More Christmas ideas part 2 (aka things we couldn't cram into the catalogue)

Our posting from 10 November has our full Christmas '11 catalogue but here are some more goodies that missed the publication deadline.

NEW: Wind-Up Robot (For Dads)
$14.95

This vintage-inspired mechanical robot is a great collectible. It comes with a key that winds up the robot to make him zip about! This is an adult collectors item and is fun to share with the whole family!










Studio Girl Mermaid Kit Girls Ages 8+
$21/95

Create your own adorable dress-up mermaid named Lilly with this kit. In addition to easy-to-follow sewing instructions, the stuffed doll comes with yarn and flowers for her hair; rickrack, ribbon, and fabric for her tail; and ribbon for her bracelets. Includes:
• Lilly the mermaid doll
• Rickrack, ribbon, and fabric for tail
• Ribbon for bracelets
• Easy to follow sewing instructions
• Adult supervision may be required.
• Thread and other materials not included.
• Doll measures 12"L x 9"W





Le Toy Van Noah’s Ark Boys and Girls Ages 2+
$155
This beautifully designed and crafted shape sorter is in the theme of Noah's Ark. This quality wooden set includes 1 Ark, 7 Animal Pairs and 2 People (Noah and his wife).
This gorgeous wooden toy will also grow with your child and will be continued to be used when they move into and become interested in imaginary play.

NEW: Pirate Alarm Clock Boys Ages 8+
$19.95

Who wouldn't want to wake up to this adventurous Pirate and his pet monkey? This adorable Peter Pirate metal alarm clock features a sleek retro-style shape with youthful, bright yellow and red colors. Watch as the monkey's coins rock back and forth as the seconds tick. Twin metal bells and easily operated controls ensure a timely "rise and shine." Recommended for ages 8+. Alarm clock requires one AA battery (not included). Measures approximately 6.5" tall x 5" wide.




NEW: Janod Pull-along Xylophone Age 18 months+
$71.50

This is currently one of our favourite things in the shop! This pull along wooden toy from top French toymaker Janod doubles as a xylophone, so now your children can make music whilst on the move. The pullalong has four brightly coloured wheels that are covered with rubber grippers that ride well on most surfaces. The eight note metal xylophone plays a great tune and there are two wooden mallets that have their own handy storage space when not in use.



Me and My Friends Book of Us (Klutz) Girls ages 8-14
$29.95

This write-right-in-it friendship journal is full of irresistible all-about-us activities: funny quizzes, fill-in-the-blanks doodle how-to's, messages in code, and tons more. Fun for any number of friends from two up to a dozen.
Comes With: sheet of plastic stickers, keepsake storage envelope
• Create wonderful things • Be good • Have fun



Melissa & Doug Wooden Cupcake Set Girls age 3+
$44.95

For parents who want their children to enjoy imaginative playtime while learning useful skills, the Bake and Decorate Cupcake Set is an ideal choice. This adorable set is packed with educational opportunities, but children are likely to have too much fun playing baker to notice they're learning.
The brown and yellow cupcake bottoms and pastel icing tops invite children to mix and match, creating their favorite combinations. For younger kids, this can help improve color recognition and counting skills, especially if a caregiver joins the fun and prompts discussions. For older children, it allows creativity to flourish, especially when they use the markers to draw polka dots and fun shapes on the icing tops.
The set also helps children develop hand-eye coordination. Little hands will love placing and removing the icing tops and candles. Children will also enjoy using the markers to garnish the cupcakes and gain fine motor skills that come in handy for schoolwork, sports, and other activities.



Gunther 67 Raptor Wind Up Aeroplane Boys 6+
$24.95

This awesome aeroplane is powered by a rubber-band motor. Once it’s assembled (minimal assembly required), wind up the propeller glide the plane into the air. It can go up to 80 meters! The aerodynamic foam wings allow for a smooth, light flight.







Find It (Kids) Boys and Girls Age 8+
$39.95

This multi-award winning game is another one of our personal favourites.
The Find It Kids hidden object game is a brightly colored contained educational adventure. It contains 48 hidden items for you to find, conveniently listed on the top of the game. The items found in this sealed container are geared toward kids. SPIN IT, TWIST IT, SHAKE IT! Be the first to find the hidden Penny, Marble, Balloon, or Letters of the Alphabet, etc. This family game is enjoyed by adults as well as children. It is great travel game, terrific learning center activity, or is fun played as a timed game with others. The Kids version comes with red plastic ends, giving the game an exciting, colorful look and caters towards learning. Skills used: deductive reasoning, object identification, early reading/ letter recognition, as well as patience
The package includes the Find It Kids hidden object game and check off pad. An educational family game for one or more players to enjoy whether you are 8 or 98!




Horrible Science Violent Volcano Boys Ages 6+ $19.95

Make a 'lava-ly' erupting volcano, become a survival safety expert and discover why volcanoes blow their tops! Contents: plastic volcano model, bicarbonate of soda, vinegar, goggles, mini card stand-ups and 'Horrible Info' leaflet. CAUTION: Contains chemicals that may be harmful if misused.
(Other fun science kits available)





Orbit Pop n Catch Boys and Girls Ages 3+
$12.95

Remember this from when you were a kid??Mountains of fun for young and old, Pop 'n' Catch is also excellent for improving hand-eye coordination. Place the ping pong like ball into the basket, pull the trigger, and watch as the ball catapults out. Made of long-lasting, non-marking polymers. Includes one ball and two launchers


That's it for now. We have some more new things coming in later this week and we'll post up more ideas soon.

Board Games - Part 4

More board games (all this information is in the shop so if you need a reminder, just ask at the counter and we'll give you a hand-out)

Ten Green Bottles (Orchard Toys) Ages 3-6

Can you be the first to recycle all ten of your green bottles? This very simple game, based on the popular song, helps children with number recognition while having fun. The game can be played with 2 to 4 players, and is suitable for players aged between 3 and 6. Each player makes up their jigged wall board, and places their green bottles, numbered 1 to 10, across the top. The 40 spotty cards are placed face down in the centre of the table, and the first player starts by turning up one of the spotty cards. If the number of spots on the card matches the number shown on one of the bottles on the player's wall, the player takes both cards and posts them into the bottle bank. If the card shows a number that the player has already posted, the card is put back on the table. When a player matches the last bottle on their wall with a spotty card, they win the game and sing "There are no green bottles standing on the wall". This game helps children with their number skills, as they have to count the spots on the card and connect the card with the correct numeral printed on the bottle. You could add play value by using either the spotty cards or the bottles to play 'Pairs', and you can ask children to add the numbers on the bottles or the spotty cards together.
Enhances maths skills and number recognition
• Suitable for ages 3 to 6
• For 2 - 4 players
• Encourages re-cycling
• Brightly illustrated game
$39.95




Anti-Virus Ages 7+

Put your body and mind to work and get rid of the red virus! A virus has invaded your system. Can you get rid of it before it can multiply itself? This game is more mind challenging to solve than it looks. As you'd imagine, there is not a lot of room in a cell, so the virus and all different shaped molecules are constantly blocking each others path. And what's more, everything moves in a special way: the tiles can only slide diagonally and can move in a group! No one is immune to the infectious fun this sliding game brings. The 60 challenges keep your body and mind healthy. Young and old alike are quick to catch the bug -- once you've started playing you won't want to stop!
• Builds logistical skills
$29.95


Greedy Pirates Ages 3-7

A fun counting and collecting game. Roll the dice to sail around the board grabbing more treasure than the other greedy pirates. Use counting strategies to reach the treasure, but beware of the other pirates ships who are looking to steal it from you. Win by having the most treasure.
Silver Award Good Toy Guide 2008
$34.95



Smart Car Ages 3-8

There are 4 wooden pieces that you need to assemble into a car. Sounds Easy?? It’s not. There are 48 challenges where the model remains the same but the car construction plans get more complex. Think you car is ready? It might not be as the eyes need to stay on the road. This is a multi-level single player game that will keep children 3-8 occupied for hours. Great for developing logical thinking and visual/spatial perception.
$38.50



Bogoss glow in the dark strategy game (Djeco) Ages 6-10

A fantastic glow in the dark strategy game. Find 6 pars of a skeleton, but be careful of broken bones. An exchange game with phosporescent cards so you can also play in the dark!
The winner is the first to lay down 2 complete skeletons or 1 broken skeleton.

$29.95



Mindtrap Ages 12+

This is an exciting Lateral Thinking Game. Players break up into teams. Each team selects a scoring token and places it on the appropriate path on the game board. Teams are also given shape pieces and sticks that match their token's colour.
Teams decide which group goes first. A member of the team whose turn it isn't is selected to read the question. The reader draws a card, then reads the question aloud to his/her team, then flips the card over and silently reads the answer.
The choice of the question depends upon the color of the space that the answering team's token is sitting on. A purple space yields a mystery question -- the object is to solve the mystery. A pink space represents picture/sticks/shape puzzles, and a blue space represents miscellaneous questions. Finally, a space with an "M" is a wild space where the answering team chooses the style of question they prefer.
If a correct answer is given, the team receives one point and then chooses to either answer another question or roll the dice for a number of bonus points (the dice has numbers 0, 1, 2 and 3.)
If the team answers incorrectly, the opponent team (without the member reading the question) is allowed to answer. If correct, they receive a bonus point.
Once the dice have been rolled, or a question was answered incorrectly, the other team is asked the questions.
The game ends when one team reaches the end of the board.
$37.95



Master Labyrinth Ages 10-15

S’Match Ages 4+

A Memory Matching Game with a Spin! A new take on the classic memory game, S'Match challenges young players to find matching pairs by color, number or category. Only here, it's the S'Match Spinner that decides which way to match-and every player gets a spin! Pictures and words allow pre-readers and early readers to play together and enjoy hours of memory-building fun
$38.00


Based on the simpler Amazing Labyrinth game, this one is played on a board with maze tiles arranged on it. Players are represented on the board by little wizard pawns. Players are wizards-in-training and they are charged with running around the maze and finding all the ingredients (numbered chips) needed to become a Wizard. The trick is that the two chip cannot be taken until the one chip is taken, and the three chip cannot be taken until the two chip is taken, etc.
Perhaps the most novel aspect of this game is that players mutate the maze by sliding a tile onto the board from the side, which hopefully will enable them to travel to the next ingredient. Once all twenty-one items have been taken, the highest total score wins!
• Enjoy the master edition of the famous Labyrinth series!
• Shift the corridors of the labyrinth as your adventurers endeavor to claim the legendary treasure from the dragon's refuge.
• But beware! In the middle of the maze, a mighty dragon sits enthroned on a mountain of gold.
• He is defending his booty against those who dare to plunder.
• Who'll obtain the most valuable treasure and defeat the dragon?
$59.95



Camelot Jr from ‘Smart Games’ Ages 4-8

Can you build a stairway so the knight can rescue the princess? Create a path using the different shaped pieces of wooden towers and stairs. There is 48 different path configurations that need to be figured out - all increasing difficulty.
This unique multi-level logic game helps to develop logic thinking and fine motor skills, as well as spatial insight and creative imagination. 48 multi-level challenges of increasing difficulty.
Contains: game rules, booklet with 48 challenges and solutions, hardwood game tray, 4 wooden towers, 3 wooden stairways, 1 bridge and 2 figurines.
$38.50



Hot Cocot (from Biovia) Ages 6+

Cluck... Cluck... Quick! There are six hard boiled eggs to eat but only 5 cups on the table! Anything goes - well almost. The aim is to get your egg into the cup using chop sticks. No easy task. Who will be quick with their hands and not left holding the last egg and which of you will be the most skillful?

With the aid of two sticks try to quickly position your eggs in one egg cup. At each turn a player is eliminated because it lacks a egg cup at the center of the table.
Be quick at the end, there will be more than one!
For 2 to 6 players. All wooden from plantation timber.




Sleeping Queens Ages 8+

Imagine a place where there's a queen of all pancakes, a king of cookies and a pack of over-protective dragons. If this sounds like something out of a dream, it actually is! Sleeping Queens was invented by 6-year-old Miranda Evarts, who thought up the game one night when she couldn't fall asleep. She awoke the next morning and with help from her older sister, Madeleine and her parents, Denise and Max created this wonderfully whimsical world of napping nobles. As you immerse yourself in the Evarts' fantasyland, you will find a game that helps develop memory, strategy, and elementary arithmetic skills. Just be careful when playing potion cards or you could wind up putting all the players to sleep!
Rise and Shine! The Pancake Queen, the Ladybug Queen and ten of their closest friends have fallen under a sleeping spell and it's your job to wake them up. Use strategy, quick thinking and a little luck to rouse these napping nobles from their royal slumbers. Play a knight to steal a queen or take a chance on a juggling jester. But watch out for wicked potions and dastardly dragons! The player who wakes the most queens wins. This is one of our best sellers.
$24.95



Link Mind Challenge Series (Dr Wood) Age 8+

Simply place all 8 tiles on the playing board so that all sides link with each other in a perfect colour match. Can you solve the puzzle in under 20 minutes? Single Player Game.
The Mind Challenge series of game is a line of fun, devious, intriguing and compelling puzzles from simple games that can be solved in 10 minutes or fiendishly difficult ones that will take a lifetime to master.
Mind Challenge Ltd is an award winning Australian company based on the work of Psychologist Dr Mark Wood and Mathmetician Frank Dyksterhuis
$19.95




Outburst Ages 12+

Bring Outburst to your next party -- your friends will never stop talking about it! Outburst is the uproariously funny adult game of common knowledge that people have been shouting about for years! And since one good Outburst deserves another, we've updated the topics and answers -- for hours of non-stop fun. Quick! You've got 60 seconds to shout out "Parts of the Body that Come in Pairs". What do you think are the answers listed on the card? No matter how numerous or humorous your choices are, you only get credit for the words that appear on the card. So spout off everything you can think of as you try to score all 10. Can you name "10 Slang Terms for Money"... or... "10 Movie Studios"? Pick from hundreds of topics, for thousands of verbal explosions -- and hours of fun! Aren't you ready for a really good outburst!
$24.95

More Christmas ideas (aka things we couldn't cram into the catalogue)

Our Full Christmas Catalogue can be seen in our post dated 10 November below. Here though are some goodies that we just couldn’t squeeze into it (we’ll be posting more every week).

Le Toy Van Honey Bake Oven Girls Age 3+

$150
This beautiful Le Toy Van Honeybake wooden oven and hob cooking set includes:
•4 Ring hob with spinning knobs,
•saucepan with lid & kitchen utensils,
•frying pan with egg & bacon,
•easy view oven & oven mitt,
•6 slice pizza with toppings & baking tray.
Dimensions: D300mm H490mm W345mm
Highly Commended ‘Right Start’ Best Toy Awards 2008


Pop-up Rocket Launcher Boys and Girls Age 4+

$19.95
A modern Classic. Boys and Girls of all ages just love playing with these both indoors and outdoors.












Lego Duplo – Lightening McQueen BoysAges 2-5

$29.95
Lightning McQueen is practicing drifting on the desert track just outside Radiator Springs. He really wants to win the big Piston Cup championship! Set includes new Lightning McQueen race car, cactus, chequered flag and DUPLO bricks

Hobby Horse Ages Boys and Girls 2+

$24.95
Timeless. Sometimes the simplest things are the best.



Welly VW Campervan – Diecast Model Boys Ages 3+

$9.95
Scaled (1:34) metal model of a 1962 ‘splitty’ with pull-back and go engine.

Knights and Castles Groovy Tube Fact Book Boys Ages 6+

$27.95
Packed with collectible miniatures in a resealable, snap-top tube, these best-selling kits teach kids about their favourite topics in an innovative, totally groovy way. Each Groovy Tube Book includes a 24-page fact book, fun games and collectible miniatures!
Was King Arthur real? What were the coolest weapons that knights carried? How were castles built? And what was the best way to capture one? Kids will learn the answers to these questions along with countless other fascinating facts in this stunning introduction to the world of medieval knights and castles!


Math Gear Fast Facts Book Boys and Girls Ages 4+

$12.95
More fun than flash cards. Don't be put off by the American spelling, these are the only cool, compact tool kids need to learn basic maths facts.









Djeco Art Nouveau Girls Ages 9-15
$39.95

This absolutely stunning Djeco French Designed art box is inspired by the works of Gustav Klimt (1862-1918).
Beautifully designed and sure to capture the imagination of any young artist this is an entertaining activity with gratifying results.
Includes: 4 art sheets, 2 sticker sheets, 10 brush pens, 1 gold pen and a full colour instruction booklet.
(we have lots of other craft kits in this range)

Melissa & Doug Make a Face Sticker Kit Girls Ages 4-9
$12.95

Twenty faces and 5 sticker sheets with over 250 stickers make it easy to put your best face forward with this fashion-forward sticker pad! An array of facial features and stylin' accessories are at the fingertips of your little designer.





Djeco Family Tree Boys and Girls Ages 3+
$14.95

A fantastic way for kids to learn their family tree!
Make your gorgeous Family tree using the removeable wall sticker. Build your tree and place your photos of family members under the repositionable frames to learn where everyone fits into your family.
The sticker can be taken down and repositioned when required




Dino Excavation Kits Boys ages 6-11
$24.95

Excavate and build a Museum Quality Dinosaur replica skeleton.

Paleontologists continue to find fossils of animals from prehistoric times. Now kids can dig and discover in the same way with Excavation Kits from Geoworld. Developed under the supervision of paleontologist Stefano Piccini, each Excavation Kit introduces kids to the world of paleontology and a world before their time. Dino Excavation Kits feature a variety of dinosaur replicas, such as T-rex, Triceratops, and Stegosaurus. But before kids can see the replica animal skeletons, they must unearth the fossils. Using the included hammer and chisel, kids must "dig" for the fossils hidden in the included gypsum block. Once the fossils are discovered, kids then must put the fossils together to form the animal. (Instructions are given as to how the animals should be assembled.) After assembly, kids have their very own miniature skeleton replica.

The packaging of each kit also includes interesting facts about the animal, so kids will learn about the "fossil" they just uncovered. The Excavation Kits are a fun, hands-on way for kids to roleplay being a paleontologist. These toys are engaging and creative, and they appeal to kids' interest in dinosaurs and the prehistoric. Pay attention to the age grading, however, as older kids will not likely be as engaged in the all-in-one experience as kids who will really feel that they are unearthing something special.

Board Games - Part 3

Here are a few more games that we have in stock...

Melissa & Doug flip Hangman Ages 6+

This fabulous, travel-style game brings new fun and convenience to an old family favorite with innovative flipping pieces that won't get lost! Includes one game board with erasable whiteboard, self-storing marker and eraser. Great for the home or the road.
$34.95





Ligretto Dice Ages 8+ (New in this week)

Ligretto dice is a fast and fun dice rollin' frenzy, where speed is what you need to win the game! Players roll their dice at the same time and quickly try to place them on the gameboard, matching the number rolled. This is no small feat, as players may only place a die in the row of its same color and only in numerical order!Don't have what you need? Roll again until you get the number you want...but don't take too long, or your opponent may snag your spot on the board! Be the first player to get rid of all your dice, call out Ligretto and win! For 2 - 4 players.
There is a video review on youtube if you want to see the game in action:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eyj7KUdFe9w
$31.95

Number Ninjas Ages 7+ (New in this week)

In Number Ninjas, players will have a great time on their mission to retrieve the Golden Dragon Box. Ninjas will need to solve math challenges, block their opponents and avoid traps while being the first to reach the ancient temple where the treasure is hidden.
Ninja players move freely around the Ancient Japanese game board, visiting four different areas to win a token in each area. How many spaces a player moves is determined by the dice. Based on skill level, a player uses either the Recruit’s dice (2 number dice and one die with plus and minus functions) or a Master’s dice (2 number dice and one die with plus, minus and multiplication functions). To win the token, a Ninja must answer a question – the questions are divided into Ninja Recruit and Ninja Master skill levels. The first player to gather all four Ninja tokens and to reach the Golden Dragon in the centre of the board is the winner.
$44.95

Toot and Otto Ages 4-8

This simple strategy game makes for great fun as two players each take on the personality of Toot or Otto. This multidirectional game is a hoot. Who will be better Otto or Toot? Watch closely as you plan your next drop. Strategy is how you end up on top. For head-to-head challenge that's second to none, TOOT and OTTO is doggone fun. It features a second level of cooperative play that encourages kids to play together. For 2 players.
Two types of play, competitive and cooperative
Twenty-four plastic letter tiles
Vertical game grid and base
Teaches strategy development and critical thinking
$21.95

Star Wars Guess Who Ages 6+

Who has caused a disturbance in the force? Is it a man? Is it a droid? Does she have brown hair or is he wearing a white uniform? You need to help a friend or defeat an enemy - but first you have to get your opponent to reveal the mystery character! Look carefully and try to eliminate several characters with one clever question. The first player to guess the right character wins the game! Use the force to guess the mystery face! It's the only GUESS WHO game where you can ask, "Does your character have a light saber?"
$44.95 (Regular Guess Who version also available)

Hedbanz Ages 6+

Spice up your family game night with the Hedbanz Board Game, a fun, fast-paced, and simple question game that everyone aged 6 and up can enjoy. In a group of two to six players, you'll draw an identity card for an animal, food, or common object but with one catch--everyone but you will see the card, displayed by the headband on your forehead. The goal is to deduce who or what you are by asking the players questions before the clock runs out.
Fast, Easy and Fun to play for Kids and the whole Family. Encourages deductive reasoning skills.
$42.95

Naviplouf Ages 5+

This is a simplified version of Battleships. Instead of numbers and letters the coordinates are specified in colors and forms (for example: "Red Fish"). The grid is smaller and instead of choosing the places for the boats, there are cards where they are already placed in a random manner. A magnetic naval battle game specially designed for budding young sailors and sailortettes.
$32.95

Crackerjack Christmas Catalogue

Below is our Christmas Catalogue. You can view it from this site and using the butons down at the bottom, zoom in and out or download it. If you have any trouble, let me know by facebook or email and we can send you a pdf.
Keep an eye on this blog for more ideas as we get closer to Christmas - there are a whole heap of things we couldn't fit in and new things coming in all the time that missed the catalogue deadline.

And one last thing - we have another VIP Christmas Champagne and Shopping evening coming up on Thursday 1st December (7pm). It's a chance to do your Christmas shopping in a very civilised fashion away from the kids, have a chat, some bubbles and nibbles. Bring a friend not on our mailing list or a facebook friend and we'll give you both 10% off if you both spend over $50. Places are limited so please email me at: crackerjack.info@gmail.com to make a reservation.


Crackerjack Xmas 11 Cat

Board Games - Part 2

Here are some more games that we have tucked away:

Apples to Apples Ages 12+
This is a multi award winning game (including ‘game of the year’) and recently listed as number 8 on the ’15 greatest board games of all time’ by the people at Brainz.org. It’s the perfect game for a board game night with friends and family. It is quick to set up, easy to learn, challenging, and a whole lot of fun. It can be hard to find a game that a large number of people can play, can be a great equaliser of abilities, yet is always fun to play – but Apples to Apples is all that and more.

The game is about making comparisons between different things. General game play is as follows: players are dealt red cards which have a noun printed on them, and the judge (a different player in each turn) draws a green card on which an adjective is printed and places it for all players to see. Each player then chooses a red card they are holding that they think best describes the green card. The judge then decides which adjective she likes best.
The fun is in the variety of unexpected comparisons people make, sometimes apt, funny, creative, or simply absurd. For example: people might match "Awkward" with "Oil Spills," "My First Kiss," "Dandruff," and "Gold Chains. " Or: "Painful" with "High School Reunions" and "Julia Gillard. " Strategy comes into play since, because each player takes turns being the judge, you begin to pick up on the preferences of each player and tailor your choices accordingly.
Players can also try variations on the basic game play. For example, instead of choosing the most apt comparison, players might try choosing the red card that is least like the green one. These variations keep the game fresh and interesting every time.

Part of the fun is in standing up for your choices. For instance, you might discuss why you think "Justin Bieber" is painful, or segue into a discussion of the embarrassing situations you got into on your first day of school, or your first kiss. Apples to Apples excels as an ice breaker and promotes a good amount of social interaction, as many conversations will be kick started thanks to these little cards.


Safari Rush Hour Ages 6+
This is a strategy game with a twist-if you lose, you're lunch. You've taken your trusty Safari Rover deep into the bush; now maneuver it through the maze of hungry animals and get back to camp in one piece. An 8-by-7.25-inch plastic game tray forms a kind of grid for your vehicle and the 3-D plastic animal pieces (including elephants, rhinos, and a termite mound). Draw one of 50 cards (10 of which are extra-easy, for younger players) to determine the initial board setup. Then move pieces, according to strict rules, to make your escape through the only exit. A cloth bag for all the game pieces is included.

• Four levels of play, beginner to expert
• Fifty mind challenge cards with solutions
• Eighteen safari game pieces and one safari rover
• One safari game grid board
You can see a clip on you tube here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HMNgdXVmG3w

Price $42.95



We also have an 'Alcatraz' version for $32.95 and the Classic car-based version for $29.95

Gordion’s Knot Ages 8+
An ancient mystery is reinvented for mind-bending, modern-day fun. Gordian's Knot Brainteaser Challenge from ThinkFun is based on the Gordian knot tied by Midas. The Great Oracles proclaimed that the person who solved the puzzle would rule the world. This colorful knot features six interlocking pieces, but it takes a whopping 69 different moves to take the knot apart. By sliding the six pieces past each other, the Gordian's Knot will come apart. Some pieces will easily move throughout the process, but beware -- that doesn't mean you made the right move. Game comes with a 40-page, step-by-step solution book in case you get stumped, and helps you put the knot back together once the puzzle is solved. For one player.
• Six colourful interlocking puzzle pieces
• Forty-page step-by-step solution book
• Easy-to-follow reassembly instructions
• Teaches deductive reasoning and problem-solving
Price $22.95


Zingo Ages 4-8
In this fast-paced, energetic variant of Bingo, kids get a kick out of pulling the Zinger forward to reveal two mystery tiles, and then try to be the first to call out the tiles that match the images on their cards. The first player to fill his or her card wins by yelling “Zingo.”

• Two levels of play
• Seventy-two picture tiles
• Eight double-sided Zingo cards
• Teaches image and vocabulary recognition, matching, memory, concentration, and social interaction
Price $35









Pirates Hide & Seek Ages 5+
The object of this multi award-winning game is to cover a board with puzzle tile cutouts, so that some areas of the board remain visible. The puzzle tiles always fit, but they show or hide different artwork depending on how the cutouts are positioned.
A unique game for all the family testing logical thinking and problem solving skills to play at home or on the move ... once a challenge is completed you'll want to race to do the next one!
Interestingly, the inspiration for this game comes from a code-writing technique called Grille-Cypher that has been used for hundreds of years.

• 4 puzzle pieces with 3072 possible combinations,
• a challenge book with 48 different challenges of varying difficulty (from very easy to extremely difficult ),
• a pull out drawer easy to use storage compartment that is big enough for all puzzle pieces,
• game rules,
• challenges and solutions
Price $32.95





Loustigri Chase the Wolf (Janod) Ages 4+

A twist on the traditional chase the ace card game. Match the pairs but beware, the one left with wolf card loses. The game comes with 33 cards each with delightful designs. All Janod toys and games are made in the Jura region of France to strict quality and European safety standards.
Price $14.95



I hope this is helpful; I'll post up some more games soon.

Board Games - Part 1

I was having a look at our games section today and realised that we have a really good collection. Unfortunately, games are the sort of things you really need to do some research about before you buy to make sure you are getting something age appropriate. So I thought I'd do a post about some of the games we have. In the end, because we've got so many, I decided to make this a series of posts.
First off, games make great Christmas presents as the whole family can get together and have fun. They are also really good developmentally, here are a couple of good reads about the vaue of board games:
http://www.helium.com/items/789213-do-board-games-give-educational-value-as-well-as-family-entertainment
http://www.bluepage.org/childs-creativity/board-games.html

So here are a few ideas across the age groups:

Day and Night Ages 2-5

Not strictly a board game but a multi-award winning stacking game where you must construct an image as shown in the challenge by placing blocks in the right order onto the sticks. Half the challenges only show the contours of the blocks, similar to seeing just the silhouette of something at night. In this way it becomes something like a very simple 3D tangram.
The yellow block looks square from the front view, but is in fact cylindrical. Something like this can be obvious to adults, but not to children. The left and right sticks are different heights. Young children often muddle up left and right. If they do this when solving a challenge, one of the constructions will fall down. Also, most blocks fit very precisely on top of other blocks, making it possible for several blocks to look like one solid shape in the night challenges.
$38.50

Mystery Garden Ages 4-12

One player takes a card on which a picture is displayed which is also on the game board. The next player may ask one question which can only be answered with yes or no. In clockwise order the next player may ask a question and so on... Solving the mystery supports deductive reasoning and the process of articulating questions.
29.95







Chocolate Fix ages 8+

Similar to Sudoku, players examine all the clues on the cards before making a move. Once they discover where to put a chocolate piece, they combine this knowledge with the clues to learn more information. Some clues give exact or possible locations, while others just give you the token color or shape. Your confidence builds as you narrow down the possibilities to fill each candy assortment. Challenges ranging from beginner to expert will feed your chocolate cravings for hours.

• Features forty mind challenges with solutions
• Four levels of play; from beginner to expert
• Nine chocolate pieces, one assortment game tray and a game-go bag
• Players examine all the clues on the cards before making a move
$38.95







Celebrity Head 8+

All you need to do is place a celebrity name card into your headband. Then put the headband on your head and reveal your celebrity name to your friends and family. Now everyone knows your secret identity - except you! To find out your celebrity name you need to ask questions about your celebrity such as "Am I Female?", "Am I on TV?", "Am I alive?", "Am I Famous?" or "Am I Short?" And to win the game, just be the first player to guess your secret identity.
It's hilarious and silly. Fun for families and very popular at parties.
$44.95

I hope this is helpful. If you've played any of these games, please let us know what you think in the comments section below.

As we get closer to Christmas, I'll post up some more