely played, and best-selling board game in the world! Across the generations and around the globe, what other game brings back so many memories of wheeling-and-dealing family fun' No other game has turned so many game playing moments into memories! Whether you're discovering the fun for the first time or reliving the carefree days of youth, get out there and Buy! Sell! Mortgage! Build houses and hotels! And collect those rents! That's what makes Monopoly the great American game - just ask Rich Uncle Pennybags! For 2 to 8 players. Game includes: game board, 10 tokens, title deed cards, play money, chance cards, community chest cards, 32 houses, 12 hotels and two dice.

Peaceable Kingdom / Count Your Chickens Cooperative Board Game

Peaceable Kingdom / Count Your Chickens Cooperative Board Game Review

Peaceable Kingdom / Count Your Chickens Cooperative Board Game Feature

• A cooperative counting game with pluck!
• Players work together to help Mother Hen collect her chicks and bring them back to the coop
• Learn counting and social development skills with no reading required
• Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Medal Award Winner
• For 2-4 players ages 3 years and older

Count your Chickens - A Counting Game with Pluck! The baby chicks have flown the coop! Players help Mother Hen collect her chicks and bring them back to the coop. Spin and move, count the number of spaces and collect that number of chicks. Take turns but work together. Collect all the chicks and everyone wins!

Children will learn:
- Counting
- Taking Turns
- Following Directions
- Social Development
- Cooperation

What is a cooperative game? It's a game where everyone plays together, no one is left out, and everyone has fun! In a cooperative game, players work together as a team against a common obstacle, not against each other.
Cooperative games emphasize play, not competition. Kids work together, they help each other and, most importantly, they play for FUN!

Cooperative Games foster:
- Non-stressful play situations
- Emotional development
- Shared decision making
- Creative problem solving
- A sense of community
- Positive self esteem
- Playfulness
- Cooperation

All Peaceable Kingdom cooperative games are printed with soy-based inks on FSC paper and include parts made only with recycled plastics. Games that are good for our planet and good for our kids!

Richard Scarry Busy Town

Richard Scarry Busy Town Review

Richard Scarry Busy Town Feature

• Kids have fun and build confidence every time they say, "I found it!"
• Encourages teamwork
• Promotes attention to detail
• Reinforces object identification and matching skills

Race around town solving mysteries! How many objects can you find? Join Huckle Cat and Lowly Worm on a fun-filled race around Busytown to solve mysteries and find hidden objects. Drive through lively city streets, an activity-filled farm, an action-packed airport, and a bustling harbor full of silly boats. There's much to discover on this gigantic, colorful game board that's over six feet long! As players race through Busytown, they'll team up every time someone lands on Goldbug-leaving no corner of the board unexplored as they discover hidden objects and race toward Picnic Island. With hundreds of objects to find this game provides hours of fun, while building confidence each time a child says, "I found it!"

UNO MOO Preschool Game

UNO MOO Preschool Game Review

UNO MOO Preschool Game Feature

• The farm animals have come out of their barn to play UNO
• Round them up by matching colors or animals
• The first player to get all of their figures back in the barn wins
• Includes 1 Play-and-Store Barn, 28 Animal and Farmer Figures
• Finalists for 10th Annual Toy of the Year (TOTY) Awards

The farm animals have come out of their barn to play UNO! An exciting new game for preschoolers, UNO Moo! offers a stress-free, fun way for children to gain confidence in their matching skills. Parents will appreciate the Play-and-Store barn accessory, which makes clean-up quick and easy. Remember to shout the magic words when only one animal in a player’s stable remains….UNO Mooooooo! Fast fun for everyone.

Families love playing Uno Moo!

Easy to pack up and take to Grandma's for fun on the go!

Laugh and Learn!
Searching for a game where learning and laughter go hand-in-hand? On a basic level, UNO Moo! allows children to practice their colors and matching skills. But players also may find themselves with some “wild” pieces like the Skunk or the Farmer, which adds a bit of strategy and excitement to the game as well. Victory could be just one turn away, but a player better be prepared to say “Uno Moooooo” or else the game continues. Who can win? Anybody. Who will laugh? Everybody.

How to Play
The game begins when a child draws five animal pieces from the barn storage unit and hides them behind his or her individual haystack, out of view from the rest of the players. The first animal piece will be played, by placing it on the top of the barn, resting on the barn door. The next player will compare the animals in his or her haystack with the animal at the barn door. If the animal is a BLUE COW, the player could tip the cow back through the barn door and replace it will any BLUE animal or any color COW. The game continues until a player has successfully played all the animals behind his or her haystack.

Gotcha!
True to the spirit of the original UNO! card game, Uno Moo! has a few “wild” pieces and the shouting “Uno!” requirement. Players who play a SKUNK piece force the next player to add two more animal pieces from the barn to his or her haystack. Players can play a FARMER card at any time. Finally, when a player has only one animal remaining behind his or her haystack, he or she must shout “UNO Moo!” If he or she is caught by another player with one animal before saying this phrase, he or she must add two more animals from the barn to his or her haystack.

What's In The Box?
Includes 1 Play-and-Store Barn, 28 Animal and Farmer pieces, 4 Haystack partitions and Instructions.

Round up the matching colors or animals, the first player to get all of their figures back in the barn wins!

The farm animals have come out of their barn to play UNO^®! Round them up by matching colors or animals. Is there a blue pig on the barn roof? Match it with any blue animal or any color pig. You can also play a farmer - he's wild and matches anything! The first player to get all of their figures back in the barn wins! Includes 1 Play-and-Store Barn, 28 Animal and Farmer Figures and 4 haystack partitions.

For Ages: 3 years & up.

 

Air Swimmer Remote Control Inflatable Flying Shark

Air Swimmer Remote Control Inflatable Flying Shark Review

Air Swimmer Remote Control Inflatable Flying Shark Feature

• Up to 40 Range Infra-red Control
• Shark Measures 57 x 36 Inches
• Requires helium (not included) to float - can be reinflated over and over
• Stays inflated for up to two weeks.
• Requires 4 AAA Batteries (one in the body, three in the controller)

Air Swimmers swim through the air with incredibly smooth and life-like swimming motion. These amazing fish provide hours of remote control indoor fun in even the smallest of rooms (not for outdoor use). They require only four AAA batteries (one in the body, three in the controller) and have complete up, down and 360 degree turning control. The Shark is remote infra-red controlled and will respond to your inputs moving up and down most importantly left to right with fish like tail movement. Remote control has never come to life so magically! The helium filled fish body is made from durable nylon and with appropriate use will stay inflated for weeks depending on altitude. The William Mark Corporation has been dedicated to developing unique, high-quality products for extraordinary flight performance. The company was formed when Mark Forti, then a junior at Baylor University in Waco, Texas, invented the X-zylo??? for a marketing project. The product's performance amazed everyone who saw it. After stumping his physics professor as to why the object flew, Mark took it to his father, William, who worked in the aerospace industry. When William's aerodynamicist friends could not explain how it flew so far, William and Mark filed for patents and formed the William Mark Corporation.

Qwirkle Board Game

Qwirkle Board Game Review

Qwirkle Board Game Feature

• No reading required
• Great for critical thinking

An addictive strategy game in the tradition of Sequence, Scrabble, and Othello, the Qwirkle Board Game from MindWare has a simple, straightforward premise: match tiles and win points. But the real joy of the game lies in plotting and scheming your way to victory. Winner of the Parent's Choice Gold Award and a Mensa Select National Competition Winner, Qwirkle is destined to be a family game night favorite. This game is designed for ages six and up and for two to four players.

Qwirkle
Board Game

• Ages: Six and up
• Players: Two to four

At a Glance:

• A fun twist on Scrabble and matching games
• Players strategize to make matches and earn points
• Comes with 108 wooden tiles
• Winner of Parent's Choice Gold Award and Mensa National Competition
• Includes drawstring bag for tile storage and instructions

This award-winning strategy game is easy to learn. View larger.

Match colors and shapes in this enthralling strategy game. View larger.

Mix, Match, Score, and Win

Qwirkle consists of 108 wooden blocks with six different shapes in six colors. Using the blocks, players attempt to score the most points by building lines that share the same shape or color. The simple setup makes this an instant winner for younger kids, while adults will enjoy strategizing to win.

How to Play

A typical game of Qwirkle lasts about 45 minutes--longer when you're first learning how to play--and players will likely catch on to the rules in no time at all. The game can be set up anywhere, although a large tabletop is best to accommodate the generous number of tiles. The only other thing you'll need is a pencil and paper to keep track of everyone's point count.

Each tile has an illustration on the back (circle, eight-point star, four-point star, square, clover, or diamond). Each of these symbols appears in six different colors (red, yellow, orange, green, blue, and purple). In total, the game has three tiles each of the 36 possible color-symbol combinations. To help make sure you don't lose any tiles in between games, Qwirkle comes with a drawstring storage pouch.

Straightforward, Easy-to-Follow Rules

As in Scrabble, the game starts with players drawing their own "hand" of six tiles. The player with the most tiles that share something in common (color or symbol) plays their pieces and wins points. And so it goes until the pieces make up a giant grid. One rule adults will likely need to reiterate to little ones is that duplicate tiles don't count. For instance, if someone has three diamonds, and two of them are green, they can only count one of those diamonds for points.

As play continues and the stakes get higher, younger kids may need some help deciding where to build to maximize their points. Our testers found that the length of the game may make younger kids squirmy halfway through. To keep them engaged, parents can always distribute half the number of tiles to start. The game is over when all the tiles have been played and all the points have been tallied.

What's in the Box

108 wooden tiles, cloth drawstring bag, and instruction booklet.

Combining well-thought strategy with quick-thinking challenges, Qwirkle is played by creating rows and columns of matching colors and shapes. Since the simple play requires no reading, the whole gang can connect shapes and colors, making the strategic multiple-tile moves that earn maximum points. 108 wood blocks. 2 to 4 players. Ages 6+.

Farkle The Classic Dice-Rolling, Risk-Taking Game

Farkle The Classic Dice-Rolling, Risk-Taking Game Review

Farkle The Classic Dice-Rolling, Risk-Taking Game Feature

• For 2 or More Players
• Ages 8 and Up

Become a Farkle fanatic with this classic dice-rolling, risk-taking game. Take a risk and keep rolling to build your score, or play it safe so you don't lose your points in a Farkle. It's a fight to the finish in this fabulously fun game of strategy and luck. Includes five dice, shaker cup, score pad and rules. For 2 or more players.

Scientific Explorer's Mind Blowing Science Kit for Young Scientists

Scientific Explorer's Mind Blowing Science Kit for Young Scientists Review

Scientific Explorer's Mind Blowing Science Kit for Young Scientists Feature

• Winner of Parents' Choice Approved Award and Dr.Toy One of the 10 Best Educational Products 2005 Award
• Contains a variety of experiments and instruction guide with scientific explanation
• Spark your child's curiosity in science while they are young!
• Learn about colors, learn about volcanoes
• A great family kit with experiments that will intrigue several ages

Scientific Explorer's Mind Blowing Science Kit makes it possible to create your very own science lab at home. This smartly designed science kit allows young scientists to perform several amazing science experiments that range from erupting a color-changing volcano to growing colorful, jiggly crystals. Young scientists will learn about basic principles behind the science including the difference between acids and bases, and how to use a test tube and pipette. Although designed for use by children ages four and older, adult supervision is needed for safety and to ensure that young scientists get the most out of the Mind Blowing Science Kit.

Mind Blowing Science Kit Ages: 4 years and up Requires: Water, baking flour, plate or tray, tape, red and blue pens, grape juice, coffee filter paper, bowl, measuring spoons and cups, stirring spoon, towels for clean-up What We Think Fun factor: Durability: Ease of assembly: Educational factor: Novelty factor: The Good: Colorful experiments can be performed at home The Challenging: Adult supervision is required at all times In a Nutshell: A fun, dynamic way to learn about science

This kit comes equipped with almost everything you need to create mind-blowing, colorful experiments in the comfort of your own kitchen. View larger.

Do-It-Yourself Science: No Experts Required
Scientific Explorer's Mind Blowing Science Kit includes almost everything you need to set up exciting, colorful experiments with your young scientist. Included in this dynamic kit are the following components: red cabbage juice powder, citric acid, color tablets, polyacrylamide crystals, a pipette, small and medium scoops, and three plastic cups. Only basic supplies are required but not included, such as water, towels, a plate or tray to catch spills, and a stirring spoon. Although none of the experiments included in this kit are especially messy, each one should be done on a flat surface that can be easily wiped clean in case of spills.

Adults who are supervising experiments do not need to be science gurus. In addition to step-by-step instructions for each experiment, the detailed science guide included with this kit provides adults with "mind blowing science secrets" that help to answer questions about what's happening in each experiment. All of the materials and experiments involve basic scientific concepts associated with acidic and basic liquids and are arranged to present these concepts in sequential order. The descriptions included in the science guide give background information related to each reaction and offer questions that adults can ask to help encourage fun learning during experimentation.

Dynamic, Fun Science at Home
Adults and kids will learn amazing new things about basic and acidic solutions with the Mind Blowing Science Kit. Whether erupting a color-changing volcano, creating a sunset in a test tube, or growing colorful, jiggly crystals, this science kit mixes learning with experimentation in a fun and colorful way for a wide range of ages. Each of the hands-on activities in the science guide is intended to be performed by a young scientist under adult supervision, although these activities can be adjusted to accommodate a range of ages and capabilities while still maintaining the educational excitement of the original experiments. In addition to providing detailed instructions, the science guide makes it possible for those adults who might not have a background in science, or even any exposure to scientific experimentation, to knowledgably perform experiments successfully. The dynamic, colorful nature of the experiments included in this kit make it great for pleasing a crowd at family gatherings, parties, or science fairs.

What's in the Box
Red cabbage juice powder, citric acid, baking soda, color tablets, cross-linked polyacrylamide crystals, vegetable oil, corn starch, paper, cotton swabs, test tubes and caps, plastic cups, pipette, stir sticks, small and medium plastic scoops, science guide.

Winner of Parents' Choice Approved Award and Dr Toy "One of the 10 Best Educational Products 2005" Award.