Toy Gift Guide 2018: Best Games

Hi gang! We haven't even hit Halloween yet, but if you're thinking it's too early to start shopping for your kids' Christmas gifts, think again. Now is actually the perfect time to start purchasing because if you wait too long, well, you might miss out on getting the toy at all.

Over the next few weeks, I'm going to share with you some of my favorite toys of 2018 in a variety of categories. And I'm starting things off with games. There are a variety of great games out there for families, kids, or just the adults (like Hasbro's new parody games), so here are a few ideas if you're stumped.

1. Box of Rocks - The Haywire Group, 12+
This is a fun trivia game that literally pits you against a box of rocks. All the answers will either be a 0, 1, or 2. You give your guess and then roll the rocks like dice to see what number the rocks answer. 


2. Clear for Takeoff - Blue Orange Games, 7+
I was pleasantly surprised by this family strategy game. Designed by a real airline pilot, players attempt to move their colored planes along the runway and then "launch" them. But beware of delays, such as bad weather, that can set you back.


3. L.O.L. Surprise! 7 Layers of Fun! The Game - Cardinal, 5+
If you've got a kid who loves L.O.L. Surprise dolls, then definitely put this game under the Christmas tree. You've got to move around the game board to unbox and collect tokens of the same color in order to complete your doll board and win the game. This takes the seven layers of the original toy and turns it into a fun strategy and memory game.


4. Mixtape - Breaking Games, 12+
Music lovers, this is a game for you! It's basically like creating your own mix tape while you play, answering questions about what the best road trip song is or the best song to lip sync to. You'll need an extensive CD library or access to the internet to look up songs, but it will be fun to listen and debate music with your friends.


5. Shopkins Happy Places Moving Day Game - Pressman, 5+
Another collectible toy you're kid might be into is Shopkins. And with this Shopkins game, kids get a new way to play with these cute, mini characters. The playing pieces are Petkins furniture accessories that you could play with outside of the game, too.


6. Snippets - The Master Theorem Games, 10+
Everyone I played this game with thought it was really fun. In fact, I think somebody took home our sample! If you like word games, then Snippets will be a fun vocabulary challenge for you. Draw a card and try to come up with words that contain the "snippet" on the card. So like, how many words can you think of that include the snippet "for"? There's also a Jr. version for younger players.


Which of these games do you think you'd like to play? What are some of your family's favorite games? Let me know in the comments!

And stay tuned for another installment of my Toy Gift Guide!

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