Toy Talk 2018 6-10 Years Collection

If you have kids from 6 – 10 years of age, then you need to be upping the ante if you want to compete with the fun and excitement they can find on a screen/device and commit to making family time and playtime special.

Interestingly, children in this age group are actually seeking sensory stimulation to balance screen time. You can see this from the popularity of squishies, bubbleezz and slimibalzz this year which have been trending.

Use construction toys, creative activities, board games, brain games and tech toys to stimulate your child’s creativity, critical thinking, problem solving and reasoning skills.

At this age your children can start to compete with you and if you play with them often enough you will also be able to observe some of their innate talents and skills starting to surface. Sometimes these are not what will appear on their report card from school, making playing with your child a real investment in your parenting experience.

Print out your Gift List Planner here so that you can doodle away and ensure you don’t forget anyone.

TOY TALK 2018

AGE CATEGORY: 6-10 years

ALL PRODUCTS – QUICK OVERVIEW

(scroll further down to view individual products; each with its own short individual product review video and takealot.com shopping link)

Go Go Gelato | Blue Orange Games

Race to match the challenge cards by balancing the gelato balls on the ice cream cones but, you cannot use your hands! Four ice cream cones for each player with three different coloured balls. Manoeuvre scoops into the correct cones to match the cards. First player to win five cards wins the game. And, if you drop a ball in your haste to win, you have to pick it up with the ice cream cones – no hands!

A very fun game that requires players to pay attention to detail following visual instructions on the cards, using their visual memory as well as fine motor co-ordination. Both the outside and inside of the box are so visually appealing that they scream “Play me!”

AGE: 6 years and up (even adults will enjoy this game)
PRICE:  R 281

PlayMais Mosaic Assorted | PlayMais

PlayMais can be reshaped, squeezed, cut and moulded into any shape. By moistening the pieces with a little bit of water they will stick to each other and many different surfaces. Made from corn starch, water and food colouring they are 100% biodegradable and safe (even if eaten!). In these kits there are six pre-printed picture cards and 2 300+ PlayMais mosaics, a sponge and easy to follow instructions. Helps to develop fine motor skills and creativity. Easy and fun to play.

AGE: 6 – 8 years
PRICE:  R190

Available Themes: Dream Unicorn | Little Farm | Dream Princess | Little Zoo

Catch Board Game | Peaceable Kingdom

A co-operative game of cat and mouse. The cats work together to catch the mouse and win the game. They must surround the mouse on all four sides before it gets to the fence to escape. Each player’s move consists of three steps:  roll the dice, move the mouse, move the cats. One dice moves the cats and one moves the mouse. This game requires strategy, cunning and team work to win.

AGE:  6 – 8 yrs
PRICE:  R 399

Playstix Master Set: 141 Pieces | Popular Playthings

Playstix is a Rolls Royce construction toy that is not made up of blocks but of sticks! The Playstix Master Set consists of 141 pieces including 20 new detailed, molded pieces such as an engine, bumpers, wings, racing seat, real rubber tyres and tracks (for bulldozers or tanks), abulldozer bucket, revolving steering wheel and propeller, radar unit, and laser gun. These additional pieces extend the kind of models that can be created with Playstix. Follow the instructions in the booklet or use Playstix for imaginative free play.

AGE: 6 – 10 yrs
PRICE:  R 299

Bed Bugs Game | Hasbro

Have some hysterical family fun as you race to be the first player to use the tweezers to grab all your matching coloured bugs off the very bouncy, vibrating bed. It’s more difficult than you think!

Each round you win, you score a point. The first person to get five points wins the game.

Excellent for exercising fine motor control and eye-hand co-ordination. Stimulates all the right muscles for the pincer/tripod grip for handwriting.

For younger children, switch off the bed and it will be much easier for them to master the skill. Once they are proficient enough, switch the bed on but we suggest you start with fewer bugs or change the rules to be the first player to catch 5 bugs, not all of them. It’s also easier to play with two players instead of three. Just some ideas to make this game applicable to a wider age group.

AGE: 6 – 10 years
PRICE:  R 199

Roller Coaster Challenge Board Game | Think Fun

50% logic. 50% construction. 100% awesome and educational. This 3D brain game is a fun STEM toy which involves building roller coasters using 36 posts and 39 tracks to complete the 40 graded challenge cards (from beginner to expert) that come with solutions.

Race the roller coaster car down the track to see if you’ve succeeded. Younger children can copy the solution cards and older children can solve the puzzles. Spatial planning, thinking, reasoning, problem solving in abundance in this 2 in 1 construction and brain game.

AGE: 6 to 10 years
PRICE:  R 595

Putty Mixing Lab | Putty Peeps

Become a Putty Peeps mixologist and create new original colours. Use your hands to mix and stretch the colours together. Add a special effect to make your colour glow, glitter or shine. Add Googly eyes that are included in the lab kit to give your new Putty Peeps a personality. The kit includes super storage containers to keep your putty colours in so you can use them over and over again.

The lab kit includes: bulk white putty, 3 super concentrated putty colours (red, yellow, blue), three super concentrated special effects putties, 6 storage containers, four pairs of eyes and a putty mixing play mat with instructions. Your child will learn about colour while experiencing all the benefits, including relaxation, of playing with such a sensory toy.

AGE: 7 – 10 yrs
PRICE:  R 269

 Mole Rats | Peaceable Kingdom

A high tension sophisticated snakes and ladders-type board game. Take your mole rats up the ladders and down the air shafts. A co-operative game in which players work together to collect all four essential pieces of equipment and make it to the escape pod before the snakes get them. One bite from a snake and you get to use your first aid kit. Two bites and the game ends. So, avoid the snakes! Children learn strategic thinking, problem solving, communication and co-operation. There are game variations for a more challenging version of the game.

AGE:  6 – 10 yrs
PRICE:  R 399

Track Builder System Race Crate | Hot Wheels

Transform this supercool crate into a stunt track, then fold it up again for easy storage and portability. Play on your own or with up to four friends. Build three massive stunts by changing the configuration of the track including the Gravity Drop, Mega Jump and Drag Race. Kids can race, stunt and challenge friends. The crate comes with two Hot Wheels cars and 8ft of track, a two-lane loop, finish gate and two double-slam launchers. It interconnects with other Hot Wheels sets.

AGE:      6 – 10 yrs
PRICE:  R 789

Extreme Air Board | Air Hogs

A mini drone no wider than the palm of your hand – quick, nippy and easy to fly and charge. It’s highly responsive and very stable due to flight assist technology with auto launch, auto hover and auto land.

Endless hours of indoor fun. It’s a 2 in 1 toy: a remote control stunt board and para-glider that is able to do extreme sports stunts (with practise, of course!). Push the stunt button on the RC to pull off 720 degree spins, 360 degree barrel rolls and backside flips in stunt board mode. Attach the para-glider accessory to take on side-winders, cyclones and evaders. We have had such fun with this little guy!

AGE:      6 years to adult
PRICE:  R 889

*Disclaimer: Prices were correct at the time of publication and are subject to change without notice.*

Nikki Bush has long been regarded as a sane voice in a world full of confusing opinions and choices when it comes to child development and parenting. She founded Toy Talk® 12 years ago to provide parents with trusted, independent opinion when it comes to the toys and games they buy for their children. Toy Talk® tracks trends, innovations and what’s new on the market as well as championing classic evergreen items that every child should have in their toy cupboard. Nikki understands how time-starved busy parents are today and her highly recommend short-list of games and toys helps make shopping easy and painless because parents can shop with confidence knowing that what Nikki recommends is tried and tested. Nikki recently partnered with takealot.com, South Africa’s leading online retailer to make the games and toys she recommends more accessible and convenient to parents everywhere, with deliveries to your doorstep. Her Toy Talk 2018 festive recommendations form part of a bigger picture with monthly themed advice regarding appropriate products for specific areas of your child’s development, helping you to be the best parent you can be.