HABA for the Holidays

I've blogged about my dislike of cheap, plastic toys here before, so you won't be surprised to know how much I love HABA toys from Germany.  From building blocks and pull-toys to games and marble runs, HABA knows how to create toys with interest, color and longevity. I hope to one day let my grandchildren play with the HABA toys we currently have in our home.

With the holidays quickly approaching, I'll be browsing the online retailer, Maukilo, which is a major US supplier of HABA's toys.

We were sent the Domino Zippy Scooters ($30), a cute wooden matching game with a driving theme.

It's like playing dominos, but instead of dots you match up cars, trees, houses, roads and other images.  The first player to place all their tiles wins (it can be played with 2-4 players and also by oneself).

The wooden blocks feel great in your hands, and the pictures on the dominos are simple yet whimsical.

They're also great to build with too, and fit our ever-present Matchbox cars easily. :)

And like traditional dominos, they're fun to line up and tumble too.

It's a perfect game to tuck into your purse for on-the-go. I have a little muslin bag that I keep them in so we can take them just about anywhere for instant entertainment.

Soren and I enjoy playing this together, especially on days when we can't get outside. Though I think he's a bit young at 2 1/2 to really get into the matching without encouragement, I look forward to seeing him progress with his matching skills as he gets older.  This game will definitely be making many appearances over the next few years.  I'd love to get some of the other HABA games, like Bingo Animal Kids or  for the wee ones on my Christmas list.

Disclosure: I received the Domino Zippy Scooters game from HABA for review purposes.