Active Play

***BEST BET AWARD 2001***

Fun in store, and easy to store! This durable plastic play structure kept kids active with lots of crawl holes, colourful panels and a gentle, sloping slide. Kids loved using this structure as a fort, climber and in many exciting imaginary adventures. Better still, the unit could be used indoors or out, at home or at the cottage, at it was easy to fold up, store and carry. NOTE: Maximum weight limit of 32 kg (70 lb.) per child; limit four children at a time.

 Arts & Crafts

***BEST BET AWARD 2001***

Body beautiful! Kids were immediately attracted to this terrific kit that came complete with a sturdy, spiral-bound book, six washable, non-toxic body art crayons and a sharpener. Children could draw designs on their hands, knees, and other body areas by following the illustrations in the book or by using their own imaginations. The book provided step-by-step instructions on how to do the art and clean up if the drawing smudged. Ingredients were listed to avoid possible allergic reactions, and lotion was recommended if the crayons were to be used on the face. Super summertime art activity for kids wearing shorts and t-shirts!

CRAYOLA COLOR WONDER
MODEL #75-2140-C-300
BINNEY & SMITH
Ages 3+ years

***BEST BET AWARD 2001***

No mess, no stress! These new markers and stampers only worked on special paper--the rest of the time, they made no mark at all! Kids loved the three different packages tested. One set had six markers and a 30-sheet tablet of paper; another had six markers and a 24-page colouring book; and a third package came with six stamps, a two-colour stamping pad, three markers and a 30-sheet tablet. Each package came with a carrying case that worked great to keep everything together. Younger kids especially enjoyed the fact that if they coloured outside of the lines in the colouring book, no image would appear. Parents liked the fact that no image would appear on floors, walls, upholstery or kids!

NORIS CLUB 12 POSTER COLOURS
MODEL #887 NC12
STAEDTLER-MARS LTD.
Ages 5+ years

***BEST BET AWARD 2001***

Colour your world! This basic set of 12 non-toxic, washable poster paints had kids painting up a storm. The paints came in tubes with caps that indicated the colours inside (black, blue, purple, orange, peach, brown, gold, yellow, red, dark green, light green and white). The colours could be applied without adding water, and went on smoothly. Great for art play or school projects, especially for older kids.

***BEST BET AWARD 2001***

Magnetic attraction! This craft let kids sculpt, bake and paint their own fridge magnet creations, and they loved the results. Each kit included easy-to-follow colour instructions, 150 grams of clay, rolling pin, six cookie cutters in fun shaped designs, paint, paint brush and 12 adhesive-backed magnets. Children were limited only by their imaginations, and enjoyed putting displaying the fridge magnets at home or giving as gifts. NOTE: Families concerned about chemical fumes released when clay is oven-baked can try using a toaster oven set up in a porch or garage.

SHRINKY DINKS BOOK
MODEL #ISBN 1-57054-407-7
KLUTZ INC.
Ages 7+ years

***BEST BET AWARD 2001***

Shrinky craft, big fun! This super craft activity book got raves from kids, who were delighted with the amazing results when their drawings were baked and shrunk into little keepsakes. Children traced designs from the sturdy, spiral-bound book onto special plastic craft sheets (six sheets supplied). Kids coloured their drawings with pencil crayons or markers, etc.--any medium except wax--then cut out the art and bake for five minutes in the oven. The plastic shrunk to half its original size, hiding imperfections and creating instant "shrinky" art. Adding holes, clips, pins or key chains provided endless possibilities, and kids found this craft extremely rewarding. NOTE: Adult supervision required for oven use.

 Computer Software, & Games

***BEST BET AWARD 2001***

Battle on, heroes! This CD-ROM for Windows sported awesome graphics and an exciting theme that kept young adventurers thirsting for more. This game had players adopt the role of Goth, Viking or Celt and each had to plot complicated military strategies to bring their civilization to greatness. The game got more difficult as it progressed, and younger players needed a lot of guidance and help. However, older players who could remember all the details and made good use of the excellent book that came along with the software became enthralled with the history and intrigue of this game. NOTE: Animated blood and violence.

HOT WHEELS CRASH CD-ROM
MODEL: 23769
MATTEL MEDIA
Ages 5+ years

***BEST BET AWARD 2001***

Stunt master! Kids were thrilled with this exciting, action-packed CD-ROM that let them blow things up, but only after carefully setting up the scene like a stunt from a movie. The software offered three levels and three ways to launch the stunt car with the objective of destroying everything on the onscreen film set to earn points. Players could use a keyboard, mouse or joystick to set things in motion. NOTE: Playable on Windows platforms.

PAJAMA SAM 3: YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT
MODEL #04-19071
HUMONGOUS ENTERTAINMENT, INC.
Ages 3-8 years

***BEST BET AWARD 2001***

Food fight! This CD-ROM brought back kid fave Pajama Sam for a new fun adventure. This time he must help stop warring food groups, and along the way he meets many interesting, animated food people. This neat concept helped introduce children to the different food groups as well as teach them the importance of healthy eating. It's all very silly yet informative; Sam's charming manner and his curiosity made the game a delight to play. This software also came with a colouring/comic book and stickers. NOTE: Playable on both Windows and Macintosh systems.

PLUMO ON THE FARM
MICRO-INTEL
Ages 3-6 years

***BEST BET AWARD 2001***

Fine feathered fun! This terrific Canadian-made Windows/Macintosh CD-ROM featured a colourful parrot named Plumo who helped kids explore life on the farm--and learn things along the way. Children were delighted with the 10 games (two levels of difficulty) that entertained while teaching such skills as observation, classification, solving puzzles, matching and telling time. Feedback allowed players to correct errors before playing new rounds. This software was simple yet engaging, providing hours of fun. NOTE: Trilingual presentation (English, French and Spanish).

 Construction Toys

LEGO ARCTIC POLAR BASE
MODEL #6575
LEGO CANADA INC.
Ages 8-12 years

***BEST BET AWARD 2001***

Arctic adventure! This 435-piece construction toy made of durable plastic took fun to chilling new heights. Once built, the polar base with its helicopter, ski-doo and toy polar bear provided kids with a great springboard for imaginative play. Some pieces of the base came off during play, but this did not detract from the popular theme and hours of fun.

LEGO T-REX TRANSPORT & AII TERRAIN TRAPPER
MODEL #5975 & 5955
LEGO CANADA INC.
Ages 7-12 years

***BEST BET AWARD 2001***

Dino-mighty! These two construction sets (186 and 322 pieces) featured the cool theme of adventure in a prehistoric park, complete with toy thunder lizards and dino hunters. Kids loved building the vehicles that would be used to trap the beasts, and enjoyed hours of imaginative play during and after construction. While pieces of the models sometimes came off during play, this was no problem for children--this theme was a huge hit.

 Developmental Toys

TOY_NAME: WHOOZIT ACTIVITY SPIRAL
MODEL #WZ-550
MANHATTAN TOY COMPANY
Ages Birth+ years

***BEST BET AWARD 2001***

Merry and mobile! This soft, adaptable spiral activity toy with black-and-white accents wrapped around many surfaces--crib, high chair, stroller--so it could go anywhere with baby. This toy featured a fun space theme and had four objects hanging from red ribbons (bell, crinkly moon, rattling star and squeaking "whoozit" face). Little ones found this toy appealing and enjoyed playing both in and out of cribs or strollers. NOTE: Manufacturer recommends surface wash, but toy machine washes well.

 Educational Toys

ARE WE THERE YET? AUTO TRAVEL CARD GAME
MODEL #004
ARE WE THERE YET? INC.
Ages 6+ years

***BEST BET AWARD 2001***

Road tripper! This compact box of question cards in three languages (English, French and Spanish) gave kids loads of things to think about and look for when travelling in the car. At least one child had to be able to read--the driver should not be involved with this task--and both younger and older kids enjoyed watching for such objects as a horse, a license plate from a place the child had never been, speed bumps, etc. This game was most enjoyed when all players looked for the same things at the same time. The player spotting the most items was the winner, but with kids occupied with the game in the back seat, everyone was a winner.

BRAIN QUEST 1ST GRADE MATH
MODEL #ISBN 0-7611-1929-9
WORKMAN PUBLISHING
Ages 6-7 years

***BEST BET AWARD 2001***

Math marvel! This package contained two bookmark-shaped illustrated quiz card sets that kept kids pondering Grade 1 math puzzles. Children enjoyed trying to answer its 750 basic math problems, including addition, subtraction and fraction questions. A good, stimulating activity to take in the car, to doctor's office, etc.

BRAIN QUEST 2ND GRADE MATH
MODEL #ISBN 0-7611-1930-2
WORKMAN PUBLISHING
Ages 7-8 years

***BEST BET AWARD 2001***

It does compute! This double pack of math question cards challenged and entertained young minds. The illustrated cards were designed in a bookmark fashion, and featured a plastic peg at the corner that bound them together and allowed the cards to be spread like a fan. Questions were divided into different areas: numeration, bits and pieces (fractions, shapes, etc.), computation, measurements, problem solving, super computation and fun with numbers. Kids enjoyed asking and answering questions--all the while improving their math skills. Great for travel.

CHEERIOS PLAY BOOK BINGO GAME
MODEL #ISBN 1-890809-55-1
BRIARPATCH
Ages 3-4 years

***BEST BET AWARD 2001***

Yummy fun! Kids were captivated by the cheerful design of this bingo-style board game that could be played with illustrated tiles or--you guessed it--breakfast cereal. The matching game could be played in a simple or advanced versions with friends or family, and children also enjoyed playing a solitary version. Kids asked to play this game again and again... the only drawback was that the game pieces could be gobbled up!

 Imaginative Play

BARBIE AIRPLANE & BARBIE PILOT
MODEL #22007 & 24017
MATTEL CANADA INC.
Ages 5+

***BEST BET AWARD 2001***

The sky's the limit! Kids were thrilled with this doll-sized airplane that seated two other fashion dolls as well as the uniformed Barbie with bobbed hair (sold separately). The durable plastic toy jet came with many small, remarkable, detailed accessories, including ice cube dispenser, cans of soda, seat belts, magazines, headset, coffee cups and more. Children really enjoyed the on board, working "microphone" that let pretend pilots announce conditions of flight. The plane rolled smoothly on its wheels--too heavy to lift--and folded up nicely for storage in the "hangar". Barbie in her crisp navy suit made a great pilot. NOTE: Three "AA" batteries required (not included.)

FELTKIDS ENCHANTED KINGDOM
MODEL #14701
LEARNING CURVE TOYS
Ages 3+ years

***BEST BET AWARD 2001***

Fairy tale felt! This 42-piece felt play set inspired hours of make-believe as children used its colourful felt pieces on the large play mat to tell stories of long ago. Kids enjoyed spreading the mat with castle fold-out on the floor and using the kings, queens, dragons, trees and more to create fairy tale adventures. Nicely boxed with handle for travel. Up to three or four children could play at a time; simple, imaginative, harmonious fun! NOTE: Comes with lifetime guarantee to replace any felt parts that go missing.

BABY KIKA SET & BABY DOLL NIGHT SET
MODEL #66951 & 67952.10
CHICCO
Ages 3+ years

***BEST BET AWARD 2001***

Baby dearest! Children loved and nurtured this realistic, hard-bodied plastic baby doll. The doll came with a very nice outfit and bottle; little parents loved feeding enjoyed feeding and changing her. The doll featured head, arms and legs that could rotate and she sat well or could be easily carried in arms on a hip. Children who played with this doll did not want to let her go! A well-made doll with good quality accessories.

PIKACHU RADIO CONTROL CAR
MODEL #75947
TIGER ELECTRONICS
Ages 8+ years

***BEST BET AWARD 2001***

Pikachu pick! This very cute radio controlled car came with the bright yellow colour and impish face of Pokemon character Pikachu, and kids were thrilled. The control handset was shaped and coloured like a Pokeball, and worked extremely well. This toy made great left and right turns while in forward or reverse, and provided super control and speed on a variety of surfaces. This toy was hit with kids familiar and unfamiliar with the TV show. NOTE: One 9-Volt battery and four "AA" batteries required (not included).