February 2011 Notable Toys — Puzzles & Skill

Tilt is a dynamic multi-challenge maze game that requires a player to tilt the game board back and forth, and left and right to navigate the green sliders through the center hole. The challenges progress in difficulty, and each challenge card comes with a hint, just in case players need a little help. Launch date: March 2011.

Snack Attack! is a fast-paced picture matching, token stacking challenge. Players spin the Snack Attack! Spinner Platter and the Snack Tokens appear. The player with the most Snack Tokens wins. The matching and stacking of Snack Tokens varies the game every time it’s played and two levels of play keeps the game interesting for both younger and older children. Launch date: March 2011.

PathWords is a new game that combines the Tetris® and Word Search. Players must find all the words in each challenge and place the puzzle pieces so that the letters under each piece spell a word. PathWords will delight puzzle game buffs and word search fanatics. Launch date: March 2011.
— In a Summer 2011 survey, Mary Porter of The Curiosity Zone in Ashburn, Va., told TDmonthly that ThinkFun was her best-selling brand of puzzles.
— As of 7/12/2011 this product had 4.9 out of 5 stars from 19 reviews on Amazon.com. Pros: Clear instructions; fun alone or as a group; challenging.

Each puzzle image is randomly designed and cut in the oddest ways to make it as tricky as possible. The Baffler has no straight edges, no overlapping images and many unique shapes. Each of the three puzzles in the series has a unique piece count: 67 pieces, 69 pieces and 78 pieces. "The puzzles feature unique shapes and no straight edges," Emily Giurleo, marketing coordinator at Ceaco, told TDmonthly.
— David Campbell, owner of Amazing Toys in Great Falls, Mont., told TDmonthly in a Summer 2012 survey that puzzles from Gamewright/Ceaco were among his best sellers.

Each puzzle features 5 easy pieces that slot together to create four jungle critters. Sets can mix and match to create a bevy of new animal breeds. Bright graphics suggest each animal's natural markings. Launch date: January 2011.

Puzzles feature natural wood grain as a back drop to vibrant silk-screened colors. Matching patterns and colors on the board help children place the pieces. Puzzle pieces are chunky in size and easy for little hands to manipulate. Comes in four designs. Launch date: January 2011.

This illustrated wooden board comes with color-coded ladybugs that are rounded and raised to provide easy removal and placement on the board. Use this matching ladybug game to introduce the concept of fair play and taking turns while sharpening focus and memory. Launch date: January 2011.

This game was designed with the Sportsman, Hunter or Fisherman in mind. Find It – “On A Hunt” is a mini-scavenger hunt. Be the first to find the 48 hidden treasures mixed in with the Camouflage colored pellets and win. Players must look for the Bulls Eye, Arrow, Rope, Fish Hook, Hiking Boot, Dog and, for the Ultimate Sportsman, the BIG GAME hiding in every “Find It – On A Hunt” game.  For 1+ player or teams.

Based on the classic “Find It” Game comes the latest entry into the world of VeggieTales: The new VeggieTales version of the Find It Game. Players join the VeggieTales characters on a hand-held scavenger hunt as they search for objects and characters straight from stories in the VeggieTales collection. The fun begins by finding popular icons like the Viking Helmet, rubber ducky, and slushy cup. Also look for authentic characters such as Bob the Tomato, Larry the Cucumber, Junior Asparagus, Philippe Green Pea and Madame Blueberry. These characters, and more, are hidden amongst a sea of colorful pellets. For 1+ player or teams.
— Marc Holcomb, owner of Toys & Co. in Greensboro, N.C. told TDmonthly in late Spring 2011 that he sold 15 Find-It products a month.
— Want this? As of 05/06/2011, this product was available for purchase at Toys & Co.

The Greatest Newspaper Dot-to-Dot Puzzles volume 8 is a new 5.5" by 5.5" pocket-sized collection of weekly dot-to-dots that have been published in various USA and international newspapers. Includes difficult dot-to-dot puzzles with no clues as to the final form. The images slowly emerge as the puzzler connects the dots. In addition to traditional connect-the-dots, it includes unique innovations such as connecting odd/even numbers and multiple line variations. 40 pages long with 36 puzzles.

The Greatest Newspaper Dot-to-Dot Puzzles volume 7 is a new 5.5" by 5.5" pocket-sized collection of weekly dot-to-dots that have been published in various USA and international newspapers. Includes difficult dot-to-dot puzzles with no clues as to the final form.  The images slowly emerge as the puzzler connects the dots. In addition to traditional connect-the-dots, it includes unique innovations such as connecting odd/even numbers and multiple line variations. 40 pages long with 36 puzzles.

The Greatest Newspaper Dot-to-Dot Puzzles volume 6 is a new 5.5" by 5.5" pocket-sized collection of weekly dot-to-dots that have been published in various USA and international newspapers. Includes difficult dot-to-dot puzzles with no clues as to the final form.  The images slowly emerge as the puzzler connects the dots. In addition to traditional connect-the-dots, it includes unique innovations such as connecting odd/even numbers and multiple line variations. 40 pages long with 36 puzzles.

The Greatest Newspaper Dot-to-Dot Puzzles volume 5 is a new 5.5" by 5.5" pocket-sized collection of weekly dot-to-dots that have been published in various USA and international newspapers. Includes difficult dot-to-dot puzzles with no clues as to the final form.  The images slowly emerge as the puzzler connects the dots. In addition to traditional connect-the-dots, it includes unique innovations such as connecting odd/even numbers and multiple line variations. 40 pages long with 36 puzzles.

This 19 x 13" 100 pieces Sharks jigsaw puzzle features over 20 shark species. Made of strong, easy-fit puzzle pieces, grained paper for a glare-free picture, recycled board, recycled paper, and vegetable based ink. "Beautiful illustrations make your child aware of the diversity in shark species. Your child will learn important characteristics of individual shark family members," Erich Fellinger, Eurographics sales manager, told TDmonthly. Launch date: March 2010.

100 pieces Penguins jigsaw puzzle. This puzzle features over 15 species of the penguins. Features: 100 pieces, Dimension: 13 x 19 inches, Superior-quality piece by piece, easy-fit puzzle pieces, Strong puzzle pieces, Made from recycled board, Image printed on recycled paper, Ink is vegetable based. This 100 piece puzzle will challenge and educate. "Beautiful illustrations educate your child about species diversity and important characteristics of individual penguin family members," Eric Fellinger, sales manager at EuroGraphics, told TDmonthly. Launch date: March 2010.

Composed of 216 individual high-energy rare-earth magnets, the NeoCube allows you to create and recreate an nearly infinite number of shapes and patterns. Can be used to create complex designs and puzzles, or for simple fun and relaxtion. As of 1.06.2011 this product had 4 out of 5 stars from 84 reviews on Amazon.com and was No. 2 on the top 100 bestselling toys and games. PROS: Challenging; stimulates both brain hemispheres; many variations. CONS: Not suitable for children under 14; can be difficult to master.

This small paperback contains 517 full-color, thought-provoking puzzles and mental games designed to stretch neurons and shake up the usual way of thinking. The puzzles are organized in 12 tuypes with 10 levels of difficulty, each designed to make the reader feel more curious, intuitive, engaged and smarter. It’s written by Ivan Moscovich, an internationally acclaimed inventor, puzzler, toy and game designer and artist.

Challenge your mind with 15 classic puzzles. This assortment features mind-benders, take-apart puzzles, mazes and IQ challenges that are fun at home or for travel. These conundrums will test your brain, hand-eye coordination and problem solving skills. "Offers customers more problem solving and more fun than a single type of puzzle," Jordan Willing, CEO of Discover With Dr. Cool, told TDmonthly.

A classic scene of enjoying Coca-Cola during the holiday season. Completed puzzle measures 28.75" x 36". © The Coca-Cola Company, Coca-Cola, Coke and the Contour Bottle Design, the Dynamic Ribbon device, the Red Disk Icon and the Coca-Cola Santa are trademarks of The Coca-Cola Company and in Canada, Coca-Cola, Ltd.  All rights reserved.  Allied Products Corporation is an official licensee of The Coca-Cola Company.

Put together this 2000-piece jigsaw puzzle to reveal a collage of women's shoes. © Hallmark Licensing

It's a race to the finish with this graphic and colorful image. Finished puzzle measures 28.75" x 36". © James Tandkiev Photography.
— In a Summer 2012 survey, two out of 12 retailers told TDmonthly that Sprinbok was a best selling brand of puzzles.

Cross over into a winter wonderland all from the comfort of home. This scene was captured in Seattle, Washington. Finished puzzle measures 28.75" x 36".

One for the avid Coke collector — a collage of Coca-Cola vintage signs. © The Coca-Cola Company, Coca-Cola, Coke and the Contour Bottle Design, the Dynamic Ribbon device, the Red Disk Icon and the Coca-Cola Santa are trademarks of The Coca-Cola Company and in Canada, Coca-Cola, Ltd.  All rights reserved.  Allied Products Corporation is an official licensee of The Coca-Cola Company.

Come sail away with this colorful photo of sails in the midst of a race that's too close to call.