More Christmas Ideas Part 3 (aka things we couldn't cram into the catalogue)

Here is a selection of some of the best Christmas gifts that Crackerjack has in store but never made it to the catalogue



Chimp and Zee Makeover Friends Girls Ages 4+
$22.95

Chimp and Zee makeover friends craft kit includes 3 craft dolls, 3 plastic bases, rug wool/ribbon/beads/stickers, box play scene with with double-sided display panel, 5 coloring sheets, dowel and instructions (crayons not included). Use your imagination in designing clothes, hairstyles, even a very cute rug. Strong chunky pieces mean this make-and-play set will endure lots of use. Best of all the box becomes the perfect place to display your rose cottage friends. If you want, play right away (one side of each piece is pre-decorated).


Schylling Tin Musical Box Boys and Girls Ages 3-4
$11.95

Another classic traditional toy that could have come straight from the Toys Maker’s workshop in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Turn the handle on this traditional tin toy to hear the tune. Children will love the brightly coloured illustrations and easy turn handle on this quality toy which has been safety tested in Germany.








Captain William Lubber’s Pirateology Handbook Boys
$23.95

A cabin boy's course in pirate hunting. Take heed, cabin boys, for you are the pirate hunters of tomorrow. Disclosed inside is my complete course in pireateology for all cabin boys who are eager to track down villainous pirates on the high seas. It will take you through a series of seafaring lessons, allowing you to progress through the ranks until you are qualified to become the captain of your own pirate-hunting vessel. Mark well my words, and together we will destroy the scourge of piracy once and for all! Captail William Lubber.



Bitty Blossoms Bobble Dolls Ages 6+
$34.95

With paint, markers and a few Asian inspired accents, you can create a trio of beautiful bobbles. Add personality to your dolls with dimensional accessories, including: paper flowers, bows, a fan, pompoms and an umbrella.








3D Solar System Mobile Making kit Age: Boys Age 7 +

Solar System Mobile Kit. An inspirational science craft for the whole family. Build your very own designed solar system mobile which revolves and glows in the dark.
Mobile is 75cm x 75xm when built. It's amazing! Contains full set of snap to build, no glue needed solar system plastic planets, full set of easy-to-assemble hanging structure and hanging Lines, 2 paint strips, glow paint, paint brush, bonus wall chart with fun facts of solar system (size:42cm x 60cm), painting and assembling instruction sheet.












1001 Bugs to Spot Boys and Girls Ages 4-8
$19.95

Crawling with bugs to find, count and talk about, this fascinating Usborne picture book provides hours of puzzle-solving fun. Spot beetles scurrying across desert dunes, butterflies flitting through the jungle, caterpillars munching on leaves, and many, many more bugs! Perfect introduction for the younger readers

Solar System Mobile Kit. An inspirational science craft for the whole family. Build your very own designed solar system mobile which revolves and glows in the dark.
Mobile is 75cm x 75xm when built. It's amazing! Contains full set of snap to build, no glue needed solar system plastic planets, full set of easy-to-assemble hanging structure and hanging Lines, 2 paint strips, glow paint, paint brush, bonus wall chart with fun facts of solar system (size:42cm x 60cm), painting and assembling instruction sheet.



Hot Wheels Race Case Boys 3+
$29.95

The best way to carry around and store you Hotwheels

















Rory’s Story Cubes Boys and Girls 8+ (BEST SELLER)
$19.95

Our daughter (aged 7 ¾) loves these!! Rory's Story Cubes is a pocket-sized creative story generator, providing hours of imaginative play for all ages. There are infinite ways to play with Rory's Story Cubes - Try them as a party game or ice-breaker, for literacy development, speaking and listening skills, creative inspiration, a mental workout or problem solving. Anyone can become a great storyteller and there are no wrong answers. Simply roll the cubes and let the pictures spark your imagination.





Freckled Frog Cubby
$59.95

The Playhouse encourages imaginative play for children aged 1 and up. Great for indoors and out, The Playhouse is made to fit over a standard card table, making it is easy to fold away for convenient storage when not in use. Machine washable.





Discoveroo Market Stall Ages 3+
$79.95

A beautiful little stand complete with 6 wooden baskets and 6 mini chalk boards. The stand is 50cm tall and wide. Made of Plantation Bass Wood.











Rock+Paper+Scissors Scented Pens
$4.95

Why use your average everyday pen . . . when you can have these amazing Snifty Scented Pens! The scent is embedded in the tip and clip. Available in eight delicious scents: Bubblegum, Strawberry, Cupcake, Donut, Choc Chip Cookie, Raspberry & Blueberry.






Rock+Paper+Scissors Stapleless Stapler
$7.95

You’ll never need to rummage around to refill your stapler again!
We love this compact and cute staple-free stapler cleverly punches and folds a small oval, locking the pages together. No metal involved, so recycling’s a breeze.





Pin Art
$12.95

Retro 3d sculpting fun for Kids and Dads. Possibly the best value toy in the shop,













Mudpuppy Piggy Bank
$24.95

Money Box decorated with robots and split into three sections for savings, spending and sharing
What could me more fun than shaking your piggy bank to hear the change rattle around! And with these banks, you’ll have funds to share, to spend, and to save.
This Robots bank is what cyborgs use to save up for crankcase oil and new bearings.
These heavy laminated paper on board banks have a metal clasp, colorful padlock and keys, and best of all, a hinged lid so they don’t have to be smashed to make a withdrawal!
The money box is divided into three sections, “spend”, “save” and “share”. The box is made of at least 70% recycled content and is printed with non-toxic soy based inks.









Iron Robot rubber Ages 5+
$1.95

One of the cheapest things in the shop! I wish I had one of these when I was a kid.












Secret Agent Write & Wipe Activity Kit Ages 7-10
$29.95

Secret Agent things are very popular this year and this kit is no exception.
It's an undercover world of secrets and espionage - and great games to keep any detective busy for hours!
Each carry-along tote (9" x 8 12/") is 17 spiral-bound pages of fun activities for 1 or 2 players - Hangman, Code Breakers, Mazes, NIM, Story Fill-ins, and more. Tote is constructed of heavy laminated board and comes with 2 write & wipe pens and clean up cloth.

Our Best Sellers this Christmas

In reverse order, here are our best sellers this year (none of which will break the bank):


15 Ever Earth Interchangeable Car Ages 36 months-3 years
$24.95

Ever Earth is one of our favourite brands at the moment. Stylish, fun, environmentally friendly and fair-trade!!
This EverEarth Interchangeable car can be a Racing Car, Bulldozer or a Dump Truck. 3 cars in one!
Kids can use their imagination to create whichever car type they want.
EverEarth Interchangeable Vehicles help develop fine motor skills and are a great toy to introduce children to building.
The set includes 8 pieces.
Everearth uses renewable rubberwood and wood certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)
and only uses water based paint that is safer for kids and cleaner for the environment than traditional oil based paint.
EverEarth uses environmentally friendly soy bean ink on product packaging and assembly instruction and 70% of all packaging for toys is recycled paperboard.
The company also complies with ISO 14001 Environmental Management and adheres to the highest socially responsible practices for its workers.


14 Puppy Sticker Kits Ages 4+
$9.95

A fun little kit for making your own sturdy paper-doll puppies by yourself or with friends! With three stand-up puppies, 3D dog houses, cosy dog beds and 69 glittery stickers, there's plenty of fun for everyone. Create these cute little puppies and then watch imaginations take flight!






13. Zingo Ages 4-8
$35.00

This creative wonder is sure to entertain kids for hours. Players try to fill their Zingo! cards with matching tiles from the Zingo Zinger. The first player to fill his/her card wins! Rules can be adjusted to favor more or less competition among players, and to vary length of time that each game takes to play. Zingo teaches shape and pattern recognition, as well as observation, and short-term memory.




12 Confetti Harmonica Age 3+
$8.95

A Lovely addition to your musical instrument box and always a favourite with children, this cute and fun Harmonica from Janod perfectly compliments the rest of the Confetti Musical Range.
Gorgeous design and quality you expect from Janod, it makes a delightful gift on its own or teamed with the Confetti design Rain-stick, Xylophone or Music Set.
Perfect to enhance the development of musical awareness through play.
All Janod toys are designed in France and manufactured to strict quality and safety standards, meeting both European and Australian requirements.



11. Ks Kids Pull Back Cars Ages 9 months+
$10.95

We thought these would be a solid and steady seller but they are flying out of the door as fast as we can re-stock them. Each vehicle features pull back and go action for hours of fun. Kids never tire of pushing and pulling these colourful cars, and is a great way to share their joy and wonder with their friends while playing. The plastic base is detachable, and each soft vehicle is machine washable.
Parenting Magazine (US) Toy of the Year

Here is the top 10... exciting isn't it?

10 Anamalz Ages 3-6
From $9.95

Designed in Australia, Anamalz are an award winning poseable hand-painted animal range made from sustainable maple and textiles. The range has just launched in the US and is one of the top selling toys over there this Christmas. Their catalogue is attached to an earlier post of ours - just check out the archives. They have an excellent website:
http://www.anamalz.com/




9. Bionic Putty Ages 4+
$9.95

After years of restless research, here is a putty formula that not only has the properties of a solid, but also a liquid and even more bizarrely - a ball!
That right, you can sculpt it and snap it like a solid, stretch it and watch it melt like ice cream or you can roll it into a ball and watch it bounce to incredible heights!
Bionic Putty has a multitude of other uses and it's not just for the kids. Great at work to ease the stress of office life or as a fun, inexpensive alternative to Silly Putty
http://www.bionicputty.tv/



8. Foxtail Sonic Balls Age 3+
$17.95

A Foxtail® that breaks the sound barrier every time you throw it. Whistles lodged in the leather-covered soft sponge ball shriek as it whizzes through the air.






7= Nano Blocks Ages 8+
From $14.95

Only available in a handful of places outside of Japan, these cool alternatives to Lego are being snapped up for Dads more than for the kids (they look great on the office computer). Space Shuttle, Guitar and Drum Kit are the big three this year. They come in three different skill levels and take between 30 minutes – 1 hour to assemble. Children as young as 7/8, who are good with their hands, can work with a parent (especially on the easy ones such as the Eiffel Tower) but to do solo, this probably suits a 12+.A nice little touch is that each pack comes with spare pieces. We also have Easter Island, Eiffel Tower, Koala, Panda and Meerkat.




7=. Kaleidoscopes Ages 2+
$12.95

Classic toys are in this year and everyone loves these













6. Roos Dress Your Doll Ages 7+
$39.95

Making dolls’ fashion is now childs play!
Roos is a unique and brand-new concept, developed by European fashion designers with a great deal of love and enthusiasm for children who want to learn how to make (dolls’) clothes themselves.
The DressYourDoll collection consists of a number of different silhouettes in
an ascending degree of difficulty ranging from 1 to 3 pairs of scissors.
With a bit of help, a seven-year-old child is able to start at the lowest
level, i.e. 1 pair of scissors.
It is sufficient to be able to cut nicely and sew a straight short line!
All silhouettes are in different prints and combinable.

http://www.dressyourdoll.be/en/home





5. Sylvanian Families Ages 4+
From $8.95

These ultra cute collectibles are loved by boys and girls and we’ve got one of the best ranges of Sylvanian Families in Australia.















4 Mudpuppy Magnetic figures Ages 5-10
$29.95

This series of Magnetic figures comes in ranges for boys (pirates) and girls (fairies). The fairy one has two fairy figures with an assortment of wings, hairstyles, dresses, and accessories to make them your own. Background scenes include a flowering landscape under the crescent moon, a flowering garden with fairy dust, a cityscape of tall buildings at twilight under sparkling stars, and a frame of vines and flowers to make the perfect fairy bower. Comes in a nice tin which makes it perfect for travel.


And now for the top three biggest sellers at Crackerjack this Christmas


3. Magical Mermaids Girls Age 4+
$19.95

These have been selling like hot-cakes since we got them in two weeks ago. A blast in the bath and cool in the pool! Place the mermaid in your pool or tub and watch them randomly spin, flip and glide through the water. Features patented random-direction motion. Requires one AA battery (not included). ASTM safety tested.



2. Spy Gear Range
From $4.95

Spy Watch, Spy Glasses, Voice Scrambler, Secret Code Kit, Lie Detetctor Kit, secret Marker Kit Everything in this range is proving a big hit this year. Great value, loads of fun!











And this years number one is...











1. Space Hoppers Ages 6+
$24.95

Another classic retro toy that’s all the rage. Perfect for the back yard. I reckon a few Mums and Dads will be showing the kids how its done after a few drinks on Christmas day.








Other best-sellers this year include: Classic Jack in the Box, Janod DIY cart, Janod Kitchen, ProGlobe illustrated Globe, Automoblox, Zoobas, Rory’s Story Cubes.


Happy Christmas!!

Board Games - Part 5

Here are some more board games we have in the shop. I hope this helps you choose the right one.


Shopping List (Orchard Toys) Ages 3-7

This award winning game encourages memory and literacy skills and is our most popular game. Suitable for 2 to 4 players, who each take a trolley that they must fill. Turn over one of the 32 cards showing familiar, everyday items from the supermarket, such as eggs, tomatoes, washing powder and aubergines, and if they are on your list, you can pop them in your trolley. The winner is the first player to collect all the items on their list and fill their trolley. Children can learn to recognize various grocery products and read the names from their lists. The game can promote plenty of discussion, not only while playing, but also on a shopping trip to a real supermarket - children can see how many items from the game they can see on the shelves. The game can be supplemented with one or both of the booster packs ('fruit and veg' or 'clothes') to increase the number of players and/or the number of items to buy. The sturdy, wipe-clean board means that the game will withstand constant playing, and the colourful illustrations allow the game to be played by young children with no reading ability. There is an educational guide printed on the box showing how the game can compliment your child's education.


Hoppers Jr . (Think Fun) Ages 5+

Hop to it with Hoppers Jr., a Peg Solitaire Jumping Game. Set the frogs on the pond, then start jumping until only the Red Frog remains. Game includes 40 Challenges ranging from Easy to Super Hard designed to encourage your child to explore, succeed and have fun. Enclosed Parent Guide offers tips for helping your child enjoy an enriching play experience. Share the fun with Hoppers Jr. and watch your child’s thinking skills and confidence grow – by leaps and hops. Promotes critical thinking and problem-solving.
$39.95


Make ‘n’ Break Junior Ages 5+

Make 'N' Break Junior is an exciting challenge for budding builders. You'll need a good eye and dexterous fingers as you race to create as many wacky structures as you can in the time allowed. But watch out - some of the structures are very difficult to build, and time is running out!! Game includes a timer, building blocks, building cards, counters and a die.
$42.95



Slug in a Jug Ages 5-9

Play Slug in a Jug by collecting rhyming cards to make a silly sentence, or play Find the Rhyme or Rhyming Pairs. Encourages observational, language, personal and social skills.
$29.95






This or That Ages 6-9

This or That? Is a quick and clever get-to-know- you game! Players pick a stick, read the This or That? Question, and then choose their answer.
$26.95









Qwirkle Ages 6+

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 for two to four players.
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.
$49.95



Top This Ages: 8+

You will be challenged and delighted in this game that confounds your ability to visualize and match patterns. Game cards specify different orange and blue puzzle shapes. You must create identical shapes by stacking orange pieces on top of blue pieces, or vice versa. This surprisingly tricky game will have you slapping your forehead in happy exasperation. Intermediate and expert levels offer more challenging fun with greater numbers of game pieces. It features forty mind challenge cards with solutions, twenty shape pieces, card holder, and game-go bag.
Although there are only orange pieces and blue pieces in this puzzle game, players will have a hard time trying to solve it. Players have to make identical shapes by stacking orange pieces on top of blue pieces, or vice versa. It's tougher than it looks! ThinkFun.
$24.95




Spy Alley Ages 8+ (NEW)

Deceptively simple and surprisingly intense, Spy Alley keeps you on the edge of your seat. Players become a spy for their given country and try to uncover their opponents' identity while keeping their own identity a secret. Players use deductive reasoning to expose other spies while attempting to complete their mission by obtaining the necessary code books, disguises, keys and passwords. You will be surprised how difficult it is to deceive your friends and family. A slip of the tongue, the blink of an eye, or even the twitch of a muscle may give your identity away. Players must be careful when entering Spy Alley. It is a calculated risk that only the bravest spies will take. The first spy to complete their mission or the last to retain their identity wins the game. For 2-6 players ages 8 and up. It takes about 45 minutes to play a game.
Watch a review on youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=urZSdiUMTT8
$44.95



Why? Challenge Series (Dr Wood) Ages 8+

13 pieces… that could drive you to the very edge of sanity. Simply place the pieces on the grids provided to create the letters W, H and Y. 3 different challenge sheets included.
The Dr Wood Mind Challenge: Can you solve it in one hour?
If you want to cheat, you can view the solutions on you tube.
$19.95



Sherlock Ages 5+

As Sherlock goes around searching for clues, every player tries to remember each of the 8 objects hidden in the facedown circle of cards. Then, Sherlock travels from 1 card to another. Each time Sherlock stops at a facedown card, the player has to remember which object is on that card. Sherlock continues to move, as long as the player guesses correctly. If Sherlock travels to a faceup card, then the player gets to keep that card. The first player to collect 6 cards wins!
Winner of the parents Choice Gold award
$21.95



What’s Gnu Ages 5-8

Portrayal Ages 12+

Portrayal is a funny, fast-paced, family/party game that tests each player's ability to describe, draw, & evaluate wacky images.

In each hilarious round of Portrayal, one player (the Portrayer) describes a unique and utterly bizarre image while the other players (the Artists) attempt to draw the image based solely on the Portrayer’s description.

Once time is up, Artists trade drawings and the ten hidden criteria for the image are uncovered. It’s up to each Artist to decide whether the drawing he or she is judging meets the criteria and receives points.

Everyone plays during every round. Be Portrayer one round, be an Artist the next. No one sits on the sidelines — Ever!
Portrayal is a great game. You will quickly discover that drawing skill only gets you so far, and in some cases, can be a hinderance. What really counts is attention to detail and the ability to describe and draw precisely and quickly. Portrayal exercises different brain muscles than most of us are used to, and is quite a lot of fun. The funny artwork, the unique, non-artistic skills required to play, the brain-bending and communicative aspects, and the game mechanics that allow every player to participate fully during every turn, make Portrayal a great family or party game that will keep you coming back for more.
$37.95

The object of the game is to spell more three-letter words than the other players. Up to 36 Word-Starter cards, which have one letter provided and two blanks, are spread out for everyone to see. Players slide the clever Letter Getter to magically reveal two letter tiles. Kids then must look at these tiles and try to make three-letter words by filling in the blanks on the Word-Starter cards. The player with the most three-letter words when all the tiles run out wins. Building your vocabulary is three times more fun. For 2 to 6 players




Albert's Insomnia Card Game Age 8+ ($16.95)

A great new game designed by a dad who wanted to make math fun. He did a great job.
The game is very simple: Deal a collective set of cards for every player to use. Taking turns, the group has to count from 1 to as high as you can go in numerical order by adding, subtracting, multiplying or dividing the numbers on the cards in any combination. The game can be simple for kids just learning math or more complex for older kids. It’s even great for parents who rely on calculators way too much.

It’s got many great game attributes:

Easy to learn
Fast paced
Multiple levels of difficulty
Great for small or large groups.
Holds attention span
FUN


There is an instructional video on youtube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=hg-OdH_5SqE#!


Miaou Matou - $21.95 (Ages 3-6)

Miaou Matou is a modern version of the traditional game of Snap. Like all Djeco toys and games Miaou Matou is extremely colourful and fun to play. The aim of the game is to match the kittens to the cats in the fastest time. The winner of each round wins a mouse token and the game ends when one of the players has 5 mouse tokens. The kitten cards are placed face up and the cats are placed face down. Each player chooses 2 of the large cats and must find the kittens related to that pair. For example if you have a red and a blue cat you need to catch the kittens with red and blue body parts. The player who collects 3 kittens first calls out "Miaou" and the round stops. If the kittens correctly match the cats that player wins a mouse token.

Check out the video here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4kNVkfd1sPc