June 2010 New Specialty Toys — Family Games

WOKER is Word Poker. The cards represent letters and the goal is to make the highest scoring words based on the points associated with each letter. The cards are dealt as in three popular poker games. "It can be a family game, a party game or an educational tool," LCT Enterprises President Lisa C. Teore told TDmonthly.

This set of nine dice is printed with a full deck of 52 playing cards and two jokers. The set is specially designed to allow hands to be rolled for poker and most other card games. Instructions for both family and betting games are included.

Word FRENZY is a fast-paced, word-forming card game that aims to foster spelling, vocabulary, word association and math skills. Playing with letter cards, players try to be the first to collect cards that spell a four-letter word relating to a category. "It's stealth education made fun!" Tame Tiger Marketing VP Steve Kam told TDmonthly.
Awards: 2009 Parents' Choice Approved Award; 2009 Dr. Toy's Best Picks; 2009 The National Parenting Center Seal of Approval; 2010 Family Review Center Gold Award; 2010 Family Review Center Editor's Choice Award

In this card game, when a player gets four-of-a-kind in his hand, it is just like the music stopping in a traditional round of musical chairs. The player grabs a chair and all other players react and grab for a chair, too. There is one less chair than the number of players in the round and the player without a chair is out.

Do Tell is designed for parties, couples, friends and girls' getaways. By inspiring players to participate through words and actions, Do Tell acts as a natural icebreaker and a tool for connection and communication. Players never have to play the card they are given or reveal more than they are comfortable with. Do Tell aims to keep players curious, interested, engaged and rolling in the aisles. "We’re about expansion, diversity, compassion, understanding, coming out of our box, acceptance, love and laughter," Geoff LaPlace, president of Do Tell Enterprises, told TDmonthly.

In this holiday party game, the first player to get five of the same yuletide images in a row wins. The game comes complete with 20 full-color cards, 390 snowflake markers, caller chips, a master call sheet and instructions.

In this party game, players scratch the gift tag to receive a holiday fortune or to see if they have the winning ticket which reads, "You will win a fabulous prize at your holiday party." The game includes 20 cards per pack, but multiple packs can be for larger parties.

Snoots Toots! A Kids Game of Empathy and Manners is a therapeutic board game from Dr. Poppy Moon’s Imagucation Creation Workshop. Kids will role-play their way through a variety of situations requiring manners and empathy skills. This game is designed to help kids learn skills that are critical to social and emotional development. "The use of role playing during the game makes it unique, as does fact that it can be used in a therapeutic, educational, or home setting," YouthLight Inc. Creative Director Amy Rule told TDmonthly. Awards: Dr. Toy 2010 Best Children's Vacation Products

The goal in this Word Golf course is simple – complete each hole with as few strokes as possible. Strokes are calculated by the number of words it takes to finish a hole. Players can work against the course or compete against their friends. Word Golf is portable and is designed to be a fun way to expand vocabulary and spelling skills. "Word Golf combines the challenges and fun of a word game with the excitement of a round of golf!" All the King's Games Owner Kevin Greenberg told TDmonthly.

All players help a dreaming little boy, chased by tigers, collect all four teddy bears and a toy collection. Then, they get him back to bed before he wakes up. The game includes a board, tigers, candy, wake up card, little boy, card stand, toys, dream tools, and rules for basic and hard games.

Grump has taken the villagers' treasures and is now fast asleep at the top of the beanstalk. Together, players climb to the top to recover their treasures. If Grump is awakened, he takes back everything. Players share the treasures and leave some behind for Grump. Their kindness will help change him. The game is won when everyone has some of the treasure.
Awards: 1981 Canadian Toy Testing Council  Top Rating

Players help each other plant as big a flower garden as they can, and also help the Growlies find what they need most, so they don't pick and trash the flowers instead. With some sharing of ideas and talking over of strategies, players can will help change Crabby, Messy, Greedy, Stinky and Snobby into happier creatures. Each game unfolds differently. The game includes a board, 16 flowers, five growlies, a growly lodge, nine special items, scoresheets, a handy chart, and rules for regular and hard versions.

Players act as Camel Drivers, guiding caravans from their home village through the desert, gathering various valuable things to trade and sell in the city. The game includes a board, special dice, sandstorm card and holder, caravan movers, desert caravan collector card, and an assortment of special cards including tents, thieves, valuables, guards, camels, food, water and jeeps.

The game begins with a Random Universe arrangement. Players try to create an Ordered Universe of life and form. The illustrated cards represent various thought-provoking concepts. The game also includes The Collection, a booklet of 40 more co-op card games for the same deck.

Players work as a team to feed the hungry bus passengers entering the diner. This game is quick-paced, original and challenging. It comes with three sets of rules, for younger children (5 to 7), middle years (7 to 12) and adults. "Our games foster the spirit of co-operation. Players help each other ... they are never against each other," Family Pastimes President Jim Deacove told TDmonthly.

The 1,000-piece Canvas Collection brings four images to life as real art. Both box and puzzle feature a linen texture offering the look and feel of the original painting. The beautiful imagery features magnificent country scenes that may take the puzzler to another place.

The Studio Series is an assortment of four 500-piece round puzzles with real wooden pieces that features top rated images by renowned artists Hansel, Sundrum, Daniel and Boehme. Sue Harrison of The Canadian Group told TDmonthly, "Great images and a great feel provides a premium puzzling experience!"

The Sandkidz Beach Guide contains games and crafts for a full day or weekend of beach fun for the whole family. All items come in a vinyl pouch attached to the guide and can be replaced as needed for more beach activities. The Sandkidz Beach Guide was awarded the 2009 "Seal of Excellence" by Creative Child Magazine. Launch date: June 12, 2008.

This 1,000-piece jigsaw puzzle features a delicious assortment of berries and jams from the cover of Gourmet Magazine. Adam Silver, CEO of New York Puzzle Company, told TDmonthly, "The Gourmet line of jigsaw puzzles includes three free recipe cards based on the puzzle theme to make at home."

This bustling beach has plenty of detail to satisfy even the biggest of puzzle aficionados. The 1000-piece Beachgoing puzzle features the July 8, 1939 cover of the New Yorker.  Adam Silver, CEO of New York Puzzle Company, told TDmonthly, this product is "made in the USA from extra-thick puzzle board to ensure for better play and a better fit."

Puzzlers can visit the Duck Pond, Noah's Ark, Llama's Castle and more at this Children's Zoo Wonderland. This 500-piece jigsaw puzzle can be a family activity. Adam Silver, CEO of New York Puzzle Company, told TDmonthly, "All of our jigsaw puzzles are made in the USA from extra-thick puzzle board to provide for better play and a better overall fit."

The Adventures of Tommy the Tomato Playing Cards is an extension of the alphabet book for children. It is a memory, "go fish" and trivia game all in one. The games are designed to teach children literacy though the alphabet as well as the benefits of nutrition while being interactive.

This is a great puzzle for the vintage muscle car fanatic. Puzzlers piece together the profile of 12 mid-century American automobile icons featured on the cover of the February 1957 edition of "Popular Mechanics." Adam Silver, CEO of New York Puzzle Company, told TDmonthly, "All of our puzzles are made in the USA from extra-thick puzzle board to ensure a better fit."

This is a game of collaboration, learning and discussion full of strategy, with each player making an important contribution. Set in 1895, players are a group of peaceful Christian villagers in Russia who drive wagons through the countryside, visiting homes to collect firewood and weapons for the building of ploughshares in the village center, all while avoiding confiscation and imprisonment by the Tsar's patrolling soldiers. The game includes a 17" x 17" board, special playing cards, movers, dice, collection chart, wagons, and rules for regular and advanced games.