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The Commons
Sustainable Toys
Posted by Andrew Morriss  ·  28 September 2004  ·  

Just got the new "Intelligence Outfitters" catalog from Terrific Toys, Inc. In the "Science Toys" section there are:
1) "Fossil Fuels are History" - fuel cell car experiment kit ($149.99) (ages 12 & up)
2) "It's All About Alternative Energy" - Power House ("Could you survive on an isolated island without the benefits of power and fuel? This comprehensive science kit integrates physical science and technology lessons to show you how.") (ages 12 through adult).

The stuff in this catalog is not all bad. Surprisingly, a game about "the greatest country on the planet" turns out NOT to be about France and is instead about the US! There is also a "game you'll play religiously" called "Ark of the Covenant" and there is a monopoly game set in colonial New England ("The early Pilgrims had to cope with adversity or die. Now, that's reality.") in which the players actually get private property. "In each round, players first buy land. They then attempt to develop it with buildings, populate it with Pilgrims, and sustain it by trade with ships. When the entire playing board is developed, players are awarded victory points corresponding to their accumulated possessions. Thus, the most successful settler wins."