May 2010 Notable Toys — Family Games

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.

U-Build Connect 4 combines the family favorite of Connect 4 with customizable U-Build bricks that create a unique game experience every time the game is played. Start by building a grid using U-Build bricks that snap into the game unit. Once the grid is built, players drop their red and yellow checkers into the top of the game and watch as the checker bounces down into a row. Add U-Build bumper arms to the top of the grid to help to steer a checker into a chosen row in an attempt to get four in a row. Bumper bricks can be used to assist a score or used as a defensive move to keep the opponent from scoring. Players must drop the checkers and see where they land to slide, bump and block their way to victory. Package includes 158 building parts (110 U-BUILD bricks & 48 construction pins), 21 red checkers, 21 yellow checkers, one game board with stand, assembly guide and game guide. Launch date: Spring 2010.

Messages consists of three games for those who love playing with words and ideas. Players must express their cleverness, creativity and sense of humor by using symbol tokens to form picture phrases and sentences, known as rebuses. Players pool their ideas to make rebuses to fill the board, red spots add challenges, and each game played is a different experience. The package includes a 7.75" x 7.5" board, 100 symbol tokens, a glossary of suggested meanings, rules and a storage bag.

Early Years are four cooperative card games for the younger ages. Each game is designed to nurture and encourage a blend of close observation, communication, imagination, and some academic, social and memory skills in a non-threatening, self-esteem-building atmosphere. The pack includes four sets of 35 cards each: a “domino” word game, an animal memory game, a number/math skills game, and a storytelling game. Jim Deacove, president of Family Pastimes, told TDmonthly Early Years is "a big bargain with lots of play value, and just plain fun to play! Special group game rules are included for accommodating as many as 36 players."

In this game, Aliens are on the loose and it’s up to the players to capture them. Everybody’s got aliens, but there are only two capture markers. Catch as many aliens as possible before the next player grabs the capture marker. The first to capture all of their aliens wins. For two to 10 players. Launch date: 2010.

This fast-paced dice game challenges players to Zip their way to the winner's circle. Players simultaneously roll their dice, keep any aside and re-roll the rest. The object is to be the first to roll the correct combination and move across the board to the finish. Launch date: 2010.
This version of this game is not currently available.

Count Your Blessings is the Chicken Soup for the Soul-inspired game with an attitude for gratitude. Players try to be the first to flip their four tokens from "Stressed to Blessed", "Tired to Inspired", "Frazzled to  Dazzled", and "Mad to Glad" simply by looking on the positive side of life. The package includes: one sun spinner board, 215 game cards, 24 tokens, six heads or tails coins, one pair "Look on the Brightside" glasses, and instruction booklet. Launch date: 2010.

This twist on a classic backyard game includes two soft balls and two charming crabby "catchers". Launch date: 2010.  

This game is designed to nurture imagination, listening, self-expression, collaboration and clear thinking, using a story-telling format. The setting is science-fictional and the issues presented everyday and real, tackled by players with role-playing, values discussions, dialogue, problem-solving, and creative writing. Not an Island is adaptable to any group situation and includes 55 situation cards, 55 resource cards, six life force markers, two booklets of scenarios, and rules for basic, medium and hard levels of play. Launch date: 2003.

In this cooperative game, players try to develop a series of balanced patterns. The moving principles are simple, but the variations and complexities of play are almost infinite. This is a game for those who like abstract, meditative endeavors. A simpler game, Clarity, is included for the beginner or younger players. The game also includes a 12" x 12" board, three sets of colored "pebbles," and scoring sheets. Launch date: 1973.