The toys are listed according to age. All award winners are of equal value.
Ages 0-5 months
DREAM & PLAY LIGHT-UP MOBILE MODEL # 80-101700 VTECH AGES 0-5 MONTHS
***Best Bet Award 2010***
Bedtime melody! Babies love this cute mobile with many functions. The toy spins with lights and sound – story, song, nature sounds and 40 different melodies. Children can self-activate by pushing the toy, or a loud cry will activate it, too. This mobile made both going to sleep and waking up fun for little ones. NOTE: Auto shut off; 4 AA batteries required (included).
Ages 8 months +
TEACH MY BABY TEACH MY TODDLER INC. AGES 8 MONTHS +
***Best Bet Award 2010***
Baby steps! This well-designed 66-piece learning kit is a follow-up to the Best Bet award-winning Teach My Toddler kit, and it provides loads of learning tools and activities to stimulate babies’ sense of wonder and learning. This kit’s compact yellow case includes puppets, puzzles, blocks, cards and more so that parent and child can investigate sound and touch, first words, numbers, etc. Material is organized by theme in plastic sleeves. A great all-in-one activity set for parent and baby.
Stirring up some fun! This solid, colourful, shape-sorting toy with a removeable lid looks like a real blender, and little ones love to watch as it spins to “blend” five fruit-shaped pieces. This blender toy also offers a mix of sorting fun and sound, with a pleasant talking voice and three sing-along songs – and an on/off mode is included. NOTE: 2 AA batteries required.
Ages 2+
WEDGETS STARTER ACTIVITY TOTE MODEL # 300215 IMAGINABILITY AGES 2+
***Best Bet Award 2010***
Totally neat... and fun, too! Little builders love this beginner’s wedgets building set that comes in a convenient, durable tote. Children can stack the colourful, plastic blocks at random or follow the patterns provided on the cards included with the set. Also includes instructions. This set keeps kids happily occupied.
Ages 3+
TRIO BUILDING SET (BRICKS, STICKS AND PANELS) MODEL # P6838-0910 FISHER-PRICE AGES 3+
***Best Bet Award 2010***
Building that clicks! Our testers found that these durable, colourful building blocks clicked together easily, resulting in hours of building fun. This set comes with clear instructions that provide lots of ideas for items that kids can build. A terrific set for little builders.
Ages 3+
SAND PLAY SET (RECYCLED PLASTIC) MODEL # 9357345427 THE ORIGINAL GREEN TOY AGES 3+
***Best Bet Award 2010***
Dig this… and in recycled plastic, too! Kids enjoy hours of fun building in the sand or digging in the garden with this basic sand play set. Made of durable and surprisingly lightweight recycled plastic, this set included a bucket with rope handle, spade, clawed garden hoe and sandcastle mould. This sand play set is a great addition to any toy box.
Ages 3+
UNO MOO! MODEL # N7793 MATTEL AGES 3+
***Best Bet Award 2010***
Fun on the farm! This farm animal matching game for 2 to 4 players engages young ones with its cute pieces and option to match either colour or animal. Each game includes one durable plastic play-and-store barn as well as 28 animal and farmer figures. Animals include cow, pig, chicken and sheep, and the first player to get all of their figures back in the barn is the winner. However, this preschool version of UNO goes beyond its game aspect as children also play on their own, pushing the figures back into the barn and involving them in imaginary play.
Ages 3-6
WEBKINZ JR. GANZ AGES 3-6 YEARS
***Best Bet Award 2010***
Interactive plush for the younger set! Kids are immediately attracted to these larger, cute plush pets (monkey, puppy or kitty) with unique pet codes. The associated website is bright, cheerful and easy to use. Parents need to go, log on and fill out information on behalf of their children. Then, little pet owners can play positive on-line games with cartoon versions of their toy, including feeding the pet and exploring inside and outside the pet home. This toy is welcomed by children who yearn for a Webkinz of their own – so they can be just like their older siblings.
Ages 10+
BACKSEAT DRAWING MODEL # 3729 OUT OF THE BOX AGES 10+
***Best Bet Award 2010***
Listen up! This innovative game for 4 to 10 players challenges two teams to identify drawings done by their own team members using dry erase markers (4) on erasable drawing boards (2). However, the artists must follow directions given by another team member, so even they do not know what they are sketching. Backseat drawing is like backseat driving; players can only hope that the instructions given are clear and on track. The game’s challenge cards (and rules) feature four languages: English, Spanish, French, and German. Each game takes about 20 to 30 minutes, and kids played it again and again.
BACKSEAT DRAWING JUNIOR MODEL # 3750 OUT OF THE BOX AGES 7+
***Best Bet Award 2010***
Picture this! This innovative game for 3 to 8 players challenges younger children to take the backseat drawing challenge and identify drawings done using dry erase markers (4) on erasable drawing boards (2). For the junior version, the challenge cards have pictures rather than words, so it’s easier for younger children to play. The game director looks at the picture card and tells the artist what to draw. The artist uses the drawing board to draw the picture, and then everybody tries to guess what the picture might be. Each game takes about 20 to 30 minutes, and kids played it again and again.
Ages 3-8
Ages 3-8
RICHARD SCARRY’S BUSY TOWN EYE FOUND IT! MODEL # 01017 I CAN DO THAT GAMES AGES 3-8
***Best Bet Award 2010***
Busy? You bet! Children are fascinated with this fun game for 2 to 4 players that features a six-foot (1.8 metre) long game board in three sections and challenges them to race around Busytown to solve mysteries and find hidden objects. Kids enjoy familiar characters such as Huckle Cat, Lowly Worm and Goldbug as well as searching through busy city streets, an activity-filled farm, an airport and a harbour full of boats to find the objects. Each game includes extra-long game board in three sections, 4 mover pieces and bases, spinner, ferry tile, 10 magnifying glass tokens, 6 food tiles, 30 Goldbug cards and a sand timer. This game keeps kids fully engaged and occupied as they busily search for hundreds of objects.
Ages 4+
PLAYMOBIL VET OPERATING ROOM MODEL # 4346 PLAYMOBIL AGES 4+
***Best Bet Award 2010***
Pet project! Children are immediately drawn to the “pet hospital” theme of this imaginary play set that allows them to help ailing anmals in the veterinarian’s operating room. Each play set includes two figures, two puppies, a kitten, a turtle, x-ray equipment with changeable slides, CT scanner, and many other accessories. All pieces are colourful and beautifully detailed. There are even removable casts to be placed on the animals. Kids enjoyed hours of play with this well-designed set.
Ages 5+
GOBBLET GOBBLERS MODEL # 00103 BLUE ORANGE GAMES AGES 5+
***Best Bet Award 2010***
Gobble, gobble, giggle, giggle! Children love the whimsical look of the characters in this all-wooden board game that two can play in just 2 to 5 minutes. Each game includes a game board,12 gobblers and illustrated rules. The object of the game, which combines memory and strategy, is to line up 3 gobblers in a row to win. Players must place gobblets on empty squares, except if the opponent has 3 gobblets in a row. In that case, the player’s gobbler may “gobble up” 1 of 3 of the opponent’s pieces. Very appealing, fast to learn and fun to play.
Ages 5+
COLOUR CODE MODEL # SG090 SMART GAMES AGES 5+
***Best Bet Award 2010***
Colourful distraction! Children are engaged and challenged by this brain puzzler game that requires that tiles be stacked tiles to recreate a composition layer by layer. Each game includes 18 coloured tiles, a tile display holder and game guide outlining challenges and solutions. With some 100 challenges to stack in the right order, this game develops logical thinking skills while entertaining the player.
Ages 6+
VILLA PALETTI MODEL # 2428490039 WIGGLES 3D AGES 6+
***Best Bet Award 2010***
The big build-up! Children enjoy this game for 2 to 4 players that challenges them to build up a cool-looking tower with colourful wooden bases and pillars, roll the dice and carefully remove pillars and place on the highest floor. The game provides a hook to help with removing the pillars. The object is to keep the structure from collapsing, and the winner is the player who can erect the most columns on the top level of this “shaky villa.” This is a fun game that can be played in teams. Games last about 20 to 30 minutes – or when the building comes tumbling down.
Ages 7+
PAPER BEADS MODEL # ISBN 10:1-59174-620-5 KLUTZ INC. AGES 7+
***Best Bet Award 2010***
On a roll! This easy-to-follow book provides the step-by-step instructions, paper and creative inspiration to make hundreds of pretty rolled-up paper beads. While the craft of paper beading is not new, this fun kit includes a nifty winding tool that helps forms beads faster and easier. Beads are then glazed and dry. Children can make lovely necklaces, bracelets and more – to wear, show off or give as gifts.
Ages 7-12
TRACK TURBO RACER RC MODEL # 8183 LEGO AGES 7-12 YEARS
***Best Bet Award 2010***
Double the fun! Kids are excited to build a small but mighty racing car with cool spoiler, air intake and engine, but the real fun begins when they race the vehicle with its remote control (RC) controller. The RC works well and allows the car to drive forward, back, left and right. This 92-piece building kit also includes instructions for two additional cars that can be built with the same pieces. NOTE: 3 AA and 3 AAA batteries required.
Ages 8+
HOW TO DRAW FUNNY MODEL # ISBN-10: 1-59174-620-5 KLUTZ INC. AGES 8+
***Best Bet Award 2010***
Comic genius! This terrific book provides page-by-page tips on how to draw funny comics. Well designed and illustrated, the set includes a pencil and three markers as well as an eraser, so budding cartoonists can draw what they see – or imagine. This craft book encourages learning by tracing or drawing freestyle. This is a fun and funny art activity.
Ages 8+
MURDER MYSTERY MANSION MODEL # 53105 UNIVERSITY GAMES AGES 8+
***Best Bet Award 2010***
The game’s afoot! Junior investigators enjoy playing this board game that combines logic and deductive reasoning. Each game, for 2 or more players, includes a 3-D mansion, suspect cards, method cards, motive cards, place cards, guess tokens, scoring pegs and instructions. Players must follow clues to solve the mystery of the man in the mansion by asking: Who did it? How they did do it? Why did they do it? Where did it all happen? Children are drawn to the game’s mystery theme and the kooky characters that populate the mansion.
Ages 8+
36 CUBE MODEL # 19275-06830 THINKFUN AGES 8+
***Best Bet Award 2010***
Ready, set, build! This excellent three-dimensional single-player puzzle game proved to be addictive for our testers. The goal is to place the 36 coloured towers onto the puzzle base by following two simple rules – there must be one and only one of each coloured tower in each row and column, and the towers must fit in the base to form a perfect cube shape with all towers at the same height. Children were immediately attracted to the game’s bright colours and returned again and again to solve this entertaining puzzle.
Ages 10+
TAKE A LETTER MODEL # 01021 UNIVERSITY GAMES AGES 10+
***Best Bet Award 2010***
Word up! Children enjoy the challenge offered by this board game for 2 to 5 players to collect, swipe and trade until a word is made. Each game includes a board, 4 pawns, 2 dice, 16 question cards, 40 word play cards, 150 letter tiles and rules book. As players move around the edge of the board, letters are collected – usually two per turn. Word play cards direct players to create words using a variety of letters, prefixes or suffixes for points. Kids enjoy “scrambling” to collect letters to make words and then “scrabbling” to place them in the crossword grid and see what points they’ve earned. This game is letter-perfect for children who enjoy word-based games.
Ages 10+
MONOPOLY CITY (3D) MODEL # 53569-39632 MILTON BRADLEY/HASBRO AGES 10+ YEARS
***Best Bet Award 2010***
Monopoly plus! This newest version of the classic board game for 2 to 6 players wowed young entrepreneurs who are eager to become the top property developer. Kids like how their “dream city” rises in 3D as they play. Players can choose to build houses, industrial complexes, schools, skyscrapers, stadiums or more, but the challenge is to avoid a rival developer placing a sewage plant right next to a prized property. Each game includes 80 3D buildings, game board, 6 pawns, buildings, 22 district cards, 25 chance cards, 6 reminder cards, 1 rent dodge card, 2 dice, 1 money pack, 1 trading unit and instructions. NOTE: 2 AAA batteries required (not included).
