About the Toy List

This year's list includes a variety of toys and games that may appeal to a variety of children. We don't rate the toys because they aren't "one-size-fits-all." We hope our descriptions help you select toys and games that fit your child and your family. In gathering this list, we looked for toys that were fun, engaging, inspiring, and durable. We asked children, parents, and teachers to try them out over the course of a month, gathered their responses, and created this list based on their and our opinions of the toys. As always, please read labels carefully and pay attention to age recommendations. Look over any toy or game before you give it to your children so that you know what they are getting into and whether they will need any supervision. And we urge you to take on our challenge — play with your kids!

Kid Testers

One question I ask the children who test toys for this annual feature is: What would you tell the toymakers if you could talk with them? The answers reveal as much about the child as about what he thought of the toy. One third-grader really liked the Anatomics kits because he enjoyed building and constructing. But, he thought the toy would be much improved if it were based on a car instead of an ant. And in this day and age of 30-second attention spans, another tester wanted the makers of Frog Juice to add more cards to the game so that it would last longer. He wrote, 'I really like to relax and enjoy a long game." ASAP got nothing but rave reviews from all the children who tried it. Nonetheless, one youngster wanted the makers to come up with more categories. Instead of waiting for an expanded version of the game, he made his own categories and brought them to his class to share.

Imagination Is the Limit

The toys and games you and your child choose should be fun, engaging, and inspiring in themselves — but they don't always have to stop there. Games and toys can be springboards for modifications, creativity, and entirely new games. Your child's imagination is the limit. It can also be wonderful for a child to watch her parent getting involved — getting creative with games and toys that are "supposed to be for kids." This year, more often than not, I got notes from parents telling me how they personally enjoyed playing the toy or game with their children. So let go and show your child that you know how to play, too.

The Toys and Games

Animation Kit by Walter Foster (walterfoster.com)
$15; ages 10 and up.
Most children like reading the comic pages, so would it be any surprise that they would be thrilled by a chance to draw their own funnies? This kit includes a 32-page project book with tips and techniques; a flip book; tracing paper; and information on making a zoetrope, comic strip, and flip book. Our testers loved the easy-to-follow directions for drawing cartoons, which allowed them to feel confident in their creative abilities.

Anatomics Bug Kit and Dinosaurs Kit by Inhabit Toys (inhabittoys.com)
$17 and $40; ages 6 and up.
Using patented ball-and-socket pieces, children can build a pack of dinosaurs with the Dinosaurs Master Kit or a swarm of insects with the Bug Kit. Because the pieces include universal connectors, youngsters can go on to create thousands of creatures that live in their imaginations. (One tester did have difficulty working with the universal connectors, so be prepared to lend an occasional helping hand.) Anatomics pieces are also compatible with other major-brand construction toys, making possible even more fantastic creations. Who knows what will emerge next from behind your child's bedroom door?

In addition to the pieces and instructions for building insects, the Bug Kit also includes fact cards on each insect, with information about habitat, actual size, and other interesting and non-frightening tidbits that piqued one young tester's curiosity. This tester was once afraid of bugs, but his mom reports that he is now much more curious and actively seeks out real bugs in the garden to examine.

Capsela MX Trooper by Educational Insights (www.educationalinsights.com)
$30; ages 7 and up.
Capsela's see-through capsules help children (and adults) see how motors work as they build and put into action boats, cars, and any other moving thing they can imagine. The MX Trooper set includes: a science booklet which explains nine science principals that kids can observe in the projects they build; an illustrated "Science Discovery Design Manual" with 21 land and water projects; and all the parts to make them (but not all at once). All the parts join together with connectors and couplers, so no tools are necessary, just young hands. The set does need an AA battery. An entire third-grade class loved Capsela. As one tester summed it up: "I learned to be creative. I found out I enjoy it!"

Dream Big Journal Kit by Curiosity Kits (curiositykits.com)
$20; ages 9 and up.
Perfect for young writers or those with a contemplative bent, the Dream Big Journal Kit from Curiosity Kits' "Curious Girl" line includes a small fabric-covered journal, paper, cards, envelopes, paints, and a paint brush, all stored in a lunch-box-style tin. A companion guidebook includes ideas on decorating the journal, writing topics, different styles of writing, and other items to include (such as drawings or pictures); information on famous female writers; and much more. Although our tester didn't really like writing, she rated the kit well, saying it was "creative" and "interesting."

Enchanted Finger Puppet Theater Set and Storytime Collections by Manhattan Toy
$50 and $20; ages 3 and up.
Manhattan Toy provides a very sturdy, well-made portable theater and an amazing line of finger puppets. All children need are their imaginations and a few fingers. The Storytime Collections puppet set includes puppets and a nonviolent framework for a well-known fairy or folktale. Children can use the framework as a springboard or make up a whole new story. Our tester enjoyed getting her dad to start the story before she'd take over.

Goose, Gosling, and Jack Russell Terrier by Folkmanis
$40, $14, and $22; ages 3 and up.
The puppets made by Folkmanis are luxurious, plush toys — stuffed animals and puppets in one. While some children might shy away from regular puppets that lie flat and lifeless without a hand, the Goose, Gosling, and Jack Russell Terrier puppets are always full of life — ready to tell stories as well as hear secrets.

Explosion Studio by LEGO
$35; ages 7-16.
This 232-piece set transports your child from being just a LEGO builder to being a LEGO film director. It includes parts to create a studio set portraying an explosion. While the set works well on its own, providing hours of building and creative play fun, it is part of a new line called LEGO Studios. At the heart of this line is the LEGO and Steven Spielberg MovieMaker Set. While the MovieMaker set is more expensive than we usually include in our testing (retailing for $180), it's an exciting concept worth mentioning. The set includes a LEGO PC movie camera that shoots full-motion video and digital still shots, movie editing software, more than 400 LEGO props and elements, and a four-page book of tips and suggestions for creating real movies. Youngsters can shoot their own films; add titles and credits; insert dialogue (or record it while filming), music, and sound effects; and edit their shots to create their own shorts or feature films. I saw a demonstration at the LEGO showroom at Toy Fair and was duly wowed.

Harry Potter Eeylops Owl Emporium by Delta Kids (delta-education.com)
$20; ages 8 and up.
Not for the squeamish! Young scientists can examine the contents of an owl pellet using materials supplied in the kit (including the pellet). A companion poster explains the process and includes bird and rodent skeletal charts so that youngsters can compare their bone-fragment findings to the chart and figure out what the owl ate. Our tester was thrilled to be dissecting an owl pellet, and the tie-in to the popular Harry Potter theme was an attention-grabbing bonus. The kit also got Mom's approval -- no smell, a contained mess, and an engaged child.

LeapPad by LeapFrog
$50; ages 4 and up.
The LeapPad Learning System is an electronic "notebook" and pen which holds spiral-bound story and activity books. By touching various parts of each page in the book, children can follow along with two stories, listen to words being spelled out, play a small piano, learn words in foreign languages, locate bones in the body, find all the states on a U.S. map, and much more. The stories become interactive because the pen can activate almost anything on the page, allowing children to explore things outside the main story line. Children can help Winnie the Pooh find his slipper, listen to a message from Rabbit, explore Leap's kitchen, and play games with different characters. There are also various activities for each of the subject sections (geography, science, music, and languages). An entire "Learning Library" is sold separately so that the Learning System can grow with the child.

My Own Band by Curiosity Kits
$18; ages 3 and up.
With supplies and complete instructions, young musicians can make and decorate their own musical instruments, including a tambourine, drum, washboard, and thumb guitar. The guidebook also includes music activities that encourage children to explore music and sound. Our tester dove right into the projects and was only disappointed that his xylophone did not hold together well when he played it. (There were no complaints about the durability of the other instruments.) Undaunted, he thinks he'll be bringing out his instruments for impromptu jam sessions for quite a while.

Nature Watching Fact Pack by Walter Foster
$20; ages 4 and up.
Identification charts, inspection jar, tweezers, binoculars, and an activity booklet -- all in a clear plastic backpack -- help young naturalists to collect, examine, and learn about all sorts of creepy-crawlies, seeds, nuts, leaves, and other wonders of nature. Our tester, a young four-year-old, was so inspired by the nature he could see through the binoculars, he decided to sleep with them just in case he woke up and discovered something neat in his room.

Poetry Beads by magnetic poetry
$13; ages 8 and up.
Young poets or fashion designers can create their own bracelets and necklaces out of their own poetry, using over 75 glass word beads, colorful accent beads, and cords. Because the beads are durable, youngsters can reuse and recreate jewelry and poetry for years to come. Our testers enjoyed using the beads to send messages to friends, but thought the kit might be enhanced if the word beads came in different colors and shapes.

Rhomblocks by Design Science Toys (dstoys.com)
$30; ages 5 and up.
Not your usual blocks, Rhomblocks are based on the rhombic hexahedron, a cube-like shape with angles of 120 degrees and 60 degrees, instead of a cube's 90 degrees. These angles correspond to the arrangement of cells in a honeycomb as well as some crystal structures. The set includes a variety of combinations of the rhombic hexahedron, and using these shapes to create a structure or a design encourages young builders to think a little differently than if they were using blocks with 90 degree angles. These well-made wood blocks do require some maintenance (apply a natural wood oil regularly) to keep them in the best shape. Our five-year-old tester enjoyed making a spaceship, but thought older children would like the blocks even more.

Women in Physical Science Rule! Kit by Delta Education/Loose in the Lab
$25; ages 8 and up.
Young scientists learn about ten exciting women scientists and their work in chemistry, physics, engineering, and mathematics through 12 hands-on lab activities. In "Sublimated Caffeine Crystals," budding chemists learn about Dorothy Crowfoot Hodgkin and the structure of crystals. An activity focusing on Chien-Shiung Wu's work introduces kids to the mathematics of nuclear decay and probability. And while learning about Sally Kristen Ride, aspiring astronauts can build a water rocket launcher. The kit includes almost everything necessary to complete the activities (only a few additional household items are required) as well as a detailed section on lab safety. Parents: This kit includes several bottles of chemicals. Please pay attention to warning labels, follow all lab safety instructions, and supervise your children while they perform experiments and complete activities. Better yet, explore the world of physical science with them.

GamesASAP by University Games (ugames.com)
$5; ages 6 and up.
This card game received a huge thumbs-up from our testers. Players choose a category card and a letter card. The first player to come up with an answer that fits the category and starts with the letter from the letter card wins the category card. The round ends when all the category cards have been won. Easy to carry and quick to set up and play, ASAP makes an excellent travel game. Our testers had only one recommendation: More categories please! Instead of waiting for the company, one tester made his own.

Bollox by Cadaco (www.cadaco.com)
$50; ages 10 and up
With only two rules to follow, players can take on the Bollox challenge as soon as the well-crafted wood and marble game comes out of the box. Players try to move their marbles around the board to achieve five in a row before their opponent does. Our testers not only had to think of the moves they planned to make, but also consider whether their opponent was trying to lure them into a trap. Bollox has the strategy of chess, without all those funny moves. (Does the knight move one up and two over, or the other way around?)

Chung Toi by Design Science Toys (dstoys.com)
$28; ages 7 and up.
Chung Toi combines the simplicity of tic-tac-toe with the challenge of chess to create an engaging game that anyone can play. The ultimate goal, as in tic-tac-toe, is to get three pieces in a row on the 3x3 board (three positions by three positions). While tic-tac-toe is over when players have used up their Xs and Os, Chung Toi keeps going. Players can move or rotate their pieces and continue until one player does get three pieces in a row. Our testers observed that parent and child can play together and both find it challenging, but not overwhelming. Its compact set-up and durability make it another great travel game.

Frog Juice by Gamewright
$10; ages 8 and up.
"Even parents would like it!" one tester wrote about this card game, which asks players to mix a little math with a bit of probability to create potions and spells and win the game. In order to capture cards (and therefore gain points), players must match cards from their own hand, or add several cards in their own hand together to equal the value of the card they want to capture. The spooky theme grabbed our testers' attention and the play of the game held it. Many of the testers wanted the game to last longer. Did they have any other advice for the makers? A unanimous "Make more games like Frog Juice!" came across loud and clear.

Masters of the Elements by Tivola (tivola.com)
$20; ages 8 and up.
The cat that belongs to the Master of Chance has disappeared and now the Masters of the Elements are in a muddle. With the forces of nature thrown off balance, the Masters are losing their powers. Players must collect the missing pages from the book that explain the mystery of the cat's disappearance in order to help the Masters regain their powers. To find and retrieve the pages, players take part in puzzles and experiments that illustrate gravity, electricity, time, heat, light, and chance. The computer game is built over gorgeous graphics (imagine a colorful, well-drawn picture book) with a clever story. Our tester really enjoyed the game and its challenge. It kept him curious enough to want to learn more about the scientific principles, and he was constantly calling his mother over to look at each new screen. He thought the game was a little hard to understand in the beginning, but the "Read me" file on the accompanying disk includes very helpful information about the story surrounding the game, how it works, the various puzzles and experiments (and their aims), and solutions for those who get stumped.

Polygon by Jax, Ltd. (jaxgames.com)
$15; ages 7 and up.
In this math and strategy game, players position two 6-sided tiles on the board to create a scoring combination, with the ultimate goal of getting the highest score. Each tile has three numbers printed on it, and players must line up the numbers in certain patterns to receive certain scores. "X" tiles allow players to multiply the scores they achieve with the numbers printed on their tiles. Our testers really liked the scoring combinations, and parents thought it was a great way to make math fun.

Shapes Up by Educational Insights
$15; ages 8 and up.
Two to four players roll a die in turn and choose the shape the die shows. To win, a player must cover her entire square board with squares and different-sized triangles without overlapping or running over the edge of the board. A hand symbol on the die means that the player who rolled it can take a shape from another player's board. It's a game that's as fast as you want it to be and it involves thinking ahead and planning. The twist of stealing shapes from another board added an enjoyable challenge that encouraged players to think quickly and change their plan when necessary.

Talkin' Tango by Patch Products
$25; ages 8 and up.
Can you follow your partner's meaning? This quick word game keeps players nimble as they try to form a sentence describing a target word. Each player says only one word as they take turns. For example, if the target word is "Banana," two partners might develop the following sentence: "Monkeys like to eat this yellow fruit." (One partner's words are bold, the other partner's, plain.) Trying to think of words and what your partner might say can cause some tongues to tie themselves into knots, but it's well worth all the laughs.

Three for All by Patch Products (www.patchproducts.com)
$30; ages 10 and up.
This exciting family game asks players to first guess three words on a card (e.g., Dancer, Cupid, Comet) based on one player's descriptions. Then players have to figure out what the three words have in common. (They're all Santa's reindeer.) The player who hits the buzzer first and gives the correct answer scores for his or her team. (It sounds a little complicated, but it's very easy to catch on.) The family that tested it had great fun and thought it made an excellent party game. Even the youngest child (age 8) had no trouble joining in, although the family described it as "mind boggling" and "challenging."

20 Questions for Kids by University Games (ugames.com)
$16; ages 7 to 12.
Twenty Questions has always been a great car game, and University Games has expanded the concept and created a board game. Players try to figure out the identity of a person, place, thing, or year after listening to clues. The fewer clues needed to figure out the answer, the more spaces the player can move ahead on the board. Most of our testers thought the instructions were a bit confusing, but still had fun. When asked to grade the game, our testers gave it an A+!

A very special thank-you to all the toy and game testers, as well as to their families and teachers.

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