A board game that teaches preschoolers how to code, a marble run in the spirit of Laser MazeTM, new editions of Zingo!®, and a get-up-and-dance game for toddlers are highlights of ThinkFun, Inc.’s line up for 2014 premiering at the American International Toy Fair. ThinkFun is the world’s leading developer of addictively fun games that sharpen your mind.
“Our mission to change the world through play built important momentum in 2013. We celebrated dozens of awards, generated national buzz, and unveiled groundbreaking games like Laser Maze that sold out weeks before the holiday season had a chance to warm up,” said Bill Ritchie, ThinkFun President and Co-Founder. “Our 2014 games reflect our passion for STEM and code literacy education, and of course, continued emphasis on fun along with the think.”
Available at ThinkFun.com, Amazon.com and neighborhood toy stores nationwide, new games include:
Robot Turtles™ (Ages 4 and up, two to five players, MSRP: $24.99)
A game for little programmers, building planning and sequential reasoning skills
The most backed board game in Kickstarter history, Robot Turtles sneakily teaches preschoolers the fundamentals of computer programming while encouraging silly family fun. Kids play with a grown up, using Code Cards and Bug Cards to program their Robot Turtle to reach its matching jewel. As you advance, the game incorporates obstacles like Ice Walls and more complex Code Cards like lasers. Best part? Kids get to boss the grown ups around, watching them make goofy turtle beeps, boops and zaps!
Gravity Maze™ (Ages 8 to adult, single player, MSRP: $29.99)
Laser Maze fans will love this marble run logic puzzle, building visual perception and reasoning skills
In this gravity-powered logic maze, you’ll arrange colorful, translucent towers to whisk your marble from starting point to target. Just like best-selling Laser Maze, you’ll rely on your visual perception and reasoning skills to find the single solution to 60 different challenges. The towers can be arranged in many visually stimulating structures offering lots of creative building time, but only one design will successfully carry your marble directly in your target.
Zingo!® Word Builder (Ages 5 and up, Grades K – 2nd, two or more players, MSRP: $19.99)
Build early reading skills three letters at a time, nurturing vocabulary and spelling
Zingo! Word Builder boosts confidence in early readers, guiding them to form three letter words in the spirit of the ever-popular Zingo! Players slide the Zinger to reveal letters and place matches on their cards to build simple words like cat, dog and jar. Beginner and Advanced levels of play appeal to beginning and more established readers.
Zingo!® Time-Telling (Ages 5 and up, Grades K – 3rd, two or more players, MSRP: $19.99)
Learn to tell time with Zingo!
Zingo! Time-telling is a fun way to learn to read a clock. Slide the Zinger to reveal hours and minutes like a digital clock, then look for matches on your cards that show an analog clock with hour and minute hands. As players match tiles and cards, their understanding of telling time in both analog and digital formats is strengthened. Two levels of play grow with your child – a Beginner level helps young players get familiar with the concept of time, and an Advanced level introduces older players to more complex challenges.
Move & Groove™ (Ages 18 months and up, two or more players, MSRP: $19.99)
Toddlers learn through active movement in the spirit of Roll & Play!
Move & Groove is the first dance game for toddlers that will get them up, active, and ready to learn! Watch your child boogie down and live it up while building gross motor skills, balance, and coordination. Game play is simple: toss the plush cube, choose one of 48 matching cards, and do the move such as: play the air guitar, shake your shoulders or dance the funky chicken. It’s a fun way to learn colors, recognize words and images, follow instructions, and build confidence and creativity.
Last Letter ™ (Ages 8 to adult, two or more players, MSRP: $12.99)
Classic last letter game with a seek & find twist, improving reflexes and concentration
Last Letter is a fun game for friends and family. Blurt out words depicted by illustrated cards, remembering your word must start with the last letter of the word previously called. Tap into your creative energies as you quickly scan the artful images to find words that work. Seeking & finding related words is pressure enough – add fast pace to the mix, and you may be left speechless!
Shell Game™ (Ages 8 to adult, single player, MSRP: $19.99)
First solo play memory game building logical reasoning and visual perception
Con your own cranium with Shell Game, the first single-player memory game. Just like the beach, your tools are Hermit Crabs, Ocean Stones and Sea Shells. Set up the crabs and stones according to the challenge and cover them with shells. As you shift and shuffle the shells, try to position those with hidden crabs in the end position. Lift up the shell and uncover a crab? You win! A stone? Try again!