Looking for classic games from when you were a kid? New games to make you laugh while you're learning (or learn while you're laughing)? Fast games? Slow games? We've got you covered.
_ Atari Plug & Play Joystick
Remember those iconic Atari games you used to play (or that your parents or grandparents told you about)? Well, now you can enjoy them on your TV _ and without all those pesky cartridges. The joystick comes preloaded with 10 games, including Asteroids, Breakout, Centipede, Missile Command, Warloards, and more. To make your return to the 80s complete, each game features retro graphics, sounds, and all the original gameplay. 4 AA batteries required but not included. For ages 8+. About $20. http://thebridgedirect.com
_ Fisher-Price Tape Recorder (Fisher-Price)
Considering that we live in an era when CDs have gone the way of the dinosaurs, introducing a cassette tape recorder (which we're assuming your kids have never even heard of, let alone seen) just might be considered revolutionary. Unfortunately, unlike the original product, which was introduced in 1981, this reboot doesn't play real tapes. However, your child will still have a lot of fun singing along to the built-in nursery rhymes, and recording themselves in the process. It's for ages 3+ and is about $20 at your favorite online or brick-and-mortar retailer. http://thebridgedirect.com
_ Miss Bernard is a Wild Card (All Things Equal, Inc.)
Have you read any of Dan Gutman's "My Weird School" books? If so, great, you'll already know some of the wacky characters from Ella Mentry School. But it doesn't really matter, because whether you have or not, you and your whole family are in for some truly laugh-out-loud fun. The rules to this game are pretty simple. Pick a card, play a card, and create absurd _ and high-scoring _ sentences. With 570,000 possible combinations, you're sure to come up with something. Just make the first two cards rhyme, and you're good to go. Along the way, you'll develop reading, strategic-thinking, sentence-structure, grammar, and even math skills, but you'll be too busy laughing to realize any of that. For 2-4 players, ages 6-10. About $20. http://loadedquestions.com
_ Pokemon Trainer Guess (The Bridge Direct)
Think of a Pokemon, or, if you don't know any off the top of your head, pick one from the included Pokemon Trainer Field Guide to all 151 Kanto Region Pokemons. Then push the button on the spherical Trainer Guess and answer its questions (voice-recognition software will register your Yes or No). Within a few minutes, Trainer Guess will read your mind. This one's mostly for Pokemon lovers (of course, anyone may play, but the deeper your Pokemon knowledge, the more fun you'll have). That said, the Field Guide is a great way to brush up on your Pokemon and impress your kids. Or yourself. For ages 6+ _ unless your child is a Pokemon prodigy. Batteries required (and included) About $20. http://thebridgedirect.com
_ Rubik's Race (Rubik's)
This game is fast, colorful, and a huge amount of fun _ even if you're horrible at solving Rubik's cubes. Start by shaking the shaker, which reveals a 3x3 grid that looks like one unsolved face of a Rubik's cube. Then, the two players slide and shift the tiles on their own 5x5 grid to come up with a 3x3 that matches what's on the shaker. If you're a hardcore Rubik's fan, you'll be able to jump right into this game with no problem. Those of us who are a little less enthusiastic about those frustrating cubes will have a steeper learning curve, but within a few minutes, will be slippin' and slidin' (and, probably, gruntin' and groanin' and complainin') like a pro. For two players ages 5+. About $20. https://www.rubiks.com
