Editorial Review

Honk! Honk! It's gridlock and the little red car can't move.The player is a traffic cop in the Rush Hour Traffic Jam Puzzle wherethe objective is to get the red car off the road. To play, pick one of40 challenge cards; solutions are printed on the back of each card.Then set up the cars and buses in a specified pattern on the6-inch-square road grid. Move the vehicles one by one (obey those trafficlaws!) until the red car can escape the traffic jam. There are fourlevels of difficulty. Kids can alternate turns with another player orjust "play in traffic" alone. The game from Binary Arts received anational award from Mensa and is used in elementary school mathclasses. The design includes clear instructions printed on the sturdybox, which can be used both as a playing tray and for storage. The gamecards stow away in a drawer in the road grid. This is a 1999 Parents'Choice recommended toy. --Marcie Bovetz ... Read more

Reviews (89)

Hours of Fun Fun Fun
This is a great puzzle. Since it is a game only one can play at a time, my nieces, ages 6 and 8 and my nephew age 11 took turns getting the red car out of the traffic jams. They even enjoyed watching each other find the solution to each "jam". Incidently the 6 year old is almost through solving the "Advanced" puzzles and I am about to buy both additional card packs. Kids and adults will love this game.

Great "toy"
Add us to the host of folks who love this puzzle toy. I generally consult Amazon ratings before purchasing new items and any item that has this many positive ratings always catches my attention. And it lives up to the promise. My almost 7 year-old son is ADHD and I was AMAZED at the way this toy captured his attention. I expected him to become quickly frustrated and give up. But after a few successes, he was hooked. I coached him a little bit at first (and then I was hooked too!) and before I knew it, he was solving puzzles by himself and doing a better job than me! He did the first 20 in one sitting. I was amazed as I watched him begin understanding which cars had to be where in order for him to get the red car out, then he started working out his plan to get there. You have to think ahead to be successful and he was doing it!

His persistence and concentration surprised me, so if your child is having any problems sitting and concentrating on a task, don't be afraid of this toy! But, alas, as with many ADHD kids, he's also been tested as gifted, so he's already run through the first 3 levels and is now nearly done with the expert level - solving puzzles that I can't do! I have to wait until he goes to bed to even get a chance to play! There's 40 cards in the first pack. The beginning levels are pretty easy to remember the solutions, but as you go higher in difficulty, you could probably do the puzzles more than once and still be challenged. But do be prepared to buy the 2, 3, and 4 Gift Pack (a great deal for $12 on Amazon)

I LOVE the fact that you store the cards right in the bottom of the tray. However,I wish that they would put a more permanent kind of cover on the tray. Also, you cannot replace the cover when you are in the middle of a puzzle, the cars have to be in the tray in a certain way in order for the cover to fit properly. But those are extremely minor drawbacks considering the hours of entertainment my son and I have gotten.

grate!!!
I love this game and so do my familly from ages 6 - 35. you will enjoy playing this game alone at home. the greate part is that even once youv memorized this toy and all the levels (wich you will.) you can buy more cards! it is a grate present for anyone not too lazy to think a bit. everyone has their own level. Also other games such as the one croosing the river from this manufacturer are fantastic! really worth the money!

GREAT GIFT IDEA
We just got this game today and we were all instantly addicted! My 7 year old loved the challenge of the game, didn't get frustrated at all, and wouldn't even think of giving up on trying to solve the puzzles! This is a great gift idea for birthday parties, as it's inexpensive and parents will appreciate the educational value of this puzzle game.

Greatest Game Ever!
I am in the Gifted program in school and it is a lot of fun! I play this everyday. It is very challenging but an awesome game! I would reccomend it to anyone! ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Nice picture making for an easier puzzle
My 2 year old daughter has this puzzle and thinks its wonderful.

Unlike many puzzles, with just one character on it, the picture is brilliant having lots of different trains, etc on it. It is easy to fit togehter, with parts of a different character or scene on every piece. She can easily put Thomas, the sheds, Harold, etc together thus eventually making the whole puzzle.

This is by far her favourite puzzle. For one, it's Thomas! And for 2, it's well-made and 'easy' to work out how to put together.

Most Beloved Toy
My son who just turned 4 years old in December received this for Christmas. I'm amazed at the beauty and durability of the pieces. He put it together about three times (with help) the first time we opened it! I never seen him so excited about a toy and to my greater surprise--a puzzle! Each time he placed a new piece in (sometimes with my assistance and sometimes not), he'd ask me to turn around and then ask me to look. When I looked I praised him for his accomplishment and he squealed with excitement. He literally jumped up and down almost after each piece was placed! He told me this was his favorite gift for Christmas and believe me he had quite a few more that were more expensive. I'll be buying more Thomas puzzles from this company in the near future as I'm very impressed.

Easy enough for young kids to solve by themselves
My son and I have been doing puzzles together since he was two, but most of the puzzles that claim to be for kids are too complicated or have pieces that are a little too small for him to work with; so he usually "helps" me by talking with me as I do the puzzle and occasionally placing a piece. He likes this big Thomas puzzle because, at age 4, he can do it all by himself. The pieces are big, which not only makes it easier to grasp and manipulate, but easier to comprehend the shape and the picture pattern as well. Of course, he likes that it is Thomas, and he even likes the "cool" box it comes in.

So this puzzle has a lot of replay value, because whenever we start a puzzle session, he will eventually move to this one to show mommy and me that he can do it all by himself, and that makes him feel good.

Big, bright puzzle
My son has enjoyed this puzzle since he was 3! It features a bright picture of his favorite engines. The pieces are large and easy to handle- perfect for a younger child who loves puzzles. It has been great for spacial learning. My son would put this together, again and again. He is almost 5 now and still plays with this. The pieces have lasted for almost 2 years and still look new! (They are a heavy cardboard.) ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Finally something that will keep my ADHD son occupied!
It has been a constant battle to find something my 11 year old will play with by himself other than video games. We bought this yesterday, and he has already played with it for several hours! He likes building the ideas in the book and also making his own creations. The recommended age listed here is 6-10 years, but on the packing of the box the ages are 7-14 years. There are 3 skill levels - Friendly Challenge, Moderate Challenge, and Greater Challenge. The instruction book has 4 Friendly models, 9 Moderate models, and 17 Greater models. At 11 years old, the Friendly models are a little too easy for him, and the Greater models are a bit challenging without adult help (I'm sure he'll get better at it in no time though), but the Moderate models are perfect for him. He has an incredibly short attention span, but he has been content to work on this longer than he ever has with anything else, so I hope this will spill over into other areas of his life, especially school.

Kids and Parents both will love these!!!!!
My children are 9 and 7. We have had K'nex for 3 years now and my kids are still playing with them!!! Whenever my neices and nephews come over the first toys out are the K'nex. These toys are great for both boys and girls. They spark children's imagination and keep them busy for hours. I honestly was skeptical when I first bought them. I thought they would be like a puzzle, use them once and then toss them aside. Boy was I wrong. Whenever my boys go shopping with me they have to look at the new K'nex to see what they don't have. I highly recommend them. But please be wary when you have babies. The pieces are small and a baby can choke on them. Other than that they are a great family bonding toy. Parents, you can even play with them too. They are highly addictive.

TERRIFIC TOY
THIS IS THE BEST TOY MY 8 & 10 YEAR OLDS GOT FOR CHRISTMAS. THEY HAVE PLAYED WITH IT FOR HOURS -TOGETHER! THE PIECES AND INSTRUCTIONS ARE EASY TO USE AND VERY ADAPTABLE. WE ALSO BOUGHT A MOTERIZED SET THAT CAN BE USED WITH THE LARGER SET TO MAKE MOTERIZED TOYS. THE BOX SERVES AS A STURDY PLACE TO STORE THE PIECES- A PLUS FOR ME SINCE PUTTING IT AWAY IS EASIER FOR THE KIDS.
BUY THESE TOYS! ... Read more

Reviews (14)

Great Educational Toy!
I bought this for my son's 5th Birthday and he loves it! He wants to put it together every single day and is getting better and better at recognizing the states' names and their geographical locations. Next up...the capitals! I recommend this to all parents concerned that their children aren't learning US geography as they should. And I confess that this puzzle has certainly helped refresh my memory of the states and their capitals, too.

Kid-approved "sneaky education"
This puzzle is my 2 1/2 year old son's absolute favorite. He does it on his own, and is starting to know the state names. He will do it over and over and over again, and thinks it's great fun. I think it's a great way to help him learn! It's kind of nice when a learning tool has to be pried out of my child's hands....

If I had one complaint, it would be that Alaska is on the bottom left corner of the puzzle; it would have been nice if they'd made the puzzle larger so they could stick Alaska in roughly the right place. Not a big deal, though.

A GREAT educational toy!
My 3 year old son spotted this puzzle while we went browsing in the store. He wanted it SO badly even though it was rated for older children. Within 3 days of playing with this puzzle, he quickly mastered all 50 states, knew exactly where they all go at a moment's notice. Then in a few days, he is able to clearly identify and pronounce each state accurately. He can read a little bit, and I had to show him North and South so he could place the Dakotas in their places. We had moved to Arizona from California a few months earlier, so he understood that his "small house" was in CA and that we now live in AZ. Two weeks after playing this puzzle, we went to California to visit our old friends and favorite places. Upon returning home, he demonstrated he really understood the map even more and even knows Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Ocean and several cities. Because he has 2 other USA maps, he has said several times that "Michigan is a mistake! They forgot to cut out Upper Peninsula (Upper Michigann)"!!!! I was originally from Michigan and know that Michigan has 2 parts. What I'd like to see in this puzzle is 50 individual pieces, even though they may be small and that their cutouts reflect more accurate shapes (maybe make the states a bit bigger!). My parents still have the wooden puzzle from late 1960's with all 50 pieces. Now, where can I find wooden maps of other places: Europe, Africa, South America, and Asia, showing pictures of the countries, along with capital cities and other information? My son is already learning a few countries in Europe and is so eager and so ready to absorb more information in geography! We play the USA map puzzle practically every evening before he goes to bed! He's already map-literate far ahead of his peers and even amazed his summer camp teacher! Who says a 3 year old can't learn geography?! ;-)

A good start
I would have liked more information to be included on the puzzle. Each piece is cut out in the shape of the state and has the state capital printed underneath. I think they could have taken this a step further adding key information about that state such as it's nickname, state flower or other educational information. It is a good way to get very young children to learn their state capitals and the shape and geography of the U.S.

A puzzle for both young and old!
Our 4-year-old loves puzzles, and we were looking for something fun and educational that would challenge her but intrigue her at the same time. This is what we were looking for! Not only will this puzzle last through our daughter, but it should last through her brother and any siblings who come along in the future. She loves the pictures on the pieces and is very proud when she gets done. As a homeschooling family, we are glad to find toys like this that are of good educational value but are also fun, durable, and classic. You can't go wrong with this puzzle! ... Read more

Reviews (16)

Fun for the entire family!
We bought this for my 6 year old daughter for Christmas and everyone enjoyed it! I was amazed how well she did moving through the easy to more advanced levels. Her enthusiasm was contagious and everyone began trying to do the puzzles. My daughter felt a strong sense of accomplishment when she actually did better than many of the adults! It is a durable, compact, challenging puzzle that is so enjoyable that you will get hooked! In fact, I am looking for additional cards to continue the fun!
This is definitely a 5 star game that has educational value and is also appealing to kids.

A game help children learn to use their minds!
I bought this game for my 5 yr old. She loves it and is challenged by the game. Even some of her older cousins enjoyed playing with it over the holidays.

great toy
We bought this toy for our 3.5 year old son, because he really loved it when he saw it in the store. He's been at it all the time after he got it and needed only minimal instructions to start playing. We really appreciated the fact that the difficulty levels were so appropriately designed. My son simply moved from one level to another with great enthusiasm and would never quit playing the game on his own.

Fun & Educational
I've never played Rush Hour, but the Junior version was a big hit with my 5 and 8 year old kids (and me!) this Christmas. It has 4 levels of difficulty: beginner, intermediate, advanced, and expert, with 10 cards in each level. You pick a card and set up the grid with vehicles as depicted on the card. The object is to get your ice cream truck through the traffic and exit the grid.

The rules are: no moving cars sideways. You have to move them forward or backward based on the direction the vehicles are facing. The beginner cards typically require each vehicle be moved only once before you are able to get the ice cream truck through the traffic. With the advanced cards, you may have to move vehicles a few times as you strategically plan your escape.

This game is not only fun, but helps with organization (setting up the grid) and planning (figuring out how to get your ice cream truck out of a jam). It also gives the kids a sense of accomplishment as they move on to the more difficult cards.

I highly recommend it and we plan on buying the adult version soon!

Great whole family fun!
After reading about Rush Hour, Jr. on this website, I decided to get it for my sons, age 7 and 4. They are both a year older now, and still enjoy it. My oldest is now ready for the "adult" version but the more difficult puzzles of the Jr. game still provide some challenge. An unexpected benefit from this "game" is that my sons love to watch each other play and offer encouragement and sometimes advice, and neither gets discouraged when he gets stuck--how great is it to see that?

It also travels really well, we take it in the car for our frequent long trips and take it on the boat to play during snack time.

Parents--I definitely recommend both Rush Hour versions and the booster cards. ... Read more

Editorial Review

The aMAZEing Labyrinth uses a clever board design to create aseries of ever-changing mazes that one to four players must movethrough. The object of the game is for each player to collect asquickly as possible all seven treasures depicted on their individualtreasure cards. To add to the challenge, players know what the nexttreasure is only after they find the one before it. Before each turn, amaze card is pushed into the maze in a strategic place, helping theplayer make his or her way to the prize. This means that the entiremaze shifts and changes on each turn, confounding some and helpingothers. Players will need to think ahead to choose just the right spotto shift the maze in their favor. This is an excellent game to get lostin. A simpler version can be played by younger children. --LeeStrucker ... Read more

Editorial Review

This is a strategy game with a twist--if you lose, you'relunch. You've taken your trusty Safari Rover deep into the bush; nowmaneuver it through the maze of hungry animals and get back to camp inone piece. An 8-by-7.25-inch plastic game tray forms a kind of grid foryour vehicle and the 3-D plastic animal pieces (including elephants,rhinos, and a termite mound). Draw one of 50 cards (10 of which areextra-easy, for younger players) to determine the initial board setup.Then move pieces, according to strict rules, to make your escapethrough the only exit. A cloth bag for all the game pieces is included.--Richard Farr ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Fun but bulky
Our family truly enjoys the Rush Hour game and tried this one as well - it is bigger and bulkly and convenient for travel. I alos find the puzzles to be a bit easier. The pieces don't slide as well as Rush Hour.

Good toy for everyone
I knew this game at a friend's house and love it even I was 30 already at that time. I bought several when I went back to visit my family and they all love it. When I told my mom that I would give my brother's 1st grad boy a set, she told me he won't like it since he doesn't like the brain games. But he loves it soon after my sister explain to him the rules and he enjoys to do it. My little one, almost 23 months old now, likes those animals and loves to put all of those animals to the board one by one and kind of learn the size and arrange the place. It's not only for 8 and up.

Great game; an attention grabber
I bought this for my 6 year old. She played with it for an hour the first time. It is a game she can play solo. After using the Junior cards, she went on to the beginner. She is still progressing. This is a great thinking game. I highly recommend it.

The best Rush Hour game ever!
This game is so much fun!Let me tell you a secret about this game.You can look on the back of the cards to get clues to beat the level that your playing if your stuck.So this game is so fun!

A Wonderful Way to Play Together or Challenge a Child
My 7-year-old daughter loves this activity. There are so many active toys available, but Binary Toys has the best strategic-play games around. We play together often with this toy; I find it as much fun as she does. But, she would just as soon sit at the kitchen counter playing it by herself. We take it on trips, and all the relatives enjoy it, too. Since the "solution" shown on the back of each card is straightforward to follow for an adult but not for a child, she is never tempted to turn the card over and "cheat." Instead, through trial and error, she eventually escapes the safari and moves to the next card. Having the wide range of skill level cards helps keep everyone interested. Having the handy cloth case for storage is appreciated as well. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Great Puzzle!
For a pre-schooler needing to work on problem-solving skills, this puzzle was excellent! Not too big or too small, and the Noah's Ark theme was perfect. We had a blast pointing out all the different animals and making their sounds. The puzzle has held up well, and we'll continue to have fun with it.

Great fun, great quality at a great price!!
I got this puzzle for my daughter's Easter basket and she loves it! What realy sold me was the great quality of this puzzle. The pieces are all well cut out--no peeling paper or edges and they all fit perfectly. My daughter is three and a half and I help her with the puzzle until she gets good enough to do it on her own. She wants to break it up and start over as soon as she has finished it. The Noah's Ark artwork is beautiful--highly detailed and very interesting to look at.

I will keep Ravensbuger in mind for future puzzle purchases. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Each to his own.
I do not own this specific brand so I cannot coment on its durability and fitness. However I gave it five stars seeing as none of the other reviewers had enything against it and it hasent got any pieces sticking out that can easily fall. On my make of this toy some of the colerfull covers fell off but the toy works Just as well without them and you can glue them back on easily. Even with that fualt this toy seems to be diferently bilt so that this is not a problem.
I am 12 years old and I love brain teasers.
On the fun side - this toy lets your Imagination take over and each person can do whatever they want to do with this toy.
This toy is not exactly griping and you wont be hurrying home from school just to play with it but when you are bored you can certinlly please yourself with this toy.
This gimic is also light weghit and compact and theirfore sutiable for travel.
you can hold competitions on hwo can make the nicest shape with others and when by yourself you can try discovering new ways to play with it.
I also gave this toy five stars for "Educational value" seeing as unlike video games this toy helps your imagination flow.
Also, I am peswaded that as soon as my dad sees us playing with it he will start teeching us how many diferent combinations you can make with it and more.
My three year old brother, my parents, my other brothers and me all enjoy this toy.
I think every family should try this toy.

We don't travel without this toy!
I have four children and even my 3 year old finds it entertaining. It stretches their imagination and they spend countless hours trying to come up with the most creative creatures. I've decided to purchase a second one so they can race to see who can make the desired shape the fastest. It's durable, compact, quiet and best of all, it's one of the few toys we own that requires no batteries!

Fun for everyone
This toy has been around for years, which should tell you how good it is. I don't know why children under 8 would not be able to play with it. This puzzle is made of 20 connected red and white triangles that rotate to make many things. It requires imagination and dexterity to be able to use it. A great toy for when you are bored and/or on the road.

Great toy!
This Rubik's Snake is great! It is very fun to play with when you are bored. There are an unlimited amount of possible shapes you can twist and turn this snake into! I recommend this toy to anyone who likes Rubik's cubes or anything like that. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Like well-illustrated books, Tell-A-Story offers worlds forchildren to enter. In this game, 50 picture cards teach memory, reading,and storytelling skills as children invent stories to match thepictures. Whenever a player collects five cards with the same character,he or she arranges the cards to create and tell a story. Parents mayneed to help little ones lay out the cards, but once they're launched,kids will want to return to the same story over and over again.--Lynne Sampson ... Read more

Reviews (5)

A bit confused
I tried playing with this game, but I couldn't figure out how to get the spiral game to work. That is the only one I have tried sp far and I've only been trying for about a half hour, but it gave me a head ache, so i gave up. But other than that, the game was a ton of fun and is sure to keep me busy for a long time.

An Uncle who bought a cool gift
I bought the Harry Potter Magic Puzzles for my nieces and I scored some major brownie points. They loved this at first because it was about their hero, Harry Potter, however, they play with it for hours on end. Putting the puzzles together is fun in itself, but then there are the cool magic tricks and the VERY COOL optical illusion using the spiral disk too. This is great for any kid interested in magic, as well jigsaw puzzles and Harry! A big thumbs up!

?
This game is cool.
anybody can play this game.

The Best
It works perfectly and it is so cool!!! I LOVE IT!!!

Harry Potter game
This was ok i guess.

I'm a British fan though and it said Sorcerers in stead of Philosophers stone but it doesn't matter that much.

I would say this game is pretty good, but you've gotta be a Potter lover to play. If your not or have never read the books you could find it very confusing.

I'm 12 and I understood it though, but the instructions were very confusing and it took ages to work them all out, i spent about 4 hours trying to work out how you caught the snitches!

It was quite durable but hadly educational

Thankyou for allowing me to show my personal opinions of this truly athentic game with you Americans! ... . ... Read more

Editorial Review

With five levels of play, from junior to expert, Railroad RushHour offers a challenge for kids and grownups alike. The puzzle consists of a sturdy plastic grid, 40 puzzle cards (with solutions on the back) for ages 8 and older, 10 junior challenge cards for ages 6 to 8, 17 brightly colored blocking trains, two blocking baggage platforms, a blue-and-white striped travel pouch, and "you," the little red escape locomotive. Trains are placed on the grid as indicated on each puzzle card. The object is to steer your escape locomotive through the freight yard and out the exit gate indicated. You can warm up your problem-solving skills by getting the puzzle out of the box. All aboard for fun! --Alison Golder ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Teriffic fun, great value
This game really is great. My autistic 11-year-old gets
a good mental challenge and feeling of accomplishment out of it,
and I have fun as well. My only negative comment is regarding
travel. We've taken it on many plane trips, and it's great
because it fits in a small area to play as well as store, but
it has a lot of small parts (duh! :-), and they are easy to lose
track of when travelling. So be vigilant, and find all those
train cars when putting it away! :-)

Railroad rush hour - a great game for all
This is a fabulous game for people of all ages. Even little kids can play the easy cards. The harder ones can be very engrossing for adults. My son started playing it when he was 4 years old. I have also given it to somebody as a present for their 40th birthday. I recommend it for anybody who wants a bit of a mental challenge.

More Cards Please
This is a great puzzle game. Kids learn problem solving and adults practice their own problem solving; all of this brain work is neatly disquised because they are having fun. I wish that Binary Arts would come out with more card sets for their Railroad game like they have for the Rush Hour game. I want extra puzzles! It would make it more rewarding to own.

Best Game of all Time
This game is like rush hour except a heck of a lot better. This game is so much fun. Me and my family sit around it and try to figure out the puzzles.

Trains! Trains ! and more trains!
From the creators of Rush Hour, Rush Hour2 and Rush Hour 3 comes Railroad Rush Hour, than train game. Binary has come up with yet another thinking game and another great time.

Given 40 cards, from beginner to expert, and 10 junior cards, for those under 8 years old, you'll spend hours trying to get you train out the maze and to the station.

The game includes a cloth holding sack for easy storage and travel, making this the perfect home, road or away game. Kids and parent will both enjoys the hours fun.

I like the idea of the platform blocking pieces moving in any direction, this adds the strategy. Also this gift is priced to fit any budget and makes a great gift for the hard to buy for. Congratulations Binary Arts on a job well done! ... Read more

Reviews (2)

great toy
We bought this puzzle for our 10 year old daughter. 600 pieces seems to be the magic number. She gets frustrated with 1,000 piece puzzles, but anything under 500 is boring because she can finish it in 10 minutes. This is a great educational toy and you can't beat the price.

Nieces and Nephew Loved It
I recently bought this puzzle for my nieces and nephews. Not only did they love the puzzle, but the whole family learned how little we knew about World Geography. Now I actually know that Cameroon is in South Africa. I recommend this for any young student or adult who desires to learn about the world we live in. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Great fun for young children!
We got this puzzle a short while ago when our 4-yr old began blowing away the 24-piece puzzles. While not as easy as the normal 24-piece puzzles, because these pieces are slightly smaller, he quickly figured it out. Our neighbor's children, 4 y/o twins, also love this puzzle and the other Ravensburger puzzles we have.

This is a superb puzzle for almost any child (I recommend over 3 y/o) to enhance problem solving skills, vocabulary building (teaching what the ocean animals are) and for fun. I am becoming a huge fan of Ravensburger puzzles and have bought several more receently. They are not easy, but not difficult and the overall value for these puzzles can not be estimated for your child's future learning. Highly recommended. ... Read more