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Description

Every kid (and dad) needs a set of 30 magnetized golden ratio rhombic pyramids. It would be nice to get these in wood instead of plastic, but they're still fun for the imagination.

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clue, the board game

Updated Aug 20, 2007

Description

Clue is a classic board game that has survived the years. Beginners can start off with some basic logic (process of elimination) but advanced players can keep track of everything from what other players ask to where they travel (or don't). Everything can be a clue.

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Razzle Dazzle

Updated Apr 25, 2007

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- firebox.com
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Description

The rules to Razzle Dazzle can be described in about three sentences, so it's extremely easy to learn the basics. My son and I have been playing it a couple days, though, and we are still trying to figure out what the best offense and defense strategies might be. At this point we're pretty sure that it's easier than chess, but not sure if it's harder than checkers. Razzle Dazzle combines chess-knight moves for the wood pieces and chess-queen moves for a marble that jumps between the wood pieces. It's a unique combination that makes for a fairly quick, enjoyable diversion. So far, Nicholas has won all of our games by seeing combination moves that I wasn't able to detect. It must be his chess training at work. (via Firebox)

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4 people recommended this item

UNO Card Game

Updated Jan 14, 2007

Description

Kids can learn UNO at a fairly young age and enjoy it for years. It doesn't take much effort to entertain a few kids if you have an UNO deck. If you don't have the UNO cards but do have a deck of standard playing cards, learn the game called "Crazy Eights" which is similar.

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Black Box game by Parker Brothers

Updated Jan 12, 2007

Description

Black Box is a vintage (1978) game put out by Parker Brothers. You can still find it on eBay but I can't find anybody selling newer versions of the game. It's similar in gameplay to Mastermind where one person sets up a hidden puzzle and the other person tries moves and is given a response from the system. The second person, in this case, needs to figure out the position of 4-5 balls in a 2-dimensional grid where (imaginary) laser beams are sent into the black box and come out in different locations (or not) based on where the balls are inside.

As a youngster, I enjoyed both setting up the puzzles and solving them. My son was introduced to the game when his grandparents discovered a copy in their home and seemed to be mildly interested in playing it.

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3 people recommended this item

Ticket to Ride

Updated Jan 8, 2007

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- boardgamegeek.com
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Description

Having seen that Ticket to Ride was recommended by several people who like Settlers of Catan, I decided to purchase it for my son for Christmas since he love Settlers of Catan. Ticket to Ride was a perfect game for us. It's much simpler to set up and learn than Settlers and the play moves much more quickly. You don't know who's going to win until the end (unlike Settlers). Other than that, it's nothing like Settlers of Catan except that it does involve building things on the board by playing cards that you have accumulated.

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Power Ball

Updated Jan 3, 2007

1st to recommend

Description

A friend brought a Power Ball to the office and it stopped all productivity for a half hour as each person first tried to figure out how to get it to work and second tried to beat the high score set so far (as recorded on the digital display). This gadget is entertaining, a bit addicitive, and an amazing way to work out your hand and wrist muscles. The first time you pick one up you should make sure you don't have to use your hands for a while afterwards as you will be shocked at how little strength you have left when you finally put down the PowerBall.

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Snatch Word Game

Updated Jan 6, 2007

1st to recommend

Description

This game will appeal to the Scrabble and Boggle lovers but is much easier to learn than Scrabble and more interesting than Boggle. Games can be as fast as you want, or you can spend minutes trying to figure out how to steal words that others have built by reordering and adding letters.

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Soma puzzle

Updated Dec 27, 2006

Description

I loved fooling around with the standard blue plastic Soma cube as a kid. This wood version is a much nicer quality and much more attractive version of the same puzzle. The light and dark colored wood makes for an attractive cube design, but only a few of the many cube solutions produce exactly this pattern giving an extra challenge.

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Discovery Toys Super Marbleworks

Updated Dec 5, 2006

Description

If your kids stop to watch those moving ball structures in many US malls, they may enjoy this toy. I remember creating my own structures to roll marbles down when I was a kid. I think I used things like empty paper towel tubes, books, and rulers with the grooves on the top and I had a blast. When our son was about 4-5 my wife got the Discovery Toys Super Marbleworks (or a set very much like this one) for him and we had a blast creating structures to roll the marbles down. There is something hypnotic about watching and hearing the marbles move down, across, and around the various paths you have set up.

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4 people recommended this item

Connect Four

Updated Nov 24, 2006

1st to recommend

Description

Somewhere around the time your child is starting to figure out that Tic Tac Toe always ends in a cat's game with good players, they will be ready for the classic Connect Four game. This phase will also pass as they grow older and become interested in more challenging games, but make sure they get the chance to experience it.

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Galaga

Updated Nov 20, 2006

Description

Galaga was one of the few video games I played (badly) as a youth. One of our local Mexican restaurants has a Galaga machine that my son enjoys playing whenever we go there.

One more reason to not buy an xbox.

. (via annang)

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5 people recommended this item

Rush Hour Traffic Jam Puzzle

Updated Nov 20, 2006

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Description

My 9 year old son and I are working our way through the various puzzles presented by this game. In many ways this game reminds us of the TIPOVER Crate game. Both are a series of puzzles in increasing difficulty. Both involve a small board with a set of cards that show you how to set up each puzzle. Both involve geometric tactics and changing the configuration of the pieces on the board to accomplish a goal. And, both are very, very fun. (via David)

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America's National Parks Monopoly

Updated Oct 25, 2006

1st to recommend

Description

Why kids love Monopoly is beyond me. I hope we get through this phase quickly (and never enter into the Risk phase). In any case, if you have to play Monopoly, you might as well be learning about and thinking of America's beautiful national parks which is why we have this version. I hesitate to add this to the "Thinking Family Games" list, but at least it meets two of the criteria. Hmmm... I guess it also teaches how to make change for cash payments.

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4D Puzzle by Oskar van Deventer

Updated Nov 16, 2006

Description

4D is my favorite puzzle made by George Miller of puzzlepalace.com. It had just the right amount of difficulty for me with a fascinating premise: Solve four mazes at the same time. Each of the individual mazes is connected to two other mazes in different dimensions. I could spend an hour just being impressed with the mechanics of how the pieces of this puzzle move and are connected and related to each other. You can't visualize it from the picture.

When a co-worker dropped the puzzle and one of the acrylic pegs broke, George Miller sent me a replacement (and an extra spare) at no cost. Fantastic quality puzzles and fantastic service.

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Taxi Puzzle by George Miller & Oskar van Deventer

Updated Nov 2, 2006

Description

This is my second favorite puzzle made by George Miller. It's very attractive as are all his wood pieces. It's not too difficult to solve as long as you're willing to keep at it and study the mazes you are solving on both sides.

Hand crafted and sold by George Miller of puzzlepalace.com

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Perpetual Motion Puzzle by Bill Darah

Updated Nov 2, 2006

Description

This is my most recent puzzlepalace.com acquisition. I like the peeks you get at the hidden maze inside as you try to solve it.

Hand crafted and sold by George Miller of puzzlepalace.com

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Zigzag Puzzle by Frans de Vreugd

Updated Nov 2, 2006

Description

I'm not a huge fan of burrs, but this one looked so pretty I had to get it. I didn't have the patience to solve it without the solution (perhaps the reason I'm not a huge fan of burrs).

Hand crafted and sold by George Miller of puzzlepalace.com

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Hermaphroditic Blocks Puzzle by George Miller

Updated Nov 2, 2006

Description

This is a very attractive wood puzzle. This puzzle isn't totally impossible and can be solved with persistence. The craftsmanship is fantastic as there is no glue used to keep the blocks together. Every piece is just cut to fit perfectly. Be careful though as this also means that the pegs can be pushed inside of the block if you are trying to force them together. I lost one peg this way and can't figure out how to get it back out.

Hand crafted and sold by George Miller of puzzlepalace.com

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Three Card Burr by George Miller

Updated Nov 2, 2006

Description

You can only put this together once, but it looks seamless and has a little stand for displaying it as a work of art. Be very careful when putting it together; these are real playing cards and can be torn.

Hand crafted and sold by George Miller of puzzlepalace.com

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TicTacToe Puzzle by Jacques Haubrich

Updated Nov 2, 2006

Description

This puzzle is pretty much impossible unless you have hours of patience to try endless numbers of mind-numbing combinations. The challenge comes from the fact that there are only three different types of connections so every piece fits into every other piece in at least one side. But it is well made and looks very attractive.

A co-worker (Ben Tilly) entered the structure of the pieces into a file and wrote a Perl program to solve this puzzle with a computer.

Hand crafted and sold by George Miller of puzzlepalace.com

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Magna Puzzle

Updated Nov 2, 2006

Description

This is a challenging puzzle. The pieces come in only two shapes (colored differently) but the magnetic properties (North/South) and the odd geometry make it somewhat difficult to solve. The fact that it uses non-cube geometry really adds to the fun and learning. We also enjoyed making other weird and wonderful shapes with all of the magnetized pieces.

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Analysis Chess Set Combo

Updated Oct 25, 2006

Description

This is a great, inexpensive chess set for starting out. The board is easy to roll up and the pieces can be tossed in the provided zip-up bag. The small 12"x12" board fits easily in smaller places. I keep one on my desk at work and one tucked in the door pocket of my car.

Note: This set is *not* suitable for using in a USCF chess tournament. For that purpose, you will need a full size 20"x20" board with suitably larger pieces.

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Five State Rummy Game Cards

Updated Nov 13, 2006

Description

Though it is obviously intended as an educational game Five State Rummy is also a fun diversion.

There's a little strategy involved and a lot of luck, and you will learn things about the geographic relationships of the US states that you didn't know before.

The cards have facts printed on them like the state capital, bird, flower, etc, but we generally don't pay much attention to those. You could probably tweak the rules a bit to reinforce any of those facts that you wanted the kids to learn (e.g., require saying the state capital out loud when discarding a card).

. (via Uncle Mark Gift Guide & Almanac)

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4 people recommended this item

Quarto

Updated Oct 25, 2006

1st to recommend

Description

This wood board game stresses pattern recognition combined with a bit of geometry (straight lines). It relates to the game "Set" in the multi-dimensional pattern aspects and reminds me of Tic-Tac-Toe or Connect Four with how you win.

However, there are a couple of twists which make it a unique and challenging game: The pieces on the board belong to both players; any of them can be used by either player to win. Furthermore, when it's your turn to place a piece on the board, your opponent chooses which piece you will be using!

Though the rules are easy to learn, it is very tough to master as you have to keep thinking through deeper and deeper levels of what could possibly happen with the next move, and the move after that, and...

This well-made and attractive wood game set is suitable for leaving out as decoration and a conversation starter.

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