GOLD SEAL AWARD: EARLY SCHOOL
July 17, 2020
(eeBoo $21.99)
Players move their koala playing pieces from branch to branch after they draw a card that tell them what color, number, or shape they should land on. But watch out! If a koala lands where your koala is resting, you’re going to have to bounce off and give that player any one of the cards you have collected. AND you don’t want to draw an OOPS card or you bounce down to the ground and have to give the player to you...
July 17, 2020
(eeBoo)
If you’re eager to build climate awareness early on —you’ll like the handsome 500-piece round puzzle, Climate March ($21.99) or 100-piece puzzle($16.99), Climate Action, illustrated with multicultural men, women, and children holding up signs reminding us to change our ways! We know mottos are only words and most important lessons are taught by example. That said, this puzzle designed by illustrator Petra Braun, brings...
July 17, 2020
(Creativity for Kids $13.99)
Do this fun craft kit outside, while the weather is good. Pouring paint is a novel way to decorate the 10 natural river rocks that come clean and ready. Use a little of two or more of the 4 bottles of paint to create a marble like finish. Once they dry add on of the metallic galaxy transfers for a starry finishing touch. Our tester was thrilled with the final look. Use them for a scavenger hunt or...
July 16, 2020
(Mindware $25.95)
A fun activity that two budding paleontologists can do together. They can paint the four stone figurines: a dinosaur, volcano, mountainside cave, and a rutted pathway. Next, they’ll need you to bake their creations to make them weather-proof. Then they can create a small forest in a corner of your garden or inside if you have no garden. The kit comes with 12 pots of paint and one paintbrush. These are purely d...
July 16, 2020
(Mindware $29.95)
Dig in to uncover a dozen different and genuine gemstones in this giant piece of geode. Kids will find gems such as jasper, amethyst, and tiger's eye. They can learn to identify their gems using the gem identification poster that includes scientific, historical and mythological facts. The image here shows a child with glasses...there are no safety glasses in this kit. Mindware's Digs are not like most dusty di...
July 1, 2020
Preschoolers begin by counting by rote, usually without any real understanding of the meaning of the words they chant. Putting out napkins on the table for each person, counting how many cookies are needed for each teddy bear at the tea party, counting the steps as you climb the stairs...all give meaning to what we mean by two, three, four, and more.
Games also bring understanding, as they spin a number or roll a die and make t...
June 29, 2020
(eeBoo $16.99)
Young dog-lovers are going to love this 100-piece puzzle. They can hunt and count how many dogs romping in the park...but first they will need to use their problem problem skills to put the puzzle together. Sticking to a project , dealing with minor frustration and problem solving are important school skills that puzzles can help build.
Ages: Early School
Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold Seal Award 2020
June 29, 2020
(Mindware $25.95)
We don't often do slime toys, but this is no ordinary silly slime mess. Yes, the pre-measured packets spill into a container and produce slime. But the fun and learning just begin here. There are clear instructions for ten different experiments that lead to creating ballon filled squishy balls that introduce kids to some basic concepts that stretch the imagination and curiosity. It gives them concrete ( if s...
June 29, 2020
(Brio $39.99)
Our five-year old tester did a lot of FaceTime calls to show off the talking Robot he and his dad built. This wasn't his first Brio Builder kit—but it is his favorite. He already knew how to use the tools to assemble this classic wooden building set, but this one has added dimension—sound! A battery operated record and play feature allowed him to add his own special voice effects to the robot he built and motor so...
June 26, 2020
(Mindware $104.95)
Art meets science and construction play! Combining the cubes, light-up cubes, rails and marble catchers in unlimited configurations. An open-ended kit for discovering ways to set the motion-activated lights to flash as marbles pass through the multiple mazes kids can design. Kids will need to use their critical thinking skills, as well as trial and error to create new structures. It’s hands on physics, engine...