Editorial Review

If there's any game out there that normally makes little kidsfeel left out, it's Scrabble, the word game that's usually played byadults and older kids. But Scrabble Junior is a great way to introduceyoung children to the game and get them interested in how words areformed. In the beginner game, specially developed for younger kids,players draw seven tiles from a pool, then work to match letters to theones printed on the board. As they work through their tiles, they spellout the words, one letter at a time, and receive points for finishingeach word. By the end of the game, they'll have used over a hundredletters to work through a variety of different words. On the other sideof the board there is a basic version of the classic Scrabble game withsimple scoring rules. Once your children master the advanced game, youmight be surprised to see that they're ready to take you on in a matchof the original Scrabble. Just be prepared to losegracefully. --John Longenbaugh ... Read more

Reviews (11)

Not a total loss
This was a gift for my daughter's 5th birthday, and, though it's age-appropriate, we've found that the "Junior" side of the board to be terribly limiting.

There are only about ten words that kids can work to spell, and these are a predictably condescending mix of "easy words" like WATER and GOAT, along with "fun words" like ARCADE, CANDY and TELEVISION. If you play this game a lot, you're stuck spelling the same words over and over, so there's little learning value or reinforcement of new vocabulary.

The other side of the board can be used for a more normal Scrabble experience, but I find my 5-year-old, though she's reading, is a little young for that. My only other complaint is that all the tiles and "points" chips this game uses are thick cardboard, which means that if they sneak into the washing machine, they're toast (I know this from tragic personal experience).

All in all, this game isn't an outright loss, but I was expecting better from a big games company.

Recommended Ages: 4 to 6 years old ONLY (my 6-year old, an avid reader, is bored to tears with this game)

Playability on Shabbat: YES!!! (no batteries, electronics or writing)

Kind of deficient
I was excited at the prospect of a scrabble game I could play with the little children I babysit for. Unfortunately, this game relied neither on the luck that evens the playing field nor a skill a young child could pick up quickly enough to start winning enough. So unless I play dumb, I wind up winning each time. Also, I found the layout of the game to be especially poor for two reasons. First, as the featured reviewer noted, the cartoony pictures obscure the first letters of words. Second, the choice of words is so poor, it slows down the spelling process, especially at the beginning, when the variety of options is very limited. It seems the creators of the game just played a few rounds of Scrabble (TM) and said "Hey, this one looks good for kids" and didn't do any playtesting. So in conclusion, rather than looking at an educational game designed for children, what we have is a recognizable brand name that has been adapted to take advantage of a heretofore unregocnized market share. In other words, just trying to make a quick few bucks.

A good game for beginning readers
I played this game with three kids (5, 6, and 7 )for a week and we all loved it. Some games do not translate well into junior version, but this one is well done. The board has two sides. One side, the easier side, has pre-printed words. Players try to put the letters they have picked onto the board following some very simple and straight-forward rules. There are strategies invovled (such as trying to be the one to put the last letter into a word--one gets a point for completing a word). This part is best for kids 5 to 7 or 8.

The other side of the board is similar to the regular Scrabble board (without the doubling and tripling parts). One can form words without the constraint of pre-printed words. A kid who reads and writes well (7 or 8 year olds, for example), can do well with it.

I like this game because it gives kids a taste of the Scrabble game without making them work unnecessarily too long and too hard at it. (I tried using the standard board with kids. It worked for only a little while.)

All in all, a good game to have, even with the cardboard lettering.

Great for Letter Recognition, Reading
This is a fun, educational game. My twin four year old boys love it and ask to play it often. We play the easy side first so they can put the letter tiles(cardboard but pretty sturdy) on the printed words. I was amazed at how good their letter recognition was already. They get little triangle points for each word they finish. That's the part they like! Then, we practice on the hard side making simple words their names, etc. To do more educational things with it just use your imagination. We made up simple index cards of 3 and 4 letter words to use the letter tiles. I think buying the children's version is definitely worth it. I almost bought the adult version after reading some of the reviews instead of this children's one and I think that we would have missed out on so much fun! The letter tiles are much bigger than the original Scrabble and even though they are cardboard my twin boys haven't even bent them. Also, the "hard" basic side with no printed words has just blank yellow squares which are less confusing to young children than the adult version. Plus different words are printed with pictures around the edge to help them out when they tackle the hard side. I would buy this game over Boggle Jr. because it is much more versatile a game.

Fine for those not quite reading well yet
My son outgrew this game before 1st grade because to my delight, he is a fantastic speller and reader beyond his grade level. Actually I believe with some forethought on my part, I could have not bothered to buy this version.

The traditional scrabble is also more durable and the letters don't get bent up as these cardboard ones in the Junior version do.

My advice...jump right to the traditional scrabble. Fill in some of the squares on that board with words so it's the same premise as this Junior version. That way the game is also different every time for the child. You won't waste your money on a scrabble set that you'll use for a short time that isn't nearly as durable.

He's in 1st grade now and he got the traditional Scrabble and plays it well enough to hold his own comfortably while playing others. We don't focus so much on score, just on him coming up with the words in play. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Great toy, easy to put together.
I love Lego sets because you can actually "play" with them when they are done. I bought this set along with the big Air comp and my son and I raced for a while with it.

Snowboard Boarder Cross Chase is fantastic!
I bought the Snowboard Boarder Cross Chase for my 10-year old on his birthday last week and he just loves it! He plays with it every day -- he had great fun building it and has had an amazing time playing with it. He has quite a lego collection and this has to be one of his all-time favorites. An excellent lego and highly recommended!! ... Read more

Reviews (14)

Fantastic Party Game - Everyone Plays Every Round!
This is a fantastic party game. With so many different card categories and some many questions, we play it time and time agian. The game definitely has staying power, especially at parties. Playing board games at parties can sometimes get stale when people have to wait their turn. Mystify allows every player (except the card reader - which rotates) to play every round. Once the timer is turned, players race against eachother to solve the scramble. Whoever answers correctly advances on the board. Each question comes with a clue and it depends on the card category as to what the clue is. This keeps the game extremely interesting. The most fun of all is when two players blurt out an answer at the same time. This is a challenging, fun and educational game - We definitely reccomend it! I really love this game!

Good Fun.
We played Mystify at our recent game night with friends and family. Here is the scoop. Mystify is a game based around word and number scrambles. The object of the game is to be the first to solve the word or number scramble. There are 5 different card categories and for each category hints are given as to what the scramble might be. For instance, hints might be - Literary Figure; Popular First Name; Brand Name Product; Popular 70's Movie; Living Creature; Part of a human body, etc. The card reader reads out the letters or numbers (which are scrambled) and players race against each other to solve the scramble. Whoever blurts out the answer first wins the round and is able to advance on the board. The great thing about this game is that everyone plays every round. This keeps all players interested and with a vested interest in paying attention at all times. Since everyone plays at the same time this is a fantastic party game. You really can't go wrong if you want an all inclusive game to play at your game nights!

Don't miss this one.
We love word games, but all word games are based around forming words -- this game changes all that. The premise of the game is based around solving word scrambles and number scrambles. There is a clue provided with each category so that the players know what direction to look in. I highly recommend this game.

I lover racing for the answer!
This is a party game if I ever did see one. Everyone plays every round so nobody is bored waiting for their turn. The board is a simple race track and sometimes we leave the baord at home and play this in the car. All players race to solve the scramble and the categories provide not only different subject areas but varying levels of difficulty. The 'numbers' category is an interesting twist. Good, old fashion fun and a refreshing change to some of the mindless game out there -- I recommend it. I love word games and this is one of the best.

Great Party Game! Everyone Can Play!
This is a party game if I ever did see one. Everyone plays every round so nobody is bored waiting for their turn. The board is a simple race track and sometimes we leave the baord at home and play this in the car. All players race to solve the scramble and the categories provide not only different subject areas but varying levels of difficulty. The 'numbers' category is an interesting twist. Good, old fashion fun and a refreshing change - I recommend it. I love word games and this is one of the best. ... Read more

Reviews (14)

Looks like I've started a new fad.
I'm 13, and bought a pack of UNO cards and took them to school the next day. Oops (or maybe I should say YES!) because everyone wanted to play. I must have played ten games every single day so far, and my cards are still in high demand. It is not at all hard to learn, and still a ton of fun. I strongly recommend this game!

Great and totally addictive!!!!
When I played this at my grandmother's house, I was hooked! They're these liitle cards that are in four colors and numbered from 1 through 9 and with Reverse, Draw 2, and Wild Cards. It helped my little cousins' math skills and was extremly fun! This is a must buy!

Learning Tool
I'm 14 and got this game when I was younger. I was struggling a little with math until I got this game. It helped me realize color and number patterns in such a fun way that I didn't even notice it! Since then I've been playing it at least once a week. I tutor young children and for those with math problems, I use the Uno game as a fun and educational tool. Parents have come to me and congratulated me with the successfullness of it. Its the ultimate game in a compact size. The cards last for a pretty long time. I've had one deck for the past 3 years and its still in tip top shape! So for anyone who plans to buy it, it's definately the RIGHT CHOICE!!!!

GREAT GAME LOADS OF FUN
I love this game. It is a great family game though it might cause
a few arguments or break-ups(aaaaah! just kidding). Don't let this happen. It's just a game like any other game. You're just having fun. That's the No. 1 reason for playing any game with children or adults to have fun. Hey, How would like to be given 4 draw 4 cards????? get the picture???? Another good point, NEVER GIVE UP SO EASY,ITS NEVER OVER TILL IT'S OVER,comebacks
can happen. MY father-in-law was shut out, while I just needed 1 point to win(499 points to 0 4 or 5 of us were playing)and he came back and beat us with 500 points. Play this fantastic card game and see what I mean. Buy it and I hope you'll enjoy it too.

Always fresh and fun
This is the most exciting game where me and my seven year old nephiew would play for hours! If you wait somewhere for something or someone you shuld always have "uno" with you. The time goes so fast you can't even imagine...and is really fun! Thanks for having it on the market...keep the great work and I hope I can find even more creative and as fun games:-) ... Read more

Features

• Play 10 classic Activision arcade games on your TV
• All games stored in the joystick: just connect to your television and play
• No game console needed
• Games include Pitfall, Atlantis, River Raid, and Spider Fighter
• Other games include Crackpots, Freeway, Tennis, Boxing, Ice Hockey, and Grand Prix

Reviews (5)

this sucks!
all the games are not good,cheap, and boring. don't get this prouduct.

Woah, the other reviewers are nuts!
Dont be fooled by those guys makin that noise... This thing rocks! Holy COW! If you grew up in the 80's - eating cereal on the living room floor with ur legs in a sleeping bag watching superfriends and peewee's playhouse, or maybe spiderman and his amazing friends, or perhaps the arcade block with q-bert and donkey kong... Then this is for you! Relive those days with these awesome games!! I played pitfall for three hours yesterday... I have always wondered since I was lil one whether u can beat that game or not and I gave it my all yesterday... After three hours I was still rackin up points with no end in sight... but there is no frustration, just the desire to go play it some more! Get thsi product, and also shrek 2 and spiderman 2 for xbox or ps2 and you will have everything you need! It seems only activision, take-two, and majestic have been doign anythign right in the video game industry lately!

PAYCE!!

Decent games, and reasonably comfortable
After playin', enjoyin', and just plain geekin' out to the other TV Games systems-- well, except for that SpongeBob SquarePants dealie; I gotta maintain SOME semblance of dignity, after all-- I decided to give the ActiVision version a go. And after trying its ten offerings out, I found the whole thing a mixed bag. A few of the games were pretty fun and challenging, while others were a bit repetitive and/or nigh impossible to beat no matter how hard I tried.

While the headlining title, "Pitfall!", was kinda frustrating at first-- especially when I was tryin' to get across the gator-infested ponds-- I eventually got the hang of the controls and timing for the most part. Well, except for leaping over the coiled cobras and giant scorpions just right so's I didn't kill myself. The only other problem I had with this title was that the frames that I was running and leaping through appeared to be in a loop-- I managed to survive the first half-dozen frames, and the next half-dozen looked exactly like the ones I just completed! Unfortunately, I never really played this title much when I was but a wee 'Norch, so I have no idea whether or not this was how the original "Pitfall!" was set up. If anyone can give me the 411 on this bit o' weirdness, head on over to my About Me area and drop me an e-mail, willya? Thanks...

While the ActiVision console includes four sports games (Grand Prix, Tennis, Boxing, and Ice Hockey), the only one I really enjoyed playing was Ice Hockey. The Tennis game is so hard for me to score against the computer, I usually get blanked in several straight sets-- which isn't the kinda "love" I'm lookin' for, if ya catch my drift. On the upside, the computer and I can get that ball ricocheting back and forth for up to two minutes on end before the inevitable happens. The Grand Prix game pits me against a bunch of other cars on a straight-line track, with the object of setting the best time whilst trying to avoid potholes and bumping into other cars, both of which can slow me down. Only problem is, this system doesn't save any of the scores and times, so I don't have any records to beat. The boxing game is pretty good if you can keep pushing the button at a maddening pace to try and keep up with your opponent's number of landed hits. I played this particular game for a minute before quitting from fatigue on my fire-button thumb.

Probably the simplest game is "Freeway", a low-budget "Frogger" wanna-be. The object of the game is to get as many chickens across a ten-lane highway as you can in 2 minutes and 16 seconds (why in two minutes and 16 seconds, you ask? Hey, beats me-- I didn't come up with the freakin' game). Like "Frogger", there's quite a bit of traffic one has to dodge to get to the other side. Unlike "Frogger", however, the chicken can only move up and down, not side to side. Also unlike "Frogger", when a chicken is struck by a car, it's not squished flat, but is pushed back one lane (on one setting), or right back to the side of the highway where it started (more difficult setting). Needless to say, this one gets kinda monotonous after a while, especially with the traffic patterns being so predictable.

"Atlantis" is a fairly fun "Missile Command" ape, although you've got to get used to which directional controls activate the three gun batteries you're using to fire on the enemy ships. Speakin' of enemy ships, one of 'em looks kinda like the Enterprise from "Star Trek" and a couple others look a little like X-Wing Fighters and Imperial Star Destroyers from the classic "Star Wars" flicks. I usually get utterly trashed by the enemy in this game, but I manage to have some fun before my inevitable demise...

My fave adventure game in this system, though, is "River Raid". With a supersonic jet, the player flies over a river, destroying enemy ships, choppers, bridges and fighter jets whilst trying not to hit the refueling markers the player needs to keep his gas tank full. The player can move the plane left and right, and use the forward/back control to speed up or slow down. While I've gotten a bit more used to the left-and-right dealie, I'm still tryin' to get the hang of the speed-up/slow-down angle. Well, actually, I just need to work on the slow-down angle; it's the speed-up thing I do TOO much work on! It's true what they taught ya in Driver's Ed., kids: speed kills! In the time I've been playin' this bad-boy, I've probably crashed the equivalent of the entire U.S. Air Force twice over! But I'm not gonna let that deter me from my mission, oh no...

But even though I found only half of the games here really fun, I hafta say that the ActiVision control joystick is the most comfortable to use out of all the TV Games systems that have come out so far. Unlike either the Atari or Namco renditions, the corners of the ActiVision stick's base are nice and rounded, which won't dig into and cause too much discomfort to my control-holding hand. The ActiVision joystick's smooth response is also a big improvement over Atari's offering, which ya really hafta lean into to get the subject to move where you want it to go. As for the extra Fire button on the top of the joystick: I didn't like it quite as much as I did the sideline Fire button. Were the stick a little longer and the Fire button more off to the side of the control than right on top, however...

'Late

sigh...
I was so disappointed with this thing after having such high hopes of playing this retro style system. The games are not true faithful renditions of the classics! Pitfall has many glitches...sometimes when you go on to the next screen, Harry will be swinging on a vine without you even jumping on it. The vines swing too low, you are practically inside the pits that you are trying to jump over. The sound is absolutely horrible and are not close to the original sounds of the originals. The tones are much lower and also, this unit cannot reproduce the classic thruster sounds of the old 2600. When playing River Raid, (one of the best Activision titles ever) the plane sounds more like a car engine than a thruster. The explosions on Atlantis are more a series of weird tones than explosions. And speaking of Atlantis, its a cool game, but it is NOT an Activision game! It was done by Imagic for goodness sakes!!! I just think of other cool Activision titles like Barnstorming, Laser Blast, Starmaster, Pitfall 2, etc. that could have put on here instead of an Imagic title. I was so psyched to get this when I saw it, but was incredibly disappointed. The Atari 10 in 1 is far superior. I'd rather play Pong with a joystick than a half baked conversion of Pitfall. I cant believe in this age of technological advancements that they cant faithfully reproduce an Atari 2600 game. 2 stars for a cool retro style joystick and
for a halfway enjoyable gaming experience with the sound muted.

an okay way to play some Activision classics like pitfall
This is a pretty average console with some pretty average games and a few Atari 2600 hits. It is a fun game to play with a few catches.

First, the games. Some of these games are very good like Pitfall, spider fighter and Grand Prix, a few average games like Freeway and Crackpots, and there are a few lousy games like ice hockey.
Though the game selection is above average, it could have easily been better. It's missing some amazing Activision games like keystone Capers and H.E.R.O. Those could have been added just from a slight increase in memory.

Next is there is nothing new at all. If you already own these games on Atari 2600 it's not worth getting if it wasn't portable.

Third is durability. It is made out of cheap plastic that is not very durable at all. I left this in my car during hot weather and some of the plastic melted in top of the chip inside and ruined it.

Fourth is multiplayer, only a couple games are multiplayer: River Raid and Freeway. River Raid only has alternating multiplayer while Freeway 2 players can play at the same time.

Overall, this is a neat way to play some classic Activision Atari 2600 games, but you're much better off getting Activision Anthology for Gameboy Advance. ... 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 (7)

Timeless and classic.
Scrabble is probably one of the games I remember playing first as an older kid; and the Spanish version was what I played at family gatherings - it's part of my heritage. It was exciting to find it on the net! I called various toys r us stores and was only able to get it through the net. Great game.

An Old Version of Spanish Scrabble!
I'm bilingual (Spanish/English) but my elderly mother's command of English is limited. Decades ago we bought a "foreign edition" Scrabble set, manufactured by Selchow & Righter Co. of Bay Shore, NY. Our set is truly a Spanish version, lacking "k" but with "ñ," "ll," and "rr" (the latter two no longer individual letters in Spanish) and with plenty of the more common vowels in the Spanish language. The letter values differ from the English values, commensurate with their degree of usage in each language. The last copyright notice on the Spanish game is from 1953. We bought it in the early 70's. Why didn't Hasbro follow this edition for their Spanish version? It is definitely a more accurate and educational one!

Spanish can be better
I live in Puerto Rico. My friends and I usually play in both in English and Spanish at the same time. But if you what to learn Spanish I will recommend playing the game entirely en Español. I will give you the pros and cons of this version:

Pros:
1. You can make higher scores in Spanish. K-8 points, W-8 points, Q-8 points but much easier to use, LL-8 points, RR-8 points, Ñ-8 points, and it is much easier to get rid of all your letters than in English.
2. Spanish words are written just as you pronounce them (that is why there are no Spanish spelling bees).
3. You can learn Spanish in a fun way, plus the game can be used in English and it has a couple more vowels.

Cons:
1. There are no really good Spanish dictionaries, other than the Spanish Royal Academy Dictionary (Amazon has it at a reasonable price). And no Spanish Scrabble dictionary is to be found. This will make it hard on verb conjugation.

Whether you play it in Spanish or English or both the Spanish tiles are definitely better. Go ahead and try this version. Come on, you know you what to.

We love this game!
I'm a Spanish teacher and I found this game in a closet when I started teaching at my current school. I only teach the first two years of Spanish. To play the game entirely in Spanish is difficult and takes forever with new learners. We play in Spanish and English. If the student plays an English word they receive the normal amout of points. If the student plays a Spanish word he/she receives double the point value in addition to any extra points offered by the squares on the board. We had a 72 point Spanish word the other day. It is great fun and the students bury themselves in Spanish dictionaries trying to find the next big word!

Remember this is really a challenge in any language!
I am bilingual and bought this game for my mother. We were told that she has beginning stages of Alzheimer's. Well I think the doctors are wrong but just in case I got this for her.

Words games do stimulate synaptic links and activate the language center in the brain.

About the comment that this game is difficult in Spanish: The game is not easily in any language!

Also, keep in mind that Spanish due to its strong metaphorical constructs have many ways of expressing similar things. The poetry and imagery expressed in Spanish literature is quite powerfull.

Just have fun, learn and reinforce! :) ... Read more

Editorial Review

Like many card games, Rack-O is part skill, part luck of the draw. Two to four players try to get their rack of 10 cards in consecutive order, from lowest to highest, first. The cards are numbered from 1 to 60, and each player takes a turn by drawing and discarding. Bonus Rack-O points are earned when a player gets a perfect run of three or more cards. The first to rack up 500 points wins. The rule book doesn't suggest variations, but more challenge can be added by having to get certain number patterns, like even numbers or multiples of 3, which will also increase the number skills development that's part of this game. --Lynne Sampson ... Read more

Reviews (15)

5-4-3-2-1 * RACK-0 * I WIN!!
I grew up playing games but had never heard of this until I got married. I guess my husband and his mom used to always play. It is great for all ages, it is educational for the little ones and strategy builder for the big kids. It is fun and addictive...you keep wanting to play because you were so close to winning! Add this one to your game closet it is guarenteed excitement for the family/friends. (only set back is max # of people is 4) You can play with 2, 3, or 4 players. There are a few variations to play to keep things intersting and easier ways for those who are just learning. +++ Get this one TODAY +++

GREAT!!
I am a 23 year old architect and I have have just recently discovered this game. It provides hours and hours of fun, and it is a very easy game to play and understand.

RACK-O!!!!!
I grew up playing this game, then introduced it to a bunch of freinds who are now hooked! I still use the version I have from the 80's & honestly didn't even know it was still being produced until just now, so I'm buying a new set!!!

Best Game we have played as a family...
I am 30, My daughter is 11, and my brother is 16, and we all love to play this game. Cards are not extremely durable, but it is a great game. Any time you want 6 or more people to play, just get a second game. That way, you have two decks and availability of up to EIGHT people to play. We do this with UNO as well. RACK-O is hands down, the most fun game we have all played and the only one we all agree is an absolute blast. I highly reccomend everyone own TWO of this game so ALL your friends can play at one time!!!!

Addictive!
My friends and I love this game! Whenever we start playing, it's often hours before we stop. While I haven't played this game yet with young kids, I imagine it would be an excellent tool to help kids learn their numbers, and how they all fit together. The fact that the colored tabs move right as the numbers get higher, is also a great visual cue to help kids (and adults who are caught up in the game!) know that their cards are in the right order. Whether with two people or three or four (the most I've played with), this game is fabulous fun. A great game to have at home, or at your cabin or on vacation trips. Also, it's a game that even people who don't really know each other can play together without problem. It's strangely addictive, too! If you play it one night, don't be surprised if the next night, someone says, "Hey, anyone want to play Rack-O again?"! ... Read more

Editorial Review

"Dear Pen Pal, Konnichi wa! We've been to see Mt. Fuji. Name my country! Sayonara, Michiko." Challenge your group with this fast-paced geography game, created in 1992 by Educational Insights, Inc. Everyone begins at the post office. Players twirl a finely printed spinner (built into the game board itself) to select one of 60 countries. If the player can correctly identify the country's location on the board's numbered map, he or she may advance along the path to the finish. Bonus moves are won by landing on "postcard" spaces, listening to the clues on one of the 40 postcards, and correctly identifying the pen pal's country. (The sample postcard above came from Japan.) A more challenging game can be achieved by requiring players to name the country's capital; answers are provided. --Liane Thomas ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Great Game - BEWARE SHIPPING
This is a great educational family game.
However, please be aware that Amazon ships this game wrapped in a plastic bag with no padding. Another game of the same order was received was crushed and torn on one corner. Amazon promptly arranged a pickup and replacement. This game arrive with crushed edges, but I decided to keep it rather than deal with another return. I figured it could have been worse; imagine a small unprotected board game competing with other shipments in a UPS truck. Amazon used to pack items in a box with packing material. This is no longer the case. Beware.

Better for younger children, but needs improvements
Great idea for a board game with lots of learning potential for younger children, however children 10+ years may soon find this formula a little unchallenging. Several improvements could make this a better product; notably, heavier paper for the frequently handled question cards, and a much larger map on the game board. Some of the countries appear too small for grandparents and children with poor eyesight. Also, the spinner is labeled with text that should be larger. With just a few design changes and the opportunity to purchase additional question card packs, perhaps geared towards different age groups, we could recommend this game more enthusiastically.

My daughter's favorite
This game really puts the world at your child's fingertips. My daughter begs to play even after her dad and I are pooped. And at eight years old, she knows more about geography than I did when I was much older. I'm getting her "Name That State" for her birthday and expect the same reaction.

My 4-year old has not stopped playing for 1 month now.
I bought this for my 4-year old son who can already read. He has not stopped playing it for one month now even though he already knows each of the 60 countries and capitals. Because of this game, he has been reading the Atlas and books about children in other countries. I gave this game as a gift to my friends' kids who are between 4 to 8 years old; and they too love the game. I'm sure the game will quickly become boring; but it has done its job of opening up an aspect of learning and an area of interest besides reading, writing and math.

great learning with a little tweaking to the game.
This game teaches the players to recognize and learn the names of about 50 countries by looking at them on a map. Good for grade K - adult. Young grade schoolers need a good "reader" to play with them to read some "bonus cards". I think after playing the game 10 or 20 times that most children will learn the country names. You can enhance the game however to make it better! Use a marker to number the countries that this game ignores and instead of using their []spinner create little cardboard numbers that the kids pick one at a time (instead of spinning). Instead of only having 50 countries in play, you can have hundreds... I immediately made my own "cardboard numbers". Be a little creative and this little game can teach a lot. It's fun to play and kids like it..especially after they've played it a few times and are learning the country names. A great introduction to world geography. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Are you clicking yet? Play dominoes! It isn't just one game, asmany people think. There are many games and variations at many skilllevels. Domino sets vary in size and complexity, according to the numberof dots. This huge Double Fifteen set has 136 domino pieces, and eachpiece has from one to 15 color-coded dots on each end, or no dots(blank). The pieces can be used to play 20 different games; instructionsfor all the games are included. Made of a heavy white, ivory-likeplastic, the pieces are 2 inches long, 1 inch wide, and .3 inch thick,and they store neatly in their blue tin. --Richard Farr ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Great Toy
We can play this game with the entire extended family-

Our nephew who is as young as 7 can play this game and it is great for mental stratagies.

I recommend this to all.

A classic MUST!
This is a must have for all classic game lovers. With 3 of our 4 children visually disabled, it was quite easy for them to see the dots (easy for the older parents too!). The youngest children were not frustrated because they could match up the dominoes by color, and eventually learned the patterns and counting as well. They are very durable and come inside a tin that has a snug-fitting lid to prevent spills. Detailed instructions are included for many versions of play. This is a perfect game for Family Game night as the games are short enough to complete before younger players get frustrated.

thumps up !
This is one of the most exciting games there is for family time, bought by one of my friends we have played for hours without getting board. Wanting to buy one of my own found ur web site, it's a shame it can only be shipped within the US.Try and consider ur border neighbors, we want to play too.
Thank u,

Fun with your neighbors and friends
We purchased the 15 color dominoe set and we loved it! We have German neighbors and we taught them how to play dominoes and
"chicken claw" (a fun dominoe game). The dominoes are so durable and colorful that even the kids were able to play with the adults. They are easy to clean (if necessary) and store nicely in their tin box. Great product!

Fun for all ages
This is a great game for all. It makes you think, laugh, and get even with your best buddy by stealing his spot. We LOVE it. ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (1)

Packaging could better...
I give this three stars because of the packaging isn't as good as the packaging for the previously Entry Pack.Also, the stat cards for these minis are easier to read and the quality is okay.The rulebook is a must have because it has the updates to the Miniatures Handbook.I haven't played the game yet but it looks easy to play. ... Read more

Editorial Review

This crazy soccer game is the perfect introduction to team sports for preschoolers. The plastic goal is sized just for smaller people and the miniature soft foam ball is easy on little feet. A goofy talking goalie is built right into the goal posts to shout out encouragement and challenges so kids can improve their game. The goalie wiggles back and forth as kids try to score and does some lighthearted trash-talking with expressions such as "Try and get it past these moves," and "Kick that thing in here." When kids score a goal, they are rewarded with cheering crowd sounds and congratulatory remarks from the goalie, such as "Nice shot, kid!" along with a response from the ball itself. An easy-to-operate ball release lever sends the ball down the goal's ramp and out on the lawn for more soccer playing. The goal operates via four "C" batteries (not included) and requires some help from adults to get it assembled. --Cristina Vaamonde ... Read more

Reviews (25)

piece of junk
I don't think my 4 year old has played with this for more than 5 minutes since we got it in December. It is so fragile - it's base, it's front slope piece and it's hands fall off if you barely touch it. It's so much more fun to just go outside and kick a real soccer ball around and make your own goal out of stuff in the yard. We definitely got suckered by the cute little commercials on this toy - I regret the purchase - big waste of money.

Mathew's Easter Present
Our first Easter in the south brought lots of new changes - one, being that the Easter Bunny brings presents to the children, along with a search party for the eggs, which contained alot of candy. Thanks to Toys R Us for having a sale that day, we bought Silly Soccer for my 2 year old. It was a hit for all of the children ages 2-5 yrs. Finally, something all could enjoy and with no fighting involved. This toy allows children to aim their balance and also teaches co-ordination skills, competition, exercise, sharing and still enjoying a good time together. Hats off to Hasbro for coming up with such a grand idea. I plan on using it in my day care.
The only downfall I've had with it is that our new puppy also enjoyed the game so much, he ate the ball, and now I need it replaced. My son is sad. Without the silly ball, we can't play with the game. (...)

HORRIBLE!!!!!!!
This is the worst toy we own. If the pieces aren't falling off, then my son (2 years) can't get the ball in the goal because it is way to small. Its comments are also way to derogatory for the age group it is intended for. TERRIBLE (...)

Silly Soccer Mess
I have two boys who are one and a half and two and a half. I Have purchased a lot of toys for my kids and this has to be the worst purchase I have ever made. The pieces are constantly falling off, the goal is way to small and my kids lost interest in it two minutes after it was put together. I am sad to say it was a complete waste of money. I would have been better off simply walking over the the toilet and flushing this bad investment right down the drain. This toy is completely horrible in design and makes me wonder if it was ever tested out on any child before sent out on the market.

I feel cheated.

Smaller then it looks on T.V.
When my son recieved this toy for his 3rd birthday, I thought it would be a great game for him to play. I didn't realize how much smaller it was until I put it together. My son still manages on getting the ball into the goal. The only thing is the net doesn't stay in place, other then that he loves it. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Good cards!
I am a big baseball card collector and I usually don't like to purchase topps cards but this time i decided to try them and boy was I happy!! These got great cards and I even got an A-rod card!
I am a big yankee fan from RI, red sox nation.They put an even amount of good card in each box so you'll always be happy and you get at least 1 from every team. ... Read more