Top Finds @ Chitag

By: Molly Katholi

From our media booth at CHITAG (Chicago Game and Toy Fair), We had the opportunity to preview the hottest, latest and greatest toys and games. There were so many fantastic exhibits run by fun and enthusiastic people it was hard to choose our favorites, but here are our top finds.

Bloxes. Blocks + Boxes = Bloxus! A Chicago based company that sells building blocks made of interlocking pieces of corrugated cardboard, folded together. They are both lightweight and exceptionally strong. And, since they can connect on all six sides what you can build with them is unlimited! Check them out at www.bloxes.com

Zillio. The woman behind this fabulous toy is Kay Emerson. A former engineer who designed the toy with a specific purpose - to provide all children with a fun and powerful way to see, touch, and understand basic math concepts. Sounds too good to be true? Well, check it out at http://www.zilliogames.com/ to see what we saw - a toy so gorgeous that you are drawn in and a game so fun to play that not one of the children seemed to care that they were learning math.

Lo Yo! This game is an ingenious combination of strategy, risk, memorization and luck that is a guaranteed new addiction. It is a simple set up with complex layers of play that would make it fun for two or four players for years to come. Take a peek at http://www.loyogame.com/.

Kijani. Even their website http://www.missionkijani.com makes you take notice This game not only has a zero carbon footprint due in part to its soy based ink and recycled board and box, but the mission of the game is to help two children successfully carry a rare rainforest tree back to Kijani and save it from extinction. Each move is based on your ability to answer ecological questions. Talk about a mission!

Catch My Drift. This is charades with an urban twist. Even we had to wait to get a chance to talk to the creator of this game - people would not stop playing! This game tests whether you really know slang words and whether you are using them accurately. Just picture your family sitting down in teams to try and guess the urban word for house (crib) or Wednesday (hump day). For more examples check the game out at http://www.slanguagegamez.com/.

Animoes. This game is targeted for the 3 and up crowd and is really designed with small children in mind. Adorable animal pictures are accompanied by rules that require children to act like animals while they wait their turn. Fun, educational and does not require your children to sit still! http://www.animoes.com/

Bike Buddy. My back spasms in pain every time my son asks to ride his bike. The Bike Buddy, invented by two moms in Portland, resolves that problem. It is a harness that goes all the way around your child with two handles in the back. You have a supportive hold on your child while they learn to ride a back. Safety without the back ache. You can see how it works at http://www.bike-buddy.com/

3D5. The ultimate tic-tac-toe where you must be the first player to place 5 of your marbles in a row either horizontally, vertically, or diagonally. With a collapsible game board design this game would be fun to play on a basic level with children or use the free space marbles to really drive an opponent crazy.




 Check back with us for more detailed reviews on these products coming soon!