" Players finish at the board's center, where stories and positive comments are celebrated. Children under 10 will enjoy this game more in the company of adults. This is a Parents Choice Award winner. -Lee Strucker.

Sigh. Only in America. Game includes one motorized spaghetti plate, one chef, four forks and four napkins (bases), 12 soft, safe meatballs with trailing spaghetti, and instructions. For two to four players. Requires two AA batteries (not included). (Ages 5 to 8). -Emilie Coulter.

Everything is based on colors, including the dice, without a printed word in sight. Players roll the dice to see which two of the colorful wooden snails they'll move forward one space on the board. No matter how many children play, all six snails enter the race. The goal is to guess which snail will be the first-or the last-to cross the finish line. -Lynne Sampson.

Turn on the Fun At three feet tall when fully assembled, the Whac-A-Mole Tower is a miniature version of the popular carnival game. Featuring goofy mole cartoons, electronic lights, bell sounds, and automatic scoring, this toy is just as enticing as the real thing. Kids can choose from four different games and multiple players can join in the fun. Once the three-piece hinged tower is built, kids press the yellow arrow key until they reach the game they want to play, then press the green check mark. When the game is announced, it's time to grab the mallet and whack that mole! Although the Whac-A-Mole Tower is easy to set up and loads of fun, there are a few minor design flaws. The tower is constructed out of plastic and our testers weren't completely sure it could hold out against relentless mallet pounding. Also, the cardboard sign on the bell comes tumbling to the ground at the slightest touch. But unless your child is a pint-sized version of Thor, the Whac-A-Mole Tower should withstand rough child play. Play It With four different games to choose from, the Whac-A-Mole Tower offers endless mole-whacking amusement. When playing hammer time, kids try to light up all nine zones in the fastest time. In lights out, players send the mole up the tower to turn off the lights and the game ends when all five areas light up at once. Hit 100 is a game of a different sort, where players must score 100 points in the fastest time, and sometimes players have to send the sliding mole all the way to the top. In 0 to 60, kids compete in a head-to-head challenge and try to be the first to score 60 points. All games can be played with more than one player, so no one will be left out of the group. Testing the Tower Our testers decided to give the mole a whack and see if this toy is as fun as it looks. After a couple minutes spent taking out aggression on the bucktooth mole, it became obvious that this is the ideal kid's toy. Not only do the four games ignite friendly competition, simply trying to get the rodent all the way up the tower is a challenge. Once the tower is turned on, a fast-paced, distracting song plays through the game selection process and during game play. Despite a few minor design flaws, the Whac-A-Mole Tower gives kids the excitement they would find at a carnival, making this toy a great choice for families. This toy requires three C batteries (not included). Pros Has four fun games for friendly competition Easy to set up All games allow multiple players Cons Sign at the top falls off easily Song is loud and distracts from game play Plastic construction might not hold up against rough play What's in the Box 3-piece hinged tower with sliding mole, tower base, cardboard tower topper, mallet, and instructions.

It's simple, it's fun, and it's a great excuse for a party. Standout parts of the set are the giant fuzzy 3. 25-inch black die and the Bunco game bell-so loud and professional-sounding, you could used it at the front desk of a hotel or dry-cleaning establishment (or to call the household to dinner) when you're not playing Bunco. The set includes one fuzzy "traveling" die; an official game bell, 9 dice in a drawstring pouch; six pads of tally paper; one pad of score sheets; six pencils; the complete rules; and Bunco party, club, and prize suggestions. -Ava Natov.