eeBoo has those creative and quirky toys that you can never find

Whenever we vacation in a new city I always visit their toy and book stores. That way I can see what brands or toys are popular in other parts of the country, as well as get introduced to some possible local authors. The toys that you see in those stores have that look. They look individualized, special and like they were made just for your child. Many of those toys also won the Best Toy Award from the Oppenheim Toy Portfolio. eeBoo is a site that contacted us recently and has oodles of toys and activities that fit that bill. Through December 12 they’re also have 20% off if you use code dadddymojo20 when you check out.

They sent us a couple of games to try out. As we’re teaching our 6 year old checkers and chess the magnetic versions of those games were a no-brainer.  Robot Checkers has a cute name that will attract children. The two checker colors are differentiated with purple and yellow, both with different robot heads. It’s a small board, good for compact play and one that you could easily take in the car.

Both this game and chess have two extra playing pieces, just in case a couple of them join that stray sock that you lost. The magnetic pieces go onto a metal sheet that’s just smaller than a comic book.  Children will be able to place and remove around all of the set pieces with ease. All of it comes in a thick cardboard envelope that has a closed plastic window on the front. Save this envelope. Some might think of it as packaging, but its greater good is to store the playing board and all of the playing pieces.  Both Robot Checkers and chess sell for $12 and are recommended for children 6 and up.

Our youngest loves cards. He’s 4 and can’t really play cards mind you; he simply loves the feel of them in his hands. Create a Story Cards: Volcano Island is his jam. It’s his surreal, non-linear, creative story telling jam.  It has 40 cards that tell a loose story about a tiger, alligator, monkeys, children and other animals on a volcano island. The cards don’t go in any particular order and you can play the game in any number of ways.

However, the end result is always the same: children laughing, telling silly stories, working on their vocabulary and having fun. The cards are made of thicker than average cardboard and won the Best Toy Award from The Oppenheim Toy Portfolio. Side note, if you check out their Award List for 2015 you’ll see other toys from eeBoo too. (check out the puzzle at 3:45)