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The Toy Industry Foundation, Inc. 1115 Broadway, Suite 400 New York, NY 10010

P FPAIDO

CITY, STATE PERMIT NO. 000

4/11/08

Sample A Sample Street 1 Street 2 Townname, ST 10010-3211

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PI HI B LV DD
A Guide to Toys for Children with Special Needs

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INTRODUCTION

Over 6.2 million children live with disabilities, accounting for 13.2% of the child population. Millions of parents, grandparents, other family members and caregivers of children with special needs struggle to find the best play and educational products for them.
Every day, parents ask professionals for advice on buying toys for their children. Often, shoppers are wary of buying toys for special needs children. However, selecting a toy for any child begins with two steps: first, learning what the child is interested in, and second, assessing his or her skill level. Lets Play: A Guide to Toys for Children with Special Needs is a helpful educational tool designed to assist with this selection process. After reviewing this guide and doing your homework, we encourage you to visit toy shelves (both online and at your local retailer) and sample the great products designed to excite, engage and enthrall your child. Experience with them the joy and happiness of play! With support from the Toy Industry Association, Inc. and its members, the Toy Industry Foundation , in partnership with Alliance for Technology Access (ATA) and American Foundation for the Blind (AFB), has researched and tested hundreds of toys in an effort to offer you a comprehensive guide to the best toys for children of all ages with all types of special needs and interests. Toys included in this guide were tested by over 100 toy experts children with a variety of special needs. ATA and AFB selected the featured products based on the toys play value for children with special needs. Whether shopping for a three-year-old, visually impaired child or a ten-year-old with developmental disabilities, Lets Play is an excellent resource for finding the perfect toy. For each toy included in the guide, you will find a description of the item, along with an explanation of skills that the toy will encourage and build during playtime. Please keep in mind that age ranges indicated for each toy are assigned by the manufacturer based on a child with no special needs. From time to time, you may see a quote included in a toy description that comes directly from a parent, caregiver or teacher who was involved in the testing to give you a more hands-on feeling about the toy and the enjoyment it provided to the child. Each toy will also contain one of the following labels to indicate who may find the toy most enjoyable: PI, HI, B, LV and DD.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

These are defined as: Physical Impairment Children with physical impairments (children with less than optimal use of their HI hands or children with some motor control challenges) were able to play with this toy. Physical impairments include cerebral palsy and B muscular dystrophy. Features to look for when selecting toys for children with a physical LV impairment include large parts that make a toy easy to grasp and a sturdy base to secure a toy in DD PI its place.
Introduction. 2 Activity/Outdoor Toys. 4 Building Toys..7 Creativity Toys.10 Dolls/Stuffed Toys.11 Educational Toys.12 Games/Puzzles..18 Infant/Preschool Toys.20 Musical Toys..24 Playsets..26 Pretend/Role Play Toys..27 Vehicles...30 Company Info..31 Index..32 Contributors and Partners..35
Hearing Impairment While many toys are appropriate for children with hearing impairments, these toys B included one or more of the following: lights or visual feedback, volume control, interesting PI PI texture or surface or some other unique feature LV that makes it appropriate for a child with a HI HI hearing impairment.
Blind or Low Vision Although children with visual impairments may enjoy many toys in LV LV this guide, these toys are rated PI particularly high because of their sounds and DD interesting texture or surfaces that provide DD HI sensory stimulation. Also, children with moderate visual impairments can enjoy toys that B include bright lights. For a fully accessible version of this guide for visually impaired readers, please LV visit www.afb.org/toyguide.asp. Developmental Disabilities DD Children with developmental disabilities including Down syndrome and autism enjoyed playing with this toy. When selecting toys for children with these disabilities, look for products that encourage them to act out real life situations such as playing school or interacting with action figures and dolls.

Ages 9 months - 3 years

Cost $39.99

Ages 2 years 5 years

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Activity Ball

TMI Toymarketing Intl, Inc.
This very special Opti (translucent) ball contains colored balls. How fun with the balls inside the big ball! Approximately 20 inches in diameter. Promotes three dimensional sight and coordination as well as body awareness. Ages 2 years+ Cost $35.00

PI HI LV DD

BUILDING TOYS

Building Blocks

A new take on BRIOs classic wooden blocks, this set comes with 51 pieces in different shapes and sizes, each painted in one of five vibrant colors. Set includes nylon storage bag. Stimulates imagination and promotes creative play and creative experimentation.

Aku Ring

Aku Rings are soft and very flexible 7 rings that can be easily caught due to their unique nipple studded surface that is washable with soap and water. Available in four colors: red, blue, green, and yellow. Promotes tactile exploration and body awareness. Ages 2 years+ Cost $25.00/set of 4

Ages 12 months+

Cost $26.99

Floating Blocks

Edushape Ltd.
Unique soft blocks enable your child to have fun building a house of dreams during bath time. Sixteen assorted pieces of brightly colored shapes printed with windows, doors and walls. The board and blocks float on water and securely stick to each other when wet. Mesh storage bag included. Wow! My child really got excited about building floating cities! Promotes creative experimentation and stimulates imagination.

Jinglin Ball

The Jinglin Ball is a transparent ball that contains metal bells that create jingling sounds when the ball is in play. Approximately 22 inches in diameter, this "large, light ball is easy to catch" and good for kids with motor skill difficulties." Promotes body awareness, stimulates available hearing and promotes awareness of sounds. Ages 2 years+ Cost $35.00

Cost $16.50

Kiddy Connects
These are fun and easy to put together and take apart. Colorful, durable snap connecting plastic bubbles will surely bring about an allure for any child in creating funky structures or making a chain. A great alternative to blocks. They connected so easy, but yet felt stable! Encourages use of motor skills, stimulates imagination and encourages creative play.

Hyper Dash

Wild Planet Entertainment, Inc.
Hyper Dash consists of one electronic tagger and five different colored and numbered targets. The tagger plays prerecorded music and calls out which targets you need to strike. The game is physically and mentally engaging, and, more importantly, its lots of fun! My son thought this game was hilarious! He couldn't stop laughing! Encourages social skills and promotes body awareness. Requires 3 AA batteries, not included. Ages 6 years - 12 years Cost $19.99-$24.99

Ages 2 years+

Cost $12.99/36 pieces

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Mini EduBlocks
Exclusively designed for your young architects grip. Colorful, flexible and soft! All you have to do is touch them to fall in love with them and know that they are a must have for any childs play time. Great for sharing with friends. Developed to expand color and shape recognition as well as fine motor skills. Stimulates imagination and encourages creative play. Ages 12 months+ Cost $37.99/26 pieces

Wedgits Starter Set

ImagAbility Incorporated
This open-ended building set introduces little ones to the spatial world of angles, color matching and creative, free-play designing. The set has large blocks providing fun for the family with toddlers and individuals with special needs. Promotes tactile exploration, encourages use of motor skills and stimulates available vision.

Cost $22.99

My Soft World City Set
Uniquely designed soft foam blocks for any little builder to construct a city life setting. Set includes soft Wood-Like Blocks, solid foam blocks, cars, buses and stop signs. Tucks away neatly in see-thru plastic carrying tote. Encourages creative play and creative experimentation. Stimulates imagination.

Wee Wedgits

This soft, poly-vinyl block set has smooth, rounded edges that provide hours of squeezy-stacking fun for children. The five nesting blocks provide quiet play, and the soft design provides a gentle playset offering for high-energy children. Introduces cause and effect, encourages use of motor skills and encourages creative play.

Cost $19.99

Cost $12.99
Little People Build n Pull Bus

Fisher-Price, Inc.

Simple connections make it easy for little hands to stack, build and play with 35 themed block and accessory play pieces. Includes a fold out stop sign that kids can open and close and a sliding window for fun peek-a-boo play. Promotes exploration of environment and encourages creative play and use of motor skills.
Mega Bloks Building Imagination Bag

MEGA Brands

The Mega Bloks Building Imagination Bag now includes 10 creativity cards to springboard ideas for parents and children to play, learn and interact together. The cards offer imaginative possibilities ranging from building a penguin to learning numbers. Encourages creative play and use of motor skills. Stimulates imagination and promotes tactile exploration. Ages 12 months+ Cost $14.99

Ages 1 year 4 years

Cost $24.99

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CREATIVITY TOYS

Light Sketcher

This unique, mess-free drawing board literally allows children to drawwith light! The light from the stylus reacts with special ink on the drawing surface to produce magical results. Encourages creative play and use of motor skills. Stimulates imagination and available vision. Requires 4 AA batteries, not included. Ages 3 years+ Cost $29.99

Cost $90.00

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Dress-A-Pillar

Lace it up, snap it shut, zip it tight and hug it with love! This cuddly caterpillar makes a game of getting dressed. Children will attach a hook and loop strip, buckle, zip, button, tie and snap, then undo them all to gain entry into 6 little pockets. Excellent tool for developing fine motor skills, color recognition and dressing dexterities. Promotes tactile exploration and stimulates available vision. Ages 3 years+ Cost $19.99

B LV DD

Teach Me To - Boy
A 17 bear dressed in khaki overalls, striped shirt, red shoes and blue cap is ready to teach the children how to button, tie, buckle and fasten. Promotes tactile exploration and encourages the use of daily living skills. Ages 12 months+ Cost $37.00

Teach Me To - Girl

A 17 bear dressed in a pink outfit with flower accents on the shirt and hat is ready to teach the children how to button, tie, buckle and fasten. Promotes tactile exploration and encourages the use of daily living skills. Ages 12 months+ Cost $37.00

Fun 2 Learn Learning DJ

Music can make it easier (and more fun) to learn especially with a cool friend who sings and dances along! Sing along and learn along with numbers, letters, colors, shapeseven musical instruments. Promotes awareness of sounds, introduces cause and effect and stimulates available vision and hearing. Requires 3 C (LR14) alkaline batteries, not included. Ages 2 years 6 years Cost $29.99

My First Story Reader

Publications International
Turn the pages to hear a friendly narrator, fun sounds, and lively music make the words come to life! The last pages of each book feature a beloved nursery song. Press the three big buttons to answer simple questions about colors, shapes, and more! Kids are entranced with this book. Promotes tactile exploration, encourages use of motor skills, stimulates available hearing and introduces cause and effect. Requires 3 AAA batteries, included. Ages 6 months+ Cost $19.99
Laugh & Learn Song & Story Learning Chair
This charming chair and side table come to life with fun activities that set the stage for learning. Has both learning and Music Fun modes for children to learn a variety of skills. Introduces cause and effect and stimulates imagination, available vision and hearing. Requires 3 AA batteries, included. Ages 1 year 3 years Cost $34.99

PI B LV DD

Storytime Bear
A 16.5 storytelling bear recites the Christmas classic Twas the Night Before Christmas. His head and mouth move when you press the paw. Promotes awareness of sounds and stimulates available hearing. Requires 3 AA batteries, included. Ages 3 years+ Cost $40.00

Story Reader

A narrator magically reads the book as each page is turned, while Story Reader adds sound effects and music. This very fun book helps to enhance reading skills. Introduces cause and effect and promotes awareness of sounds. Requires 4 AAA batteries, not included. Ages 3 years+ Cost $19.99

PI LV DD

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Elmos My First TV Fun & Games

Techno Source

Talking Dictionary
Enter letters to spell words from the dictionary. English, Spanish, and Definition modes. Introduces cause and effect. Stimulates available vision and hearing. Requires 3 AAA batteries, included. Ages 4 years+ Cost $19.99
Kids will have hours of fun playing games and learning through matching shapes, letters and numbers with their favorite Sesame Street friend Elmo. The game includes five exciting activities with Elmo and Dorothy. Encourages social skills and creative play. Requires 4 AAA batteries, not included.
The SENSEsational Alphabet Book

SENSEsational Alphabet

The SENSEsational Alphabet is a completely interactive ABC picture book focusing on integrated sensory methods to learning. The book incorporates visual stimuli, movement, touch, smell, sound, Braille and Sign language, with each colorful page having a unique feature. Promotes awareness of available vision and hearing. Introduces cause and effect. Requires 3 AG-13 DC 1.5 volt standard watch batteries, included.

Elmos Snapshot

Have a blast taking pictures with Elmo and even review them in the digital photo album. This handheld LCD promotes classification and reasoning skills through letter, shape, and object identification. Pretend picture taking is a classic play pattern that fosters fun and creativity. Stimulates imagination and available vision and hearing. Introduces cause and effect and encourages use of motor skills. Requires 2 AAA batteries, included.

Cost $29.95

New V.Smile TV Learning System Elmos Fishing For Letters
Elmo comes to life in this electronic game with big, bold graphics, engaging phrases and playful sound effects. Go fishing with Elmo, reel in letters, and learn about sea creatures. This handheld LCD fosters letter recognition and learning the alphabet. The rod features a turning reel and realistic cranking sound effects! Promotes awareness of sounds. Requires 2 AAA batteries, included.
The new, enhanced V.Smile includes a sing-along microphone, writing stylus and joystick that can be adapted for leftand right-handed players alike. Kids can sing along with their favorite songs or skillfully navigate writing games. Includes the Alphabet Park Adventure Smartridge. Pink version also available. Encourages social skills and use of daily living skills. Introduces cause and effect. Requires 4 AA batteries, not included. Ages 3 years 6 years Cost $49.99

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GAMES/PUZZLES

Jumbo Tic Tac Toe
Soft touch tic tac toe! This old time favorite game is great for after school, recess and family time play. Foam interlocking tiles form a large 15 board and 5 foam Xs and Os allow for easy pickup and sight of pieces and makes play a success. Encourages social skills and motor skills. Promotes tactile exploration. Ages 3 years+ Cost $12.99

Whats in Neds Head?

Fundex Games, Ltd.
Children draw cards and reach into Neds nostrils or ears as they race to find the silly object pictured on their cards. This wacky, fun game is guaranteed to keep kids giggling for hours! Stimulates imagination. Promotes tactile exploration and identification. Ages 4 years+ Cost $29.99

Carpet Bocce

Fun Slides Toys and Games
This fun toy brings the traditional lawn game indoors and helps to develop motor skills. Combining skill, strategy and competition, this timeless game is ideal for the whole family! Pucks glide on your carpet (or hard floors); the soft foam bounces off wall and furniture. Encourages social skills. Ages 6 years+ Cost $16.99

Big Trouble

Hasbro Games
Electronic talking POP-O-MATIC TROUBLE bubble tells you whether to discard or add cards to your hand with colorful lights and fun sound effects. Be the first player to discard your hand of cards and win the game! Encourages social skills, exploration of environment and creative play. Requires 3 AAA batteries, included.

Ages 6 years+

Hot Potato
Squeeze the Hot Potato and the frantic family fun begins! Toss the tater back and forth, up high, down low, around and around! Dont get caught holding the spud when the music stops! Encourages social skills and promotes the use of auditory tracking skills. Promotes tactile exploration and awareness of sounds. Requires 2 AA batteries, included. Ages 5 years+ Cost $14.99

Candy Land Castle Game

The Gingerbread kids have lost their colorful decorations! Help them find new ones by matching the colorful tokens with the shapes on your Gingerbread Kid gameboard. Encourages use of motor skills and social skills. Stimulates imagination. Ages 3 years+ Cost $19.99

Hug-A-Bug

Detachable ladybugs that rattle, giggle, light up and vibrate. Hook and loop flower centers on pillow allow for each bug to be reattached to pillow when not in use. The detachable flowers were easy for my baby to remove and taste. Promotes tactile exploration, encourages use of motor skills, stimulates available vision and promotes awareness of sounds.

Sensory Balls

Infants can squeeze, roll, throw or kick these colorful, textured balls. Their bumpy surface offers tremendous sensory play value for young athletes. Set includes 4 balls one in each color: red, yellow, blue and green. Good for overall stimulation and easy to clean. Also promotes tactile exploration. Ages 12 months+ Cost $11.99/set of 4

Cost $29.99

Play & Sound Mat
This stimulating, textured play mat is much more than a soft mat for babies. It includes a push-button musical chip, a safe peek-a-boo mirror, puzzles and more. Ideal for enhancing color recognition and fine motor skills. Promotes exploration of environment and awareness of sounds. Stimulates available vision and hearing.
Tinkle Crinkle Activity Toy
A 17 Tinkle Crinkle Rattle and Squeak caterpillar has bright primary colors that appeal to the sense of sight. Features: Tail Tinkles, Flower Crinkles, Bee Rattles, Head Rattles, Number Windows Mirror accents. Promotes awareness of sound and stimulates available hearing.

Ages 0+

Cost $49.99

Cost $18.00

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Playskool Busy Ball Popper
Drop one of the colorful balls onto the track and the balls pop out of the top, roll down the track, and then pop out all over again. The Busy Ball Popper features silly sound effects and eight lively songs that add to the fun. This great interactive toy is pretty neat! Introduces cause and effect, stimulates available hearing and encourages social skills. Requires 4 D batteries, not included. Ages 9 months+ Cost $19.99

Beginning Bites

Sassy, Inc.
Beginning Bites offer teethers that baby can really sink his or her gums into. These soft terrycloth creatures have soft, smiling faces and chewy, teethable plastic rims around them. Choose a lamb, lion or piggy. They make soft rattling sounds when shaken. Beginning Bites can be washed in warm soapy water and air-dried. Promotes tactile exploration. Ages 0+ Cost $4.99/set of 2

Playskool Honeybee Hop

This motorized toy consists of a base, designed as a cute beehive and an extendable arm with an adorable little bee that circles the hive at two different speeds to the tune of Flight of the Bumblebee. Kids jump over the rotating arm before it reaches their feet. If the toys arm hits the childs leg, silly sounds are played, the music stops and the arm stops rotating. Promotes body awareness and use of motor skills. Requires 3 C batteries, not included. Ages 3 years+ Cost $17.99

Me in the Mirror

This soft padded mirror can be hung so that a newborn can gaze into it while lying down, or it can be attached flat against the crib rails to accommodate a sitting baby. It stands on its own outside the crib, providing tummytime enjoyment or entertainment for sitting babies. Baby will love to touch and pull plush curlicues and will delight in the jingling bug and chewy ring tethered to the frame. Stimulates available vision and hearing.

Ultimate LEGO DUPLO Set

Talk & Touch Barn Activity Toy
This carry along activity toy is bursting with activities and words in three languages to keep children busy and entertained. Push the buttons and slide the levers to find five cute farm animals hiding behind the doors and windows. When a window or door opens, the name of the animal and its sound are announced in English, Spanish or French. The toy has a soft, padded back which makes it perfect for lap play. Introduces cause and effect and promotes awareness of sounds.

LEGO Systems, Inc.

Little builders with big imaginations will love sifting through the bricks and pieces in this new tub to inspire their inner creators! Includes building plate, wagon base and figure to promote role play fun. New storage container allows for easy clean up and storage. Encourages creative play and use of motor skills. Stimulates imagination and available vision. Ages 18 months+ Cost $24.99

Steering Wheel

Steering Wheel books feature a mounted telescoping base with a steering wheel that raises and locks into place. Sound triggers, including the horn button on the wheel, make realistic vehicle sounds to accompany the story. Each of the six spreads features a story with illustrations. Promotes tactile exploration and encourages use of motor skills. Requires 3 AG-13 button cell batteries, included. Ages 18 months+ Cost $14.99

Stacking Family

Top Shelf Holdings, LLC
Learn to count family-style with this ingenious stacking toy. Mix and match the wooden blocks, or follow the colors to stack your way up to five. This is a fun toy to teach stacking and children enjoy creating funny looking people. Promotes exploration of environment and body awareness.

Cost $19.95

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MUSICAL TOYS

Little Superstar Sing-Along Stage 3 in 1 Music Island

PRETEND/ROLE PLAY TOYS

Sarah Lynn & Her Camping Adventure
A two-seater convertible and pop-up camper comes complete with a kitchen, sleeping quarters and sleeping bags for two, a pretend camp fire, two camping chairs, a cooler stocked with goodies and even a fishing pole that Little People figures Maggie and Sarah Lynn can hold in their hands! Encourages creative play, stimulates imagination and promotes tactile exploration. Requires 2 AA batteries, included.

Dragon Hand Puppet

Children will have hours of fun with this blue dragon hand puppet that has a roaring sound mechanism. Fun sounds stir imagination. Stimulates available hearing, promotes awareness of sound and introduces cause and effect.

City Rescue Set

A new set in BRIOs signature wooden railway line, this one in a bustling city environment. Set comes with 34 pieces including track, vehicles, figures and accessories. Fire engine has light and sound features. Track length approximately 44.3 x 22.3. Promotes creative experimentation and encourages use of motor skills. Requires 2 LR 44/A76 (watch size) batteries, included. Ages 12 months+ Cost $25.00
Furreal Friends Smores Pony*
This adorable life-sized plush miniature pony has many features similar to that of a real pony, including moving ears and head, a soft fur coat and a swishing tail. Feed her the carrot and groom her with her brush. She even whinnies and snorts, and will sniff your hand! Promotes use of auditory tracking skills, introduces cause and effect, stimulates imagination and promotes body awareness. Requires 6 D batteries, not included.

Cost $69.99

*Available exclusively on Hasbrotoyshop.com until September 2008; after September, available nationally.

Cost $269.99

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All Terrain Vehicle

Playmobil
Equipped with a pull-back motor, the All Terrain Vehicle can propel over 20 feet. Encourages use of motor skills, stimulates imagination and encourages exploration of environment.

Noahs Ark

This toy floats on the water with working crane, a store room for bales of hay, cages in the hull, and sleeping room in the roof. Plenty of accessories and thirteen pairs of animals included. Great for teaching animals and their sounds. Stimulates imagination, promotes creative experimentation and stimulates available vision.

Cost $7.99

Ambulance
Someone has gotten hurt and they need your help! You can get there in no time with this rescue ambulance, complete with two medics, adjustable medical equipment, patient and bicycle. The roof can be removed and the emergency flashers really work! I loved using this to teach about community helpers. Stimulates imagination. Ages 4 years+ Cost $34.99

Mobile Spy Ear

The Mobile Spy Ear is a portable device that transmits sound to a remote ear bud. Just pull it back, let it go and send it out to spy. The receiver on the vehicle transmits sound, allowing you to hear through walls, windows, doors and floors from up to 75 feet away. Fun for all ages and abilities. Stimulates imagination and promotes exploration of environment. Requires two 9-volt batteries, not included. Ages 6 years+ Cost $14.99 $19.99

Emergency Vehicle

Get to the scene of an emergency quickly with this new Emergency Vehicle, featuring a rescue figurine, medical equipment and vehicle with removable roof, foldable seats and real flashing lights! Encourages use of motor skills, stimulates imagination and encourages exploration of environment. Ages 4 years+ Cost $24.99

Purse Pals

Purse Pals are 3-D pets that live in small interactive purses. Each purse opens to reveal a playhouse with four different environments. When a pet is placed in spots within its purse, electronic sensors recognize the pet and monitor its visits to the Play, Grooming, Feeding and Going Out areas. Introduces cause and effect, stimulates imagination and encourages use of daily living skills. Requires 2 AAA batteries, not included. Ages 5 years+ Cost $19.99

Farm Puzzle

Where do all the farm animals belong? Put the animals in the right places to solve the puzzle. The puzzle board includes a figurine, cow, horse, pig, cat and sheep. Awesome puzzle to teach beginning puzzle skills. Promotes tactile exploration, stimulates imagination and encourages use of motor skills. Ages 18 months 3 years Cost $14.99

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VEHICLES

Roadmax Dump Truck

Bruder
The Roadmax Dump Truck has a tilting dumper, soft rubber sculptured tires, and a windshield that snaps open. Your child will love this wonderful truck that is fun for all ages and abilities. Promotes exploration of environment and very effective for stimulation.

COMPANY INFO

The toys in this guide are available in stores throughout your area. If you have difficulty locating a toy, please contact the manufacturer for the nearest retail location carrying the product. For additional contact information, visit the Toy Industry Association Member Directory at www.toyassociation.org. Aerobie, Inc. 800-999-3565

www.aerobie.com

Gund Inc. 732-248-1500

www.gund.com

Publications International 800-595-8484 www.pibooks.com Radio Flyer, Inc. 800-621-7613 www.radioflyer.com Sassy, Inc. 800-323-6336 www.sassybaby.com Schoenhut Piano Company, Inc. 888-414-2739 www.toypiano.com SENSEsational Alphabet 800-295-3002
www.sensesationalalphabet.com

Cost $33.80

ALEX 800-666-ALEX
Hasbro, Inc. 800-327-8264

www.hasbro.com

www.alextoys.com
Roadmax Road Loader with Backhoe
This Bruder tractor has a fully functional front loader and backhoe. It also comes with soft sculptured rubber tires and has an extending stabilizer to tackle any digging job! Both my children loved this tractor. Stimulates imagination, introduces cause and effect and promotes use of motor skills. Ages 2 years+ Cost $34.75

BRIO 800-822-5639

www.brio.knex.com
Hasbro Games (Milton Bradley) 888-836-7025

www.hasbrogames.com

Bruder Toys America, Inc. 877-450-5152

www.brudertoys.com

ImagAbility Incorporated 877-WEDGITS

www.wedgits.com

Comfy North America 866-372-6639

www.comfyland.com

International World of Toys 888-627-7838
www.internationalworldoftoys.com
Amazing Animals Press & Go Farm Truck
Every farm needs a great farm truck, and this one comes with some adorable farm friends. Load the piglet and lamb into the truck bed to join the truck driver cow. Push down on the cow to produce fun sound effects as the truck moves forward. Great for all abilities. Easy to clean and easy to use. Promotes tactile exploration, encourages use of motor skills and introduces cause and effect. Requires 2 AA batteries, not included. Ages 6 months Cost $14.99
Edushape Ltd. 800-404-4744

www.edushape.com

The Jester & Pharley Phund 800-9-JESTER

www.thejester.org

Techno Source 212-725-4500 www.technosourcehk.com Top Shelf Holdings, LLC 877-853-6644 www.topshelfholdings.com Toy Marketing International, Inc. 800-GYMNICS www.gymnicballs.com VTech Electronics, LLC 800-521-2010 www.vtechkids.com Wild Planet Entertainment, Inc. 877- WILD PLA(NET) www.shopwildplanet.com

Play & Sound Mat Play-Doh Super Craft Caddy Playskool Busy Ball Popper Poppin Push Car Purse Pals Roadmax Dump Truck Roadmax Road Loader with Backhoe Rolliphant Rollipop Sarah Lynn & Her Camping Adventure Sensory Balls Snuggle-kins Animal Assortment Sorbet Melodie Stacking Clown Stacking Family Talk & Touch Barn Activity Toy Talking Crayons Talking Dictionary Teach Me To Boy Teach Me To Girl The Jester Has Lost His Jingle by David Saltzman and the Jester & Pharley Doll The SENSEsational Alphabet Book Tinkle Crinkle Activity Toy Tonka Wheel Drivers Scoot n Scoop 3-in-1 Ride-on Ultimate Canopy Steer and Stroll Trike Wedgits Starter Set Wee Wedgits Whac-A-Mole Tower Game Whats in Neds Head? World of Colors
Snuggle-kins Animal Assortment Sorbet Melodie Storytime Bear Talk & Touch Barn Activity Toy Teach Me To Boy Teach Me To Girl The Jester Has Lost His Jingle by David Saltzman and the Jester & Pharley Doll The SENSEsational Alphabet Book Tinkle Crinkle Activity Toy Tonka Wheel Drivers Scoot n Scoop 3-in-1 Ride-on Wedgits Starter Set Wee Wedgits Whac-A-Mole Tower Game
Blind 3 in 1 Music Island Aerobie Squidgie Ball Alfie Bear All Terrain Steel and Wood Wagon Beginning Bites Bongos Dragon Hand Puppet Dress-A-Pillar Fun 2 Learn Learning DJ Furreal Friends Smores Pony Hot Potato Hug-A-Bug Interactive Lia Jinglin Ball Kiddy Connects Laugh & Learn Song & Story Learning Chair Little People Build n Pull Bus Little Superstar Sing-Along Stage Little Tikes Rock N Twist Music Machine My First Piano Play & Sound Mat Play-Doh Super Craft Caddy Poppin Push Car Sensory Balls
Low Vision 3 in 1 Music Island Activity Ball Aerobie Squidgie Ball Alfie Bear All Terrain Steel and Wood Wagon All Terrain Vehicle Ambulance Arctic Figure 8 Set Beginning Bites Bongos City Rescue Set Dragon Hand Puppet Dress-A-Pillar Emergency Vehicle Fun 2 Learn Learning DJ Furreal Friends Smores Pony Hot Potato Hug-A-Bug Interactive Lia Jinglin Ball Kiddy Connects Laugh & Learn Song & Story Learning Chair Light Sketcher Little People Build n Pull Bus Little Superstar Sing-Along Stage Little Tikes Rock N Twist Music Machine MEGA Bloks Building Imagination Bag Mini EduBlocks My First Piano My First Story Reader One, Two, Tie My Shoe Play & Sound Mat Play-Doh Super Craft Caddy Poppin Push Car Rollipop Sarah Lynn & Her Camping Adventure Sensory Balls Snuggle-kins Animal Assortment Sorbet Melodie Stacking Clown Stacking Family

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Steering Wheel Story Reader Storytime Bear Talk & Touch Barn Activity Toy Talking Crayons Teach Me To Boy Teach Me To Girl The Jester Has Lost His Jingle by David Saltzman and the Jester & Pharley Doll The SENSEsational Alphabet Book Tinkle Crinkle Activity Toy Tonka Wheel Drivers Scoot n Scoop 3 in 1 Ride-On Ultimate LEGO DUPLO Set Wedgits Starter Set Wee Wedgits Whac-A-Mole Tower Game Whats in Neds Head? Little People Build n Pull Bus Little Superstar Sing-Along Stage Little Tikes Rock N Twist Music Machine Me in the Mirror MEGA Bloks Building Imagination Bag Mini EduBlocks Mobile Spy Ear Monster Under My Bed My First Piano My First Story Reader My Soft World City Set Noahs Ark One, Two, Tie My Shoe Pathfinder Wagon Play & Sound Mat Play-Doh Super Craft Caddy Playskool Busy Ball Popper Playskool Honeybee Hop Poppin Push Car Roadmax Dump Truck Roadmax Road Loader with Backhoe Rolliphant Rollipop Sarah Lynn & Her Camping Adventure Sensory Balls Snuggle-kins Animal Assortment Sorbet Melodie Stacking Family Steering Wheel Story Reader Storytime Bear Talk & Touch Barn Activity Toy Talking Crayons Talking Dictionary Teach Me To Boy Teach Me To Girl The Jester Has Lost His Jingle by David Saltzman and the Jester & Pharley Doll The SENSEsational Alphabet Book Tinkle Crinkle Activity Toy Tonka Wheel Drivers Scoot n Scoop 3-in-1 Ride-on Ultimate Canopy Steer and Stroll Trike Ultimate LEGO DUPLO Set Wedgits Starter Set Wee Wedgits Whac-A-Mole Tower Game Whats in Neds Head? World of Colors 13

Proceedings of the 8th Annual International Conference on Industrial Engineering Theory, Applications and Practice, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, November 10-12, 2003
USING TROUBLE TO COMPARE EGOCENTRIC AND NETWORKCENTRIC STRATEGIES
Michael J. Findler, Mary E. Fendley, Dr. S. Narayanan, and Dr. Raymond Hill Department of Biomedical, Industrial, & Human Factors Engineering Wright State University 3640 Colonel Glenn Highway Dayton, OH 45435 Corresponding authors e-mail: mfindler@cs.wright.edu, mfendley@cs.wright.edu, snarayan@cs.wright.edu, and rhill@wright.edu Abstract: Typically, multi-agent systems have an egocentric planning strategy in which information is obtained through either direct observation or direct communication with other agents. Contact between agents is random, thus information is limited and incomplete. On the other hand, network-centric operations allow the base units to share all information with teammates through a whiteboard/broadcast mechanism. Proponents of network-centric operations posit that the information superiority gained from this strategy can help create a tactical advantage. In this research, we propose investigating Network-centric versus Egocentric versus a Global view in the context of a game environment, Pop-o-matic Trouble. 1. INTRODUCTION Network-centric strategy has grown out of the fundamental changes brought forth from the co-evolution of economics, information technology, and business processes and organizations (Cebrowski and Garstka 1998). The predicted success of the network-centric strategy is based on the idea of information superiority. A physical network is created among agents at the lowest level. The network allows for information intensive interactions between the agents generating a competitive advantage, and attaining a state of information superiority leading to an awareness that enables effective decision-making. Currently there are no systematic studies evaluating network-centric versus alternative strategies. This research investigates network-centric versus egocentric versus a global view in the context of a game environment. Using the network-centric strategy, we propose that agents with more situation awareness will succeed over others. Traditionally, agent-based programs are egocentric, i.e., each agent has a private viewpoint of the domain in an information-starved environment. Decisions are made locally. When an agent learns a new fact, its private view is updated and teammates are informed about the fact only when their paths cross even if that information is outdated. We propose a network-centric simulation in which the viewpoints are shared among team members. When one agent learns of a new fact, it is broadcast to all members of the team immediately. As our networked agents are trained, using genetic algorithms, they will have more information available to them, giving them the ability to discern more subtle situations. Ultimately, the fundamental difference between the egocentric and network-centric strategies is the communication capabilities of the agents. We believe that the increased communication capabilities of agents working with a network-centric strategy will give them an advantage by allowing them to be more efficient, both computationally and with their resources. These agents will have increased maneuverability and be able to be redirected as necessary. Increased communication will also allow better coordination, verification, and goal modification after the initial assignment. This paper outlines a proposed design to explore these strategies using the game Trouble as a test bed. 2. PROBLEM DOMAIN Using games to explore deeper philosophical issues is quite common as the nature of the games limits the scope of the problem. Conway (1982) used simple rules to create a computer game called Life and Maynard et al., (2001) used Yahtzee to explore expert problem-solving. Trouble (Hasbro 1986) is a simple game belonging to a family of board games (including Parcheesi, Sorry, etc.) in which a team of pawns travels from a Home base to a Goal location. There exists a set of real world problems that we will call the traveling agent problem exemplified by the game Trouble. 754

Proceedings of the 8th Annual International Conference on Industrial Engineering Theory, Applications and Practice, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, November 10-12, 2003 Geographically the problem has three distinct areas: 1) point A (Home); 2) point B (Goal); and 3) the path(s) the agent must travel to get from point A to point B. While the agent is safe at point A and at point B, a real danger exists during the traversal of the path. Similar real world examples include drug smuggling, terrorist raids, and submarine warfare (circa 1940). This study is directed at testing the following problem: Will the application of a network-centric strategy yield more favorable results than applying an egocentric strategy? We expect that the answer will be yes, and that networked teams will consistently generate winning games. Figure 1 pictorially describes the situational awareness for each pawn on a team, depending on the strategy used. Each eye represents a pawn on a team. Let us consider the eye without shading to be the pawn of interest. (The shaded eye is a teammate.)
Figure 1. Situational awareness for the different strategies. In the left column, each pawn has a global view of the board and therefore has a global situational awareness of the board. Because each pawn has complete knowledge of the board, no communication between pawns is necessary. Except for toy problems, perfect information of a problem in the real world is not impossible, although such results bound the solution space. On the other end of the spectrum is the egocentric view as shown in the center column. Teammates cannot communicate over distance. Even though two pawns are on the board at the same time, each pawn can only see its local environment. Information can only be achieved when pawns pass each other on the board. As an example, all battles prior to World War I could be described as egocentric. Battle groups would be given a mission and updating information was only done in a haphazard way.) Strategic decisions have to be made at a relatively high level, while tactical decisions could be relatively information blind. The right column is the suitable compromise between the global view and the egocentric view. Knowledge is shared between teammates immediately. When one pawn becomes aware of new information, the information is broadcast to all of the pawns on the team. The minimum amount of information a pawn has is equivalent to the egocentric situation awareness and the maximum knowledge is the global view. The network-centric view is closer to real world problem solving information is updated and then is broadcast to the team. Strategic 755

Proceedings of the 8th Annual International Conference on Industrial Engineering Theory, Applications and Practice, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, November 10-12, 2003 and tactical decisions can be updated quickly, and moved down the chain of command to the lowest possible level (Boorujy 2000). 2.1 Trouble Game Rules Trouble is a game for 2-4 players; initially we will be limiting our study to a two player game. Each player has four pawns of the same color (choices are blue, green, red, or yellow). The pieces start in the Home position with the object of the game being to be the first player to move all four of their pawns around the track to the Finish position. Movement is determined by the number rolled on the die. The rules are very simple. In order for a game piece to leave the "Home" position, the player must roll a die value of 6 allowing a pawn to be moved to the Start position. Each time a 6 is rolled; the player will get another roll for that turn. A player may have more than one game piece on the track at a time. No two pawns may occupy the same space. If a player's game piece lands in a space occupied by another player's game piece then the opponents occupying piece is in trouble and must go Home. A player must roll an exact number into the Goal spaces. 3. Research Methodology In this study, we use agents that embody the characteristics of the three strategies outlined in Figure 1. The essential difference between each strategy is exactly how much information is available to each pawn. In the egocentric and networkcentric strategies information can degrade through time. Next we cover the design of the computer game Trouble -- both the physical and logical layout of the game. In particular, we examine the representation of the agents learning strategies and the assessment of the effects. 3.1 Design of Computer Game There are three perspectives for viewing the layout of the game Trouble: the global game board, the individual team, and the individual pawn. From the global game board perspective we must know (i) the location of all pawns, (ii) the current roll, and (iii) whose turn it is. From the team view, we must know (i) where each pawn on our team is, (ii) the current roll, (iii) rolls of the other teams (we may make inferences from that knowledge), (iii) are there any valid moves, (iv) which pawn should be moved, (v) what the locations of all opponents are. From the pawns perspective, we need to know (i) its current field of view, (ii) if it has a valid move, and (iii) the locations of its opponents. The team knowledge may be complete, as in the global strategy, or very incomplete, as in the egocentric strategy. In the network-centric strategy, the team view and the pawn view are the same.

Proceedings of the 8th Annual International Conference on Industrial Engineering Theory, Applications and Practice, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, November 10-12, 2003 3.1.1 Physical Layout of the Board Game The user interface layout of the Trouble board game is mandated in part by the physical board game. The board is laid out on a grid (See Figure 2). Each team color has Home and Goal locations for the pawns to start and finish, respectively. These locations are a light shade of the teams color. Each side of the board has seven positions of the path from home to goal, for a total of twenty-eight. Each team has a starting location that is identified by the S in Figure 2. In the center of the board is the die rolling Pop-o-matic rolled by clicking on that space. A pawn cannot pass its own home, therefore it must enter its goal area. Movement proceeds around the board in a clockwise direction. Each pawns location is indicated by a darker shade of the teams color and the appropriate team letter. A pawn can be selected by simply clicking on its location. The user interface mimicked this layout as accurately as possible using TroubleBoard and Pawn Java classes. Figure 2. Physical layout of Trouble 3.1.2 Logical Layout of the Game Board The physical board is broken down into three logical areas: Home, Goal, and the Track. Because the game board is symmetrical, each team can consider its home to be location 0 (positions within home are irrelevant), its goal locations 29 through 32 (position is relevant), and the track numbering to begin at location S numbered sequentially from 1 to 28. Each pawn knows its own location, what team it is on, and its local environment. The size of the detectable local environment is dictated by the strategy the team uses. We call this detectable local environment the field of view. Java Classes BoardLogic, TeamLogic and PawnLogic embody the necessary logic for the appropriate viewpoints. Game play is simple. A turn begins with a roll of the die. The active team determines if it has a valid move. If a team has multiple valid moves, first the team selects the best move. If a valid move exists, then it must be taken. If a six is rolled, then the team gets another roll. Once all moves are completed, the next team plays. Play continues in the method until finally one team is declared a winner. The Java class TroublePlay encompasses these rules. The effects of temporal information erosion on situational awareness is examined. This is sometimes known as the fog of war. In the omniscient global view there is no temporal erosion. On the other extreme, temporal erosion is high for the egocentric strategy. Teams using this egocentric strategy must consider most information to be suspect. For example, at time ti a red pawn sees there are three pawns in the green Home base (since it is in its field of view). If that red pawn moves so that the field of view no longer includes the green home, then at time ti+1, the knowledge that green has three pawns at Home has degraded. The red pawn can be sure that there are three green pawns behind him, but not their specific locations. This is an extreme example of fog of war and how battles were carried out before wireless communications and electronic views of the battlefield. Additionally, each pawn must make decisions based on very incomplete information. In the network centric view, the field of view depends on the number of pawns out of the Home base. Decisions are more informed, since the situational awareness is a composite of teams field of view. 3.2 Agent Implementation Different learning algorithms have become popular in recent years. Among the most popular algorithms are neural networks, evolutionary computing, genetic algorithms, and simulated annealing (Wildberger 1996; Weiss 1999; Woolridge 2001). Each of these algorithms has its own strengths and weaknesses. For instance, neural networks can solve very difficult nonlinear problems; however, their results are difficult to interpret. Evolutionary computing, genetic algorithms, and simulated annealing are all similar: evolutionary computing only allows mutation with improvement to the solution, genetic algorithms allow mutation/crossover/splicing/cloning, and simulated annealing allows an accepted solution to be 757

Proceedings of the 8th Annual International Conference on Industrial Engineering Theory, Applications and Practice, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, November 10-12, 2003 less optimal (with a certain probability). The use solutions can be difficult to interpret, but not as difficult as in the network solution. None of these algorithms are guaranteed to produce an absolutely optimum solution. The Learning Classifier System (LCS) is a framework that uses genetic algorithms to observe condition/action rule-based systems. They can be used to classify what the agent is to do (Holland, Booker et al. 2000). A condition/action is a pattern-matching technique in which the current environment state is examined to assist the agent in deciding the most appropriate action to perform. In the LCS system, the agent has detectors and effectors. We define detectors as the mechanism the agent uses to observe the system, much like humans use the five senses to observe the world around them. The effectors are the actions available to the agent, such as opening an umbrella when exiting a building if rain is observed outside. We can think of these condition/action rules simply as if-then situations (If it is raining, then use the umbrella). Figure 3 shows the typical flow of an LCS. [M. Rizki, personal communication, 12 August 2003] Step 1: Each agent on a team makes an initial observation through its detector. For the Global view, this is just a snapshot of the entire board. For the egocentric view, each pawn uses its field of view, information passed to it from teammates, and old information to compose its new observation. (Arbitrarily, the field of view is six spaces to the rear and six spaces to the front this allows peeking around corners and into Home and Goal.) The initial observation for the network-centric teams is a conglomerate of the pawns entire field of views. Step 2: This observation is then compared to the rules database for a match. The matches can be exact, or they can be approximate. A match is located in the if column, and the action the agent wishes to execute will be in the then column. However, there may be multiple matches at this time. For example, 100100 exactly matches the string 100100, and also matches the string 10##00, where the # means dont care. The first match specifically addresses the current environment, while the second string can be looked at as the default action to be used when all else fails. A better match should result in a higher bid. Part of deciding how much a rule will bid depends on the energy of the rule. Energy is the weight given to the rule to justify its use and to help determine the bid value. Those rules that were successful in the past will have higher energy than those that were less successful. Step 3: All bids are examined by the conflict resolution algorithm to decide which bid is superior. In case of a tie, a weighted random selection will be performed. Step 4: After a final selection is made from the conflict resolution algorithm, the selected results table is updated. We use the results table to help track which rules were fired (used) so that when we need to adjust the energy weights, rules can be tracked as to success or failure. Step 5: The new environment is updated and the agents that can observe the change will update their local view. We continue this cycle of steps one through five until the simulation is completed. Step 6: After a specific number of steps or time, the genetic algorithm uses the LCS technique to update the weights of each fired rule. Those rules that fired and led to a successful resolution will have their energy raised, while those that were fired and failed will have their energy lowered.

Figure 3. Learning Classifier Systems Flow Probably the most difficult design consideration for the LCS (because of its subtleties) is deciding the granularity of the step 6 feedback loop. When a goal or subgoal is achieved, then feedback can be used to reward successful firing of rules. Furthermore, those rules that were fired as a precursor to successful rules can be rewarded in a trickle down mechanism, since they have somehow contributed to success. For example, just in the simple Trouble program, should the feedback be after each pawn makes it to the home (a subgoal) or after a game has been completed (goal)?
4. Discussion and Future Research Although network-centric strategies have been used in many fields, including military and police, and empirical results suggest that network-centric is better than egocentric strategy, there have been no systematic studies in this area. Enthusiasts of the network-centric strategy claim that it is superior, but systematic studies are critical for informed decision making. Although several different methods can be used for evaluation, we selected a two-tiered tournament style play in which the first tier is the learning tier and the second tier is the challenge tier. In the first tier, each team plays another team with the same strategy. In other words, egocentric plays egocentric and network-centric plays network-centric, etc. Winning teams survive to the next round. New opponents will be genetic offspring of the winners, in which the parents genetic code (its rule base) is cloned, spliced, and mutated. After a significant number of games, a winning team strategy 759
Proceedings of the 8th Annual International Conference on Industrial Engineering Theory, Applications and Practice, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, November 10-12, 2003 will have evolved for each of the three strategies. These winning teams will then play a round-robin tournament in the second tier to determine the overall winning strategy. In other words, egocentric plays network-centric and global view plays network-centric, etc. The metrics used in this study will include wins versus losses, amount of information used (length of rule patterns), and computational complexity. Raw data used in evaluation comes from the total number of wins and losses, number of messages passed, number of times each pawn was sent back to its Home, and total number of moves for each pawn to reach its goal. The cost effectiveness of a strategy may be determined by the amount of information required for a team to successfully get all pawns to the goal. We anticipate this study to show that the network-centric strategy achieves better results than the egocentric strategy with little additional increase in computational costs. Trouble was chosen as a test bed for this study to provide a constrained environment that tests the playing strategies. Some of the advantages of this simpler environment are: (i) it is reasonably simple to implement, (ii) the rules are known by all players and deviation from this set of rules is not allowed, (iii) modification of the playing strategies does not effect the game model, and (iv) it is a simple environment in which we can directly compare the strategies. However, a simple environment such as this may also be detrimental due to its simplicity. The simplistic problem domain may lack the ability to account for the nuances encountered in a real-world scenario. Good results at the toy problem level may not be able to be scaled up to more difficult models. Finally, one further drawback to using Trouble is the suspension of the element of time. Although intuitively the network-centric strategy is potentially better than an egocentric strategy, no formal studies have been presented to prove this. Using Trouble as the test bed allows us to narrow the problem domain to investigate these claims systematically. 5. References 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Boorujy, J. R. (2000). Network-Centric Concepts Can Guarantee Access, United States Naval Institute. Cebrowski, A. K. and J. J. Garstka (1998). Network-Centric Warfare: Its Origin and Future. United States Naval Institute Proceedings, Annapolis. Conway, J. H. (1982). What is Life? Winning Ways for Your Mathematical Plays. E. Berlekamp, J. H. Conway and R. Guy. New York, NY, Academic Press. 2: Chap 25. Holland, J. H., L. B. Booker, et al. (2000). What is a Learning Classifier System? Learning Classifier Systems: From Foundations to Applications. P. L. Lanzi, W. Stolzmann and S. W. Wilson. New York, Springer. 1813: 3-32. Weiss, G., Ed. (1999). Multiagent Systems: A Modern Approach to Distributed Artificial Intelligence, The MIT Press. Wildberger, A. M. (1996). Introduction & overview of artificial lifeevolving intelligent agents for modeling & simulation. Proceedings of the 28th conference on Winter Simulation Conference, Coronado, CA, ACM Press. Woolridge, M. (2001). An Introduction to MultiAgent Systems, John Wiley and Sons, Ltd.