Holiday Gift Guide: Scribblish: Game Review & Giveaway

I am a big-time game person, and our family loves having family game nights! I love learning about new games, and when I find them, I love letting others know about them. We are coming into the winter months, and it seems like families play more games during the winter months, I was recently introduced to a new game from the makers of Cranium called, Scribblish, and it is a really fun game!Did you play telephone when you were younger? You know, the game where you sit in a line, the first person (the operator) tells a person a secret, and that person has to relay (call) the next person in line. The secret travels down the line until it reaches the last person, and that person relays the message from the beginning. Hopefully, the message was clearly stated, and nothing got mixed up in the line of communication.
Scribblish, the new board game, is a lot like telephone, except you write your message on a paper....like pictionary.
Each person playing has a scroll, a piece of paper, a pen, and a certain level of drawing abilities. Each person slides the piece of paper into the scroll with the first line visible. Drawing a card, players choose which statement they want to do. Then, they write the statement, start the timer, and draw a picture to go with that statement. When the timer goes off, each player must slide the paper up enough so others will not see their drawing. One person rolls the dice, anddepending on what is revealed, players will move their scroll to the person on the right, left or put in the middle for a shuffle. Each player gets a new scroll. With a new scroll, players get to see just the picture drawn, then they get to write what they think the picture is saying. Another dice roll happens, and the new person with a different scroll writes a statement to go with the new picture. This happens over and over until the whole paper is full. At the end of the game, each person gets to choose which scroll they think is their original scroll, based on the last picture drawn, and puts a "MINE" token on it. Then, each player puts a "FUNNY" token on the caption, or drawing they think is the funniest. Players get tokens based on if they are right, or other players pick their drawing.
This is a great game for a fun family gathering, like for the Holidays, Birthdays, family game night, ladies night out, or other fun nights for games. I highly recommend this game! It is a great game for good laughs, creativity and imagination!

***ENTER TO WIN!!!***
This contest is open to bloggers, and non-bloggers of the United States, and will end on December 4th.
To enter, comment about which Cranium game you love to play with their family and friends!
**For extra chances you can: blog this contest, add my button to your site, subscribe to my blog, follow Sassyfrazz on twitter (if you tweet this contest use the hash tag #myblogspark) and/or become a fan on facebook, and/or visit everyday and comment on another one of my blog posts (leave a comment letting me know what you commented on). Lots of chances to win! Don't forget to put the extra comments for the "extra" work. Good luck!**

I will contact the winner by e-mail and they will have 3 days to claim their prize, and at that time...if no response, I will have the option to pick a new winner.

This review was provided from Hasbro (with a game to review), information, and prize packs is given through MyBlogSpark. I am sponsored to offer a giveaway for my readers through this review. I was given the product for my personal opinion and option to share with my readers. I was not compensated for my time or written review.

Trivial Pursuit Card Game (Review & 3 giveaways!!)

My family loves games, and playing them is such a great family game night. We love the Hasbro games, because not only are they fun...they promote Family Game Nights.

I was recently sent the new card game from Hasbro : Trivial Pursuit Steal game. This card game is rather fun, and is a great game for a quick dose of fun. A lot like the board game, Trivial Pursuit, the T.P. Steal card game has the questions on topics: Geography, Entertainment, History, Art & Literature, Science & Nature and Sports & Leisure.

Trivial Pursuit Steal consists of two decks of cards. One stack of cards is the trivial questions~ 330 new questions, and one stack is the game cards.

Starting off the game, you are dealt 5 cards, and on your turn you will draw a new card. These cards will be a variety of the wedge cards and the action game cards. The wedge cards are designed with the colors of the original Trivial Pursuit. After you draw your new card, you need to decide what color wedge do you want to get. There are 6 color wedges, and in your hand you may have a wild wedge card, to which you can use to get the color you need.

During your turn, someone reads you a question. If you get it right, you get to keep that wedge card. There are a few ways where you can avoid that question and get to "steal the wedge" card....just lay down a Steal Card, and take the wedge from another player! That isn't the best revenge though, with Trivial Pursuit Steal card game, you can lay down a Steal Two cards...and you can take two wedges! However, for the person who you want to steal from, you better watch out, because they can throw down a can of...well,they can block you with a Block card, to stop you from stealing their wedge. :)

To make the game fair, Trivial Pursuit Steal has a "buzz" card that lays on the table~ and does not go into a player's hand. If you grad the buzzer card you can answer a question that another player got wrong, to get their wedge. However, if you get the question wrong too, you lose a wedge.

Either by playing fairly, or by stealing....the first player to get all six colors in wedges, wins.
Check out Trivial Pursuit on Facebook!

Trivial Pursuit Steal Card Game is just $5.24, and can be purchased in local retail stores or online at places like Amazon.com.

***ENTER TO WIN!!!***
This contest is open to bloggers, and non-bloggers of the United States, and will end on October 25th. There will be three winners, and each winner will receive the new Trivial Pursuit Steal Card Game.
To enter, tell me which topic you like to answer questions on...is it history, entertainment, geography? Then, comment on it. For an extra entry, Follow Family Game Night on Twitter and Tweet the following (copy and paste): #Win Trivial Pursuit Steal Card Game @FamilyGameNight at @Sassyfrazz (3 Winners)

**For extra chances you can: blog this contest, add my button to your site, subscribe to my blog, follow Sassyfrazz on twitter and/or become a fan on facebook, and/or visit everyday and comment on another one of my blog posts (leave a comment letting me know what you commented on). Visit Trivial Pursuit on Facebook, "like" them, and comment that you are entering my contest to win @sassyfrazz.blogspot.com. Lots of chances to win! Don't forget to put the extra comments for the "extra" work. Good luck!**

I will contact the winner by e-mail and they will have 3 days to claim their prize, and at that time...if no response, I will have the option to pick a new winner.

This review was provided from Hasbro. They have provided me with a Trivial Pursuit Steal card game review and information to share with my readers. I am sponsored to offer three card game giveaways for my readers through this review. I was given the product for my personal opinion and option to share with my readers. I was not compensated for my time or written review.

Fisher Price has new iPhone applications! (Chatter Telephone application giveaway)

Fisher-Price, Inc. (a subsidiary of Mattel, Inc.) put a fun, digital spin on some of its beloved, iconic toys by launching its first-ever iPhone applications, enabling children to experience classic toys in an exciting new way. The Chatter Telephone toy (first introduced in 1962), See ‘n Say product (first introduced in 1965) and Little People Farm (the Little People brand was first introduced in 1959) applications, for ages 2-5, are available for download on the iTunes App Store now for $.99 - $1.99 each.
“I say that kids are born digital. We see it demonstrated every day in our Play Lab as we observe how they navigate technology,” says Dave Ciganko, Vice President of Design, Fisher-Price. “iPhone and iPod Touch devices are regularly being passed to kids for entertainment and who better than us to transform the device into a fun play experience – allowing kids to play with favorite Fisher-Price toys in a new, digital way.”

Fisher-Price Chatter Telephone App ($.99)
Get ready for some dialing fun! Change from one of three screens (Numbers, Music and People in Your Neighborhood), by simply touching the Fisher-Price logo. In the “Numbers” screen, touch or swipe to hear the name of the number and see a quick dial. In the “Music” screen, select one of three instruments to hear it play as you touch the notes. In the “People in Your Neighborhood” screen, touch any of the nine people and hear them “ring you up” and tell you a little about themselves, what they do, and hear some fun sounds related to their jobs. Each occupation has three fun conversations. App features three activity screens, three musical instruments and their sounds, and fun facts from the “People in Your Neighborhood” with corresponding sound effects.

Fisher-Price See ‘n Say App ($1.99)
The fun is just a spin away! Spin the virtual dial or move it to any picture of an animal and it comes to life with a quack, meow or moo and the name of the animal. The screen immediately transitions to a short video about the selected animal including fun facts. Spin the virtual dial again to see what animal the arrow will land on next. App features 12 animals, 48 videos, 48 facts and music and fun sound effects.

Fisher-Price Little People Farm App ($1.99)
Come on down to the farm! Simply swipe a finger over the screen to view the entire farm yard. Touch to discover animals and their sounds. Touch the tractor and watch Farmer Jed drive down the road. Touch the turtle to play a matching game. Touch Eddie and Maggie and watch them dance to fun music. Even tickle them to make them laugh! Touch the piggy as he jumps in the mud and swipe the screen to clean the mud from the screen. Touch the barn doors to enter and play a hide and seek game with Eddie, Maggie, Sonya Lee, Sarah Lynn and Michael. App features 25 touch-activated spots, three mini games, original music from Somerset Entertainment, Inc. and five Little People friends.

About Fisher-Price:
Fisher-Price, Inc., a subsidiary of Mattel, Inc. located in East Aurora, N.Y., is the leading brand of infant and preschool toys in the world. The Company has an 80-year legacy of high quality toys that enhance early childhood development. Its often-emulated Play Laboratory was the first child research center of its kind in the toy industry, allowing researchers to observe the way children play and how play benefits their development. Some of the Company’s best-known “classic” brands include Little People, Power Wheels and View-Master. Fisher-Price is also a leading developer of baby gear products (infant swings, bouncers, high chairs, nursery monitors), as well as a wide array of character-based toys inspired by high quality children’s programming such as Thomas & Friends, Dora the Explorer and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. The Company’s web site, Fisher-Price.com, provides valuable information and resources to parents.

WIN IT!!

Fisher-Price has offered to sponsor a giveaway for a Chatter phone application. I have a code to give someone and this code will expire tomorrow. So, to enter, just comment...I will give the application to the #50 comment. Good luck!

This review was provided from Fisher Price. They have provided me with a free iPhone app to review and information to share with my readers. I was given the product for my personal opinion and option to share with my readers. I was not compensated for my time or written review. I was given a application code to offer as a giveaway for my readers as a part of this review.

Hasbro games are great for holiday parties and get togethers!

Our family loves playing games, and we love sharing fun games with our family and friends. Over the holiday festivities with Thanksgiving and Christmas we have been enjoying these great new Hasbro board games. We still have a few family Christmas gatherings, and maybe you do, too. If you are looking for a great gift idea, I suggest you check out these games. Winter time here in MN is long, cold, and much time is spent indoors. Family game nights are so much fun and they are great memory making moments. Game nights are a great way to spend time together as a family. I can say that Hasbro's games have definitely made our game nights a riot!

We got three board games from Hasbro to review. I really wanted to get this up before Christmas, to encourage you to look into these games for gift ideas. Either way, I am sure you will need to find a gift, and these games are highly recommended from our family & friends!
CLUE: Secrets & Spies EditionWith Text messaging the latest technological hit, Hasbro has implemented the texting into their new edition of Clue. With using your own cell phone, you get to be a top-secret spy with your own phone. Real tips are sent to your phone via the text messaging. You really don't need a cell phone to play this game, but it does add a fun twist. In this game, you take on a role of an international spy with the job of stopping the crimes of the Criminal League for world domination. You must stop Agent Black. True identities of Agent Mustard, Agent Scarlet and crew are kept secret as players work independently to complete missions. The agent who completes the most missions before being discovered by Agent Black will be known as the world’s number one spy and wins the game. This game is much like the original Clue game, however to read the clues you get to use an ultraviolet secret decoder to see the special clues. Using a special light-coder makes this game so fun for the kids (and us adults, too).
CLUE: Secrets & Spies Edition is recommend for two to six players, ages nine and up. This Hasbro game was released Fall 2009, and retails for the approximate price of $24.99.

Monopoly: Family Game Night Championship Edition Monopoly is a family favorite. It is a game where we can be strategic, but really is luck of the roll. The original Monopoly is fun, but honestly the game can take literally HOURS to play. That is why I reallylike the Family Game Night Championship Edition...there is a special speed dice. After you make your way around the board completely, you get to add in the speed dice with your roll. There are numbers on this dice, as well as Mr. Monopoly and a Bus. One of the pictures allows you to travel the distance of one of the dice (your choice) or total of both dice. The other picture sends you to the next available property open: to which you can purchase it, or you must move to the next property unowned by you, and you pay rent to the occupant. This way of play really speeds up the game time. Plus, it makes it fun for purchasing quickly. I personally like the new edition to Monopoly. Monopoly: Family Game Night Championship came out in October 2009, to coincide with the MONOPOLY World Championships in Las Vegas. Game is retailed at approximately $19.99, and is suited for ages 8 & up. This game is intended for 2-6 players and includes tournament rules, houses, hotels, and a score pad,to help you calculate whose won, as well as a Mr. MONOPOLY trophy. The hotels are even gold in color!

PICTUREKA! FLIPPER I spy something you eat....something in the ocean, something with teeth...Pictureka! Flipper is an "I spy" sort of game, and it is a game where you are searching, thinking, being creative, and want to be competitive. What I like about this game is even my two year old has fun looking for pictures that match the clues. Pictureka! Flipper has a host...a 3-D penguin who holds the cards and flips them out to everyone. While he is flipping the cards, he is also rotating around on his ice burg, so cards fly everywhere. Beware the cards will go pretty far. This game is exciting because you get clues to find the matching pictures on the cards, however you only have so much time before the penguin quacks and starts flipping out more cards. Our family really enjoys this game, and it is one that you can engage all different ages and many people can play. Requires 3 AA batteries (not included).
This game is intended for ages 6 and up, but our younger ones enjoyed finding the pictures, too. It can be a fast paced game, so playing with younger (than 6) kids may be too challenging.
Approximate retail price of Pictureka! Flipper is $24.99.

About HASBRO
Hasbro, Inc. is a worldwide leader in children’s and family leisure time products and services with a rich portfolio of brands and entertainment properties that provides some of the highest quality and most recognizable play and recreational experiences in the world. As a brand-driven, consumer-focused global company, Hasbro brings to market a range of toys, games and licensed products, from traditional to high-tech and digital, under such powerful brand names as TRANSFORMERS, PLAYSKOOL, TONKA, MILTON BRADLEY, PARKER BROTHERS, CRANIUM and WIZARDS OF THE COAST.

This review was provided from Hasbro. They have provided me with a free products to review and information to share with my readers. I was given the product for my personal opinion and option to share with my readers. I was not compensated for my time or written review.

Haba game review (and giveaway!!)

We love games! And we love games that not only are creative, but challenge your mind and abilities. My kids are in the ages of fine tuning and working with their hand/eye coordination, so I seek out ways to nurture and encourage their growth.
I was recently sent the Haba game: Animal Upon Animal – the Duel to review, and my kids LOVE this game. Even my 11 year old loves this game, and he says it is one of his new favorites.
Haba's game Animal Upon Animal -The Duell is a game where you stack the four animals on top of one another. You have an octopus, a goose, a tiger and a squirrel. This game looks easier than it is. You roll the dice, and one dice tells you what animal is on the top, and one tells you which animal is on the bottom. There is a chance you get to choose how you stack them, but it all depends on what you roll.
It such a fun game because I can race against my 11 year old, or my 4 1/2 year old. This game is great because the 4 1/2 year old doesn't have to read anything, or be of a certain skill level. He has beat me at how fast he stacks.
I love that the pieces are wooden, and they are made in Germany! The wooden playing animals are durable, and cute. My daughter (age 2 1/2) loves just walking the animals in a row, and tries to stack them, too. She loves playing with the little wooden shapes.

I think this is a great game with the home schooling families, especially for the pre-school age. You get to encourage the hand/eye coordination, work with colors and animals, and kids can just use their imagination while playing with the animals.

Animal Upon Animal Haba Game can be found on the Maukilo website. The Haba games are affordable, and you can get many hours of fun and entertainment with your kids with them! Animal Upon Animal retails for $12.59. Habas games are designed to grow with your child, and I would agree with that. I like that my kids can play this game together, and so can my husband and I. :) Many of the Haba games offer alternate play variations, so as children learn new skills, the game adapts with them. HABA offers many cooperative games, where siblings play against each other, as well as work together to accomplish a common goal, like Castle Knights and Wiggling Cow.

HABA products can be found nationwide at over 1,000 U.S. specialty retail stores and in specialty catalogs and websites. Many of its products have been recognized with German and American awards including Parents’ Choice, National Parenting Center, Creative Child, and Parents’ Guide. HABA received Best Toys of the Year recognition from the TODAY Show Toy Test and has been featured in national magazines such as Child, American Baby, Baby Talk, Fit Pregnancy, Parenting, Parents and Working Mother. For more details, visit HABA’s informational website at www.HABAusa.com.

Would you like to win a game from Maukilo?
This contest is open to bloggers and non-bloggers of the United States. Contest is open until December 16th, 2009. (in time to do some Christmas shopping, or use after Christmas. Winner will get to choose which of the games they would like to win: Castle Knights, Wiggling Cow or Animal upon Animal.

To enter, leave a comment about something you found interesting from the Maukilo website, or something you found you would like to purchase. AND~ tell me which game you want to win.(madatory for entry)

**For extra chances you can: blog this contest, add my button to your site, subscribe to my blog, twitter and/or become a fan on facebook, and/or visit everyday and add something else you found on the Maukilo website (you didn't know they sold). Lots of chances to win! Don't forget to put the extra comments for the "extra" work. Good luck!**

This review was provided from Maukilo.com, which provided me with the free product to review and information to share with my readers. I am sponsored to offer a game to giveaway to my readers through this review. I was given the product for my personal opinion and option to share with my readers. I was not compensated for my time or written review.

El Tacodor, the world´s only Family Taco Night Game (Review and Giveaway)

El Tacodor Dinner Game is a great way to enjoy family time, as well as have dinner: Taco Night. Here are the things you need for your family game night/meal: Old El Paso taco fixings, meat, family and a FREE game-ready El Tacodor Pack which includes instructions, a scorecard and a challenge sheet which you can download at Eltacodor.com.
This game board, which looks like a menu, is loaded with games that you and your family/friends can do to earn toppings for your taco. Here are a few examples of things you may do when playing:
Crunch Time: Name at least 10 animated movies within 1 minute
Meat-N-Greet: Name 5 things that you´d bring home from your favorite vacation place and let the table guess where you traveled
Lettuce Play: Act out different animals - no noises! Your partner must guess 3
Lime Light: Cheer, "We love tacos, yes we do! We love tacos, how `bout you?"
Say Cheese: Pronounce the name of everyone at the table backwards!
Our family loves gaming, and we love tacos, so this game was fun to review. Our youngest children really couldn't participate, but our 11 year old enjoyed this game. El Tacodor is a fun way to engage with each other, learn about one another, and just have pure fun! We recommend this game for your next family game night/Taco night!
Would you like to win this game?
This contest is open to bloggers and non-bloggers of the United States. Contest is open until December 7th, 2009. To enter, leave a comment about your favorite part of Taco night is, or family game night.
**For extra chances you can: blog this contest, add my button to your site, subscribe to my blog, twitter and/or become a fan on facebook, and/or visit everyday and add another friendly comment. Lots of chances to win! Don't forget to put the extra comments for the "extra" work. Good luck!**

This review was provided from Old El Paso, which provided me with the free product to review and information to share with my readers. I was given a prize pack through MyBlogSpark to offer to my readers. I was given the product for my personal opinion and option to share with my readers. I was not compensated for my time or written review.

A great family game: Rummino (a review)

Our family loves games, and we were excited to try the new game from Marina Games titled: Rummino! Rummino is a fun family game full of strategy! I had such a great time playing this game! I think it is a great mix between the classic Rummy game, and Domino's. The game is

designed for 2-6 players, and for ages 8 and up. I think that the age they have is appropriate, because children need to know the runs/sets and how you lay the tiles. There are five different colored tiles: pink, green, blue, black, and red. The object of the game is to get through all the tiles, and be the first one to get rid of all your tiles in your hand. Of coarse you want to end up with the highest score, too. The tiles have 9's, Jacks, Queens, Kings and Aces on them. There are five different suits on the tiles. Each player starts out with 7 tiles, and the person who has three of the same suit (highest) goes first. Scoring is a point per tile played, but you can score points either horizontally or vertically. It is possible to get over 20 points in one turn, and if you can use all your tiles, you get a Rummino (scoring an additional 20 points). This game is super fun, and I am happy to have it in our collection of games. You can find this game at the Marina Games website. You can purchase this game at Amazon for $19.99.

This review was sponsored by Marina Games and Family Review Network. They have supplied me with a game to review and keep for my personal opinion and option to share with my readers. I was not compensated for my time or written review.

Harry Potter CLUE game giveaway (2 winners)

I remember playing the game: Clue, when I was younger. I loved the mystery of the game, and the suspense of finding out who did the crime, where, and with what? I was recently sent the game Clue: Harry Potter edition. I personally, am not a big Harry Potter fan, but my son enjoys it. However, the Clue game is really fun to play, I must say! Here is a recap of the game:
A student has vanished from the school, and it is up to the players, taking on the roles of Harry, Hermione, Ron, Ginny, Luna or Neville, to race through the halls of Hogwarts to discover who did it, what spell or magical item was used and where the student was attacked. Was it Draco Malfoy with a Sleeping Draught in the Owlery? Or maybe it was Dolores Umbridge with the Vanishing Cabinet in the Great Hall. From the Potions classroom to the Room of Requirement, players can equip themselves with spells and magic items as they face unexpected challenges and race to avoid the fear-inducing sign of He Who Must Not Be Named, or Lord Voldemort (to the brave), the Dark Mark!
I thought it was neat how the board was set up, much like the traditional Clue, with the 8 rooms and select doors to enter them. There is a twist to the Harry Potter edition, you have to spin one of the 4 dials located on each corner of the board. This can change some things for you depending on if you are in a certain room or hallway. Be on the lookout! If a Dark Mark appears, the players must draw a "Dark" card, and must follow what it says. You also get opportunities to draw "Help" cards during the game that can save you from some dark force or be your ally in time of need. 40 house point tokens are used in the game as your "money." It is important not to run out, or you will be out of the game. However, those still in the game can still ask you questions that you must answer.
Just like the traditional clue, each player has to unravel the mystery of who did the crime by selection of asking questions to the player on the left. You always have to ask the player on your left, and if they don't have a card you are looking for, the question moves to the next player until someone can give you a clue.
3 to 5 players can play this game, and it is suited best for ages 9 and up. ERP: $26.99
Overall, I think this game is a lot of fun, and it was pretty easy to learn the tricks of the game.

Would you like a chance to win this game? Hasbro has offered to sponsor a giveaway for two of my readers to win! This contest is open to bloggers and non-bloggers in the United States. For your first entry, please comment about which is your favorite game to play now, or when you were young. Contest ends on August 18th.
**For extra chances you can: blog this contest, add my button to your site, subscribe to my blog, twitter and/or facebook this contest, and/or visit everyday and add another friendly comment. Lots of chances to win! Don't forget to put the extra comments for the "extra" work. Good luck!**

Hasbro introduces SpongeBob (review and GIVEAWAY)

Growing up, Operation and Connect 4 were on my "favorites" list for games to play. Well, Hasbro just came out with a fun line of the traditional Connect 4, Sorry!, Operation, Memory and Cranium games only they are SpongeBob Square Pants styles. We got the Operation game and the Connect 4 game to review from Hasbro. I thought both games were easy to assemble. The Operation game had little white "parts" that easily snapped out of the plastic sheet. Then, I just added some batteries to get the buzzing sound when I operated on SpongeBob. I thought the new parts were comical (Barnacle brain, Clammy hands). My younger kids, Caleb (age 4) and Madelyn (2) weren't all that impressed with the buzzing, but they did enjoy watching me operate on Bob.
(Approximate Retail Price: $19.99; Recommended Age: 6 & up)

Connect 4: SpongeBob Squarepants edition was very easy to assemble. There were pink checkers and yellow checkers. I had a few sheets of Pink Patrick stickers, and Yellow SpongeBob stickers. My kids enjoyed separating the pink and yellow checkers. This Connect 4 game is just like the original, however you get a new twist...your opponent can put SpongeBob in his place. The opponent has the opportunity to block holes or columns by placing the SpongeBob face on the board. It was fun playing Connect Four with a new twist.
(Approximate Retail Price: $12.99; Recommended Age: 6 & up; Players: 2 or more)

YOU HAVE THE CHANCE TO WIN ONE OF THESE GAMES FROM HASBRO!
This contest is open to those in the United States, non-bloggers, and bloggers. Go to the Hasbro website, and take a look around. Find out what sparks your interest and comment here about to enter for this contest. There will be two winners! One will win the Connect 4 and one will win the Operation game. Please specify which one you would like to win!
Contest will end on August 11th, 2009.
For extra chances you can: blog this contest, add my button to your site, subscribe to my blog, twitter and/or facebook this contest, and/or visit everyday and add another friendly comment. Lots of chances to win! Don't forget to put the extra comments for the "extra" work. Good luck!

Birthday Bash Wii game review

Have a birthday party that you are planning for your son or daughter? I just had the opportunity to review a fun new game for the Wii, in which you can design a "party" for your children to celebrate with friends. Birthday Party Bash, from 2k PLay, can be played by up to 12 people. This game is a lot of fun, and easy enough for younger children (like ages 4-5), but can also be challenging enough for an adult (like me). Including over 20 games, this game offers some easier games like Pinata Blast, to more challenging games like the Laser Gremlin. My son, who is 10, and I tried this game out. We made a custom party with a Princess Theme. Since my Birthday is next week, we decided to plan the party for me. I invited, and included my son on the invitation on the Wii game. I picked the characters for us, to represent us. I got to enter our names, and my birthday age. Throughout the game, we played the mini games for our party. Some of our favorite games were: Duncan Hines Cake Stacker, Slingshot Splash, Balloon Popper, and the Scribble. We thought that the Bug Catcher and the Laser Gremlins were the most challenging. It can be a challenge to hit the targets just right.
After every mini game we played, we got more favors for our party. We got fancy chairs, balloons, hats, plates, cake, a Princess Throne, and more. It was fun seeing the party come together. I can see how this will be fun to design a party for my younger kids. One great feature of the game, I thought, was that if a player is out of the game...they can still shake their Wii remote and their character will do a funny thing.
There are several themes to choose from when planning the party: Music, Sports, Army Men, Construction, Pirate, Glamour, Magical Forest, Monsters, Stuffed Animals, and the Princess theme. It was fun customizing ourselves, and the party guests. We had the choices of body size (short or tall) boy or girl, and choices between the boys and girls for faces/hair colors. I like that there is several options for how you design your play. You can even pick a grandma or grandpa for them to play along with the grand kids. That is funny!
Included in the game is party invitations (post cards) with the design of the Birthday Party Bash game on it. Also, there was a coupon for Duncan Hines~ buy one get one free~ to make your birthday party taste delicious, too. The instructions for the game has ideas on how to make your party a success with your planning. It is a great help.
My son said this game is a bit too young for his age group (10 years), but I think it all depends on your child. This game is geared toward everyone between age 4 and 20.
Birthday Party Bash just hit the shelves on Monday, July 13th. I think the value is great at $39.99 for the game.
Thank you Mom Central for this great review opportunity, and for introducing me to it. I love helping spread the word!

Hasbro has some new card games! (With 6 giveaways!)

Our family loves playing games, board games, card games, video games, outdoor games...you name it! We were happy to review the newest Hasbro card games, Monopoly Deal, and Scrabble Slam! We love the original Monopoly game, and the Monopoly Deal is similar in many ways. You get 5 cards to start out the game, and you can lay your bank money down in front of you, and your properties that you are starting to acquire. I have realized it is a good thing to lay down money into your "bank" right away, because the other player can demand money from you, and you pay with whatever is laid down on the table. So, if you only have properties laid down, that is what you pay the opponent with. Each card has a cash value, and/or property/action to it. You can make others pay you money, by laying down the Debt Collector card, or "It's my birthday." The game can also take new twists, because you can be forced to change cards or properties with your opponents. Don't worry, though, you may have a card in your hand to tell them "NO!"
To win the game, you need to complete 3 sets of properties first. This game is a lot of fun, and my son and I played it over and over. Sometimes the game is quick, and sometimes it takes a little while. (Approximate Retail Price: $6.99; Recommended Age: 8 & up; Players: 2 to 6)

Another fun game to challenge your thinking is Scrabble Slam. You and your opponent picksa 4 letter word to use to start the game. Use four cards with those letters and lay them down. Then you deal out the rest of the cards to each player. You start the game by changing that four letter word with the cards in your hand. Each card has two letters on it, and you can see those letters in the corners of the cards. The first one to get rid of all their cards first wins. Very fun game, and definitely one to get your mind thinking. This is a great game for kids to work on their spelling, too! (Approximate Retail Price: $6.99; Recommended Age: 8 & up; Players: 2 to 4)
Other great card games that Hasbro just came out with are: Crazy Old Fish War, Littlest Pet Shop Go Fish, and Rook.

You can have a chance to win Monopoly Deal or Scrabble Slam! There will be six winners! Go to the Hasbro site, and take a look at all the cool games and toys they have!Leave a comment about which of the two games you would like to win. This contest is open to those in the United States and will end on July 23rd, 2009. For extra chances you can: blog this contest, add my button to your site, subscribe to my blog, twitter and/or facebook this contest, and/or visit everyday and add another friendly comment. Lots of chances to win! Don't forget to put the extra comments for the "extra" work. Good luck!

Pirates vs. Ninjas Dodgeball (Wii game review)

We had a lot of fun reviewing the new Wii game we got to review: Pirates vs. Ninjas Dodgeball. We had a great time picking out our character for the team we wanted to represent. We had a few different options (male and female) to choose from. We could be on the Alien, Robot, Mushroom Men, Zombie, Ninja, Monster or Pirates team. I think the Ninjas are the most fun to play, but my son loves the Pirates. You also get to choose your arena that you will be competing in. Then, you get to decide if you want to play the original Dodgeball, or Dodge Brawl. In Dodge Brawl, you get to fight and beat up your opponent while trying to knock them out. There are no sides on the court, it is a free-for-all approach. There are special attack moves that the players can use to take their opponents down.

The original Dodgeball is similar to the traditional sport. There are three of your own team mates on the out of bounds on your opponents side. You can throw the ball to your team mates out there, to make the opponents unsure of what your moves will be. Your player has a health bar and a stamina bar. The health bar is a limited time frame you have for your play. You don't get knocked out of the game with the first hit, but you get to play as long as your health bar is up. It really depends on how often you are hit, and also how hard you take the blow. Your stamina bar is your ability to perform special moves and throwing/dodging of the ball. I had a hard time figuring out the special moves. So far with our game play, we have just seen the fire ball throw. I am not sure if there are more special moves or not.

The controls can be a bit challenging to get use to, I thought. However, my son and husband didn't have a hard time picking it right up. You need to use the Wii remote and the nunchuck for play. You actually throw the dodgeball by throwing your Wii remote forward like you are throwing. You can also push certain buttons to dodge the ball or move out of the way. You have to push a button to catch the ball, but not to throw it.

I really liked that this game offers two ways to play: single play mode and multi player mode. This makes it nice to either play alone, and be challenged by the computer, and you can play with one, up to three, other people in the multi-play mode. It is so fun playing this game with my son and husband.

One thing that I think this game would be fun to offer is special attack modes and unique skills that each team player could possess. It would be fun if each player had a special weapon or skill that they each did, and for us (the game players) to find out what their special skill would be.

Overall, I think this game is a lot of fun, and it is a great game geared toward the tween to teen age kids. We have fun with it as adults, though, too. This game has an ESRB content rating of E for everyone (ages 10 and up).


This game is produced from SouthPeak games. For more information you can check out their website: SouthPeak Games.com.

Great Conversation starters (and a giveaway!!)

I love to talk and have conversations, and I think it is great to encourage good conversation for our kids/teens. I was really excited to hear that Around the Table Games came out with more conversation starter sets, which were created and inspired by kids, for kids. Beth Daniels, owner of Around The Table Games, first created “Family Talk” and “Grandparent Talk," which have won many awards, including a 2008 iParenting Media Outstanding Product Award, a Top 10 Puzzles & Logical Thinking Games from Dr. Toy’s 100 Best Children’s Products of 2008, the Grandkids Gift Guide 2008 Superproduct Award, the National Parenting Center 2008 Fall Seal of Approval and a Teachers’ Choice for the Family Award 2009.
There are three new versions of the game, Camp Talk, Buddy Talk, and Teen Talk. I really like the ring of conversation cards. Kids can clip this to their backpack or jeans, and have a way to enjoy great conversations with their friends. It really encourages great topics, and ones that kids care about. There are 50 cards in each set.

Camp Talk – Gather around and make new friends with…Camp Talk! Perfect gift for kids heading off to camp or for family camping trips! Camp Talk is the perfect way to get to know new camp friends on the bus to camp, in the bunk after lights-out or around the campfire while eating s’mores! It’s also a great way to learn fun things about your family! Just draw a card, read one of the 50 cool questions and let the fun begin! The handy flashlight and compass allow you to navigate your way back to your campsite or cabin for some fun, late night conversations! Ages 7+, MSRP $7.99. Here’s a small sample of the questions included in Camp Talk:
- What's the funniest or most unusual nickname for a counselor you’ve heard? - If you wrote your own campfire song, what would it be about?- Name a place you feel you can really be yourself.

Nathaniel has had a great time asking his friends questions from the Buddy Talk - he says it is fun learning more about his friends, and finding out what they think. He likes to ask his neighbor friend questions while waiting for the bus, and asking his friends questions at school. Ages 7+, MSRP $7.99. Here’s a small sample of the questions included in Buddy Talk:
- What's your favorite thing about summer break?- If you could have picked your own name, what would it be?- What is the funniest trick your pet can do?
Teen Talk – A fun way for teens to really get to know their friends! This set of diverse questions is sure to spark some colorful conversations among teens! The cool carabiner clip attaches to backpacks, sports bags or overnight bags for fun conversations anytime! MSRP $7.99. Here’s a small sample of the questions included in Teen Talk:
- What is one thing you couldn’t live without?- What influences you the most?- What is the weirdest dream you’ve ever had?- Do you think guys/girls act or talk differently online than they do in person? Why?- What would be the title of YOUR autobiography?

Also new for 2009, Around The Table Games is offering a double-deck tin with full playing-card-sized Family Talk and Grandparent Talk decks. Makes a great addition to any family gathering or game night. Each tin comes with 200 conversation cards. MSRP $19.99
Around the Table Games is rolling out “new and improved” cards for Family Talk, Family Talk 2 and Grandparent Talk. All cards will be larger playing-card-sized, made from heavier paper stock with rounded edges and equipped with a circular carabiner for easier flipping. MSRP on each 100 card set is $9.99.

ABOUT AROUND THE TABLE GAMES
Creator and owner of Around the Table games, Beth Daniels was blessed to have her grandparents and great-grandparents in her life for decades. Over the years, she realized that the more she learned about them, the better she understood herself. As an Occupational Therapist, wife and mother of two, Daniels understands all too well how active lives and busy schedules can prevent families from sharing the anecdotes and folklore that make a family a family. That’s why she created Family Talk and Grandparent Talk games as a fun way for families to reconnect.
What began as a business of bringing families together through conversation has now brought the Daniels family together through entrepreneurship! Beth’s 9-year-old daughter saw and heard the impact that her mom’s games had on peoples’ lives, so she decided to write some games of her own. Thanks to Beth’s daughter’s hard work, in 2009, Around the Table added Buddy Talk (for tweens) and Camp Talk (for kids going away to camp) to its line of conversation games. The family involvement continued as Beth’s niece wrote Teen Talk - a conversation game designed for Teens!

I just think it is great that Around The Table Games have created this great resource for kids to be encouraged to talk to each other. With the rave of video games, TV~ well, media in general, it is great that there is something that will help kids connect and learn from each other.

Around The Table Games has offered to sponsor a giveaway to my readers! You can choose which one of these games you would like to win. This contest is open to USA addresses, and will end on June 22, 2009. There is a new way to enter for this contest: Tell me in the comments what is a creative question you would like to ask your child/teen, or friends while camping? You can get extra entries by: "Following" the company's Twitter page and/or become a "Fan" of their Public Profile on Facebook. More chances to win: blog this contest, add my button to your page, subscribe to sassyfrazz, follow me on twitter, visiting/commenting everyday, commenting on other posts, etc. Just leave separate comments for each "extra credit" you do, so you can get the credit.

Love Your Veggies! Fun Website for kids!

I try my best to introduce my children to several different vegetables, right when they start eating solids. It isn't always a success to have them like vegetables. My oldest really likes most vegetables, my second oldest only likes a couple, and I think my third one is a happy medium between the two older boys. I was introduced to the Hidden Valley's new online game site called Veggie Adventures to promote some of the challenges faced when encouraging veggie eating with our children. The Veggie Adventures is a free online game that kids can play along and learn to appreciate vegetables.
Veggie Adventures has three games that kids can enjoy! The first game begins with growing vegetables on the farm and ends with serving and sharing vegetables with friends. So, your child can play the game starting in the fields/farm, taking them down the road, and bringing them to the table. I found the games to be easy to play, and fun to do. Veggie Adventures provides players with great tips and vegetable facts that kids can get knowledge from. The end of the game has a fun reward for the player~a printable certificate to commemorate their success. This site is great for kids ages 4 and up. That is just my recommendation. Maybe Caleb will start eating more vegetables now that we have said how we get them? Veggie Adventures help promote fun conversations, too!

Thanks Mom Central for this review opportunity!

Family Game Night

Did you grow up playing Battleship, Connect Four, Sorry, Boggle and Yatzee? These were some of my favorite games growing up! Yatzee is still a favorite of mine. I love that Hasbro and EA games have come out with these games for our video gaming systems like the Wii and
Playstations! Now our kids can enjoy these fun and entertaining games without us worrying about losing the pieces. Family Game Night has the classic games hosted by none other than Mr. Potato Head himself. He makes faces, sounds and flys around your own gaming room showing you around. In your room, that you can design, you can display trophies you win.
The games are fun to play and there are added twists to the game, like power chips with Connect Four, Reverse Yahtzee and Sorry Sliders. You can also host a Game Party by choosing your favorite games, number of players, and time you want to play.
Family Game Night can be played by mostly 2 players, but some games you can play up to 4 players. The suggested retail price of the Playstation 2 version of Family Game Night is $19.95. You can also get this game for the Nintendo Wii. The rating is E for everyone.
Our family, especially me and Nathaniel, love playing this game. We really enjoy the Battleship game! It is so fun to sink each others ships~ that is once we find them. If you love video games, I suggest this game. There is great strategies with the games, and you can have fun outwitting other members of your family.