SECTOR GUIDE GAMES AND PUZZLES 69 RAINBOW DESIGNS 01329 227300 MARBEL 01208 873123
The Charlie and Lola ‘Lola Loves’ collection includes the Lola Loves ‘Playing Games’ Wooden Dominoes Set. The game will help kids learn numbers and improve their counting. Rainbow’s new Abney & Teal collection
features two games and puzzles for pre- schoolers. The Giant Floor Puzzle features an image of Abney & Teal and their friends on their island, against a backdrop of the city. The two-in-one puzzle also features a colouring-in image on the reverse.
Also included is the Mix and Match Card
Game – a 20-piece matching numbers activity. Also from Rainbow Designs are Wooden Peg
Puzzles and Dominoes in The Very Hungry Caterpillar, My First Paddington, The World of Beatrix Potter, Elmer, Spot and The Gruffalo, plus a Wibbly Pig Peg Puzzle and Matching Card Game.
BIGJIGS 01303 250 400
WWF Games and Puzzles is a new collection of FSC certified products themed around species and habitats which WWF works to safeguard. The result is a line of products that have a strong educational value and reach a broad audience from ages four and over. Each game teaches children about endangered species and their diverse habitats which are being threatened. George Luck has been designing and making wooden puzzles for over 30 years. The range has won numerous good toy and design awards and has been widely acclaimed for being both fun and educational.
Jigsaw puzzles have long been recognised as helping develop children’s dexterity skills and shape recognition, as well as the most important coordination of hands and eyes. George Luck Puzzles are largely based upon recognisable shapes rather than just plain pieces, and the use of animals and vehicles in these shapes helps improve a child’s vocabulary and imagination.
CHEATWELL GAMES 02392 524098
There are stacks of new lines being added to the expanding Bigjigs Toys range of games and puzzles in 2012. From the Chunky Lift Out and My First Matching lines, to the different Vertical Magnetic puzzles, the range offers children new developmental opportunities as they explore and learn while solving the puzzle problem. The firm also offers a range of games suitable for outdoor use. Picking his favourite from the selection,
Bigjigs Toys UK operations manager, Sam Ireland, has tipped the new Jungle Animal Skittles as top for summer: “It’s difficult to decide on a favourite as pretty much all of the products we stock are suitable for outdoor play in one way or another, but I find that the classic ones always provide the most fun and these skittles are a must have for any garden.”
Animate It was developed in association with Aardman. It comes with software suitable for Windows and Mac, flexible moulds and clay, a green screen background and a ‘get-you- started’ DVD featuring Ricky the Animator. Also included are 26 episodes of Morph animations. App-Player marries the traditional board game to the smart phone market. The game comes with four titles and customers can visit the iTunes Store and download the apps. The Apps are also available for Android phones. The firm also has more traditional puzzles including the Build It range of 3D Puzzles, plus Plop Trumps, the poo-tastic card game. The Pig Popper, the soft-ball popping game is now joined by Dino, Dog, Moo-Cow, Penguin plus a festive version. Other new lines include Mini Masters Jigsaw Puzzles, Coffee Table Trivia and new editions of the Murder Mystery Games.