Games

This is a list of some of the very best games for children!
Some have game components that be used as open ended toys with very young kids and later "grown into". Some can be handicapped to level the playing field, making it enjoyable (instead of tedious) to play with people of different skill levels. Some are cooperative so that the whole family can enjoy working together.

Dexterity Games:

Batik *review*
In turn, two players drop their irregularly-shaped wooden pieces between the plexiglass sheets. How they land, no one knows. But if a piece sticks out at the top, that piece is out of the game! Played in rounds, when a player is unable to play any more pieces, the game is over. Visual and planning skills are put to use for quick, clean fun for 2 players.

Batik Kids
Both visual and planning skills are sharpened as participants slip their colorful fish between the Plexiglass. How they land, no one knows, but if a fish sticks out from the top, that piece is out of the game! Plays in rounds until one of the players runs out of moves.

Gulo Gulo *review*
The wolverine Gulo Gulo is always hungry, especially when near a nest of fresh eggs. Young wolverines love swamp eggs just as much as adults, but are not as careful. Thus, junior is caught and the family has to rescue him -- while getting eggs for themselves! Move along the tile path by collecting wooden eggs, but be careful not to set off the alarm! The game ends when junior is recovered.

Zitternix
The die shows which stick has to be pulled out of the bundle. Whoever proves to have a steady hand and has some luck with the die can collect valuable points. A wobbling game of skill for 2-4 players.

Bausack
Depending on the variation you choose, either each player builds his own tower or, all build one together. The "auction variations" are the most suspenseful and surprising. One might end up spending quite some beans to avoid building an especially difficult element. Gambling and bluffing abilities are needed just as much as a feeling for positioning and construction skills. There are five variations on how to play. The goal in all of them is to build a tower. The bag contains very different wooden pieces (e.g. a cube, an egg, a ring, a fir tree etc.), as well as a sack of beans for the "auction variation" of the game.

Mause Rallye
The mice are zipping along the racetrack and whoever is most skilful at nudging them with their pushing rod will collect lots of pieces of cheese. But the track has its tricky spots: dangerous potholes and a greedy cat makes the competition more difficult. A game of skill for 2-4 players, ages 5 years & up.

Villa Paletti
A long time ago in Italy, a man named Paletti tried to build the tallest castle in the world. But before he could finish, he ran out of money and decided to take columns from the ground floor to construct higher levels above it. The result is his amazing masterpiece, the Villa Paletti. Can you repeat his daring feat? This colorful, wooden game makes Jenga look like a walk in the park! Players must have a keen eye and a steady hand to keep building and balancing the structure. But watch out – one wrong move and it could all come tumbling down!

Tier Auf Tier (Animal Upon Animal)
Most young children enjoy playing quick and simple games in which everyone gets lots of turns, and if things collapse and make noise in the process, then all the better! This wooden game has 29 animals, one die with symbols that direct the action, and instructions for play with multiple variations. Cheer each other on as you begin the perilous task of balancing these oddly shaped animals on top of each other. Depending on what you roll with the die, you will either stack one of your animals on or next to the pyramid, other players will choose which animal you stack, or you will give one animal to another player. Because the action moves quickly and the instructions are easy to follow, it's the perfect game for kids. And don't forget the guaranteed crowd-pleasing collapse of the wooden animal pyramid at the end of each game! For 2-4 players.

Looping Louie
Beware! The daring Louie is on the way in his glaring red flier. But instead of whizzing through the air in a straight line, he flies in a circle and frightens all the chickens when he zooms too close to the farms. So watch out and quickly save your chickens by catapulting Louie up and perhaps turning him in a somersault.

Pandabo
Kids just instinctively know what to do when they see this game. Set the ''wriggly'' panda on the table, then stack the various-shaped bamboo sticks on top in a tricky balancing act! After my son and I played a few rounds together, he played happily alone, challenging himself to see how many bamboo sticks he could heap on the panda before everything toppled over! Pandabo was developed and made in China of 100% natural bamboo in cooperation with UNESCO, a United Nations organization. The innovative bamboo material, which is strong but lightweight and shaped for little hands, is perfect for this style of balancing game. All the pieces are contained in a handy tube storage container. For 2-4 players.

Hungry Hungry Hippos It is a race for these four hungry hippos to munch a bunch of marbles! The faster you press their tails, the more marbles they try to chomp! If your hippo gobbles the most, you win! For 2 to 4 players.

Don't Break The Ice Take a mallet and tap out a block of ice. You must continue with that same block until it falls through the frame, even though other blocks may fall before it or with it. Take turns and use a little strategy because if the Iceman falls through the ice on your turn, you're out of the game. A little thinking will keep him from sinking, and you'll be the winner. For 2 or more players.

Let's Go Fishing
It's the non-stop action game where players try for the biggest catch!

Logic Games:

Gobblet
Take turns placing pieces on the board. You can place your own pieces, move one already placed, or gobble up your opponent's smaller pieces. The first player to line up 4 pieces in a row wins!

Gobblet Jr
A junior version of the classic Gobblet game. Similar to Tic-Tac-Toe, with the added options of gobbling up your opponent's smaller pieces or moving your own. The first player to line up 3 pieces in a row wins!

Guess Who There's a mystery person on your opponent's card. Can you find the matching face in the crowd? Start with a gameboard full of silly-looking characters, then ask the right questions to eliminate the wrong faces! If you're first to discover your opponent's mystery person, you win! For 2 players.

Blokus
This game by Educational Insights develops logic and spatial perception while kids learn to be tactical. Players take turns placing pieces on their board, each starting from their corner. Each new piece must touch at least one other piece of the same color, but only at the corners! The goal is to get rid of all your pieces. The game ends when all players are blocked from laying down any more of their pieces. Includes one gameboard with 400 squares, 84 game pieces in four bright translucent colors, and an instruction guide.

Drops and Co
Your dream comes true. You find yourself in an authentic candy factory and may try to fill your tin with as many candies as possible. You quickly turn some of the buttons of the big machine to make the candies move in the desired direction. But be careful! The other children also want the candy, so not all the candies will land exactly where you had hoped and planned.

Blokus Duo (also known as Travel Blokus)
Blokus Duo is the perfect strategy game for two! The simple rules take less than a minute to learn, yet the game has the depth to challenge both beginners and experts alike. Gameplay remains the same as in the original version, but uses only 2 colors of tiles. Set includes gameboard with 196 recessed squares, 42 game pieces in vibrant, translucent purple and orange in a storage tray, and guide.

Cathedral
Imagine yourself living during Medieval Times. Medieval towns cropped up throughout Western Europe. The Cathedral, a place of sanctuary and worship, was the focal point of the city and located in the center of town. Shops and various trading stores surrounded the Cathedral, while residents and shop keepers lived within the stone walls which formed the town boundary. What went on within these walls was dictated by rich and powerful landowners. In the game of Cathedral, you are such a landowner. The playing board represents the site of the walled city. Two sets of playing pieces symbolize both the buildings and the two opposing forces who battle to gain control by strategically positioning their building pieces back on the board.

Cathedral World
In the game of Cathedral World, the Great Wall of China, the West Wailing Wall, the Wall of Marrakech and the Zimbabwe Ruins define the space where two opposing players vie for territory in which to strategically position their 14 architectural playing pieces (each representing a famous location or monument). Whichever piece or pieces cannot be placed back within the village boundaries, determines the winning player. Fun for two players.

Abalone
How do you create a game that has sold over 4 million copies in 30 different countries? Easy, just make it a game that anyone can learn in one minute, but that may take a lifetime to master. The point of Abalone is to push just 6 of your opponents 14 marbles off of the playing surface, but there is a catch. It takes two marbles to move one, and three to move two.

Shapes Up A game of strategy and speed! Shapes Up is an exciting, fast-paced strategy game for 2 to 4 players. Players fit shapes together, like a tangram, to cover their boards and form multi-colored squares. Roll the die and choose the piece it shows you. The player whose board is filled first and yells, "Shapes Up!" is the winner! Challenging, fast and fun!

Othello
Simple enough for children, yet challenging for adults, it's great, fast-moving fun for the entire family. Choose to be black or white and strive to get the most discs flipped with your color face-up at the end of the game. White can turn to black and black can turn to white again and again in this constantly changing game. Includes: 64 reversible discs, one playing board, six playing board "feet" and instructions. For 2 players.

Quarto
MENSA Award Winning Strategy Game Two Players Ages 8 and Up There are 16 different pieces with 4 different characteristics: tall or short, round or square, light or dark, and solid or hollow. Each player in turn selects one piece and gives it to his opponent, who must place it on an empty square on the board. The winner is the player who, by positioning a piece, creates a line of 4 pieces having at least one characteristic in common.

Quoridor
Quoridor--the amazing maze! The aim is to reach the other end first. The problem is that your opponent puts up fences to slow you down! Not to worry, theres always a way out. But who will find the shortest route? Features appealing and durable wood game piece construction. Content: one board, 20 wooden fences, 4 wooden pawns, rules. For 2 to 4 players ages 6 and up.

Quoridor Kid
The game of mice and mazes has children scurrying their mice to the opposite side of the playing board. It is not a simple task though, as each player may move their mouse 1 space at a time or decide to install a "blocker" to delay their opponent. Yet the maze that is built may cause delays for every mouse, including their own, as it approaches the finish line. Players: 2-4

Battleship
To play Battleship, Commander One asks Commander Two if his ship lies at a particular grid coordinate (example: G7). It's a hit! Commander One places a red peg in G7 on his radar screen. What about G8? It's a miss! So Commander One pokes a white peg in G8 on his radar, and play moves to Commander Two. Sink your opponent's entire fleet and rule the sea! Realistic radar screens add drama to the hunt. Game parts store neatly in game set. For 2 players.

Spiderman Tipover
As Spider-Man, can you leap from crate to crate to avoid being captured? Superheroes will love setting up this game board -- just assemble it according to the pictures depicted on each challenge card. Then use your Spidey sense as you leap around the game board. Game features four levels of play, 40 challenge cards with solutions, Spider-Man game piece, 17 color-coded crates and travel/storage bag.

Spiderman City Crossing
Darkness lurks around every corner in this mind-challenging game featuring the ever-popular Spider-Man. Players begin by positioning skyscrapers, buildings and Spidey's magnetic webs on the game board according to pictures that appear on each challenge card. Spider-Man must elude the powers of evil by safely swinging across the city on criss-crossed webs. Game features four levels of play, 40 challenge cards with solutions, travel/storage bag, magnetic Spider-Man game piece, web pieces and 25 buildings.

Rapid 4 This version of four in a row features 11 special sections that can move when a marble hits, sending it rolling down an unexpected path. You see that for every action, there's a surprising reaction! Better yet, each time your marble goes down the track, it's likely to change the path for the next player, and the 5th marble in any row knocks out the bottom ball! Players keep sending marbles down until one player gets four in a row of their color - horizontally, vertically or diagonally. That's what it takes to win! Includes game base, 2 marble storage trays, 17 white marbles, 17 black marbles, instructions. For 2 players.

Pillars of Plato A simple, beautiful game with wooden beads and posts: Pillars of Plato will take you 10 seconds to learn, and youll be mastering it for the remainder of your days ! For two players, place any bead of your color on any pillar you choose. The first player to line up four of their pieces in a row whether diagonal, vertical, or horizontal wins the game! Includes wooden base with bead trays and 16 game pillars, 32 light wooden and 32 dark wooden playing beads, and instruction card. For 2 players.

No Stress Chess
With this revolutionary chess teacher, you'll be playing the world's greatest game in no time at all! Unlike any other chess teacher, No Stress Chess teaches you how to play using illustrated cards and an illustrated 2-sided game board.

Ringgz
In this exciting strategy game, players challenge each other to win the most territories using colorful wooden rings. Find the right balance between gaining majorities and controlling your opponents to capture victory. Fast paced and addictive, this beautifully crafted game will be sure to please the whole family circle!

Mancala
The strategy game from Africa now can be played anywhere, anytime! For thousands of years, people have enjoyed playing a simple game of strategy called Mancala -- an arithmetic challenge to capture the most pieces in your mancala bowl. Travel Mancala's sturdy hinge and fastener make it perfect for travel. Features three sets of rules. Made from the non-endangered, plantation-grown wood of the raintree. The object is to collect the most beads in your large mancala bowls by sequentially dropping stones around the board.

Da Vinci Mancala
In this new twist on one of the world's most ancient games, players receive points by forming DaVinci's secret symbols inside their mancala. Be the first to clear your side of the board, capture your opponent's pieces and score the most secret symbol points to win.

Stay Alive
Stay Alive is the classic game of skill from the 1970s in an all-new, compact version. Move the sliding parts and hidden holes appear! Your marbles or your opponent's may get swallowed up. The last standing marble wins! Includes 24 colored marbles, one game console, and instructions.

Connect Four
The rules are simple: try to build a row of four checkers either vertically, horizontally, or diagonally, while keeping your opponent from doing the same. Sounds easy, but it's not! The vertical strategy creates a unique challenge: you must think in a whole new way to block your opponent's moves! For 2 players.

Memory Games:

Enchanted Forest
Once-upon-a-time treasures such as Cinderella's glass slipper, Aladdin's magic lamp, and more are hidden deep in the Enchanted Forest. Players search the forest for the treaures requested by the King of the castle. Excitement mounts as they try to remember the location of the other treasures found along the way - the King may ask for these later on. The first to correctly identify the location of three treasures wins the game. Includes playing board, 13 treasure cards, 13 trees, six playing pieces, 2 dice, and instructions. For 2-6 players.

Chicken Cha Cha Cha
Today's practice for the Chicken Cha Cha Olympics is feather stealing. Each chicken cha chas to catch each of their opponents without being caught themself. Their reward for catching another chicken is tail feathers. The first chicken to have all tail feathers is the winner! But only a chicken who knows what is in the chicken yard will be able to catch the others and win the game.A chicken with a leaky memory will find himself standing bare-rumped and medalless when the prizes are distributed.

Secret Door
A mystery game! Valuables have been stolen & we have to find them before Midnight. Together we search through the Mansion for clues. At Midnight, the Thieves may slip away with all the hidden booty! Children enjoy figuring out the mystery of what is behind the Secret Door. Because of the co-operative principle, everyone is part of a team that discusses ideas & shares strategies. Other important skills of Memory &38; Logic get a workout, too. Each game is different, exciting & tricky. That's why adults like playing along! Get the magnifying glass, Holmes, & let's get on with the Case. Midnight approaches!

Stare Jr Kids can test and train their visual memory skills and have a blast doing it. In Stare! Junior—the game—players have 30 seconds to stare at an image on a card. It might be a movie poster, funny photo, comic or work of art. When time is up, they'll be asked a series of questions to test how well they remember what they saw. What was the clown holding in his left hand? What color was the girl's hat? Kids can play individually or on teams.

Buggo
Beautiful beetles are hiding in the sand. Find them all, but watch out for BUGGO, the spider!The tiles form a sand box of hidden bugs! Turn up a tile... ONE bug. Keep looking! Turn up another tile... TWO more! That makes THREE! Only two more bugs to find... OH NO! IT'S BUGGO! BUGGO encourages and builds memory and counting skills.

Lucky Catch
Cast your line into this fun game of matching and memory. Roll the dice and to see which sea creature to fish for. Find the tile that matches the dice and keep what you catch. But be careful what you fish for or else you might come up with an old boot! Lucky Catch is a combination of memory, matching, luck, skill, and paying attention. A roll of the dice gets the game going and luck reigns at the beginning. As the fishing continues and each turn reveals where another sea creature is hiding, players rely more on their powers of observation and memory. Children have fun as they learn to focus their attentions on a mental task and learn to match pictures.

Thing-A-Ma-Bots Gear up for a memory bender in this fast-playing card game of shouting silliness. Turn over a card and give the robot a name: Melvin, Spaghetti Head, GP-450, or whatever you imagine. When it shows up again, be the first to shout its name and you collect the stack of cards. Spot a robot match? Shout out "Thing-a-ma-BOT" and steal an opponent's stack! Collect the most robots to win the game.

Board Games:

The AMAZEing Labyrinth
The AMAZEing Labyrinth uses a clever board design to create a series of ever-changing mazes that one to four players must move through. The object of the game is for each player to collect as quickly as possible all seven treasures depicted on their individual treasure cards. To add to the challenge, players know what the next treasure is only after they find the one before it. Before each turn, a maze card is pushed into the maze in a strategic place, helping the player make his or her way to the prize. This means that the entire maze shifts and changes on each turn, confounding some and helping others. Players will need to think ahead to choose just the right spot to shift the maze in their favor.

Labyrinth Jr
This smaller version of the original has less movable pieces and more readily connected maze tunnels. Game play remains the same, with each player moving the maze at the beginning of their turn and then proceeding to trek through the maze searching for the treasures on their cards.

Go Away Monster
Reach into the bag to find the puzzle pieces that match the pictures on your bedroom game board. If a monster pops out, don't be scared...just tell that silly old thing to go away. Then get rid of him for good by tossing him into the moster pit and out of your room. You take charge, and the monsters take off! The game teaches young children shape recognition, cooperation, competence and boosts self-esteem, and is designed to be played with parents and friends.

Finders Keepers
Finders Keepers. Be the first to find the hidden objects! If you snooze, you lose! Choose three picture cards from the card keeper. One, two, three, go! All players, at once, hurry to locate and place colored chips on the maching pictures on the game board. Whoever is successful gets to claim the picture card. Play as many rounds as you want--whoever wins the most cards wins the game!

Cranium Cadoo
Cranium Cadoo is the outrageously fun game designed especially for kids. With a variety of hilarious activities, Cranium Cadoo gets kids thinking, creating, giggling, and grinning as they try to get four in a row to win. Whether you love to act, puzzle, sketch, sculpt, or even crack secret codes, Cranium Cadoo has something for you! Two or more kids will have a blast playing Cranium Cadoo -- even grown-ups will love to play and show what they Cadoo!

Clue Jr
It's the Case of the Hidden Toys! One of the neighborhood pets has hidden someone's toy in the clubhouse. But which toy is it? Cruise the neighborhood searching for clues in this junior version of the classic adult detective game. Comes with special paper "checklists" with pictures to cross off as you find the clues. No reading required.

Waldschattenspiel (Shadows in the Woods)
Waldschattenspiel is a board game played at dusk or in the dark. A tea candle moves around on the board, changing the shadows cast by the wooden trees. The dwarves hide in the shadows and try to meet under a single tree while the light tries to find them. In this cooperative game, players are allowed to help each other.

Ticket To Ride
Ticket to Ride is a cross-country train adventure game. Players collect train cards that enable them to claim railway routes connecting cities throughout North America. The longer the routes, the more points they earn. Additional points come to those who can fulfill their Destination Tickets by connecting two distant cities, and to the player who builds the longest continuous railway. So climb aboard for some railroading fun and adventure. You've got a Ticket to Ride!

Shiverstone Castle
How skilled are you at guiding little spooks through a haunted house? Watch out for metal obstacles that will slow your progress down. The little spooks show what they've learned of the haunting business by sweeping through rooms, seeking out the right tennant and shocking him with blood-curdling shrieks. A game of mazes, obstacles and magnetics. The "spookolympics" lets them show off their stunts in many ways. Multiple adaptations can be made to ensure a new challenge each time it's played. A game with variable skill plays for 1 to 6 children. Ages: 5+

Cooperative Games:

The following are all cooperative games created by Family Pastimes.

Adventures of Harley
Our farm dog, Harley, runs so fast that cars have to chase him. He also has a great sense of humor and likes to hide, then later bring back, our Favorite Things. While rocketing around the Fields and Woods, he often meets other creatures who give him many thrilling times! In this game, we all help Harley find and bring back Home as many of the Favorite Things as we can. But he will have to look out for fellow prowlers such as the Bear, Raccoon, Skunk, Porcupine & some nasty Briar Patches. We may have to call in the Vet!

Max
We must help get the little Creatures safely home before Max, the Tomcat, catches them. In an exciting way, children learn logic, consultation and decision making. An important issue to discuss is also raised: we don't like Max catching those Little Ones, yet we recognize that he is a natural hunter. How do we resolve this in our minds and hearts? Let's talk it over.

Secret Door
A mystery game! Valuables have been stolen, and we have to find them before Midnight. Together we search through the Mansion for clues. At Midnight, the Thieves may slip away with all the hidden booty! Children enjoy figuring out the mystery of what is behind the Secret Door. Because of the co-operative principle, everyone is part of a team that discusses ideas and shares strategies. Other important skills of memory and logic get a workout, too. Each game is different, exciting and tricky. That's why adults like playing along! Get the magnifying glass, Holmes, and let's get on with the Case. Midnight approaches!

Funny Face
A pantomime game that kids just love! Their imaginations are set free in this hilarious, active game. Players move around the board, helping each other bring all the things needed for a party. Command Cards get turned describing an action to be done. Co-operative play allows everyone to get into the actions without worrying about losing and being eliminated. And because you keep up your mime until the next turn, many funny interpretations happen at one time. We advise parent's and/or teachers to join in the fun! Plays quickly. Rules for a Mime show included.

Round Up
The horses have been running wild on the range. Our job is to round up as many as we can and bring them back to the Ranch Corral. Maybe some are in the Box Canyons. Maybe some are grazing along the Trail. As we ride out, we'll have to get some Lassoes and Binoculars and watch out for Falling Rocks! They can block up a Trail and leave a beautiful horse trapped. We will have to work together as a team, sharing our equipment and talking over our Ideas. Because of the random setup, each game is a new adventure. Maybe this is why parents enjoy it too. Happy Trails, pardners, and have a good Round-up!

Princess
An exciting fantasy game giving thoughtful and imaginative play experience. Our princess is a sturdy little girl in the Castle who needs to be rescued from a Mean Guard and Fierce Dog. It's not going to be easy — and besides, Darkness is coming! Off we go through Fields, Woods, Mountains and Villages in search of Things Magical and Practical needed to free the Princess. We'll do some sharing, help each other to remember where Special Things are hidden, and together think our way past the Obstacles.

Caves and Claws
The museum hires a team of Archaeologists to head deep into a Jungle to find Ancient Artifacts. We are that team, ready for action and adventure! Caves & Claws is a fantasy game, featuring elements of suspense, careful planning, teamwork, danger and humor. The game has three parts. First, we have to hack out the Paths to the abandoned Caves and Temples. Second, using the connected paths, we search for and discover the Treasures. Finally we must return safely to Base Camp with what we gathered.

Walk in the Woods
Ah, a Walk in the Woods... to observe beautiful things such as Wild Flowers and Butterflies... to help each other gather Goodies such as Apples, Berries, Nuts and Herbs... to keep an eye out for nasty stuff such as Poison Ivy, Stinging Nettle, Biting Bugs, even Hot Sun... to share our Remedies to solve Problems we meet... and to plan together where to look next for Goodies and Remedies. Let's have a great day in the Woods and come Home with our Baskets full of Goodies, our Minds deeply quiet, and our Hearts nourished with natural things.

Granny's House
On our journey to Granny's we go through Dark Woods, cross a Stream, need to be very careful passing a Sleepy Bear, etc. We decide what to bring along. Maybe our Dog will help us; maybe a basket of Food; perhaps some Sticks and a Rope. Players will have to use these items to invent ways to deal with whatever Obstacle they meet.

A Beautiful Place
An ecology game for children! Planet Earth can be a beautiful place, shared by all. Sadly, it has been harmed and made ugly in lots of ways. Players work together to restore the beauty. Can they do it before the dark pollution clouds encircle the beautiful place? They have a much better chance if they work together. Environmental concepts are presented in a simple way. Or, just play it as an exciting nature game.

Dice Games:

Animal Yahtzee
Animal Yahtzee is a charming game for children ages 3 years and up. You will love the colorful tin case (perfect for storage and travel) and child-friendly design of the dice. Counting animals on the dice is undoubtedly more fun for young children than counting dots on traditional dice! Roll the dice, count how many of each animals are face up and add up the points. Whoever has the most points at the end wins! Play with 2 - 4 players.

Yahtzee Jr Dice are more fun when they bear images of kids' favorite characters. The five dice bear images of kids' favorites. When the images match, you score. Match five dice in three rolls for a Yahtzee! Pokémon Yahtzee Junior comes complete with five dice, 20 scoring tokens, a dice cup, a scoreboard, and a label sheet.

Yahtzee
Rack up your score by rolling combinations like Aces, Full House, Large Straight and more. Roll 5 of a kind for a Yahtzee!

Pikomino A yummy, light dice game for 2 - 7 excited birds who have caught the scent of roasted worms... quick, fun, easy to learn.

Yahtzee Score Sheets
Extra score sheets for the game of Yahtzee!

Stack Let the games begin! This exciting game of strategy and defense pits players against each other in an attempt to win with the highest score. Each player has 14 dice of one color and all dice are spilled onto the table. In turn, players place one of their dice on top of an opponents showing the same number. Placing the fourth die on a stack captures it and takes it out of play. A die can be rolled for a higher number, but that roll must then be used. When all plays are exhausted, each stack of two or more dice belongs to the player whose color is on top. Its piles of fun! Game comes with four sets of 14 dice each, the STACK Sack and instructions. For 2-4 players.

4 Way Countdown In a variation to the classic game of Shut the Box, Countdown helps children with their basic math skills to see how quickly they can come up with the numbers 1 through 10 by rolling 2 dice. The game starts with all keys in the downward position. Taking turns, each player roles the dice to determine which numbered key can be raised by adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing the numbers on the dice. If double 6s are rolled, the player must reset his/her keys back to where they were at the beginning of the game. If a 5 and 6 are rolled, the player may either lift the 1 key (as a result of subtracting 5 from 6) or choose to have his/her opponent’s keys reset. The wooden game box includes a sliding cover for easy storage. For 2 – 4 Players

Liar's Dice
Said to have been passed down by the ancient Incas, Liar's Dice is a game of bluffing and chance. Each player attempts to out-bid, out-bluff and out-last their opponent by issuing bids or challenges. Beautifully packaged in a wooden dice-box, Liar's Dice is suitable for display in a home or office.

Kit and Caboodle
Explore the possibilities! Roll the dice and create sets using images from the world of science and nature. Did you roll a mammal, reptile, or insect? It all depends on how you classify it. Figure out which set is worth the most points, then mark your score pad. The player with the highest score wins. Loosen up your mind, flex your creativity, and go for the whole Kit & Caboodle!

Tile Games:

Trax
Trax is a two player abstract strategy game of loops and lines. It can be played on any flat surface. The rules of TRAX are simple: place tiles adjacent to those already in play such that the colours of the tracks match. The objective is to get a loop or line of your colour while attempting to stop your opponent in their colour. What gives Trax its strategic depth is the forced play rule which allows (or even requires) multiple tiles to be played in a turn. Learnable in 5 minutes, TRAX can be as easy or as challenging as you want it to be.

Quirkle
While Qwirkle is as simple as matching colors and shapes, it is a game that also requires tactical maneuvers and well-planned strategy. The game consists of 108 wooden blocks with six different shapes in six colors. Using the blocks, players attempt to score the most points by building lines that share a common attribute - either color or shape. Qwirkle is a quick game to learn, but you'll soon discover that you'll need to think strategically in order to score the most points.

Double 6 Dominoes
These jumbo, color dot dominoes are manufactured with the same care and expert craftsmanship that are the trademark of all Pressman games. The sturdy, fine-quality crystalline playing pieces are large enough to fit comfortably in the player's hand. Their polished finish and deeply engraved dots prevent loss of color and clarity. Also included is a sturdy vinyl storage case that holds all 28 jumbo dominoes. Players will enjoy this simple and elegant dominoes game for years to come.

Wildfire Dominoes
Dominoes have never been so WILD! Wildfire domino game is the newest domino game with wilds and features a unique electronic hub, which plays "fire" sounds in the background. The hub also calls out what the "wild" numbers are going to be during play.

Rivers, Roads, and Rails
This cooperative matching game is fascinating for all family members! By matching the tiles end-to-end, players create a continuous network of rivers, roads and railways. A charming picture of the countryside emerges as the tiles are put into play. Each tile shows a section of river, road or railroad or any combination of two or three of these. In turn each player must try to add a tile that matches one of the branching ends of the expanding network of rivers, roads and rails that emerges during play. The winner is the first to use up all of his or her tiles or the player with the fewest tiles remaining. Players may help one another choose the best moves, and tiles may be divided between two groups for team competition.

Legend of Landlock *review*
Deep in the forest is an ever-changing world of paths and streams....In Landlock, strategy rules! Take turns placing tiles next to each other until lo and behold, you've created a game board where critters skitter and gnomes roam. Make a continuous path or stream around Landlock and you score big points. Discover a dragon or match up gnomes for extra credit. But watch out... your opponent will try to stop you in your tracks! The player with the highest score rules the land.

Carcassonne (Hunters and Gatherers)
Play land tiles to create a beautiful landscape, with scattered wild animals like mammoths and saber-toothed tigers. They populate the landscape with hunters and gatherers and build huts to live in. Rivers, filled with fish, snake through the landscape. The game also includes rare, but very useful special cards. There are many new things to discover in this prehistoric Carcassonne.
Carcassonne: Hunters and Gatherers is brand new, but retains the challenge, fun, and excitement of the original Carcassonne.

Rummikub
The object of Rummikub is to build runs of the same color -- Red 7, Red 8, Red 9 -- and sets of the same number -- Blue 8, Red 8 and Orange 8. Adding to the challenge is the opportunity for opponents to build and change other players' melds, allowing them to use up their tiles to make Rummikub and win the hand. The Rummikub jokers add some luck to the play. Get them and they can increase your melding power. But they'll cost you points if you're caught with them at the end of the game. Rummikub presents a never-ending variety of strategy, and until the final plays of the game, anyone can win!

Physical Games:

Cranium Hullabaloo
Cranium Hullabaloo is the surprise-filled, high-energy game that turns bouncing off the walls into bouncing across the room! Players move from one colorful shape to another and use their bodies to perform the many Hullabaloo moves -- touch your nose to a circle, spin to a red, put your elbow on a musical instrument. When Hullabaloo says, "Freeze!" the player on the lucky pad wins! Every few minutes there's a new winner who gets to take a bow, make a victory jump, or do a funky monkey dance.

Kids On Stage
Bravo, Encore! Kids love to get into the act, and this charades game is made especially to put your youngster in the spotlight! In this game, every player gets in the act on every turn, so it's ideal for home or school play. And there is no reading required, so little ones can play without help from Mommy or teacher. Encourage creativity and communication skills while having active fun. It's a game the whole family can play -- and enjoy.

Grab and Go: Mega Marbles
Need a burst of outrageous fun? Get your hands on Grab & Go Mega Marbles! Play the traditional way or mix it up with wacky new twists, like shooting marbles into activity rings to determine whether you'll hum, spell, or act out a clue. The compact container makes it ideal for travel. Plus it's a great gift -- guaranteed to give your family and friends hours upon hours of fun!

Magnetic Darts Darts is a great game and now you can have fun playing it everywhere at the office and at home, indoors or out. Safe for both kids and walls, these blunt-tip darts are strongly magnetized to stick hard-and-fast a with powerful 4300-gauss tips that mean you'll suffer virtually no unfair "bounce-offs" of your supremely accurate tosses! Official-style game has realistic competitive markings colorfully screened onto a cloth-like flexible board. Hang it from its pole and cord; when done, just roll it up with the darts for portability and storage.

Card Games:

Hocus Focus
Set your sights on this fast-paced card game of visual trickery. Look carefully at the cards -- the small, medium and large wizards all appear the same but are actually slightly different. Be the first to spot a wizard that has nothing in common with the one in the center and 'Kazam!' you keep him. The player who captures the most cards is the wizard whiz!

UNO
OBJECT: Be the first player or team to score 500 points. Points are scored by being the first to rid yourself of all the cards in your hand before your opponents. THE PLAY: Play cards from your hand by either matching color, number, or word on the top card of the discard pile. When you have one card left, yell Uno!

Blink
This game is a clever variation on the classic card game, Spit. As cards are turned face up on the table, you must try to get rid of the cards in your draw pile by matching at least one characteristic on the card (color, shape, or count). These cards are colorfully designed with stars, moons, triangles, and more. You can only have three cards in your hand at one time, but may continue to pick cards from your draw pile as soon as you discard. Includes 60 Symbol cards and instructions.

Set
THE OBJECT OF THE GAME is to identify "sets" of three cards. Each card is unique in its four features: NUMBER: (1, 2 or 3); SYMBOL: (diamond, squiggle, or oval); SHADING: (solid, striped or open); and COLOR: (red, green or purple). A "set" consists of three cards on which each feature is either the same on all of the cards, or different on all of the cards.

Rat-A-Tat Cat
Rats are high, cats are low... low-down and cool, that is! Put on your poker face, then draw, swap, and sneak a peek to get rid of rats and make way for the cats. The player with the lowest score wins. Rat-a-Tat Cat is a fun card game that requires quick counting skills and keen timing. It teaches math concepts, like greater than and less than. As they learn the strategy for the game, kids will also begin to develop an intuitive sense of probability.

Rain Forest Card Games
Four games in one! An educational treat created especially for ages 6 and up. The Rain Forest deck features 48 different animals in their natural habitat. Includes two colorful dice with rain forest symbols (a leaf, a paw print, a sun, and a rain cloud) for the exciting game of "Jungle Rumble," two sheets of stickers and a colorful 18"x24" poster. Children also learn counting skills playing "Survival of the Fittest." Fun for the whole family!

United States Playing Cards Deal yourself in to the United States. These cards feature shaded relief maps of all 50 states, Washington, D.C. and the world. They also include state flowers, flags, trees, birds, and capitals. The faces of these laminated playing cards contain full-color state maps along with coordinating information. Jokers adorned with maps of the United States complete the set. Standard bridge size deck.

Scrambled States 2
Get ready to Scramble! Sharpen your reflexes and observation skills in this fast action card game about the 50 States. Roll the die, flip a card and race to find two states that match in color, size or border. Slap the match and win a card. The player with the most cards is the head of States!

Pit
Shout your deal and trade your cards to "corner" the market. Be the first to get all the cards of one commodity, slap the "Corner!" board and you'll win the hand. You'll feel like a trader in the pits of the exchange! Beware of the Bear and take your chances with the Bull. Pit is great frenzied fun.

Frog Juice
Cast spells, brew concoctions, melt witches... Use a smidgen of math and a pinch of probability. Capture cards by matching or adding cards from your hand, then count the ingredients and measure the powers. A splash of strategy, a nd the potion is magic! The player with the highest score wins. Frog Juice teaches players to think strategically and play competitively in an active meeting of the minds. It requires quick counting skills and keen timing. Advanced players will learn about probability.

Recognition of Commonality/Pattern/Attribute Games:

Socken Zocken
There's bedlam in the cupboard. The big sock monster has been rummaging around! The players simultaneously try to find the matching pairs in the huge heap of socks. It's not that easy since the socks look very similar!

Dwarves and Dice
A roll of the three dice and a combination of 3 colors is lying on the table. Who will be first to find the right dwarf among the 56 cards, whose cap, jacket and pants match the 3 dice colors? This classic game has been enjoyed by children for years! Game includes several variations for older children. For 2-8 players.

Snap Judgement
After the 21, 2 picture cards are placed the thinking begins! Players race to find 2 pictures with traits common to each other and the key card. Comes with 120 snapshot picture cards and 120 category cards. Sort through the category cards and grab the picture cards that work. If you can defend your thinking, points are earned. Sample categories might be things in the forest, things made of glass, things that are soft, etc. To use the category cards, players must be able to read, but try using only the picture cards and have players think up their own common trait categories. Or the leader can state a category and players can race to find matches. A versatile tool for building language skills, critical thinking and visual scanning.

Apples to Apples Jr
APPLES to APPLES® is the wild, award-winning card and party game that provides instant fun for four to ten players! It's as easy as "comparing apples to apples"... just open the box, deal the cards, and you're ready to play! Select the card from your hand that you think is best described by a card played by the judge. If the judge picks your card, you win that round. And everyone gets a chance to be the judge! Each round is filled with surprising and outrageous comparisons from a wide range of people, places, things and events. Fast moving and refreshing.

Construction/ Destruction Games:

Destruct 3 Game What goes up comes down with a lot more fun. This stack and destroy game is designed not only to utilize skill in wielding its three destructive devices-the ramp, the pendulum, and the catapult-but adds strategy for the builders. A simple roll of the die determines your method of destruction. Players take turns building and destroying the towers while trying to keep the destruction within the scoring zone. Using hardwood construction, this game is built to withstand the punishment and manage to maintain its good looks too. For 2 to 4 players

Block N Roll Comes in its own storage container. Intermediate Set Includes 2 Base Plates Attaches to Duplo brand blocks Build marble maze structures Never the same maze twice Educational: develops sequential mechanical skills Teaches speed and centrifugal force Parents and children love to play together, especially between the ages of 3 and 6 Ideal age grouping -- 6 to 12 years old 130-PIECE SET includes: 12 Straights, 17 Ramps, 20 90°s, 9 Start/Stops, 6 Crossovers, 2 Drop-Thrus, 1 Chain Reaction, 55 BNR Dimple Blocks, 2 Base Plates, and 10 Marbles

Make N Break
You've got 10 wooden building blocks, a timer ticking per the number you rolled & a card showing you what to build in that time. Can you get it right... in the nick of time? When time's up, total the points on your completed building cards & collect those tokens. After 4 rounds, the one with the most points is the winning builder. Version for expert builders included. Great fun for all!

Single Player Games and Puzzles:

Block by Block
Imagine building 60 different three-dimensional patterns with just seven puzzle pieces! Block by Block helps players sharpen their visual perception and spatial thinking skills. An engaging learning game with a travel bag added by popular demand.

Square by Square
In this vibrant pattern-matching puzzle, players "square off" as they match 14 colorful puzzle pieces to images on one of 60 provided challenge cards. This is an excellent game for teaching players about spatial relationships and pattern matching skills.

Rush Hour Jr
The player is the ice cream truck driver. The Driver must maneuver the ice cream truck past the school bus, the jeep, the police car, and other vehicles on the road to escape the gridlock.

Safari Rush Hour
Players set up the pieces on the game grid to match one of 50 playing cards, then navigate your Safari rover out of the jungle while surrounded by wild animals.

Railroad Rush Hour
It's a switchman's nightmare! Your trusty red locomotive's blocked in the freight yard! Move those blocking cars and baggage platforms out of the way. Pick a card from the pack of 50 switching yard traffic jam challenges. Match your gameboard set-up to the card. Shift the railroad cars, engines, and baggage platforms 'til you clear a path for the red locomotive to exit. Sound easy? You'll need brains to switch these trains!

Katamino
Katamino is an ever-changing puzzle and is a stimulating brain-teaser. It calls on thinking ability and develops observation skills. Build perfect units called pentas by placing a certain number of pentaminos on the game board. The game becomes harder as the number of tokens used increases.

Travel Games:

Gobblet on the Go
This is a small, portable version of the classic game. Plays like Tic-Tac-Toe, except that you can gobble up your opponent and move your pieces around the board when it's your turn to play. The first to line up 3 pieces wins!

Cathedral Travel Size
In the game of Cathedral you are a landowner. The playing board represents the site of the walled city. Two sets of playing pieces symbolize both the buildings and the two opposing forces who battle to gain control by strategically positioning their building pieces back on the board.

Travel Blokus
Travel Blokus by Educational Insights is a Compact, two-player edition of the strategy game that has won all the major awards for new games! Players take turns placing pieces on their board, each from the starting position. Each new piece must touch at least one other piece of the same color, but only at the corners! The goal is to get rid of all your pieces. The game ends when all players are blocked from laying down any more of their pieces. The travel version of award-winning Blokus , Travel Blokus is the perfect on-the-go strategy game for two! The simple rules take less than a minute to learn, yet the game has the depth to challenge both beginners and experts alike.

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