Best 40 Toys for Ten Bucks - 2009:
Get Gifts and Great Fun for $10.00 or Less©
In tough economic times, it’s great to be assured that you can still find great gifts with plenty of play value for a decent price. You can find plenty of well-made, safe, and fun gifts among the suggested products offered in Dr Toy’s special thrifty safe and diversified Gift Guide for under $10 for excellent products. It’s also a good time to remember that fun is not based on what you spend, but on how much you play and be playful. So here are ten thoughts for thrifty fun.
- Find fun times with creative activities and these play times don’t have to cost money but provide rich experiences and lasting memories.
- What can your child do with a cardboard box? How many different things can you both create from a box? Can you create a puppet theatre, a fort, or a turn it into a table for a tea party?
- You and your child can have plenty of physical activity with a ball, Frisbee, Hula-Hoop, jump rope, or a yo-yo. What tricks or skills can you share?
- Have open ended creative times together with crayons, paint and Playdoh.
- Tack up some paper and paint and draw and enjoy being artists.
- Make up charades, play silly games anytime is a great time for games
- Read aloud stories in books borrowed from the library. All you read together helps child with communication and language, spontaneity and self confidence.
- Produce your own family puppet show using the puppet theatre you made from the cardboard box, the book you borrowed from the library as a story or make one up.
- Don’t forget to recycle your child’s toys and always check any that may be broken or unsafe. Consider starting a lending toy library in your child’s school or in the neighborhood library.
- If all else fails go back into your own childhood and find one of the latest new classic toys we have evaluated in 2009 or in the past. Check out those inducted into the Toy Hall of Fame.
The best 40 toys and products included here are all priced at under ten dollars making them great objects as stocking stuffers and great gifts any time of the year.
Dr. Toy’s 40 BEST TOYS FOR UNDER $10
ALEX / Scribble & Doodle
Price: $9.99 / Ages: 4 - 6 / http://www.alextoys.com
Scribble and Doodle is an activity pad of 75 pages that can be used at home or on the road. Offers a creative way to teach colors and simple words. The spiral bound pad includes 50 preprinted and 25 blank pages, plus 8 finger crayons.
Around the Table™ Games / Youth Series of Conversation Games
Price: $7.99 / Ages: 7 - 12 / http://www.aroundthetablegames.com
Youth Series of Conversation Games includes three games.
Buddy Talk from Around the Table - A Fun Way to Get Your Friends Talking - Created for Kids and Tweens by Kids and Tweens! 50 Cool Conversation Questions for both boy and girl BFFs! Question Cards attached to a cool carabiner clip that can be clipped to a backpack or overnight bag. Great for recess, sleepovers, or on the bus. Perfect gift for kids and their buddies.
Others include Camp Talk from Around the Table - Gather Around and Make New Friends with … Camp Talk! Made by kids for kids. Fun way to make new friends at camp! 50 fun camp related questions! Cards attached to a Flashlight/Compass/Carabiner Clip! Great for kids going off to camp OR for family camping trips! Perfect gift to tuck into your child’s suitcase for camp – help them make new friends FAST! See also Teen Talk from Around the Table
b. dazzle / Frogs Scramble Squares® 9 - Piece Puzzle
Price: $8.95 / Ages: 4 - 12 / http://www.b-dazzle.com
Adults and seniors love these made-in-America Scramble Squares® puzzles as much as children, teenagers and college students. Although each Scramble Squares® puzzle has only nine 4" x 4" square pieces, Scramble Squares® puzzles are Perhaps the World’s Most Challenging Puzzle®! At under $10.00 each, they make perfect gifts that are not only inexpensive, but highly valued. Consider giving the puzzles for birthdays, graduation, travel, Get Well, Easter and for any holiday. Scramble Squares® puzzles teach patience, perseverance, fine motor and critical thinking skills, and help maintain mental agility while providing stimulating entertainment as either a solitaire game or a cooperative activity. Each puzzle package includes an interpretive panel of fascinating facts on the subject of the puzzle, as well as a trivia question and hidden answer. Each puzzle is packaged in a unique and handy resealable heavy duty 10-1/2” long x 5-3/4” wide x 3/8” deep vinyl travel pouch, which can be stored easily in a standard 3-ring binder. Scramble Squares® puzzles are highly rated by the Ableplay.org web site of the Lekotek National Center in Chicago, which ranks products that are beneficial to the learning disabled. Scramble Squares® puzzles are Easy To Play, But Hard To Solve®! Over 130 excellent styles of colorful original art are available on nature, sports, history, culture, geography, science, technology, food, occupations, fantasy, hobbies and activities, and more new styles are added throughout each year.
Black Belt Goals / Goal Bands Game "Karate Belts For Your Wrist"
Price: $5.00 / Ages: 4 - 12 / http://www.GoalBandsGame.com
Finding good behavioral habits are hard to start and bad one’s are hard to break? Parents can now help kids to start achieving all of their hardest goals, almost immediately, building on inner strengths in a fun way. This is also more of a game and something that can be used by an individual or in groups (family, school, workplace). Simple, not complicated, and cost effective, Goal Bands Game “Karate Belts For Your Wrist” is a perfect solution. The Goal Bands Game and Black Belt Goals Journal (included with every game) is for everyone at all ages and for everything (education, safety, health, fitness, nutrition, weight loss, etc.). They are perfect to use when a little help with focus, self discipline, and a reminder is needed. You can start with safety goals (sun block, bike helmet, no swimming in the deep end, etc.); or responsibility goals (make your bed, clean up, dress yourself, etc.); or study and practice goals. Adults can join with nutrition and fitness goals (family walk, hike, sport, etc.) or anything else. The Goal Bands Game has a self empowerment tool that offers flexibility and durability to pick and achieve whatever goals are of most importance. For example, more reading, no junk food, eat more salad, and to keep building upon these successes. Each Goal Bands Game consists of a personal journal, 6 karate belt colored wristbands, and an anime card with instructions, all stamped with trademarked “Black Belt Goals.” Game play begins with the setting of daily goals and then by wearing the appropriately colored wristband to serve as a reminder of these goals. Achieve goals and advance to next colored wristband, don’t achieve them and you are stuck wearing that colored wristband for another day. Use journal to write your goals, successes, and observations. The world’s simplest, fastest and surest way to inner strength.
Cadaco / EnviroBLOX™ Deluxe Set
Price: $7.99 / Ages: 4 - 12 / http://www.cadaco.com
The EnviroBLOX Deluxe Set gives kids an easy way to create all kind of designs with 180 pieces of 100% biodegradable building blocks and logs, in a variety of colors and sizes. The product is made in the United States from cornstarch using a patented manufacturing process and materials – no plastic or oil based materials are used. The blocks are very adaptable; simply moisten an EnviroBLOX with water for a firm, instant hold, no tape or glue needed. This product fills the need for an environmentally friendly building activity for kids of all ages. This is an innovative hybrid of materials between modeling compounds and plastic building bricks, which brings benefits of structured building with freeform modeling. When it’s time to put the unused blocks away, just slide them back into their zip-lock package, which is environmentally conscious to minimize waste. And when the time comes to discard your used EnviroBLOX, simply place them in water and watch them magically disappear! Or add to your compost pile for a truly green recycling solution.
Cepia / Zhu Zhu Pets™
Price: $7.99 / Ages: 4 - 12 / http://www.cepiallc.com
Zhu Zhu Pets™ are innovative, realistic, interactive, plush, and artificially intelligent hamsters that talk and move around in their own playsets. Zhu Zhu Pets™ include two play modes: nurturing mode where the hamsters coo and purr and adventure mode where the hamsters explore their habitat with intelligent audio and mechanical responses to various habitat stimuli. Over a dozen add-ons can be purchased to build an ever-evolving hamster habitat for your hamster to play in and explore. Powered by 2 AAA batteries (included), Zhu Zhu Pets™ are suitable for ages 4 and up. Price is $7.99 (hamster) with accessories from $3.99 to $24.99. For more information, please visit http://www.zhuzhupets.com.
Circle Out Games / Circle Out!
Price: $9.99 / Ages: 8 - 12 / http://www.circleoutgames.com
Circle Out! is great for family activities, classroom activities, birthday parties, and, of course, for just plain old having fun! Circle Out! calls upon parts of the brain that may not normally get enough exercise. For this reason, children can often gain the advantage over adults. Circle Out! is a great visual memory exercise and winning is never simply a matter of chance! Lay out twelve cards on the table and then race to find the biggest circles that you can! Circles are formed by connecting cards of the same color together: red to red, blue to blue, etc. until the same color connects the chain of cards together at both ends. Curiously, Circle Out! was invented as a result of a meditation on economics. “How could people trade if the money system failed?” One idea was that a trading “chain” or “circle” could be used. For example, suppose one person has corn and needs wheat, a second person has wheat and needs barley, and a third person has barley and needs corn. These three people can trade in a circular pattern. (Pretend, for example, that each card represents one person. The top color is his supply of something and the bottom color is something that he needs. Cards link together where the supply and the need match.) Circle Out! game was the result of exploring the simple idea of a trading circle. Also, the way that the game plays is somewhat of a mathematical curiosity. The deck is made up of 21 pairs of inverse cards (two-card circles). Occasionally, when you play Circle Out! a couple of pairs may be left unused, but there will never be random cards left over. Suitable for 8 years and older.
Crayola / Crayola 64 Box with Built-In Sharpener
Price: $4.99 / Ages: 5 - 12 / http://www.crayola.com
An American cultural icon, the Crayola 64 Box made its debut in 1958 on the “Captain Kangaroo Show.” The assortment included 16 brand new colors, expanding on the 48-ct. box of Crayola crayons which, until then, was the “Cadillac” of crayon boxes.
More than 200 million Crayola 64 Boxes have been sold over the last 50 years. The 12.8 billion crayons inside would circle the earth 24 times. An original 64 Box was added to the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History in 1998, the same year it was inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame. Although the most popular color inside the 64 Box is blue, it has also been home to colors like burnt sienna, cornflower and carnation pink. The famous box with the built-in sharpener was best described by the late David Shayt, cultural history curator for the Smithsonian Institution, when he said, “Opening a box is like stepping through the door to Oz. It’s like opening a box of memories for adults, especially colorful ones, and walking into the process of discovery for children. There’s a community of colors inside the box that peppers everyone’s imaginations.” A part of the collective history and experiences of generations of Americans, the Crayola 64 Box remains one of the most enduring and identifiable symbols of American youth culture. Although no longer the largest assortment of crayons in Crayola’s collection of children’s art tools—the Crayola Telescoping Crayon Tower contains a whopping 150 colors—it is the one steeped in the most history, and truly worthy of being among the “Best Classic Toys.”
Creativity / Smooshies
Price: $9.99 / Ages: 3 - 5 / http://www.creativityinc.com
A Smooshie is whatever you want it to be. Your child can design a friend, monster, dog, robot, or alien from another planet! Simply choose body, arms, legs, facial features, or even antennae or wings – reusable Velcro attaches them wherever your young designer wants them to create a custom creature. When done, your child can pull the pieces off and start all over again. Release creativity, develop fine motor skills, and enjoy fantasy play with these adorable, reusable, developmental toys! You can visit http://www.mysmooshies.com to play fun Smooshies games and download Smooshies coloring pages.
Duncan Toys / Duncan® Butterfly Yo-Yo
Price: $3.49 / Ages: 8 - 12 / http://www.yo-yo.com
Since 1929, Duncan yo-yos have been entertaining children (and adults) of all ages. This is a gift that is cost effective and practical. It can go along on a trip and entertain and amaze at any time. Players are learning coordination, concentration, and dexterity when they use a yo-yo. Since 1954, the Duncan® Butterfly® yo-yo’s wide string gap has made it much easier to land the yo-yo back on the string. This model (3124BU) is best for learning string tricks like "Trapeze" and "Double or Nothing." The Butterfly's wider shape also makes it easier to perform "Shoot the Moon." The Duncan Butterfly yo-yo is one of the world’s most popular for its ease of use, and the one most people relate to for its winged shape. Duncan’s Butterfly weighs only 1.5 ounces and measures 2-¼ inches in diameter with 1-¼ inch width. It is available in red, green, orange and blue.
Duncan celebrates its 80th anniversary this year. Dating back to 450 B.C. in Greece, the yo-yo is one of the world’s oldest toys. Duncan Toys Co. has led the industry for eight decades in yo-yo promotions, innovative yo-yo skill related products and technology. The first yo-yo promotions in the United States were run by Duncan, and served as the template for decades to come. Duncan was the first company to make a “sleeping” yo-yo, one that could spin at the end of the string. Duncan was the first company to introduce yo-yo shapes designed specifically for different kinds of tricks, and Duncan was the first company to mass-produce yo-yos of both wood and plastic bodies. Duncan’s Butterfly was one of the innovatively shaped yo-yos Duncan introduced featuring the winged shape.
For a free trick sheet, please send a request in a self-addressed, stamped envelope to Duncan Toys Company, P.O. Box 5, Middlefield, OH 44062. Check out http://www.yo-yo.com or call Duncan Toys at Flambeau, Inc. at 1-800-457-5252. Duncan history is preserved and recorded by the Smithsonian Institute, as well as numerous books and articles. Duncan demonstrators have performed for kings, queens, presidents, dictators, prime ministers, and at nearly every type of public gathering imaginable. Fidel Castro came to power during a Duncan yo-yo campaign in Cuba, Abbie Hoffman was cited in contempt of Congress for “Walking The Dog” during a Senate hearing, and astronaut David Griggs has played with a Duncan Imperial® while orbiting the Earth.
Educational Publishing / A Surprise in the Mail
Price: $7.99 / Ages: 12 mos - 36 mos / http://www.earlystartchild.com
Children dream about finding presents in their mailbox - and this book delivers a wonderful surprise. Lift up the colorful flaps to discover hidden pictures, and read how a mailman drives a truck and even flies a plane to get grandma's gift to an eager child. Questions and cues on each page help engage the child in active reading and conversation. The Early Start series transforms the board book with delightful interaction - eliminating the boredom factor for kids and parents! “A Surprise in the Mail” is part of The Early Start series that transforms the board book with delightful interaction for more fun. Child Safety Tested and conforms with ASTM and CPSIA standards. Children develop language, cognitive, and fine motor skills, and are delighted with pop-up, flip-flap, slide-out, highlight, and touch-and-feel features! Other books in this series are “Where is Dogbot?”, “My First Flip-Flap Book of Trucks,” and “Pizza Friday.”
Educational Publishing / Pizza Friday
Price: $7.99 / Ages: 12 mos - 36 mos / http://www.earlystartchild.com
Pizza Friday, every Friday! Making pizza is fun when you can touch-and-feel each step, and hear the story rhymes. Lift the flap to see the delicious ending. Includes activities that add to the fun and learning, such as pretending to roll out the dough or asking about favorite toppings. Colorful pictures with tactile touches engage a child's senses as they learn to sequence and build vocabulary. The Active Reading prompts at the bottom of each page and activity recommendations totally involve the child and help develop language and cognitive skills. “Pizza Friday” is part of The Early Start series that transforms the board book with delightful interaction for more fun. Child Safety Tested and conform with ASTM and CPSIA standards. The books are perfect size for easy travel. The series includes interactive components like flaps, slide-outs, and wheels so a child may “play” with the book. Other books in this series are “Where is Dogbot?”, “My First Flip-Flap Book of Trucks,” and “A Surprise in the Mail.”
Edupress / Brain Blasters Vocabulary Practice Cards
Price: $9.99 / Ages: 7 - 12 / http://www.edupressinc.com
Brain Blasters cards make vocabulary practice easy and accessible. Real-life questions promote research-based practice. Promotes parent involvement. Double-sided cards add value. Self-checking cards allow individual practice. Fun format engages learners. Set of 40 cards offers plenty of practice and learning skills for over 400 vocabulary words.
Edupress / Guided Reading Question Cards for Fiction
Price: $8.99 / Ages: 8 - 12 / http://www.edupressinc.com
Give students the tools to become strategic, independent readers! Focused questions make reading any text an interactive experience. Use in conjunction with any book. Questions for use before, during, and after reading. Teacher’s guide included. Each set has 54 cards.
Elmer's Products / Kinder-Ready Travel Scavenger
Price: $9.99 / Ages: 3 - 5 / http://www.scientificexplorer.com; http://www.colorloco.com
Kinder-Ready is a new set of eight educational items specifically designed to help little ones build the skills they need to have a successful, fulfilling kindergarten experience—from basic skill development, such as learning letters, to more advanced cognitive, physical, social and artistic learning activities. The Kinder-Ready Travel Scavenger builds vocabulary and jump starts great discussions on road trips or everyday outings built around the distinctive, colorful artwork from The World of Eric Carle® collection, including the one-and-only, The Very Hungry Caterpillar.
For My Kids / Happy Fun Dough
Price: $4.99 / Ages: 2 - 12 / http://www.formykidsonline.com
Happy Fun Dough is a great classic based on the traditional dough that children love to use to shape things with their imagination. This updated product is soft, pliable, moldable dough and is made from water, flour, salt, cream of tartar, canola oil, and citric acid. The company only uses colors that are made from all-natural plant extracts; no artificial colors here. The colors include: natural, brown, green, orange, pink, and yellow. A gluten-free option (made with white rice flour) is available. Produced with care in a facility that does use wheat.
Gamewright / Say Cheese!™
Price: $6.49 / Ages: 6 - 12 / http://www.gamewright.com
Race to the photo finish in this dice game that plays out in a flash! Quickly roll your dice to match characters on the photo booth cards. When you match a pair, shout “Cheese!” and collect the card. Win all the cards and you’re picture perfect! About the Game: If you’ve ever been inside a photo booth, you know what it’s like to act wild and crazy under the pressure of time. This game captures some of that frenetic feeling. As you quickly roll dice and look for matches, you’ll not only sharpen your reflexes, but you’ll also strengthen fine motor skills, eye hand coordination, matching and visual acuity. Contains 25 cards, 8 custom dice, rules in English and Spanish. Playing time: 12 minutes or less. No reading required.
Giddy Up! / Dora Color N Carry
Price: $6.99 / Ages: 3 - 6 / http://www.giddyup.com
This is an excellent activity for a traveler’s bag. It is chock full of carry along coloring fun with its 8 Jumbo crayons. A great item to take along anytime you travel and fun for use at your destination. Expand creativity on the way.
Giddy Up! / Littlest Pet Shop Color Blast Mini
Price: $4.99 / Ages: 4 - 8 / http://www.giddyup.com
Fun way to expand creative expression. Invisible inks instantly reveal rainbows of colors with one clear, magical mess free marker. Product Includes: 24 page Game Book with 1 Mess Free Rainbow Marker.
Green Toys / Green Toys EcoSaucer™ Flying Disc
Price: $8.99 / Ages: 5 - 12 / http://www.greentoys.com
This innovative new product offers plenty of environmentally friendly good times. The sky’s the limit with this groovy flyer. Take along for any trip or outing to the park or backyard. The Green Toys EcoSaucer™ Flying Disc is made in the U.S.A. from sturdy 100% recycled plastic milk containers that save energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Weighing in at approximately 130 grams, it soars with Good Green Fun™.
Green Toys / Green Toys™ Jump Rope
Price: $9.99 / Ages: 5 - 12 / http://www.greentoys.com
This innovative update of the classic jump rope provides a reawakening of physical activity and an appreciation for improvements in technology. This is a new process that gives green play products some new excitement. Crisscrosses, can-cans, and double-unders are all good for the planet when they are done with the Green Toys™ Jump Rope made from recycled plastic and cotton. Manufactured in the U.S.A. from 100% recycled plastic milk containers, happy jumpers will burn energy while saving energy and greenhouse gas emissions, all in the name of Good Green Fun™. Available in green, pink or purple.
Kids II / Busy Bee™ Photo Book
Price: $6.99 / Ages: 3 mos - 24 mos / http://www.brightstarts.com
The Bright Starts™ Busy Bee™ photo book is a baby-friendly album that can be taken anywhere. Share pictures of your adventures with baby. The handle is teethable and tabs make it easy for baby to turn the pages. Capture all your favorite memories with her! Album holds five 4x6 photos and one 2x3 photo.
Knowledge Adventure / Jumpstart.com
Price: $7.99 / Ages: 3 - 10 / http://www.knowledgeadventure.com; http://www.JumpStart.com
JumpStart is an award-winning adventure-based 3D virtual world that is super-personalized, wildly imaginative, and really fun. It also teaches math, reading, and critical thinking skills. The program features: Jumpeez—the main avatar (Jumpee) the child creates using more unlimited variations of faces, hair, eyes, mouths, hats, clothing, etc. with endless combinations for customization; StoryLand—an immersive adventure-based collection of five virtual worlds: Neighborhood, Town Square, Petland, Beach, and Jungle, where a child can play endless developmental games, plus learning activities and missions that challenge and entertain; and Adventure Land for older children. JumpStart’s 3D high-definition quality graphics deliver an enhanced user experience.
Learning Horizons / Earth Lovers Activity Books, The
Price: $5.99 / Ages: 4 - 6 / http://www.learninghorizons.com
The Earth Lovers products were created to teach the importance of protecting our planet, exploring the world, respecting animals, and appreciating nature. Each 128 page book contains a variety of activities including dot-to-dots, coloring, crossword puzzles, mazes, hidden letters and numbers, and word searches! Creative activities provide different ways to recycle, ideas on how to protect our planet, and fun games incorporating recycled materials as game pieces! The Earth Lovers Environment workbook features lessons about different seasons, the earth’s core, natural wonders, weather, and animal inhabitants that are unique to different environments around the world. Each page includes short facts about how each of these variables contribute to the environment in an important way. The learning lessons are combined with a variety of fun activities to help illustrate these concepts. Additionally, Earth Lovers: Environment provides ideas on how to “go green,” such as taking a walk in nature, having an “earth friendly” picnic, and tips about how to save water, paper, cardboard, electricity, and gas! This workbook helps to instill a sense of respect and responsibility for the environment in a fun way!
Made from environmentally responsible paper and printing, the entire Earth Lovers series is 100% recyclable. Workbook pages are made from 100% recycled fiber, 65% post-consumer waste, and are acid and chlorine free. The ink used in the illustrations and activities is vegetable-based linseed oil, which is as renewable as soy oil, has low volatile organic compounds, and an aqueous coating.
Little First Act Discov. / My First Harmonica
Price: $7.99 / Ages: 18 mos - 4 yrs / http://www.littlefirstactdiscovery.com
A portable musical instrument that introduces kids to a life long love of music. My First Harmonica’s color-coded learning system makes it easy to play your very first instrument! Book features familiar play-along songs and encourages parent and child interactive musical play. Develops motor skills and eye-hand coordination. Soft ergonomic grip is especially designed for little hands. All contained in one package is the Key of C First Harmonica plus a music book with color learning system, lists of fun activities, and well-known songs.
Mind Candy / Moshi Monsters
Price: $5.95 / Ages: 7 - 12 / http://www.moshimonsters.com
Moshi Monsters has been described as a cross between Brain Training, Tamagotchi and Facebook for kids. Children adopt a unique pet monster then nurture it by feeding and playing with it. Every day they solve educational puzzles with their monster to earn in-game currency to buy items to customise their pet and it's house. Players can also show off their monsters to their friends, as well as play games and chat safely. Casual Multi player games are one of the fastest growing sector of the $40 billion USD global video game industry.Moshi Monsters provides a unique twist on the existing games in the market. Kids love the games and social features, while parents are happy paying for a safe and educational experience for their children. Purchase a Moshi passport at $5.95 per month. The site is moderated 24 hours by a very experienced community team. Users go to http://www.moshimonsters.com. Adopt their own pet monster. All users receive an activation e-mail, if a child is below the age of 13 parental consent is sought for them to play. Once they are in their house, they have loads of things to do from finding and adding friends to sending them messages. Users go to Puzzle Palace to test their puzzle-solving skills and earn some valuable items to decorate their room and feed their monster in order to keep it happy and healthy. Users can explore the ever-expanding world of Monstro City. From the map in their room, they can navigate to any location in the world, visit the shops on Main Street and Sludge Street, play mini-games, visit their dress up room, go into their garden to plant flowers and attract cute and collectable pet Moshlings for their monster and visit the office of Roary Scrawl and The Daily Growl, Monstro City’s very own daily newspaper, to see the latest news, competitions, “MonSTAR of The Week” winners, and more. Moshi Members have special access to the Port. Here they can shake Rox Trees to get free Rox, shop 'til they drop at Bab's Boutique for all the coolest collectibles, have a monster makeover at Colorama, and if they’re really lucky, Cap'n Buck’s Boat Shop will be in port. Then they can buy items from places like Bubble Bath Bay and Candy Shoals! Members also have a Moshling Zoo which allows them to collect and keep all of the sets of Moshlings, earning rewards as they go. Coming soon users will be able to explore secret tunnels, gift island and will have access to a newsfeed so that they can see what all that their friends have been up to and what is going on in the world.
Mind Challenge / loKulus
Price: $9.99 / Ages: 6 - 12 / http://www.drwood.com
Over 2,000 years ago a puzzle was created that has been attributed to Archimedes and variously called the Loculus of Archimedes, the Ostomachion or Archimedes’ Box. The Dr. Wood Challenge Centre has worked upon the original concept and injected exciting new dimensions. This version stays true to the original Ostomachian, but adds a touch of 21st Century brilliance, which is a delight to touch and a pleasure to play! Enjoy hours of puzzling fun with loKulus as you play within the confines of the frame or crack one free-form challenge after another! From geometric shapes to animals, objects and even people – open your mind to a whole world of puzzling entertainment!
Playroom Ent. / Pick-A-Paint
Price: $10.00 / Ages: 6 - 12 / http://www.playrooment.com is a game designed to provide fun and challenges. Players must work together using cards to select colors for different objects. The challenge is to complete a grid where each color can only appear once in each row or column. Pick-A-Paint offers team play coordination, color and object recognition, and memory skills. The game can take as little as 10 minutes to play so that younger players will not get bored and can be played multiple times. The cards in the game are designed to be thicker and coated for durability.
Playroom Ent. / Trading Faces
Price: $10.00 / Ages: 6 - 8 / http://www.playrooment.com
Trading Faces is designed as an affordable skills game The new game was created by the same team that gave the entire group of Bright Idea Games a consistent look and play value. Each game in the product line helps to play to different skills through innovative themes and style elements. Trading Faces is a silly card game where each card has an emotional expression written and illustrated on it. Players swap cards until one player has three of a kind. That player then makes the expression on the matching cards. The other players have to guess correctly to win points. It’s a fun game that teaches non-verbal awareness of body language and facial expressions.
RandomLine / SQUIGGLE® On-the-Move
Price: $8.99 / Ages: 6 - 12 / http://www.randomline.com
Help your child loosen creativity and imagination with this unique drawing activity pad. The idea is simple … spin the wheel then transform the pre-printed squiggly line into the vehicle or object you land on. The pad is a wide-format for maximum creativity and comes with 4 coloring markers that store on-board. Just flip open the front panel and easily access the markers. Get ready to spin your wheels and let your child’s imagination fly!
Schylling / Flatsy Dolls
Price: $6.99 / Ages: 3 - 8 / http://www.schylling.com
A remake of the original ‘70s doll, Flatsy is a classic with a modern edge. You may remember that you had this doll as a child. Flatsy dolls are flat and able to be posed and bent into different positions. Your child will have fun dressing the doll and styling its hair. A perfect doll with plenty of play possibilities to take along anywhere.
Schylling / Panda's Pick Tic Tac Toe
Price: $7.49 / Ages: 6 - 12 / http://www.schylling.com
This is a new eco-friendly Classic Bamboo Game called Panda’s Pick Tic Tac Toe, which is a favorite game for all ages. This game is all one piece, so there is no risk of loosing parts. Panda’s Pick Tic Tac Toe measures 5.25” square and is an important game that every child will use in its development. Other games in the Schylling new ecological series of Panda’s Picks include Labyrinth, Shut The Box, Four in a Row, Mancala, Chinese Checkers, Tumbling Tower, Backgammon, and Chess.
Scribble Mats! / Scribble Books
Price: $5.00 / Ages: 3 - 7 / http://www.scribblemats.com
Color on Wipe off Board Books are educational and allow children to have fun while building their imagination, dexterity and creativity. The books are available in 5 different fun adventures. The perfect travel companion, they’re portable and able to be used again and again. Similar to the signature surface used on Scribble Mats! the Board Books are made with a surface that allows any wax-based crayon to wipe clean easily with a dry cloth or paper towel. Designed for convenience, they fit perfectly in the car and travel bag. This all-inclusive book comes complete with six non-toxic crayons and 10 reusable scribble pages for lots of coloring fun.
Shidonni / Shidonni
Price: $5.95 / Ages: 5 - 12 / http://www2.shidonni.com
Shidonni is a web based virtual world for young children based on the creative joy of drawing. Kids draw their virtual pets and worlds, then play with them as they magically “animate to life” in a wonderful interactive world with dozens of activities and a safe social network.The three main activities in Shidonni are: Drawing – kids draw imaginary pets, worlds, and food and clothing for their creations and then enjoy it all as it comes to life. Pet and Play – Kids play games and engage in interactive activities with their creations. Share – Kids share their creations with their friends by sending them to others, allowing viewing into their worlds and playing multi player games. Free to play. $5.95 / Ages: per month for premium accounts.
Smith & Tinker / Nanovor
Price: $9.95 / Ages: 7 - 12 / http://www.nanovor.com
This is a new and innovative digital game that combines the strategy of a collectible card game with stunning animations and digital entertainment, offering integration between online and offline play.The Nanovors are tiny nanoscopic monsters that lived and battled on a still-molten Earth, long before any other species could survive. As Earth cooled and the atmosphere became oxygen-rich, the silicon-based Nanovor slipped into deep hibernation for millions of years, leaving the planet to be ruled by dinosaurs, and later humans. It was not until the 1960s, when the first silicon semiconductors were created, that the Nanovors were awakened—but not yet discovered. Fast-forward four decades to Lucas Nelson, a student, who, while looking for dust mites inside his computer, accidentally discovers Nanovor living there. He quickly enlists the help of his ex-hacker science teacher, Doc Zap, to create a device—the Nanoscope—that allows humans to observe and control them. Lucas discovers that they must fight to stay alive, and soon a new sport is born. The game encourages social interaction and face-to-face play among kids all within the game’s rich fictional universe. Players can connect with friends online and connect up to four Nanoscopes for head-to-head play. Collect them, buy digital Booster Packs, and trade with friends online. Battle the monsters against 2–4 friends or train your Nanovor with Solo Battle adventures. Nanovor was designed with the mission to bring together today’s tech savvy youth by offering the first connected play experience. Kids can play Nanovor on a portable handheld gaming device, or online, making connected play possible anywhere and at anytime. The game incorporates a fictional world that involves animated episodes, secret web sites, storyline updates, comic books, and more. A free game available on the Nanovor web site. Online Battle Game: $9.95 / Nanoscope Device: $49.95.
Tot Talk / "Explore the World" Placemat
Price: $9.99 / Ages: 2 - 12 / http://www.tottalk.com
This placemat identifies all of the countries of the world, the seven continents, and the major oceans and water ways. The back side features the Solar System showing the eight planets, rocket ships, and aliens. In addition, there are Solar System trivia for enhanced learning. Lightweight and thin, these are easy to pack. They work on a plane, in a car, at a restaurant, and at home. One washable marker is included. Children can color in the planets and aliens, draw and write, and then wipe clean and start over. High quality, durable, and washable; and appropriate for all ages. Dimensions are 11.5” x 17.5”. Made in the U.S.A. Other themes available. USA + World Eat & Explore Placemat and Globe-Traveler Kids Games
Toysmith / Butterfly Miniature Nature Kaleidoscope
Price: $8.50 / Ages: 3 - 12 / http://www.toysmith.com
Delight in the magic and vivid colorful world of butterflies with the Gemini Butterfly Miniature Nature Kaleidoscope. Just turn the end piece and watch the endless butterfly shapes combine to make mesmerizing images flowing into new patterns. The Gemini Butterfly Miniature Nature Kaleidoscope is part of the Gemini Miniature Nature Kaleidoscope series that also includes images of Birds, Frogs, Lizards, and Bugs. Each one will amaze your child with the colors and thematic shapes it produces. Recall the fun and simplicity of the kaleidoscope and share your appreciation with your child of these magically colorful tubes. These pocket-size, take-anywhere kaleidoscopes are 4” in length and each style has graphics on the outside of the scope that match the theme of the internal kaleidoscopic designs. There are 2 styles of imagery for each of the 5 themes.
Wham-O / Hacky Sack® Striker Footbag~14 Panel Design
Price: $4.99 / Ages: 5 - 12 / http://www.wham-o.com
Basically the classic hacky sack circle consists of 2 and more people that keep the footbag off the ground by any means necessary besides using the palms of his/her hands. Some common tricks include, stalls, bag daggers, lifts, loops, ham spalts, and milk tosses. The idea of the game is similar to traditional Asian games of kicking the shuttlecock, known as Jianzi and Chapteh. In Korea it is called Jae gi cha gi. The game is also similar to some South East Asian games, such as Sepak Takraw and Sipa.The name "hacky sack" came from the inventors of the footbag, John Stalberger and Mike Marshall. At a later date the title was sold to Wham-O.
Wham-O / Hula Hoop® - The Original Toy
Price: $5.99 / Ages: 5 - 8 / http://www.wham-o.com
Launched in 1958, the Hula Hoop® is the #1 toy ever! In the first two years, over 100 millions hoops were sold around the World. In the months to come there would be Hula Hoop® contests, exhibitions, and new tricks to learn. The Hula Hoop® was seen everywhere from the circus to late night TV. Hooping is a fun activity for the entire family to do together.
Wild Republic / Hanging Monkey
Price: $9.99 / Ages: 3 - 12 / http://www.wildrepublic.com
This company’s first introduction to a family of animals resulted in an international phenomenon! In 1999, Wild Republic opened the doors on its monkey house and released the Hanging Monkeys line, a group of plush monkeys that featured longer than normal arms and legs than typical apes and monkeys with Velcro pads on their hands and feet. Soon, everywhere you looked there were children, even adults, with Wild Republic’s long-armed monkeys strung around their necks, arms, backpacks and rearview mirrors. Their popularity was amazing. Wild Republic used its species-specific understanding to expand the theme and added various different and unusual primates to the product line. The Hanging Monkeys were everywhere, making appearances on television shows, such as Friends and Seinfeld, The Today Show and Good Morning America. The trend continues today. Humans have a love affair with monkeys and Wild Republic’s plush primates are playful best-sellers year-in and year-out.
Wild Republic / Mongo Grinders
Price: $6.99 / Ages: 4 - 12 / http://www.wildrepublic.com
Wild Republic rolls out new Mongo Grinders, bendable suction-cup attachable, skateboarding animal action figures as a fun line of characters that incorporates the Wild Republic core wildlife education message with an action-packed extreme sports activity. The Mongo Grinders are a group of skateboarders that carry an important mission of teaching environmental concerns when, as the story goes, they sneak out of the zoo one night to skate the streets, only to discover that the planet’s ecosystems are in danger. Now, the Mongo Grinders skate to reach and teach others about conservation because Planet Earth is the only skate park! Fun role playing in imaginative scenarios while positioning the characters on fully functional mini skateboards.
