Mermaid Beach is fantastic fun, and was invented by an 8-year-old girl, no less! The game moves at a brisk pace, has lots of variety, and is very easy to understand and play. There are two card decks - Shell cards are worth points and go face up when you get one, while Beach cards stay hidden in your hand until played. It is the variety and consequences of the Beach cards that really super-charge the fun. For example, dis...Read more

Mighty Mind Aquarium Adventure gets kids using their brains in so many ways - recognizing and manipulating shapes and colors, pattern recognition, puzzle and problem solving - all while having an immense amount of fun! The set includes 32 design tiles and 50 aquatic-themed puzzles to solve. The puzzles consist of large, sturdy, illustrated cards with outlines to be filled using the shapes. Doing so requires that a child p...Read more

Up close, the sleek Mobo Mini looks to have sprung from the sort of engineering expertise typically devoted only to professional race cars and high-end luxury vehicles. Billed as the World's Smallest Luxury Three Wheeled Cruiser, The Mobo Mini is in a class all its own, with a look, feel, and handling that will thrill kids of all ages. Its unique steering system is easy to use, yet presents a development tool for hand/eye...Read more

There are so many fine touches to the My First Zoo set in addition to the LEGO bricks we've all come to know and love so well. The icy translucent blocks that suit the Polar Bear, the blue railings that allow for the creation of fenced-off areas, the pitchfork-type implement that fits perfectly into the baby elephant's mouth, the Zoo sign, the automobile, brightly colored flower pieces, and more. Most importantly, there a...Read more

In addition to being a great deal of fun, My Ribbon Barrette Maker produces an immense feeling of satisfaction in the finished result - a stylish, creative, professional-quality ribbon barrette made with your own two hands. And it's so easy! The instructions are extremely clear, and the process is systematic and repetitive, simple and quick. The specially designed loom keeps your ribbons in place (no tangles!) while you w...Read more

olelo is a highly social board game less about competing than about sharing yourself with others - who you are, where you've been, what you think - and having as much fun as possible doing so. A quick look at the instructions and you're off and playing. Players are dealt 12 Question Cards apiece, either Adult Cards, or, if age 10 or younger, Children's Cards. One at a time players roll a die, move their playing piece, and...Read more

My, what fun Pajaggle is! In addition to being great fun, it really gets your brain working as you race to fit the 61 Pajaggle pieces into their proper openings (known as 'sockets') in the Pajaggle Board. Doing so requires matching the shapes to their sockets, easier said than done given the subtle variations in size and shape and the fact that each shape only fits perfectly into one socket. Adding to the challenge is the...Read more

This is a very clever game - simple, but clever - that gives you 5 seconds to memorize the color on a color chip, then allows you to sift through 18 color wheels (each of which has 6 shades of a given color on it) in search of an exact match for that color. If it's a match, keep the color chip and slide it into one of the slots on your nifty palette. Players alternate taking turns, and the first to fill all seven slots in...Read more

This is a very well thought-out game that uses the Periodic Table as the basis for 6 different card games and two different variations of board game play. The set comes with a game board, more than 100 playing cards, 6 dice, and 4 playing pieces. The Player's Guide is well written and easy to follow, and the game is fun to play. One of the most valuable things about Periodic Quest is that it makes learning chemistry fun. ...Read more

The shaped rubber bandz craze just got hotter! PiggyBack Bandz quite literally adds a whole new dimension to the fun by building a mini-version of the shape into each band bracelet. With band on wrist, the 'piggybacked' mini-shape stands straight up. This 'shape on top of a shape,' not only takes the guesswork out of what you're wearing once they're on, it also lets you create cool three-dimensional designs - simply add s...Read more

Anyone who's ever been backpacking knows that the right equipment will enable you to carry a surprising amount of weight long distances without discomfort. Piggyback Rider operates on a similar principle, allowing you to comfortably carry your child on your back by distributing the weight at your core. No strain, no pain. The child stands on a foot bar which rests near your waist's height. This standing position gives you...Read more

For many children, nightlights are an essential, comforting part of bedtime, integral to a smooth transition and a good night's sleep. Cloud B, a company whose business it is to help children of all ages sleep well, has put a new face on nightlights, and a genuinely sweet, friendly one at that. Pink Ladybug has soft, plush legs, underbelly and head, and a calm, sleepy expression on her face. Pressing a button on her back ...Read more

What can your eyes take in - what can your brain make sense of - when looking at a muddle of intersecting lines? Quite a bit, actually, when those lines are made up of overlapping images of simple objects - a scissors, say, or a candle - printed on transparent cards that have been stacked expressly for the purpose of confusing the eye. Seeing is revealing, and Pix Mix causes players to use their eyes and minds in new and ...Read more

Play Draw Create is an outstanding activity and creativity kit that has the added benefit of being one of Innovative Kids' green start products. This means it is printed using only eco-friendly inks and that all outer packaging is made from post-consumer recycled materials. The easy-carry kit is light and compact - about the size of a hardcover children's book - but comes packing an awful lot of fun and excitement. Open i...Read more