Best Bet 2003 - The Canadian Toy Testing Council

CRAYOLA TWISTABLES CRAYONS
Model #63652 45120, BINNEY & SMITH,
Ages 3 +

Arthur's Kindergarten
Model #72040 80902, RIVERDEEP -- THE LEARNING CO.,
Ages 4 - 6 yrs

Discovery Airport, Little People/Fisher Price
Model #20626 71711, KNOWLEDGE ADVENTURE,
Ages 24 mos - 4 yrs

Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?
Model #72040 80862, RIVERDEEP -- THE LEARNING CO.,
Ages 8 - 12 yrs

Zoombinis Logical Journey
Model #72040 80933, RIVERDEEP -- THE LEARNING CO.,
Ages 8 +

Sparkling Symphony Rock & Play Piano
Model #73547, FISHER-PRICE CANADA INC.,
Ages 12 - 24 mos

***BEST BET AWARD 2003***

Spinning fun! This very sturdy and colourful activity table creates modern catchy tunes with the push of a button. Little ones loved dancing to the music while watching the colourful wheels spin. Children also enjoyed the challenge of flipping the top over to manipulate the interestingly shaped blocks and placing them on the pegboard. A fantastic toy for the younger play set! NOTE: 3 C batteries required.

Spinning Tunes Activity Table
Model #73540, FISHER-PRICE CANADA INC.,
Ages 9 - 24 mos

***BEST BET AWARD 2003***

Sparkling sounds! With its five instrument sounds, eight classical and contemporary songs and seven-note lighted keyboard, this musical toy had a lot of appeal for young musicians. Babies held the handles on the top and rocked to hear the lively tunes while toddlers played their own songs by pressing the keys. This attractive and easy-to-use keyboard encouraged children to play on their own or form an impromptu band with other children. Families agreed that this versatile and multi-featured keyboard was a hit! NOTE: Requires 3 AA batteries.

Wraps Kindergarten Math Shapes
ISBN 1-59174-038-X, KLUTZ INC.,
Ages 5 - 6 yrs

***BEST BET AWARD 2003***

Wrap around learning fun! This matching math shapes activity book with easily understood objectives was a big hit with children. The answers on the back provided immediate feedback and allowed children to self correct their tasks. With colourful and clear graphics as well as a progression to more difficult and different types of "puzzles" children were kept interested both in the car and at home.

Cranium, Canadian Edition
Model #67792 04001, CRANIUM INC.,
Ages 14 +

***BEST BET AWARD 2003***

BTO, the West Edmonton Mall and Maple Leaf pyramid power are just a few of the many Canadian facts in this fast-paced board game. Questions are from the categories of "Word Worm" (word puzzles and spelling), "Star Performer" (acting or singing), "Creative Cat" (drawing and modeling) and "Data Head" (facts and figures). Although Gen-X and boomer players more easily recognized some of the questions, teens found they could play on their own. Adults be warned however, if you don’t play with your teens, you’ll be missing out on a lot of laughs! Game requires a minimum of two teams of two or more players.

Luxor
Model #262410, RAVENSBURGER GERMANY,
Ages 9 +

***BEST BET AWARD 2003***

Walk like an Egyptian! Explorers have finally reached the Egyptian burial chamber and their challenge now is to rebuild the hieroglyphic wall by matching animal pairs and collecting sarcophagi. The player with the most points wins the game. With many opportunities to develop strategy and three game variations this outstanding game appealed to both children and parents. The illustrations are colourful, the mummies are comical and the Egyptian theme is attractive to both boys and girls of all ages!

SMART MOUTH
Model #19275 05530, BINARY ARTS,
Ages 6 +

***BEST BET AWARD 2003***

A great family word building game! The strong plastic letter getter held 18 first letters and 18 final letters (bright orange or lime green) plastic chips. Although the rules state players should put three letters in between initial and final chips to form a word, most of our testing families adjusted the number of letters in between according to the level of the player, allowing everyone a fun and challenging time. The first person to shout out a word wins the pieces and the player with the most pieces at the end of the playtime wins. This game is also great fun in teams, but watch out for those made up words!

CATCH-A-BUBBLE
Model #78988 20151, Spin Master,
Ages 4 +

***BEST BET AWARD 2003***

A great new generation of bubbles has just floated in! With one puff on the bubble wand an overabundance of bubbles is produced. Once in the air the bubble shell hardens allowing them to be touched, stacked and played with. It is best to use the whole tube up at once as the bottle top becomes very sticky making the lid hard to remove - most kids won’t have a problem with this job as everyone loved this new and exciting bubble test tube!

E.KARA, REAL KAROAKE!
Model #11504, HASBRO CANADA INC.,
Ages 8 +

Maggie Raggies Sweetie Singer
Model #75122, ZAPF CREATION,
Ages 24 mos - 5 yrs

***BEST BET AWARD 2003***

La, la, la, la,la,la,la! This soft, cuddly and sweet faced doll sings a lovely little tune when her tummy is pressed. Volume is adjusted by the pressure placed on her tummy - press gently for a soft song or tighter to hear her sing more loudly. Little girls enjoyed playing with her curly yarn hair or simply listening to her sweet little song! NOTE: 3 AA batteries required.

Traffic City
Model #3619, LEGO CANADA INC.,
Ages 3 +

***BEST BET AWARD 2003***

Road safety comes alive in a well-controlled environment! This 82-piece set has everything needed to create a busy city. Included with this very durable set is a sturdy playmat, six different vehicles, seven multicultural playpeople, city building structures, gas pump and road signs with working stop light to help simulate real roadway play. Children had hours of imaginative play and incorporated pieces with other toys and duplo sets. The instruction booklet is all illustrations, which allows non-readers to construct the various themes; younger children however, did need some adult assistance.

Winning London, Mary-Kate & Ashley
Model #56308, MATTEL CANADA INC.,
Ages 3 +

***BEST BET AWARD 2003***

Teenage dolls who look like real teenagers! Children loved this two-doll set of the famous Olson twins. The theme is based in London where the girls play two students from California travelling to London to compete in a United Nations contest. The set includes two dolls with two interchangeable extra outfits and shoes, a plastic laptop computer, movie camera, cassette tape and mini novel explaining the whole "Winning London" story. Children had hours of fun acting out their favourite scenes and incorporating the dolls in all sorts of other adventures!

Talking Microscope, GeoSafari
Model #EI-8800, EDUCATIONAL INSIGHTS,
Ages 5 - 7 yrs

***BEST BET AWARD 2003***

Introduce children to the amazing world of insects and spiders with this easy to use interactive talking microscope! Children were able to get an up-close view of 12 fascinating bugs as they heard cool facts or tested their knowledge of each critter with fun quiz games. The microscope featured a 5X-focusing magnifier and 12 prepared interactive slides with storage box. Children absolutely loved this microscope and wished there were more slides available. NOTE: Requires 3 C batteries. Spare light bulb included.

Best Bet Awards 2003



Arts & Crafts
CRAYOLA TWISTABLES CRAYONS Model #63652 45120, BINNEY & SMITH, Ages 3 +

*BEST BET AWARD 2003* Let’s do the twist! The crayon has just been made better! This set of twelve vibrant coloured crayons comes housed in a portable travel case. The crayons are a cross between a regular crayon and a pencil. Children and parents loved this writing/colouring tool that has a special plastic covering ensuring nominal breakage, no sharpening, and best of all, no mess! Children found they were able to draw more neatly, stay within the lines and because of this unique design there are no more stubby ends!

Computer Software, & Games
Arthur's Kindergarten Model #72040 80902, RIVERDEEP -- THE LEARNING CO., Ages 4 - 6 yrs

*BEST BET AWARD 2003* Arthur starts school! This double CD-ROM set for windows and Macintosh systems features the lovable Arthur gang. In disc one, children can practice a variety of kindergarten level skills while working to rebuild Arthur’s tree house. Learning activities include memory building, patterns and sequencing, arithmetic and vocabulary development. Disc two features creative skill development activities including music machine and create a card. Children loved the printable activities, which included cut and paste, colouring sheets, puzzles and games and even a recipe for play dough! With over 50 activities and a progress checker to track skill development, this CD was a big hit for both children and Mom and Dad.

Discovery Airport, Little People/Fisher Price Model #20626 71711, KNOWLEDGE ADVENTURE, Ages 24 mos - 4 yrs

*BEST BET AWARD 2003* A soaring success! This software is a great introduction to CD-ROM’s for little ones. Children had lots of fun helping Pilot Paula and the other Little People with various jobs at the airport. Sorting suitcases, putting pets in cages, building their own airplanes and learning about the weather were some of the activities included in this CD-ROM. Children learned counting and number skills, shapes, colours and helped to build and paint an airplane. They loved the big friendly characters, real airport sounds and ability to print out their own activity pages. With three different levels and a snap to install, this software flies with kids!

Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? Model #72040 80862, RIVERDEEP -- THE LEARNING CO., Ages 8 - 12 yrs

*BEST BET AWARD 2003* No mission is impossible when you are a member of the famous ACME Detective Agency! Carmen Sandiego has stolen the rare and valuable "Travels of Marco Polo". With the help of nifty spy gadgets and "on demand" video calls with the Chief, children will find themselves hot on the trail of the infamous Carmen. Young detectives traveled the world to find clues that would help solve puzzles and find secret codes to complete various missions. Children loved the challenges and entertainment this exciting adventure offered while parents loved knowing children were expanding their knowledge of geography, history, map reading and detective reasoning. Easy installation, hassle-free function and excellent sound and graphics made this CD-ROM game a real hit!
Zoombinis Logical Journey Model #72040 80933, RIVERDEEP -- THE LEARNING CO., Ages 8 +

*BEST BET AWARD 2003* Children really enjoyed this logical journey with the adorable Zoombinis! Each Zoombini is created individually and children then take them on an adventure. Every puzzle solved leads to another more difficult journey. Math and logic skills abound and a parent’s guide is included in this great game with excellent graphics. NOTE: Runs on Windows and Macintosh.
Developmental Toys
Sparkling Symphony Rock & Play Piano Model #73547, FISHER-PRICE CANADA INC., Ages 12 - 24 mos

*BEST BET AWARD 2003* Spinning fun! This very sturdy and colourful activity table creates modern catchy tunes with the push of a button. Little ones loved dancing to the music while watching the colourful wheels spin. Children also enjoyed the challenge of flipping the top over to manipulate the interestingly shaped blocks and placing them on the pegboard. A fantastic toy for the younger play set! NOTE: 3 C batteries required.

Spinning Tunes Activity Table Model #73540, FISHER-PRICE CANADA INC., Ages 9 - 24 mos

*BEST BET AWARD 2003* Sparkling sounds! With its five instrument sounds, eight classical and contemporary songs and seven-note lighted keyboard, this musical toy had a lot of appeal for young musicians. Babies held the handles on the top and rocked to hear the lively tunes while toddlers played their own songs by pressing the keys. This attractive and easy-to-use keyboard encouraged children to play on their own or form an impromptu band with other children. Families agreed that this versatile and multi-featured keyboard was a hit! NOTE: Requires 3 AA batteries.

Educational Toys
Wraps Kindergarten Math Shapes ISBN 1-59174-038-X, KLUTZ INC., Ages 5 - 6 yrs

*BEST BET AWARD 2003* Wrap around learning fun! This matching math shapes activity book with easily understood objectives was a big hit with children. The answers on the back provided immediate feedback and allowed children to self correct their tasks. With colourful and clear graphics as well as a progression to more difficult and different types of "puzzles" children were kept interested both in the car and at home.

Games
Cranium, Canadian Edition Model #67792 04001, CRANIUM INC., Ages 14 +

*BEST BET AWARD 2003* BTO, the West Edmonton Mall and Maple Leaf pyramid power are just a few of the many Canadian facts in this fast-paced board game. Questions are from the categories of "Word Worm" (word puzzles and spelling), "Star Performer" (acting or singing), "Creative Cat" (drawing and modeling) and "Data Head" (facts and figures). Although Gen-X and boomer players more easily recognized some of the questions, teens found they could play on their own. Adults be warned however, if you don’t play with your teens, you’ll be missing out on a lot of laughs! Game requires a minimum of two teams of two or more players.

Luxor Model #262410, RAVENSBURGER GERMANY, Ages 9 +

*BEST BET AWARD 2003* Walk like an Egyptian! Explorers have finally reached the Egyptian burial chamber and their challenge now is to rebuild the hieroglyphic wall by matching animal pairs and collecting sarcophagi. The player with the most points wins the game. With many opportunities to develop strategy and three game variations this outstanding game appealed to both children and parents. The illustrations are colourful, the mummies are comical and the Egyptian theme is attractive to both boys and girls of all ages!

SMART MOUTH Model #19275 05530, BINARY ARTS, Ages 6 +

*BEST BET AWARD 2003* A great family word building game! The strong plastic letter getter held 18 first letters and 18 final letters (bright orange or lime green) plastic chips. Although the rules state players should put three letters in between initial and final chips to form a word, most of our testing families adjusted the number of letters in between according to the level of the player, allowing everyone a fun and challenging time. The first person to shout out a word wins the pieces and the player with the most pieces at the end of the playtime wins. This game is also great fun in teams, but watch out for those made up words!

Imaginative Play
CATCH-A-BUBBLE Model #78988 20151, Spin Master, Ages 4 +

*BEST BET AWARD 2003* A great new generation of bubbles has just floated in! With one puff on the bubble wand an overabundance of bubbles is produced. Once in the air the bubble shell hardens allowing them to be touched, stacked and played with. It is best to use the whole tube up at once as the bottle top becomes very sticky making the lid hard to remove - most kids won’t have a problem with this job as everyone loved this new and exciting bubble test tube!

E.KARA, REAL KAROAKE! Model #11504, HASBRO CANADA INC., Ages 8 +

*BEST BET AWARD 2003* Sing like a star! This electronic microphone connects to your television or VCR with a cable input (included). A five-song cartridge is also included. Scroll through the on-screen menu to select your song and sing away. The microphone has volume control, tempo, echo, soprano, bass and vibrato special effects. Our children enjoyed hearing their own voice through the television just like a music star. Additional cartridges are sold separately. NOTE: 4 AA batteries required. Not for use with projection type televisions.

Maggie Raggies Sweetie Singer Model #75122, ZAPF CREATION, Ages 24 mos - 5 yrs

*BEST BET AWARD 2003* La, la, la, la,la,la,la! This soft, cuddly and sweet faced doll sings a lovely little tune when her tummy is pressed. Volume is adjusted by the pressure placed on her tummy - press gently for a soft song or tighter to hear her sing more loudly. Little girls enjoyed playing with her curly yarn hair or simply listening to her sweet little song! NOTE: 3 AA batteries required.

Traffic City Model #3619, LEGO CANADA INC., Ages 3 +

*BEST BET AWARD 2003* Road safety comes alive in a well-controlled environment! This 82-piece set has everything needed to create a busy city. Included with this very durable set is a sturdy playmat, six different vehicles, seven multicultural playpeople, city building structures, gas pump and road signs with working stop light to help simulate real roadway play. Children had hours of imaginative play and incorporated pieces with other toys and duplo sets. The instruction booklet is all illustrations, which allows non-readers to construct the various themes; younger children however, did need some adult assistance.

Winning London, Mary-Kate & Ashley Model #56308, MATTEL CANADA INC., Ages 3 +

*BEST BET AWARD 2003* Teenage dolls who look like real teenagers! Children loved this two-doll set of the famous Olson twins. The theme is based in London where the girls play two students from California travelling to London to compete in a United Nations contest. The set includes two dolls with two interchangeable extra outfits and shoes, a plastic laptop computer, movie camera, cassette tape and mini novel explaining the whole "Winning London" story. Children had hours of fun acting out their favourite scenes and incorporating the dolls in all sorts of other adventures!

Science & Discovery
Talking Microscope, GeoSafari Model #EI-8800, EDUCATIONAL INSIGHTS, Ages 5 - 7 yrs

*BEST BET AWARD 2003* Introduce children to the amazing world of insects and spiders with this easy to use interactive talking microscope! Children were able to get an up-close view of 12 fascinating bugs as they heard cool facts or tested their knowledge of each critter with fun quiz games. The microscope featured a 5X-focusing magnifier and 12 prepared interactive slides with storage box. Children absolutely loved this microscope and wished there were more slides available. NOTE: Requires 3 C batteries. Spare light bulb included.