Big
Red ATW Classic
Radio
Flyer, Inc.
Improving
on a classic is no easy task, but Radio Flyer was up to the job and then some.
The Navigator Wagon is everything you remember about the first red wagon
you pulled around the yard, but with some well thought out upgrades this wagon
is a notch up from its predecessor. The
deeper wagon depth allows for more cargo space for hauling those really big
loads. The air tires make for a
much smoother and quieter ride. The
handle is longer than before so parents pulling the wagon will have less of a
chance of having their feet run over by the advancing wagon.
And, that handle folds completely under the wagon making garage storage
easier and more compact. The final
upgrade is a safety one that parents appreciated; the joint where the handle
meets the wagon is now a pinch-free zone, so that little fingers don't get
squeezed.
Recommended
Age: 1
1/2 and Up
Price: $150.00
Navigator Wagon
Radio
Flyer, Inc.
Big,
roomy and loaded with extras like shock absorbers, cup holders and even a
storage compartment your kids might look at this wagon as their own luxury SUV,
and they wouldn't be wrong. While
you may argue that your car has more horsepower, theirs is a convertible.
Comparisons aside, this large molded plastic wagon is a rugged performer
with rubber tires and the aforementioned shocks that really do provide a much
smoother and quieter ride. The
handle (otherwise known as the horsepower, you!) tucks away under the wagon for
much more manageable storage than ever before.
Recommended
Age: 1
1/2 and Up
Price: $60.00
Wedgits
Starter Set
ImagAbility,
Inc.
The
Wedgits building system remains one of the finest examples of simple design and
appeal for all ages. This Starter
Set features the same geometric style pieces as its award-winning predecessor.
The pieces are slightly larger for little hands but the open ended,
anything goes style of stacking and building keeps little hands engaged and
entertained. This is the type of
simple play fun that children love. It
came as no surprise that the favorite activity was building their Wedgits as
high as possible and then knocking them down in a noisy clatter so that they
could start all over again.
Recommended
Age: 2
and Up
Price: $18.95
Classic Red Tricycle
Radio
Flyer, Inc.
There
are sights and sounds that when experienced, even after many years, bring a
flood of memories that you thought were lost forever. For our testers, seeing this tricycle brought back a wealth
of childhood memories. Even the
sound of the ringing bell on the handlebars launched quite a few nostalgic
flashbacks. Some things can be
improved upon though and today's classic red tricycle provides a new generation
with a smooth, quiet ride on rubber wheels.
The bike is all steel and as a result it is heavy.
It comes in a box unassembled, so unless you buy it at an outlet that
offers complementary assembly, be sure you know where your tools are.
Our testers found the assembly instructions to be clear and easy to
follow.
Recommended
Age: 2
1/2 to 5
Price: $60.00
This
solid wooden block playset is the type of toy that will last through generations
of children. Brightly colored
wooden blocks with letters, numbers, shapes and patterns fit perfectly into a
rolling platform that children love to pull behind them.
The platform is great for supporting your child's best block stacking
efforts. The block size is just
right for little hands, and since the pieces fit back into the cart so easily
the cleanup process is actually fun. This
wooden block toy is ideal for preschool and kindergarten classrooms as well.
Recommended
Age: 3
and Up
Price: $40.00
Baby Cakes Birthday Jennifer
Zapf
Creation
The
appeal of this adorable doll is undeniable as each tester cuddled and hugged her
with abandon. Dressed for her first
birthday party, Jennifer is pretty in pink.
What made this doll stand out is Zapf Creation's design.
Using a weighted stuffing in the torso, the doll features a very lifelike
feel and her innocent facial features have a timeless appeal.
Little girls loved dressing and undressing Jennifer for her party. There are a variety of optional outfits available.
If your child likes baby dolls, our testers think this is one they'll
love.
Recommended
Age: 3 to
8 Price: $50.00
Spin
the Beetle
Hasbro
Silly
giggles are the order of the day when you and your children play with Spin the
Beetle. This bright, cute toy spins
and plays a "Simon Says" type game with young children.
Great for encouraging listening skills and for following directions, the
game is full of active movement and fun. Best
when played with a group of preschoolers, this toy is perfect for birthday
parties, small classes and the like. The
voice is cheerful and easy to understand, and the spinning action is easily
started with a little push of the big yellow button on the beetle's back.
Recommended
Age: 3 to
6 Price: $19.99
Woodkins - Madeline
Pamela
Drake, Inc.
After
years of testing, we can confidently pronounce that little girls love Madeline.
The little French orphan in the yellow hat has been charming our testers
for years and this new dress-up kit is no different.
The Woodkins line is a unique product that provides children with a
wooden doll that works much like a puzzle.
Included in the kit are fabrics and different facial expression pieces
that allow for a great variety of mixing and matching.
Madeline's familiar overcoat and hat can be substituted for just about
anything. You are not limited to
the fabrics included in the kit just about anything lying around the house will
do. Everything packs away neatly in
a carrying case making this a great travel toy.
Recommended
Age: 3 to
8 Price: $18.00
Scrabble
Jr. Wildlife Edition
USAopoly
If
your child has watched you play Scrabble, enjoying the clacking of the tiles but
not yet ready to play, here is a game that is a perfect introduction to the
grown-up version. The game features
two boards with words already spelled out.
Players must pull letter tiles from the draw pile and cover the words
from start to finish. The person
finishing a word gets a token and the most tokens wins.
Very simple. Very fun. This
is a game that can be played by every member of the family and is best when more
than two people play. The random
nature of pulling letter tiles evens the playing field so that anyone can be a
winner.
Recommended Age: 5 to 8 Price: $19.95
Spy
Vision Scope
Wild Planet Toys
This
totally cool spy gear headset was a big hit.
The unit, which fits snugly onto your child's head, features a laser-like
light and a magnifying glass that are designed to slide smoothly into place when
further examination of a subject is required.
The metallic finish and terrific slide/snap action of the equipment
thrilled our testers. Star Trek
fans pointed out the similarity their children had to the Borg, which of course
made it all the more cool. If you child enjoys playing detective or spy games this is
the operating gear they'll need to complete their missions.
Recommended
Age: 6
and Up
Price: $18.00
Blink
Out of
the Box Publishing
Fast,
fun, furious and fabulous. Blink
was an instant hit with its simple, easy-to-learn and absolutely addictive game
play. The simple premise of
matching colors, shapes or numbers so that you can be the first to rid yourself
of cards had hearts racing, and hands flying.
The requirements of hand-eye coordination, and fast thinking makes
playing blink a challenging experience, but one that the whole family can play.
Our testers found that by dividing the starting piles to handicap older
players, it was easy for adults to play competitively with young children.
The game is perfect for travel time.
The name of the game is appropriate, in that if you blink you'll probably
lose!
Recommended
Age: 7
and Up
Price: $8.95
My
Word! Junior
Out of
the Box Publishing
This
fast paced game was a real hit with parents and children who loved discovering
just how many words they knew. The
game will feel familiar to many since it blends in elements of old favorites
such as Scrabble and Boggle. The
idea is to find words out of letters as fast as they are thrown down on the
table. Snatching up as many letters
as possible made for loads of fun and just the right amount of competition.
The instructions offered a terrific option for playing with younger
children, they get to make words with as little as two letters, while the old
folks had to use a minimum of four. With
those rules the playing field was even and the challenge was just right.
Since the game is no larger than a deck of cards, it makes for a great
vacation take-along.
Recommended
Age: 7
and Up
Price: $8.95
TriBond Jr.
Patch
Products, Inc.
This
challenging game of thematically matching clues really had our testers involved
and engaged as they tried to match wits with their opponents.
TriBond has been a successful board and computer game over the years.
This new version, designed for the younger set, has clues that are more
age appropriate but by no means does that mean easy.
The common threads between the clues are always fascinating and
invariably when the answer is revealed either by the player or the clue giver
the response is, "Of course! It was on the tip of my tongue."
Recommended
Age: 7
and Up
Price: $20.00
Monopoly: Astronomy Edition
USAopoly
As
a nation it seems as if we'll never tire of playing Monopoly.
Those entrusted with the expansion of the classic game never tire of
finding new locales upon which to set the Monopoly experience.
This latest reincarnation takes us "Out There" where Boardwalk
and Park Place are transformed into The Milky Way and Andromeda Galaxies.
The game play remains the same with delightful exceptions such as
building observatories instead of hotels and game pieces like the Hubbell
Telescope that replaces the racecar. Many
testers who grew up with the game enjoyed the makeover; "It's like seeing
an old friend after a facelift" was our favorite.
If your child has an interest in the stars or if you just want to spend a
night together playing a great old game, you'll find it here.
Recommended Age: 8 and Up Price: $34.95
Pentagonia
Saskatchewan
Internet News Ltd.
This
unique board game features the skill and cunning of chess and the ease of
checkers. After one game you'll be
hooked because Pentagonia has so many permutations that you'll convince yourself
that the next time you'll have it figured out.
Of course you won't but that's the kind of thinking that keeps golf
courses in business. The five-sided
board and the shiny red and blue pieces move and jump about all in an effort to
eliminate the other. As you
formulate a plan, your opponent thwarts your efforts and its back to the drawing
board. This game offers a very
competitive experience and is one that you'll want to pull out again and again.
Recommended
Age: 8
and Up
Price: $20.00
This
fun family game will be recognizable to anyone who grew up seeing the familiar
Jumble next to the crossword puzzle in his or her local newspaper.
In the paper you had to unscramble the given letters in the margins, but
with this board game version, you are given letter pieces, which you can move
around to ascertain the answer while the timer counts down.
Everyone liked the fact that they could see the words taking shape as
they scrambled to beat the clock. The
game comes with a variety of levels so that it is easy to even the playing field
between younger and older players. Jumble
is perfect for a family game night.
Recommended
Age: 8
and up
Price: $19.99
Brainstrain
Chuckle
Games Company
Brainstrain
is a fast paced, original game that is fun for the whole family.
Using headbands to hold answer cards on player's foreheads the game is
similar to 20 questions but the game's designers add a great twist.
After one minute the game becomes a team attempt to answer questions for
shared success. The game is simple
to understand, and the active involvement everyone feels from start to finish
makes for a thoroughly involving, entertaining experience for everyone. If your family enjoys game nights, then this is one that you
will want to have on your shelf.
Recommended
Age: 10
and Up
Price: $29.95
Spectramaze
Gambit
Gameworks, Inc.
If
you fancy yourself a puzzle maven, you will love this cutting edge concept in
maze design. Put your pencil aside
for this one, your finger does the walking across these colorful pages jumping
from point to point trying to reach the elusive finish line.
The rules are easy after a well designed opening tutorial, from then
you're let loose on a variety of mazes that start off easy enough but quickly
advance to more and more challenging layouts.
The design and execution of this book is first rate, and can be played
just about anywhere.
For more information about The Seal of Approval or The National
Parenting Center
call: 1-800-753-6667
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http://www.vectranet.com
Last Update: August 9, 2001
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Wooden Blocks