This game encourages players to develop problem-solving and creative thinking skills as they strategize their survival plans. Using improvisation, participants craft clever, witty, or humorous approaches to persuade the judge and earn survival rations. The gameplay focuses on imaginative decision-making and persuasive communication.

This cooperative game challenges players to work together to build a path and collect three keys before the Ogre reaches the treasure. Designed for 2-4 players ages 5 and up, the gameplay encourages teamwork, strategic planning, and problem-solving as participants analyze options and think ahead. The non-competitive format fosters emotional development, group decision-making, and confidence-building in a relaxed play environment. To play, teams construct a route from the start to the finish while gathering keys to unlock the treasure. If they succeed before the Ogre arrives, all players win together. The game includes a game board, 37 cards, 4 key tokens, dice, an Ogre snack token, and instructions, with an average playtime of 20 minutes.

**Snug as a Bug in a Rug** is a cooperative matching game where players work together to help colorful bugs find safety before stinkbugs arrive. The game features three adjustable difficulty levels, allowing it to adapt as children develop their skills. The gameplay reinforces early learning concepts such as color recognition, counting, shapes, and size comparison (big vs. little). It also introduces basic game mechanics like rolling a die, spinning a spinner, and turn-taking. Designed for 2-4 players ages 3+, this game promotes teamwork, problem-solving, and social development in a low-pressure setting. The set includes a game board with a built-in spinner, 24 colorful bugs, 3 stink bugs, a die, and instructions for all three play levels. Cooperative play encourages shared decision-making and emotional growth while keeping the experience engaging and educational.

Q-bitz is a pattern-matching game designed to enhance spatial reasoning, memory, and quick thinking. Players use 16 cubes to recreate patterns from 80 included cards, with three distinct gameplay variations for varied challenges. The game consists of three rounds per session, where the first player to correctly replicate the card's pattern wins it. The player with the most cards at the end wins. The set includes 80 Q-bitz cards, four wooden trays, and four sets of 16 cubes in different colors, supporting 2 to 4 players aged 6 and up. Designed by Peggy Brown, Q-bitz has earned recognition such as the Parent’s Choice Gold Award, NAPPA Gold, Tillywig Toy Brain Child Award, and the Major Fun Award. The gameplay encourages visual dexterity and competitive engagement, making it suitable for both home and classroom use.

Qwirkle is a strategy game that challenges players to plan their moves carefully while considering multiple tactical options. The game includes 108 wooden tiles, featuring three tiles each of 36 possible color and symbol combinations. Players build lines by matching tiles based on color or shape, earning points as they play. The rules are straightforward, making it accessible for younger players while still requiring strategic thinking. Qwirkle helps develop spatial recognition, planning, and problem-solving skills, making it suitable for a wide age range. Designed for 2 to 4 players, the game is easy to learn quickly, allowing new players to join without lengthy explanations. It has received several awards, including the Major Fun Award, National Parenting Center’s Seal of Approval, and Parents’ Choice Gold Award. The set includes a drawstring bag for tile storage and a rule book.

The KEVA pine planks are precision-cut wooden building blocks designed for stable stacking. These planks allow builders to create narrow towers that reach impressive heights and cantilevers that balance with precision, using only gravity—no glue or connectors required. Playing with these wooden planks helps develop an understanding of balance, leverage, geometry, and basic physics principles. The planks are compatible with other KEVA and Kapla systems, allowing for expanded and intricate structures. The set includes 200 pine planks and a 24-page full-color idea booklet with building instructions. KEVA planks are widely used in educational settings, museums, and homes, appealing to builders of all ages due to their versatility and open-ended play possibilities.

This marble-based logic puzzle offers a fresh take on traditional brain teasers for children. The set includes 64 progressively challenging puzzles to solve. Players slide tiles to construct a complete path that successfully guides the marble to its target position. The game helps build problem-solving abilities, cognitive development, spatial awareness, and cause-effect reasoning. Designed for players aged 8 and older.

Build your own medieval siege engine from pre-drilled planks, a little glue and the help of easy, step-by-step “blueprint” instructions. Then let the fun and experimentation begin! What travels farther: a marshmallow or a piece of macaroni? Alter the counterweight to adjust the trebuchet's hurl, and practice knocking down a field of target planks using the two included balls.
— In a February 2014 survey, Julie Steinbach, owner of Rainbow Toys in Falmouth, Maine, told TDmonthly that this Trebuchet from Mindware was among their best-selling wooden toys.
— Tye Steinbach from Thinker Toys in Portland, Ore., told TDmonthly in a May 2015 survey that this is one of their best-selling activity kits.

Want to boost their fine motor and visual thinking skills? You want Imaginets. The sturdy wood carrying case features durable hinges and rope handles that are perfect for little hands to grasp. Inside, brightly-colored magnetic blocks can be arranged on the boards to replicate any of the 50 full-color design challenges, including animals, faces, vehicles, sports, structures and more. Plus, the magnetic board surface doubles as a dry-erase board, so kids can decorate a backdrop for their creations.

Where to buy:
NORTH WEST

Qwirkle just got easier to pack. Our travel-sized Qwirkle plays just like the award-winning original. It’s as simple as matching colors and shapes, but it takes both logic and strategy to score big. Fun for all ages and perfect to take anywhere.
— In an April 2013 survey, two out of 12 retailers said that Travel Qwirkle is their best-selling travel toy.

Crazy creatures abound in this fast-paced, mixed-up matching race. Draw a card to reveal the challenge. Will players need to find the identical creatures within two differently colored frames, or do quick math once they spot the numbers? Race against opponents to spot it or solve it. The winner keeps the card. The first to collect enough cards to spell "Look Look," takes the game. Game board is comprised of eight interchangeable frames, making it a new game every time it's played. Includes 68 challenge cards. 2 or more players.

These Start to Finish Mazes Sets are teacher-created books that combine age-appropriate mazes with challenging activities such as counting practice, letter recognition and more. Lightweight paperback volumes are great for taking along on road trips or filling time at restaurants. 100 puzzles in all.
— When asked about her best selling educational products in November 2011, Mary Porter Green, owner of The Curiosity Zone in Ashburn, Va., told TDmonthly that "Just about everything in our store is educational, so this is a tough question to answer," but that "Workbooks from Mindware do well," in particular.

All the information kids need to solve the mystery is in the puzzle story; everything they need to deduce, reason and organize their thoughts is in the handy grid below. Grid Perplexors: Level A teaches kids a step-by-step process that keeps their thinking linear and focused. Great practice for standardized tests that reward logic skills. Paperback; 50 puzzles on 56 pages.

This clever memory recall game challenges players to memorize as many details as they can in just 10 short seconds. To play, turn the timer over, concentrate on the card and try to memorize as many details of the picture as you can. Players then roll the die to determine which question will be asked and quiz each other on what they remember. Is the starfish red or blue? What 'giant' creature is shown? Is a purple coral shown? The nature theme will keep young minds engaged in this fast-paced game of concentration and detail.

This kit comes with over 200 pieces, including 10 sturdy mask forms with elastic cords, double-stick tape, pompoms, jewels and fringed paper, plus ready-to-decorate cutouts of hats, glasses, funny lips and more.

Dizios is a bright, bold and brain-bending domino game with a dizzying twist. Two or more players take turns placing tiles into the grid by matching up edges, and earn points according to the pieces on the board that their tile touches. It includes 71 glossy, thick chipboard game tiles. Awards: 2010 Mensa Select.

This kit gives some structure to free-form building with planks, including an idea book with instructions for building ball-track structures, ramps, funnels and more. It allows for scientific experimentation as kids test rolling the two included lightweight balls to see if they move as anticipated.
— "A new concept kit will help kids build bigger and better — simple, open-ended and smart," said John MacDougall, owner of Golden Apple Learning Store in Pleasanton, Calif., at Toy Fair 2010.
— It was also a top-two favorite at ASTRA's Share the Fair event during Toy Fair 2010.
— In an April 2012 survey, Elmer Carranza, manager of Doodlehopper 4 Kids in Springfield, Va., told TDmonthly that KEVA blocks are their best selling construction toy.

This game expands on the original Qwirkle, challenging two to four players to score points by having the most columns and rows filled with matching shapes and colors. Rolling the cubes adds an element of strategy, as players can attempt to roll for the shapes they need. Launch date: Spring 2009.
— Kate Tanner, owner of Kidstop in Scottsdale, Ariz., named Qwirkle Cubes as one of her overall best sellers in late fall 2009.

Requiring no reading from its players, Qwirkle is a simple-to-learn but stimulating game based around matching the attributes of the game play tiles. Players build rows and columns by placing tiles adjacent to tiles they share an attribute with (shape or color), and score bonus points if they can think ahead and put a tile down touching multiple other tiles. While the game is easy to understand, a good eye and quick thinking make Qwirkle challenging enough for a wide range of ages to play together.
Awards: 2011 Speiele des Jahres (German game of the year).
― “We sell a lot of Qwirkle,” Sue Banducci said of popular games in her Danville, Calif., store, Games Unlimited. “Qwirkle was best-selling over Christmas,” said Shirley Reilly, owner of Let's Play in Hillsboro, Ore., in January 2009.
― When asked about his top-selling games in early 2009, Tye Steinbach of Thinker Toys in Portland, Ore. told TDmonthly, “It was probably Qwirkle. We're not huge gamers in our family, but it's really fun.”
— Four of 44 specialty retailers named Qwirkle as a best seller in late fall 2009. Ages & Stages Toy Box in Golden, Colo., sells about 10 Qwirkle games per month, Manager Holly Anvers told TDmonthly.
— As of 12/17/2012 this product had 4.8 out of 5 stars from 483 reviews on Amazon.com and was No. 6 on the top 100 bestselling toys and games. Pros: Exciting; intellectually stimulating, easy to learn. Cons: Some said it took too long to play; only had 3 reviews less than 3 stars, however.

Square Up! offers a new twist on the slider puzzle – playing an opponent! The object of the game is to slide the squares to match the cube shaker before your opponent finishes. It’s a fast, two-player, visual thinking game. Each board measures about 8” square.
— This game was listed as a best seller by Michele and Ken Gietz of Where’d You Get That!? in Williamstown, Mass., in fall 2008. “It’s great for travel or restaurants,” they said. “It’s two-player, but each gets their own sliding squares board and special shaker. We’ve sold many for a small store in the last six months.”
— Brooke Andrews, owner of Millers Toy Store in Mamoroneck, N.J., told TDmonthly in late 2009 her store sells about 12 units per week of this game. Two of 44 retailers named it as one of their top-three best sellers.