Christmas Gift Guide: Early Buys!!!

I know we are a over a month away from Christmas, but it is never too soon to get some shopping done.  I have been getting some gifts for my nieces and nephews.   I love some of these items so much, that I wanted to share the ideas with you.  Also, my son will be getting his first ever iPod.  I have done a lot of price checking and Amazon seems to have the best prices on iPods and many other items.  Enjoy pursuing some of these gift ideas.  

Listen up and think fast, young pizza makers. Chef calls out toppings for children to put on (and take off) their pizzas. Reinforces listening, counting, and early addition and subtraction. Self-checking with 2 levels of play to challenge students further. Includes 4 pizzas, 48 toppings (pepperoni, mushrooms, olives and peppers) and talking chef (3 ½ "L x 3 1/2"W x 5"H) with volume control. Requires 3 AA batteries, not included. For 2–4 players. Grades PreK+ How to play: • Hand out a pizza to each player • Chef calls out the order- “Add 3 olives, take away 1 pepperoni”• After 1 minute, Chef calls out what toppings the pizzas should have • All players with the correct toppings win.

Preorder the newest installment of this hit series!

Publication Date: November 5, 2013 | Age Level: 8 - 12

Greg Heffley's on a losing streak. His best friend, Rowley Jefferson, has ditched him, and finding new friends in middle school is proving to be a tough task. To change his fortunes, Greg decides to take a leap of faith and turn his decisions over to chance. Will a roll of the dice turn things around, or is Greg's life destined to be just another hard-luck story?

The Disney Princesses mix it up in a whole new way. Little ones will delight in flipping panels of each page to mix and match their favorite Princesses. Perhaps Ariel's tail, Jasmine's scarf, and Snow White's bow are the perfect combo? Or maybe the top of Cinderella's ball gown should go with Aurora's pink dress? Fabric swatches embedded in the pages add to the fun, enabling readers to touch everything from shimmering gowns to soft shawls.

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AH170M Features: -Shoot arrows over 125 feet.-Left or right handed.-Stick anywhere zartz arrow, bounce back action arrows.-Ages 8+. Includes: -Includes bow, two red X long range arrows one arrow zartz and zip clip to hold arrows. Disclaimer: -Warning: Do not aim at eyes or face, do not aim or shoot at people or animals.

An addictive strategy game in the tradition of Sequence, Scrabble, and Othello, the Qwirkle Board Game from MindWare has a simple, straightforward premise: match tiles and win points. But the real joy of the game lies in plotting and scheming your way to victory. Winner of the Parent's Choice Gold Award and a Mensa Select National Competition Winner, Qwirkle is destined to be a family game night favorite. This game is designed for ages six and up and for two to four players.

Qwirkle
Board Game

• Ages: Six and up
• Players: Two to four

At a Glance:

• A fun twist on Scrabble and matching games
• Players strategize to make matches and earn points
• Comes with 108 wooden tiles
• Winner of Parent's Choice Gold Award and Mensa National Competition
• Includes drawstring bag for tile storage and instructions

This award-winning strategy game is easy to learn. View larger.

Match colors and shapes in this enthralling strategy game. View larger.

Mix, Match, Score, and Win

Qwirkle consists of 108 wooden blocks with six different shapes in six colors. Using the blocks, players attempt to score the most points by building lines that share the same shape or color. The simple setup makes this an instant winner for younger kids, while adults will enjoy strategizing to win.

How to Play

A typical game of Qwirkle lasts about 45 minutes--longer when you're first learning how to play--and players will likely catch on to the rules in no time at all. The game can be set up anywhere, although a large tabletop is best to accommodate the generous number of tiles. The only other thing you'll need is a pencil and paper to keep track of everyone's point count.

Each tile has an illustration on the back (circle, eight-point star, four-point star, square, clover, or diamond). Each of these symbols appears in six different colors (red, yellow, orange, green, blue, and purple). In total, the game has three tiles each of the 36 possible color-symbol combinations. To help make sure you don't lose any tiles in between games, Qwirkle comes with a drawstring storage pouch.

Straightforward, Easy-to-Follow Rules

As in Scrabble, the game starts with players drawing their own "hand" of six tiles. The player with the most tiles that share something in common (color or symbol) plays their pieces and wins points. And so it goes until the pieces make up a giant grid. One rule adults will likely need to reiterate to little ones is that duplicate tiles don't count. For instance, if someone has three diamonds, and two of them are green, they can only count one of those diamonds for points.

As play continues and the stakes get higher, younger kids may need some help deciding where to build to maximize their points. Our testers found that the length of the game may make younger kids squirmy halfway through. To keep them engaged, parents can always distribute half the number of tiles to start. The game is over when all the tiles have been played and all the points have been tallied.

What's in the Box

108 wooden tiles, cloth drawstring bag, and instruction booklet.

Description:

Qwirkle is as simple as matching colors and shapes, but this game also requires tactical maneuvers and well-planned strategy. Earn points by building rows and columns of blocks that share a common shape or color. Look for opportunities to score big by placing a tile that touches multiple pieces with matching attributes. The player with the most points wins! 108 wooden blocks. 2 to 4 players.