June 2010 New Specialty Toys — Puzzles & Skill

Dennis Lewan 1000pc jigsaw puzzle American Holiday is inspired by the Old Masters. Lewan relies on his extensive collection of refernces, accumulated over some twenty years, to capture the nostalgic lifestyle of the 18th and 19th centuries.

This unique African Spots 700-piece specially-shaped jigsaw puzzle features an upgraded, thicker puzzle board.

The 658-piece Classic Wooden Jigsaw Puzzle of Castle Neuschwanstein is 15.75" by 20.75" in size. Jeff Elridge, manager at Liberty Puzzles, told TDmonthly, "No two pieces in any puzzle are alike, and each puzzle features dozens of intricate, charming whimsy pieces."

A 443-piece large wooden jigsaw of Vincent Van Gogh's "Blossoming Chestnut Branches" painting, this puzzle measures 16.25" x 12.75". Liberty Puzzles Manager Jeff Elridge told TDmonthly, "Our puzzle designs are modeled after some of the most intricate jigsaw puzzles ever made."

Reeves International's innovative brain bender features its most recognizable animal and symbol for conservation: the Panda. The package includes a 15-piece Panda themed beechwood 3D puzzle and playing instructions. The wood used in this toy is certified by the Forest Stewardship Council, signifying compliance with the highest environmental standards. Launch date: 2010.

These hardwood maple and cherry chess pieces are made in Vermont. The pieces are blocks with a traditional characters engraved on two sides. All the pieces are 1" wide and 1" deep, varying in height depending on the strength of the character. The pawn stands at 1.25" tall and the Queen is 2.25" tall. Each set comes with a cloth pouch for piece storage when not in use. Barbara Rainville, marketing manager for Maple Landmark Woodcraft, told TDmonthly, "Each piece has a diagram to show how that character moves engraved on the bottom — for new players or those just a bit rusty." Launch date: March 13, 2010.

The Name Puzzle Stool can be personalized with child's name and has a back that flips down so child can use it as a step stool. Launch date: April 2010.

Telepathy is a game that combines strategy, logic and deduction. The game board consists of 18 squares by 18 squares which total 324. There are nine different colors and nine different symbols. Each row and column contains two of each color and two of each symbol. There are 81 different colored symbols and 4 of each colored symbols on the board. In this puzzle solving challenge of deduction, logic and intuition, players go head to head to see who can be the first to guess their opponent's secret square. Every action turn brings you closer to finding the hidden, ancient symbol.
Awards: 2009 National Parenting Center Seal of Approval; 2009 Parents' Choice Recommended Award Winner

Quadrilateral Pieces is a geometry puzzle. Kids of all ages can improve their spatial sense as they rotate, turn and flip the pieces to construct five different quadrilaterals. "Teachers and students will love it because students can use the puzzle to help them remember what they learn about different types of quadrilaterals," Mary Kay Bacallao, President, Learning by Design, told TDmonthly. Launch date: 2010.

Entertain and teach baby by creating scenes made of fabric covered foam. House scene includes a Square, Triangle, Circle, Rectangle, Car, Bus, Door, Window, Chimney, Flower Garden, and Dog.

One in a collection of William Wegman puzzles offered by Buffalo Games, this 500-piece puzzle features Weimaraner Stanley in a hat and bowtie.

These are definitely not your father's dot-to-dots. With no clues given to the final image, numbers into the thousands, and amazing detailed pictures, The Greatest Dot-to-Dot Super Challenge provides a whole new level of challenge and intrigue. Author and artist David Kalvitis continues his Dot-to-Dot revolution by introducing a variety of brand new puzzle inventions such as "Arrows", "Compass" and "Alpha Dots" as well as double page spreads with over 1,400 dots.
— As of 05/13/2011 this product had 4.2 out of 5stars from 4 reviews on Amazon.com. Cons: One user said that it was too challenging.