Offering many terrific toys our kids love, Toys at Amazon.com,  MindWareOnline, Discovery Store, Zome! and many more - all the links on Shop Hoagies! - are all Hoagies' Gifted Education Page associates.  For each purchase from Hoagies' Page links, these stores give a small percentage of your purchase price to Hoagies' Gifted Education Page, at no cost to you -- Thanks!

 

1-2-3 OY! and A-B-C OY! card games (numbers or letters) for the younger folks, multi-player or solitaire... lots of fun!

 

4 Way Countdown

Practice skills in addition, subtraction, multiplication and division skills by using the numbers on the dice. The first to flip over all 10 numbered keys wins the game... Also try 4 Way Spelldown
 

7ate9 by Out of the Box Publishing (or from Amazon)

As easy as 1, 2, 3! Players add or subtract 1, 2, or 3 to the number on the top card on the pile to determine if they have a card that can be played next. Sounds simple, but with everyone playing simultaneously the options are constantly changing. The first player out of cards wins!
 

Animal Scramble

An electronic hand-held tagger shaped like a giraffe and four friends like the monkey, parrot, tiger and elephant... The giraffe calls out which animals the children should run to and tag. It tracks the amount of time taken to complete each course. In team mode, kids pass the giraffe to other players as they work cooperatively to achieve the fastest time...

 

Apples to Apples Jr. 9+ (ages 9-14, younger for gifted kids) an intermediate level, tons of fun! (or from Amazon)

This game receives rave reviews from our gifted community, for family or group fun!
Also check out... (And for a full list of the words in each set, visit Munching Apples fan site)

Apples to Apples Jr. (ages 7-12) fun as soon as they can read, including 3-5 year olds!

Apples to Apples the adult set (or from Amazon)

Apples to Apples Customizable Cards create your own green and red apple cards (for inkjet printers)

Aquaduct Waterway Set

Water play is absolutely irresistible, and this set guarantees maximum wet and wild fun. Includes everything you need to build a large watertight canal system, plus kid-pleasing extras like a pump, crane, barge, locks and gates, spinning paddles and more

 

Architectural Building Blocks extraordinaire!

Achiquest World Fusion or Archiquest Deluxe World Fusion
Archiquest Legends of Byzantine or Archiquest: Dragons and Pagodas

Archiquest: Pharaohs and Pyramids or Archiquest: Kings and Castles
Melisa & Doug Architectural Unit Block Set or Melissa & Doug Standard Unit Blocks
Melissa & Doug Castle Blocks

 

Balance Moon and Animal Seesaw

Crafted wooden toys teach placement, balance, and more - fun and learning together!
 

Batik Kid

New classic wooden strategy game, with fun fish shapes...
For the younger set, try Batik (or from Amazon) - classic tangram shapes
 

Blink (or from Amazon)

Sharp eyes and fast hands, but with handicapping to even the game for the most diverse 2 or 3 players... no reading required
 

Blockhead (or from Amazon) 1 or more players, age 3+

It's blocks, and it's a game.  Can you keep building without tumbling the tower?  Don't be a Blockhead!
 

Bloco Animals

	Bloco Dinosaurs (or from Amazon)
	Bloco Wildcats (or from Amazon)
	Bloco Dragons & Reptiles (or from Amazon)

Construction kits create adorable 3-D characters built with durable high-density foam and unique connectors appeal to boys and girls alike, 300+ peices...
 

Blokus (or from Amazon)

Take turns placing as many of their 21 geometric shapes on board as they can, but only the corners of their own pieces may touch. The real challenge comes toward the end of the game...  Or take a new twist, with Blokus Trigon.  Also Travel Blokus
 

Boggle Jr.

Introducing the ABC's with three ways to play...  Or try Boggle or Boggle To Go
 

Boomwhackers

Tap the floor, line them up as an oversized xylophone, bounce them off body parts; any way you do it, you're making music.  Octavator tube caps lower the notes one octave.  Brightly colored, 1' to 2' tubes...
 

BrainQuest (click left for MindWare, or click below for Amazon links)

K - 7, with extra decks on America, Black History and more.  Each deck is packed with hundreds of intriguing questions on one side and answers kids can’t wait to discover on the other...

My First, For Threes, Pre-School, Kindergarten, Bedtime (ages 3-5)

1st Grade, 1st Grade Math, 1st Grade Reading, 2nd Grade, 2nd Grade Math, 2nd Grade Reading

3rd Grade, 3rd Grade Reading, 3rd Grade Math, 4th Grade. 5th Grade, 6th Grade, 7th Grade

America, Hispanic America. For the Car, Black History, Presidents (all ages 8-12)

Canada (ages 8-12)

BRIO or from Amazon

Sometimes the old-style toys are the best.  Wooden trains are always a hit!  Imagination not included.  Kids build their track, and run their trains, creating the stories to accompany their play...

Start with a beginner track set: BRIO Track and Stack City Set, BRIO Freight Yard Set, BRIO Wooden Zoo Set.  For the littlest engineers Brio My First Railway; for our computer generation
Add accessories: BRIO Polar Express North Pole, BRIO Adventure Tunnel, BRIO Collapsing Bridge, BRIO Lifting Bridge, BRIO Suspension Bridge, BRIO Grand Roundhouse and BRIO Mechanical Turntable, BRIO Light and Sound Ferry,
Add engines and cars: BRIO Mighty Red Locomotive, BRIO Steam Engine, BRIO Zebra Wagon, BRIO Tipping Wagon with Load, BRIO Car Transporter,  BRIO Polar Express Battery Train, BRIO Polar Express Caboose and Handcar, BRIO Shinkansen Train
Extra track expands the fun: BRIO Ascending Track, BRIO Short Curved Track, BRIO Mini-Straight Track, BRIO Beginner's Expansion Pack, BRIO Intermediate Expansion Pack

BRIO Network E-Mail Central an imaginative new spin on wooden train worlds - the world inside your PC!

BRIO Network E-Mail Central Set expands with BRIO Network Track Pack, add engines BRIO Network Lazie CD Burner or BRIO Network EMO's Transporter and accessories BRIO Networkers Pack 1, BRIO Network Turner's Tunnel, BRIO Network Mailbox and EMO, BRIO Bernie’s Flashing Network, and BRIO Network EMO's Mail Hub

Thomas the Tank Engine Wooden Trains by Learning Curve

Start with a Thomas set: Roundhouse Set, Mountain Overpass Set, Water Tower Figure 8 Set, Conductor's Figure 8 Set, Sodor Rescue Team Set
Thomas engines can be added to any wooden railway set! Diesel, Peter Sam, Douglas the Scottish Twin, Donald The Scottish Twin,  Gordon The Big Express Engine, Giggling Troublesome Trucks, Annie & Clarabel, Chinese Dragon, Bill and Ben and many others...
Add Thomas accessories: Railway Coal Loader, Special Engine Shed, Sodor Engine Wash,  Bertie The Bus, and lots more!
Extra Thomas track fits with Thomas or Brio: Figure 8 Set Expansion Pack, Wacky Track, Up & Away Expansion Pack, Sodor Cement Works, Rescue Hospital, and more...
 

Bucket Blast

A bucket full of indoor or outdoor fun for families and friends, with it's own storage (back)pack
 

Castle Logix by Educational Insights (ages 5+, 4+ gifted)

Construct the castles in each diagram out of beautiful hardwood pieces.  Challenges start easy, but quickly make you think "outside the box"...
 

Chicken Cha Cha Cha (or from Amazon)

Chaos in the chicken yard!  Play the chicken Olympics... Also available in original German edition! Zicke Zacke Hühnerkacke
 

Clay Fun Kit ages 4+

Handcrafted pottery, no kiln required.  Includes 4 pounds of clays, paints, brushes, sculpting tool, glue, and mosaic tiles and crystals for decorations
 

Coo Coo the Clown

Learn about balance, while taking turns adding balls to Coo Coo's arms... but be careful, he wobbles on his big shoes!
 

Cranium Cadoo (7 and up)

The funky fusion of tic-tac-toe, general knowledge, sculpting skill, and scavenger hunt designed for kids

Cranium Family Edition (8 to adult)  players compete by building, flipping, sketching, sculpting, and guessing

Cranium Conga (7 and up) Fast-paced "guess what I'm thinking" game \will get your whole family acting, sculpting, guesstimating, and picking hilarious words

Cranium Bumparina (7 and up, much younger gifted child) Quick strategy game, no reading required.  Place your bumpers to head the balls your way, but watch out for you opponent - one twist of a bumper can wreck your plan!

Cranium Giggle Gear Mega Mask with Robot, Bug, and Alien Parts and Cranium Giggle Gear Mega Mask Fun Fairy (5 and up) Creating hilarious face masks and change your voice using a variety of eye, nose, ear, and mouth parts and voice morpher...

Balloon Lagoon (5 and up) While the merry-go-round music plays, compete thinking, matching, flipping and fishing as you collect balloons

Cranium Hullabaloo (4 and up) Twister meets Simon Says... Listen closely and think fast as you bounce, twist, spin, high-five, and dance to the music, sounds, and friendly voice of Hullabaloo. Rewards quick thinking, cooperation, and creative problem-solving.  Also Cranium Hullabaloo DVD Game: Amazing Animal Adventure

Cranium Cariboo (3 to 6 years) Teaches wee ones a few colors, shapes, numbers, and letters
 

Coloring Books

Not your average coloring books, but so much more!

	Transformations Hidden, Mirror, Nature, Scenic
	Mosaics Aboriginal, Aztec, Celtic, Classic
	Modern Threads
	Creative Camouflage Hidden Feathers, Hidden Fur, Hidden Scales & Shells, Hidden Exoskeletons
	Babies Forest & Grasslands, Desert & Savannah, Ocean & Wetlands, Rainforest & Tropical
	GeoDesigns, MicroDesigns, OptiDesigns, PrismDesigns, UltraDesigns, DecoDesigns
	ArchiScapes, EnviroScapes, DesignScapes, MasterScapes
	AnimaLights, EcoLights, EuroLights, OpticalLights, SpinLights, TesseLights with translucent vellum pages
	Modern Patterns in Molecular, Optical, Linear, Illusions, Botanical, and Circular, inspired by modern design
	And a great set of 24 Fineline Markers, or free with purchase of 4 coloring books!
	Plus Silk Scarf Painting Kit

Digital Photo Studio

Single-button, point-and-click camera is easy for kids to master, and doubles as a video and web cam. A great value with included software that lets kids edit and crop their photos, create books and make slide shows...
 

Eyeclops (or from Amazon)

Enlarge anything to 200 times its size.  Plugs directly into the TV - no PC, no software...
 

Folkmanis Puppets Some of the best wildlife puppets around!

King, Queen, Princess, Prince, Puppet Theater with Prince and Princess

Dragon, Three Headed Dragon, Sea Serpent

Unicorn, Pegasus, Snowy Owl, Emperor Penguin

Elephant, Lion, Horse, Black Labrador Puppy, Ladybug

 

Fundomino

The wild action dominoes game...  Also available in travel size: Pocket Fundomino with travel pouch
 

Gears, Gears, Gears! (or from Amazon)

Explore simple mechanics, and have fun!  I wish I had these when I was a kid...

Wacky Wigglers (or from Amazon)

Gears, Gears, Gears! Wacky Wigglers work alone, or with other Gears, Gears, Gears! sets.  Add googly eyes, light-up, glow-in-the-dark, motorized fun!  Imagination rules!  Don't miss these other Gears, Gears, Gears! sets... Dizzy Land Fun, Movin' Monkeys and Lights and Action
 

Gobblet Jr.

A fun strategy game, as easy to learn as tic-tac-toe, challenging for chess players, fun for the whole family... Also available in 4x4 adult version, Gobblet (also available from MindWare Online), and Gobblet Jr. On the Go
 

Granny Apples (ages 8 and up, or as soon as a gifted child can add and subtract halves!) (or from Amazon)

Quick counting game using 1/2's and wholes, addition and subtraction.  Watch out for the worm!

 

Gulo Gulo (ages 5 and up)

You are the wolverine (Gulo Gulo) trying to be the first to rescue the baby wolverine.  Moves are made based on the eggs drawn from the bowl... but don't knock down the alarm! 

 

Hare & Tortoise

Features the legendary race between the hare and the tortoise, but with a twist... Great fun for families, but with serious strategy...
 

Head Full of Numbers (or from Amazon)

Players roll six dice out of the brainiac-shaped cup and combine the resulting digits using addition, subtraction, multiplication or division. Whoever comes up with the greatest number of unique, correct equations wins!
 

Hisss the Colorful Snake-Making Card Game (2-5 players, ages 3 and up)

As each Hisss snake slithers its way across the playing area, it introduces color identification and visual logic: Does it make sense to have a snake with two tails and no head' Are those two colors the same or not' Even elementary counting skills come into play during scoring at the end of the game. No reading required...
 

Hyper Dash

Combine activity with colors, numbers, and simple addition and subtraction, and you've got Hyper Dash.  Radio Frequency ID tags in the targets are read by the unit, while players compete solo, up to 4 players head-to-head or 8 players in teams of 2, to figure out which targets to touch in which order.  Targets can be located close by, or far apart, making this a great physical activity, too!
 

Jurassic Jumble from the makers of SET (or from Amazon)

Fun family game of switching and swiping dinosaur cards and bones, for up to 9 friends or family members of all ages!

Kapla Blocks by Kapla

"KAPLA" is from the Dutch "KAbouter PLAnkjes" which means "small planks". Its design proportions are based on the elementary progression of odd numbers: one, three, five. Unlike traditional cubes, KAPLA is long and thin. It is perfectly balanced between 2 ideas: building and sculpting. This single set can create an unlimited number of structures...  Fun for kids of ALL ages - you should see the college students buildings!  Add Kapla Color Squares in  Red, Orange, Light Blue, Dark Blue, Yellow, or Green - 40 planks in color in each Square, to mix and match with your natural maple Kapla blocks.  And try the Kapla Blue Book - Advanced for great construction ideas.  Or get two-color block sets (20 pieces each color) with suggestion book included: Red and Orange with Book, Light Blue and Dark Blue with Book, or Yellow and Green with Book. Now larger sets available! Kapla 280 Piece Building Set in Wooden Box or Kapla 1000 Piece Building Set in All Natural Box
 

Mix and match with Bamboo Collection Contina blocks, in lighter weight bamboo, vivid colors (and less expensive!) or Keva Planks, also hardwood maple.
 

Lego Home Designer Set (ages 6 and up, or younger gifted designers...)

Create the ultimate home-sweet-home, whether it’s a cozy cottage, a towering skyscraper, a lighthouse or a castle. Set includes great building elements for added realism and charm: roof bricks, windows, shutters, doors, fences and pieces for landscaping...

 

Music Blocks by Neurosmith

Great musical and sequencing fun for the youngest children (and some of the older ones, too!).  Includes Mozart, but don't miss the additional tunes, including Bach, Sounds of the Orchestra and Jumping Jive Jazz.  For more advanced play, there's Music Blocks Composer.  For the youngest child, Together Tunes and Jumbo Music Block.  Both use the same cartridges, plus some of it's own, and does even more...
 

My Word Junior and My Word

Fast-paced word-building card game - Junior has more vowels and less difficult letters in the deck
 

No Stress Chess 

A simple way to learn chess!  Illustrated "move" cards explain the patterns and guide the learner, then flup the board over to play traditional chess...
 

The Original Rollercoaster  

Beautifully crafted, colossal maze of wood, beads, and wire..
 

Pattern Play Blocks

Pattern play blocks are fun and educational, introducing math concepts of patterns, symmetry, fractions and more!

 

Parquetry Blocks

Wooden blocks in 6 colors, with 32 pattern cards and a wooden tray - lots of fun!

 

Pengoloo

Which penguin is hiding the egg?  A memory game for youngsters
 

Pentago (ages 6+) (or from Amazon)

The fast, mindtwisting strategy game. Be the first to create a row of five marbles: place your marble, then turn a section of the board. Fun and challenging for beginners and masters alike... Also try Pentago Travel
 

Quadrilla Marble Railways
or from Amazon, Quadrilla Marble Railway, Basic Set or Quadrilla Twist and Rail

Wooden marble runs, with track pieces, accelerators, and fancy pieces, for tons of fun.  I remember these from my childhood!  And don't miss the Twist set - curved track, and a funnel!

 

Quoridor Kid

Get your pawn across to the opposite side of the board. But first decide: move your pawn, or put up a fence to slow your opponent? The choices don’t come easily in this carefully crafted game of mazes and madness for 2 to 4 players
Also Quoridor Classic by Gigamic (or from Amazon) and Quoridor Travel
 

Qwirkle (gifted ages 4 and up) (or from Amazon or Mindware)

A bit like dominoes with colors and shapes, Qwirkle is easy to learn, but hard to master.  Score big by matching both shape and color; the player with the most points wins...
 

Rumis ancient architecture meets modern strategy (or from Amazon)

Build a solid structure on one of four game boards inspired by Incan architecture.  Increases spatial awareness and critical thinking, as players try to have the most stones visible from above...
 

SET The Family Game of Visual Perception (or from Amazon or MindWare)

Purchase this great card game, or play the on-line version that changes daily, plus resources for teaching with SET

Quiddler word game, also from the SET folks, is good once they can spell three- and four-letter words - you'll be surprised when the little ones win, thanks to the bonus for the most short words!
 

Skeletons in the Closet by Learning Resources (age 4-8)

Learn the names, location and relationships of the major bones in the human body (skull, pelvis, tibia, rib cage and more). The first player to assemble their skeleton in the closet wins. Bones are labeled to help identify each one by name...
 

Small Worlds Jumbo Music Block by Neurosmith

Plush block with 6 fun-shape flaps that hide secret pockets, kids discover surprise activities and various zippers, buttons and snaps, includes 6 upbeat tunes and a peek-a-boo mirror...
 

Smart Easel

The RoseArt Smart Easel provides a sturdy work surface, handy access to markers and materials, a dry erase board and a roll of paper, in a lightweight, portable design that can easily be taken outdoors, on the road or stored away in the closet when not in use...
 

Squint Junior

Build a picture of the item listed on your SQUINT card. Get one of the players to guess what you are building before time runs out, and you both score points!  Also try Squint (or from Amazon or MindWare)
 

Tall Stacker Pegs (or from Amazon)

Great first construction set, with easy-to-hold pieces and simple peg-in-hole construction.  Tips nest inside each other, to build story upon story.  And bright colors are sure to please!  
 

Tangoes Jr. (ages 3+)

Tanagram puzzles, plus extra decks of puzzles.  Play solitaire or head-to-head. Big pieces and neat storage container built right in...
 

Tangramino by Fox Mind Games

Construct pictures from 18 shapes; each new picture contains additional challenge...
 

ThinkFun (was Binary Arts) great logic puzzles and games for all ages (mostly labeled 8 years and up, but great for gifted kids much younger)

River Crossing Jr. larger, easier to handle pieces, easier to solve challenges

What's Gnu? Smart Mouth for the younger set, ages 4-8, how many words can be crafted when you only know two out of three letters?

Rush Hour Jr. 40 junior challenges

Hoppers a new look for classic peg solitaire...

Zingo fast-paced picture-version of Bingo

Sudoku 5x5 hands-on Sudoku puzzles for the younger set...

 

Tic Tac Chec (also available from Amazon)

A fun strategy game, as easy to learn as tic-tac-toe, challenging for chess players, fun for the whole family...
 

Tic Tac Ku (also available from Amazon)

An exciting new game of strategic planning and logic, based on everyone's old favorite--Tic Tac Toe--but with a great new twist...
 

Tie Dye Kit

Instructions, dyes and fixative for up to 15 natural fiber T-shirts...
 

Topitop

Be the first to build 2 beautiful snowmen and you win! Each player chooses one set of hats blue or red. The winner is the first to place his or her hats on top of 2 snowmen. But be tactical as the bodies and heads of the snowmen belong to everybody!  If you'd rather think of the sand, try Topitop Beach!
 

Toss Up! (ages 8 and up, or as soon the child can sum to 100)

A pocket- or purse-size game of chance in it's own case, great for those unexpected delays... toss the dice, try to get as many greens as you can... but don't get stopped by a red!
 

Trapture (or from Amazon)

Zigzag around the board, placing your Squiggle pieces strategically to form a path. Capture the purple pegs while preventing your opponent from doing the same. Surround a peg on at least four sides and it’s yours! But think ahead and choose carefully, or you'll end up with Squiggle pieces that are too long or short
 

Trhyme Jr. (ages 8 and up, age 5 and up gifted, 2-6 players)

Exciting new word game with the intriguing twist. You are confronted with three clues for which you must provide three answers within a specified time. And here's the twist... All three answers must rhyme with each other!  Or try the grown-up version... Trhyme
 

Tsuro The Game of Influence, by Wizkids Games

Build your own path, without your opponents steering you in the wrong direction - or off the board!

 

USA Puzzle Map (or from Amazon)

Soft, chunky states (plus the great lakes!), capital and landmarks on the back... 
 

WEDGiTS by ImagAbility

Stack, nest, link and even lock WEDGiTS together to create creatures, structures, mechanical levers, and more.  Kids and adults enjoy this unique new construction toys.  Build, balance, stack, lock, or nest them horizontally and vertically. Use your imagination or the design booklet to form amazing structures & shapes...  All WEE WEDGiTS are compatible with older sets; more kits listed on Smart Construction Toys

	For our youngest builders... WEE Set - 5 Piece Set or WEDGiTS Junior Set - 15 Piece Set
	Deluxe 30 Piece Set and Starter Set - 15 Pieces
	Purple Set and Pink Set and Building Board
	Parent/Teacher Activity Guide and Design Cards and 100 Advanced Design Cards

Zimbbos (ages 3+) (or from Amazon)

Stack the pachyderms, but watch out for that tricky tenth elephant!  Counting and color, strategy, and balance are all required...
 

Zookeeper's Nightmare by Educational Insights (ages 6+, 5+ gifted)

Slide the runaway animals home, but watch out!  Don't let the leopards lunch on the rhino, or let the lion wave it's tail in front of the tigers, or...  A sliding puzzle with a twist!  18 challenges included, plus instructions to create your own
 

ZooLogic (ages 4-adult) by Fox Mind Games (or from Barnes & Noble)

An animal gridlock of cats, dogs, mice and their favorite foods: fish, bones and cheese lies before you. Can you arrange them while keeping each animal away from its rival and away from its favorite food? If that was too easy, hungry ants, angry bulls and fierce dogs are also introduced as the puzzle difficulty gradually progresses in this captivating and amusing logic puzzle. ZooLogic allows children from 4 to adult challenge their logical thinking skills!