Comments (0) This little mouse is so cute! Little ones push him along by his long handle and he rocks back and forth with tinkling bell and twitching whiskers. He is also very sturdy. Ours is still going strong after about four years of use (not always for the intended purpose) and abuse. I just love the whiskers!!
The object of this classic game is to get four in a row vertically, horizontally, or diagonally. This tiny version comes in a little 4″ x 5.5″ tin that is ideal for travel or a stocking stuffer.
I generally prefer travel toys with very few small pieces, so all these little balls could be a car or airplane disaster. I only recommend this as a travel toy for children old enough to manage the balls without spills (also not good around babies). But for older kids, or even adults, this is a great game!
We discovered Wikki Stix when we were staying at a hotel in San Diego. They gave them out in the restaurant instead of crayons. My kids (3 and 5 at the time) thought they were WAY more cool than crayons and a coloring place mat.
What a simple idea! They are simply bits of colored string covered with a wax coating thick enough for them to bend and stay in position! Like a candle wick, hence the name I suppose. Kids can make all kinds of things with them.
We use them in restaurants, the car, my purse, anywhere that an instant emergency diversion might be needed. They also make great stocking-stuffers. Santa brought some this past Christmas. Available in primary and neon colors.
This one is very simple and has been around for a long time. I believe that string games exist in just about every culture. Really all you need is a piece of string, but this set is nice because it comes with a sturdy string as well as a book of instructions.
The instructions are simply presented and well-illustrated so that children can learn the two person Cat’s Cradle game as well as how to make string-figures like Witch’s Broom, Eiffel Tower, and Jacob’s Ladder.
This makes a great travel game (it is easy to pack a string!) or stocking stuffer. My 6 year-old loved it and has taught her friends how to play. It brought back memories for me too. I discovered that I can still remember how to make Cat’s Whiskers after 30+ years!
This second book, is nice to have too:
I bought this for my youngest daughter’s first birthday and it is totally cute! This functions as a dual purpose toy. Little ones can stack and unstack the cheerful mouse family, then they can take the mouse family for a ride!
My baby likes to take apart the mice, but she hasn’t reached the stacking or pulling stage yet. The mouse family is another of those toys that seems like it will last forever. Solidly made of wood by French manufacturer Boikido.
You can buy it here, or Google “Boikido mouse family toy” to find other stores.
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