2018 Smart Mom’s Toy Box10 Award-Winning Toys and Games that Boost Brain Skills – under $30! Buying toys for your kids isn’t as simple as it used to be, as many of today’s children and teens are adding the newest smartphones high-tech gadgets and video games to their lists faster than you can swipe your credit card. For many parents, buying toys can feel like simply stockpiling more useless junk that will sit in the toybox until it’s time to gather pieces for donations. But what if there was a compromise? What if you chose games and toys that are fun for your kids, but also boost cognitive skills, like memory, auditory and visual processing, attention, logic & reasoning, and processing speed? We’re talking about award-winning games that have a track record of appeasing both bored kids and parents who are trying to build strong brains LearningRx (www.LearningRx.com), the world’s largest brain training company, has put together its annual list of brain-building games for the 2018 Smart Mom’s Toy Box. These pieces have been named best in class because kids love them and they build cognitive skills. Best of all, they’re all under $30 on Amazon.com! Tall Tales ($29.95) This story-telling board game offers five ways to play with 24 story cards, 50 game pieces and a story bag. Ages: 4+ Cognitive skills: attention, creativity, logic & reasoning, visual processing Awards: 2016 Scholastic Parent & Child Gold Star Toy Award, PAL Award, Tillywig Toy Award Winner for Best Family Fun Brain Freeze ($24.95) Make guesses, record answers and eliminate variables until you can guess your opponent’s secret sweet treat. Ages: 5+ Cognitive Skills: logic & reasoning, memory, strategy, deduction Awards: 2016 Tillywig Toy Award Winner Disruptus ($24.95) Play this game of “disruptive thinking” in a competitive or non-competitive format. Ages: 10+ Cognitive skills: creativity, visual processing, logic Awards: Creative Child Magazine’s Game of the Year Award, Dr. Toy’s 10 Best Games Award Fish Stix ($15.19) Ages: 6+ Match fish sticks and count fish then watch the board grow! Cognitive skills: strategy, visual processing, attention Awards: Parents’ Choice Gold Award, Dr. Toy’s 10 Best Games Awards My First Piano Book ($19.99) Ages: 3+ Get your toddler started on a love of music with this interactive and portable book-sized piano! Cognitive skills: attention, logical thinking, creativity, memory Awards: Mom’s Choice Gold Medal, 2017 Tillywig Best Creative Fun Award Winner 6, Splash! ($19.99) Ages: 6+ Grab a dolphin before it disappears in this colorful, fun game that shares facts about our ocean friends. Cognitive skills: attention, processing speed, visual processing Awards: Parents’ Choice Award, San Francisco Chronicle Best Family Game, Sesame Street Parents Top Toys Award, Dr. Toy 100 Best, Tillywig Best Family Fun Award Maze Racers ($24.95) Ages: 8+ Using magnetic strips, players compete to build on two metallic boards to build the most creative maze possible before swapping mazes to race. Cognitive skills: visual processing, logic, creativity, planning Awards: “Games that Make You Smart” Award, Dr. Toy award Outer Space Glow-in-the-Dark Puzzle ($10.61) Ages: 5+ This glow-in-the-dark puzzles has 100 pieces and measures 18” by 12”. Cognitive skills: attention, visual processing Awards: Family Choice Award, Tillywig Winter Award Quirkle Travel Game ($14.95) Ages: 6+ Build lines by matching titles based on either color or shape to score points. Cognitive skills: strategy, visual processing, attention, planning Awards: Parents’ Choice Award, Mensa Select National Competition Winner Tic Tac Whoa!! ($12.95) Ages: 7+ Play fun variations on the classic game of strategy. Cognitive skills: strategy, planning Awards: 2017 Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold Seal Award Winner, 2017 national Parenting Product Awards, National Parenting Center Seal of Approval Winner, Holiday 2016 Ready to head to the store (or online!) to do your holiday shopping? Take this list, or download a free Games for Skills Chart at: www.unlocktheeinsteininside.com.