June 2012 Notable Toys — Puzzles & Skill

These unique National Geographic puzzles are great for puzzle fans who love animals and nature. Puzzles come in four themes: Into the Wild, Natural Wonders, Monumental Marvels, and World Travel.

Easy to learn and quick to play, Quadefy uses visual spatial skills and strategies to keep players on their toes. When playing Quadefy, players have to think a little bit strategist and a little bit puzzle builder. Players take turns stacking their game pieces on the base, each attempting to keep their entire game piece "in bounds." "In bounds" means that the piece must be completely over the game base and no more than four "cubes" high. The first player to force their opponent to have to play out of bounds wins. Every move is both offensive and defensive. The rules have been drafted so that there is always a winner, no ties, stalemates, or cat's games. Hand crafted from high quality hardwoods, Quadefy is pretty enough to be left out on the coffee table or bookshelf to be played again and again. Playing time: 3-5 minutes; 2 players.
Awards: 2012 Dr. Toy Best Classic Toys

In Pathagon, players take turns placing their wooden game pieces on the board in an attempt to build a path from one side of the game board to the other. There is a "trapping" move that allows a player to "trap" and remove one of their opponents game pieces from the board. The first player to complete the path wins. The catch is that the two paths cross. Every move has an offensive and defensive consideration. Pathagon is simple enough to be played by children, strategic enough to engage a true gamer. The rules have been drafted so that there is always a winner, no ties, stalemates, or cat's games. Hand crafted from high quality hardwoods, Pathagon is pretty enough to be left out on the coffee table or bookshelf to be played again and again. Playing time: 10-20 minutes; 2 player game.
Awards: 2012 Dr. Toy Best Classic Toys

The Pharaoh's Egypt puzzle captures a significant event of historical relevance in ancient Egypt. Details that define the location or time are vividly portrayed throughout this 300-piece puzzle.  Icons depicting the historical theme border the finished puzzle and are hidden within the artwork.  A day in the life of the Egyptians along the Nile of Pharaoh’s time becomes a second game once the pieces are in place. Look around the border and deep inside the scene to “find it” – a list of 40 Egyptian items from sandals, sword, necklace, wine jar and pottery, to animals like a cobra, crocodile, leopard, jackals and monkey. Instead of putting the pieces back in the box for another day, consider framing the handsome historic scene. The included key explains the significance of each found object. Puzzle features vibrant artwork from painter Rachel Land and are suitable for framing. Finished puzzle measures 20.75" x 15".
Awards: 2012 Dr. Toy Best Classic Toys, 2012 Dr.Toy Best 20 for $20

Among the most difficult, as well as among the most beautiful Scramble Squares® puzzles, the Hummingbirds Scramble Squares® is a wonderful gift for bird enthusiasts, naturalists, gardeners and for anyone needing a little humility.
Awards: 2012 Dr. Toy Best Classic Toys

Both men and women are among the amazing athletes whose gravity defying feats, grace, speed and endurance are depicted on this modern basketball Scramble Squares® puzzle.
Awards: 2012 Dr. Toy Best Classic Toys

The renewed popularity of the subject of dinosaurs and recent sensational archaeological finds have led to this second coming of Scramble Squares® dinosaurs styles, Diggin' Dinos. These dinos are less dragon-like and scary than b. dazzle's original Dinosaurs puzzle and more suitable for the elementary school child.
Awards: 2012 Dr. Toy Best Classic Toys

This Bears Scramble Squares® puzzle is not only one of the most popular Scramble Squares® puzzles, it is among the most beautiful. Bears are cute and cuddly as stuffed cloth playmates, but in the wild, bears are extremely powerful and can be very dangerous animals, especially if they are startled by intruders. Bears have no remaining natural enemies, other than humans and one another. One swat from the powerful foreleg of a brown bear or black bear can break the neck of a deer! In spite of their large size and lumbering walk, bears can run very fast, up to 25 miles per hour, which is faster than the world record for humans in the 100 meter sprint.
Awards: 2012 Dr. Toy Best Classic Toys

Four chunky pieces are perfectly sized for toddlers' hands. First Shapes Puzzle is from the Early Explorers range of the Hape Collection.  Measuring 11.02”L x 3.15“W x 0.98”H, First Shapes Puzzle is age graded for children 12 Months +. The toy is beautifully crafted of FSC certified wood from sustainable forests and colored with safe water based paint. Launch date: July 2012.

Day & Night is a game that evolves in step with children's growing skills: Hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills. Ages 3 and up: Visual perception of colors and shapes. In the day everything is bright and clear so the day side of each challenge shows kids all the details of their playing pieces and the shapes needed to create the scene. Ages 4 and up: Visual perception and logical reasoning. At night, when it's dark, kids can only see silhouettes so the night side of each challenge only gives kids the outline of what they have to create.

Anti-Virus is a sliding puzzle game with a new twist: Tiles that only slide diagonally and can move in groups. 60 challenges with 5 levels to keep the body and mind healthy.

What do you get when you combine a word and a number? A wumber! Paying tribute to William Steig's CDB!, best-selling book, cre8ors Amy Krouse Rosenthal and Tom Lichtenheld have wri10 and illustr8ed this s2pendous book that is 1derful 4 readers in kindergar10 and up. If we've confused you, just take a look at the book — 4tun8ly it has helpful pictures. Kids will get it ins10tly. Launch date: May 30, 2012.

Now the whole family can play a fast paced hidden object game with the Deluxe Find It Game containing over 70 hidden items. The Deluxe Find It hidden object game includes a deck of cards, a spinner, a timer, the check off pad, and instructions for 6 ways to play and variations to adapt to younger players. The basic play starts with each player being dealt seven cards that vary in point value. At the beginning of each turn use the spinner to determine the action required prior to play (add points, miss a turn, trade hands etc.) Look fast! Players will have 30 seconds to try to find a many items as possible. Play continues until someone finds all of their items and runs out of cards.
Awards: 2010 Creative Child Magazine Seal of Excellence; Tillywig Sterling Fun Award Winner

A beautiful garden of flowers contains eight circles of the same size and shape for mix-and-match play. Each piece is a different color with a matching color as well. Made from 98% post consumer recycled materials and printed with eco-friendly inks.

Salmon are anadromous, meaning that they migrate between freshwater and saltwater habitats, while their relative, trouts, remain in freshwater for their entire life cycle. Salmon is a popular food both because of its delicious taste and versatility and its high nutritional value. Consuming salmon is considered to be healthy because of the fish's high protein, high Omega-3 fatty acids, and high vitamin D content. Salmon flesh is generally orange to red in color, although there are some examples of white fleshed wild salmon. The orange color of salmon results from carotenoid pigments that wild salmon get from eating krill and other tiny shellfish. The Salmon Scramble Squares® 9-piece puzzle is likewise adaptable. It is a beautiful, enjoyable and healthy activity for children, adults and seniors. The object of the Scramble Squares® puzzle game is to arrange the nine colorfully illustrated 4” x 4” square pieces into a 12” x 12” square so that the realistic graphics on the pieces edges match perfectly to form completed pictures in every direction.
Awards: 2012 Dr. Toy Best Green Toys

This Bald Eagles Scramble Squares® puzzle, provides an appropriately awe inspiring depiction of this majestic symbol of the United States and America’s national bird. The Bald Eagle is unique to North America and is among the largest birds in North America, growing from 29” to 42” long, weighing 7 to 15 lbs., and possessing a dramatic wingspan of 6’ to 8’. Females are larger than the male Bald Eagles. The Bald Eagle is listed as a "threatened" species in the lower 48 states, its population having fallen from an estimated 300,000 to 500,000 in the early 1700s to levels of less than 500 pairs by the early 1960s. The object of the Scramble Squares® puzzle game is to arrange the nine colorfully illustrated 4” x 4” square pieces into a 12” x 12” square so that the realistic graphics on the pieces edges match perfectly to form completed pictures in every direction.
Awards: 2012 Dr. Toy Best Green Toys, 2012 Dr.Toy Best 20 for $20

The Classic Game of Threezer® Riddles. The fun starts with three seemingly unrelated clues.  What do Roses, Doughnuts and Jurors have in common? Players win the card if their team guesses, “They come in dozens.”  How about A Violinist, An Archer, A Fancy Gift? (They all have bows!) First team to collect the winning number of cards claims victory. TriBond “Threezers” are challenging, clever and contagious. The game’s edge-of-your-seat excitement has sparked sales of over 3 million copies. Launch date: July 2012.

1000 pc puzzle features artwork by Donald Zolan. A good family activity, or for older children to complete alone.

8 cups, plenty of Hiccups. This hand-held puzzler has straightforward direction but challenging play. Pass the ball sequentially from cup to cup without a hiccup. Drop the ball and start back at cup #1. Frustratingly fun.
Awards: 2012 Creative Child Awards – Seal of Excellence

Sturdy, stand-along letters let kids practice their ABC's as well as form simple words. Birch wood puzzle frame and stand-up puzzle pieces painted with water-based paint. Launch date: January 2012.

The fun of matching and the challenge of puzzles. There are puzzles and there are memory games...but only Puzzle Match™ combines these two timeless play patterns in one unique, patent-pending game designed for kids ages 3 to 6. Puzzle Match offers a unique challenge unlike any traditional memory game: Rather than searching for two identical images, kids have to find two halves of a whole image, such as the bottom and top of a seahorse. Once the interlocking pieces are found, they can be assembled into a giant, beautifully illustrated scene. Launch date: May 2012.

The goal is to move the colored tokens through the maze to their respective corners. To do this, players must pass through turnstiles, shifting walls to form new pathways...and new barriers. Clever challenges exercise strategic thinking muscles, as one turn may lead to victory or may leave players stranded.
Awards: 2013 TDmonthly Seal of Approval

Allows children to learn about cause and effect and simple principles of mechanics. Build a base by attaching the interlocking plates and attach gears to form a chain reaction. Turn the handle to set everything in motion. Soft plastic with round edges, totally unbreakable and safe. 80 pieces.

Patterned challenge cards invite curiosity, logic & determination. Created by famed puzzle creator Ivan Moscovich. A tricky and baffling brainteaser to wrap one's mind around. Fold, loop, turn, open and close the perpetual hinge to recreate and match the 56 pattern challenges. Includes 56 Challenges, 1 Hinge. Launch date: April 2012.