Catan: Cities & Knights Expansion

Wild barbarians, lured by Catan’s wealth and power, maneuver to attack. Their massive warships loom against the orange horizon. You must be strong! Barbarians attack the weakest targets, and the victim of their onslaught will be the player who contributes the least to the defense of Catan. Don’t take any chances! Field your knights!
In The Cities & Knights of Catan, you engage in the defense of Catan and compete to build the three great metropolises of Catan. Each of these magnificent centers are even more valuable than cities and are safe from the barbarians. You must invest in city improvements, which you acquire using commodities of trade: Coin, Paper, and Cloth. If you improve your culture, muster your knights, and enrich your cities, you will be the master of the great realm of Catan. This edition features all new artwork, and an insert tray to hold game components for up to 6 players.

Catan: Cities & Knights Expansion Reviews

This is a fantastic family game. It usually takes a couple of hours to play but you don’t get bored waiting for your turn because things are always happening and you have to keep on your toes.

This is a wonderful, highly addictive family board game. We got the original Settlers for Christmas and loved it so in January we saw this at the toy store and thought we would try it. Well, 3 months later my wife and 10 year old daughter and I are still playing it almost every night. It is a little more challening than “Settlers” and has even more variations and strategy so I would not recommend it for children less than 10. You have to have the original “Settlers of Catan to play. It takes about 20 minutes to learn to play and games typically take 1 to 2 hours. There are all sorts of different strategies to use and because the board varies each time you play no two games are the same. There is some cutthroat potential in the game so if your family is prone to violence you might try something else. On the other hand if you are looking for a fun, challenging game that will get your children and spouse off the computer and television to spend some time together this is highly recommended.

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Dutch Blitz Card Game

Dutch Blitz Card Game Product Description Described as “A Vonderful Goot Game”, the cards are illustrated in Pennsylvania Dutch Boy and Girl motifs. Everyone plays simultaneously trying to build sequences 1 to 10 in their own suits. It is fast-moving and competi Hard to find and often requested. This has become one of our hottest web-sellers.

Dutch Blitz Card Game Reviews

I have played Dutch Blitz since I was a little girl. It is fun and fast-paced.

Only up to 4 people can play at one time. Each person picks a set of cards. You have one main pile of cards and 3 individual cards lined up beside it. The rest of the cards you have in your hand. The object of the game is to get rid of all of your cards first by placing them out on the table in order from 1 to 10, matching the right color. Little kids and adults love this game. It is harder for little children to play with adults because they aren’t as fast. I usually try to slow down a bit. When I’ve played with friends and family, there are usually cards flying and hands being smacked as someone tries to put their card down first.

I don’t know if this game is hard to find or not. I live in the Pennsylvania Dutch area and I can find it here but I don’t know about other areas.

I have played Dutch Blitz since I was a little girl. It is fun and fast-paced.

Only up to 4 people can play at one time. Each person picks a set of cards. You have one main pile of cards and 3 individual cards lined up beside it. The rest of the cards you have in your hand. The object of the game is to get rid of all of your cards first by placing them out on the table in order from 1 to 10, matching the right color. Little kids and adults love this game. It is harder for little children to play with adults because they aren’t as fast. I usually try to slow down a bit. When I’ve played with friends and family, there are usually cards flying and hands being smacked as someone tries to put their card down first.

I don’t know if this game is hard to find or not. I live in the Pennsylvania Dutch area and I can find it here but I don’t know about other areas.

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Snap Circuits SC-300

This educational kit is loaded with more than 300 projects to build. For example, kids can learn how transistors and capacitors function, and how to make time-delay circuits. In addition, this version includes circuits showing how oscillators and photo sensors work. Projects involve an AM Radio, Burglar Alarm, Radio Announcer and more. Contains over 60 parts. Requires 4 “AA” batteries, not included.

Snap Circuits SC-300 Reviews

(1) Our 9 yo made a few projects the first day and radio the next day he got the kit and now he doesn’t want to take it apart, he carries it around the house and listens to his radio when he is home, he puts it on the night stand when he goes to bed, he turns it on first thing in the morning. It replaced all toys, he runs to his radio when he gets home from school. I was afraid this set would be too hard for him to get started, but it’s not, he made everything by himself without any help. We are ready for the upgrade kit. Buy it, this is probably one of the best toys we ever bought for our son, thank you amazon for offering it and special thank you to everyone for your great reviews, they do not lie.

(2) There’s not much I can add to the positive reviews here already. I’m very impressed with this product.
My 3 points:
1) I have a 7 year old, and obviously, it requires supervision and instruction (especially to start). The first day, we created several of the numbered projects in the booklet together. The second day, he got it out by himself and decided to build the circuit on the “DO NOT DO THIS!” page. Luckily no one and nothing got hurt. He can read, but apparently he didn’t comprehend that this warning applied to HIM.
2) It would be nice if the numbered projects listed a little more information on what the “special” chips do. I’m sure it tells somewhere in the booklet, but my son was much too anxious to get started to look up those details elsewhere in the book.
3) It’s imperative that the “chips” stay organized: everything must be put back in its proper spot for storage so that it can be found the next time you want to use it. This fact, alone, has made this a tremendously educational tool for my son.

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Snap Circuits RC Rover

Have fun building your own R/C Snap Rover using the colorful Snap Circuits parts. There is no soldering required — all the parts snap together with ease. Once completed, you will be able to navigate your surroundings with the easy-to-use Snap Rover Remote Control.
Rover has left and right turning control and goes forward and backward. Also features headlight, sound effects, red and blue side lights, and wireless remote control so you can run up to three cars at the same time. Includes 30 parts that build over 20 projects and full-color assembly manual. Requires one 9V battery and 6 “AA” batteries, not included.

Snap Circuits RC Rover Reviews

I purchased this item for my grandson. As I live abroad, his mother told me what a great gift this was and how much fun he has with it. I always go for educational toys : It challenges him and keeps his interest.

The motor is a little loud, but other than that minor flaw this is a great toy!! Educational to the limit. My kids started with Snap Circuits Junior and this is their second set. Love all the different projects and the fact that it is a remote control toy, makes it even better for my kids! Don’t hesitate!

We love this toy. My daughter has spent many hours assembling the various rover variations covered in the accompanying manual. I highly recommend it for the educational component alone; it is also fun. But the real reason I am writing this review is because one of our components just stopped working. I called the company. “Jerry” took my information and said he’d send it right out. When I pointed out that I hadn’t paid for the replacement part yet, he responded, “We support our products.” This despite the fact that we’ve had this rover for many months! I mean, a free replacement part… Actually supporting the product… I about fell over…

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Mille Bornes Card Game

You’re in a cross–country auto rally through France, and it’s filled with real–life traffic hazards. You’ve run out of gas–do you have a Gasoline card’ You’ve got a flat tire–have you got a spare’ Use the deck’s special cards to overcome hazards and put obstacles in your opponents’ path. Stop them with a Red Light, impose a Speed Limit, cause a Breakdown. But watch out–they’re trying to do the same to you! Contains: 106 playing cards, illustrated rules and score sheets. Play with 2, 3, 4 or 6 of your friends.

Mille Bornes Card Game Reviews

I wanted to buy my grown nephew and myself sets as we played the original version when he was little. The new set is very durable, the cards are thick. Yes, it does have the French translation on the cards, which I liked about the old version. The pictures are still really fun, even though they aren’t the original ones you might have played with. I read other reviews that the Collectors’ Edition is sort of flimsy and wouldn’t last (the cards and the card holder in the shape of the car) So I bought the new version and am very pleased

I’m in my 50s and I’ve been playing this fun card game since I was just a kid. It’s great fun, and now my own kids are fans of the game as well. It’s a card game in which you are traveling in a auto race across county. The object is to lay down distance cards to total 1000 miles before your opponents. However, along the way, your opponents may try to slow you down by giving you a “speed limit” card or try to stop you with hazard cards such as a “flat tire”, “out of gas”, or “accident”, and you must get the proper remedy card to resume play. It’s a fast moving game with a minor amount of strategy. It’s anyone’s game to win right up to the end. A real classic that your family will enjoy for years to come, like mine!

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Carcassonne

The southern French city of Carcassonne is famous for its unique Roman and Medieval fortification. In this clever tile-laying game, players develop the area around Carcassonne and deploy their followers on the roads, in the cities, in the cloisters and in the fields. The skill of the players to develop the area will determine the victor. For 2-5 players.

Carcassonne Reviews

This game is great! There is not as much trading and “marketplace” type interactions in this game vs Settlers of Catan but it more than makes up for it with the variety of strategies that can be employed. I find this game especially fun with a close group of friends for a game night. It’s not much of an icebreaker type game though since it is a little long (typical game lasts ~1 hr for 4 people). Highly recommended.

Like many of the all time great games, Carcassonne is simply to learn, easy to play and difficult to master. Its so easy that the “cheat sheet” instructions fit on a page where half the page is a picture detailing how to score one of the more interesting methods of gaining points.

At its heart, Carcassonne is a tile game, where the board is unique every time. As you lay down a tile, you get to decide if you want to place one of your citizenry there in order to score points. Points are scored for cities, roads, farms and cloisters. The person with the most points wins. It doesn’t get much easier than that now does it?

This is where the fun begins; while you place that cloister there? Do you want to risk putting down a farm early or waiting for the right moment later in the game? How can you stage your grand finale and pull off a come from behind victory? Strategy and a quick mind are key to coming up with a winning plan.

Aside from being tons of fun, its also well constructed. The citizens are made of wood and the tiles are thick cardboard stock. This is a game built to last.

If you like games like Settlers of Catan, be sure to check out Carcassonne; you will not regret it!

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SET Game

This award winning card game is for one or more players. It is recommended for ages six and above. The object of the game is to identify “sets” of three cards. Each card is unique in its four features; color - red, green or purple, symbol - diamond, squiggle or oval, shading - solid, striped or open, and number - 1, 2 or 3. A “set” consists of three cards on which each feature is either the same on all of the cards, or different on all of the cards. This game contains complete instructions for play, 81 cards, and a durable plastic carrying case.

SET Game Reviews

Highly addictive game because there are no turns, just every body whaling away at once. Trying to match up these shapes and colors becomes maddening after awhile. It is quite easy to get lost and see no matches what so ever and all of a sudden your brain will just click and you will be seeing sets everywhere. This is a very simple game to learn and very hard to master. First time players will get frustrated very easily if they are playing with SET veterans. The idea is to match any three cards on the table by having all of the card’s characteristics being all the same or all different. Your spatial reasoning will get a real work out as you play through the deck the number of times equal to the number of players. Points are scored for each successful set and points are lost for incorrectly picking a set(which happens alot when everyone is in a hurry to find the next set.). A great great game that is loads of fun but a real mental workout.

This game is the best invention since chess, if you want to improve your child’s thinking ability! When I taught gifted students in grades 2-8, they would beg to play it. Kids would say over and over, “It’’s hard, but it’s fun”. I read that it is an activity where the right brain and the left brain work together. The best thing about it is that it is not dependent on age or reading ability. There are 6 year olds who could beat me, and there are adults I can beat. A group of all ages can play together competitively, and no one has to hold back. Also, it is very light and portable for travel, or for just having handy if people are bored.. I take the cards out of the case, put a rubber band around them, and put them in my bag.

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Quiddler

The challenge of Quiddler is to arrange your entire hand into words. Draw and discard in turn. Try to use those high point letters, but don’t get caught with them uncombined! Quiddler is fast paced because you can play using everyday words. A bonus is given for the most words in each round (so little words can help you win), as well as for the longest word. Quiddler is a delightful challenge for both rookies and word game lovers. Quiddler is for up to eight players.

Quiddler Reviews

Everyone at our house is looking for the dictionary to help find the best word to use the cards we have been dealt or have drawn. Because it is always challenging (and to avoid disputes) we would recommend the Scrabble Dictionary or a good pocket dictionary as a traveling companion to Quiddler.
The progressive play of the cards (from 3 to 10 cards) changes the dynamics as you begin each round of play and creates new challenges each turn. Perhaps our family is not as competitive as some but we enjoy helping each player optimize the letters (cards) s/he is caught with after the first player goes down. We can all join in finding the best combinaton of words from each players hand to give him/her the best score with the available cards. It is interesting how many options can be found with the same set of letters… very educational and a lot of fun.

I like the solitaire version also… if I have no-one else to play with

Enjoyed playing Quiddler with adults who are Scrabble hounds. The game would also be fun for kids, especially the three letter word portion for the younger set. The game keeps your attention and doesn’t take forever to finish. It is more interesting because of the progressive challenges

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Bananagrams

Bananagrams is a fast and fun word game that requires no pencil, paper or board. All you need is a table. One hand can be played in as little as five minutes. It is a great for family fun as well as being educational. Bananagrams portability makes it perfect for travel. Just grab the pouch and go.
Bananagrams is a fast and fun word game that requires no pencil, paper or board. All you need is a table. One hand can be played in as little as five minutes. It is a great for family fun as well as being educational. Bananagrams portability makes it perfect for travel. Just grab the pouch and go.

Bananagrams Reviews

Do you like Scrabble but get hung up trying to use those special point squares, are bummed when someone “steals your spot”, or dragged down by Debbie Dictionary (”just let me look up this one word”) or Slow Joe (who takes 20 minutes for each turn)? Well you would love Bananagrams, because it solves those problems. There are no special squares (or squares at all), no points on the letters (all are worth the same) and no time to dawdle. You are instead rewarded for speed and flexibility in making your own crossword. You can completely pull apart your crossword and start from scratch if you need to or just swap out a letter here and there, but don’t get caught with a bunch of spare letters when an opponent goes out!

It is exciting and challenging to play this game with adults, but it can be fun to include the kids. You can easily adapt the rules to suit yourself. We “handicap” the adults by drawing two tiles for every one the kids draw. You can play solitaire or have several players.

A similar game that I also love is Learning Resources’ “Take Four”. If you are the type who would prefer to have a grid to keep those tiles straight, or likes to have a few “jokers” thrown in, you might prefer this. But Banagrams is far more portable and much cheaper. I like both of these games so much (as well as the spelling card games Quiddler, My Word, and Tri-Virsity) that the old Scrabble board is gathering dust.

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Top Model Summer Doll

SUMMER TOP MODEL rules the runway! Summer doll is featured in the Model-Muse body. Each doll is dressed in the latest fashions, and comes complete with a second outfit, extra shoes, purse, sunglasses, a special black hairbrush and shoe box with the Barbie silo head logos, plus a model’s black portfolio that includes a mix and match fashion booklet!

BARBIE TOP MODEL Doll Assortment Top Model rules the runway! Barbie, Summer and Teresa dolls are featured in the ModelMuse body. Each doll is dressed in the latest fashions, and comes complete with a second outfit, extra shoes, purse, sunglasses, a special black hairbrush and shoe box with the Barbie silo head logos, plus a model’s black portfolio that includes a mix and match fashion booklet! Window box. Ages 6 and over.

Top Model Summer Doll Reviews

This doll is just beautiful. I didn’t like the Model Muse body style when it first came out, but since that seems to be the only body style Mattel is using for it’s non-play line dolls, I’ve gotten used to it.
This doll has the traditional Steffie face (with the modern Barbie eye style) and gorgeous bright copper red hair. The clothing she comes with is not the greatest (I do prefer the clothing of the blond Model in this series, but I bought this one for the hair & face style). The boots are cool looking, though. :3
The packaging is great. I have decided to leave this doll in her clear box because it’s like having her in a little glass (plastic) case. No fuss; no muss. ^_^

If you are a Barbie collector, I definitely suggest this for you.

If you are a parent looking to buy a Barbie for your child, I would suggest that you skip this one. The Model Muse body style is odd without clothing on, and could be a challenge for little ones to change the clothing. Also, once that hair is brushed, the style is gone forever. I do not see this as a “play” doll at all.
>^..^<

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