The Washington Post - USA (2021-10-27)

C8 EZ RE THE WASHINGTON POST.WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 27 , 2021

ACROSS 1 Like many a basement 5 Hold dear 10 Breakfast companion? 13 __ vaccine 14 As a companion 15 Soup du __ 16 Big name in plant food 18 Reverse 19 Also 20 GI entertain- ment often featuring Bob Hope 22 Through street 26 Hollywood Walk of Fame symbols 27 Get duded up 28 “Despite my best attempts ...” 30 Bladed tool 31 Enjoyed the buffet 32 [as per the original] 33 First section of the “Divine Comedy” 36 “That makes more sense” 40 Witticism 41 Big bang letters? 42 Keep __ distance 43 Kitchen gadget 47 Greek wraps 49 Take the floor 50 Unlike bikinis 52 Handicraft worker 54 Something up one’s sleeve 55 Jackson family musician born To riano 56 Home with a between-floors entrance ... and what can be found on puzzle rows 3, 6, 8 and 10? 62 Smooth (out) 63 Events with kings and queens 64 Shade of blue 65 “__ Rosenkavalier”

66 Lathered up 67 Slush Puppie parent company

DOWN 1 __ Pérignon 2 “Hereditary” director Aster 3 Deface 4 Missouri River feeder 5 Heroism 6 Blonde beverage 7 Part of a cord 8 Like a mob scene 9 They might clash on stage 10 Actress Helena __ Carter 11 Email program named after writer Welty 12 Half-asleep 15 Supreme Court figure 17 Filmmaker Ethan or Joel 21 Davis of “Do the Right Thing” 22 “East of Eden” brother 23 Sailing hazard

24 “Leave __ me” 25 Exist 27 Letter after upsilon 29 Helper: Abbr. 31 Payment before a deal 34 Sentiment 35 Lures (in) 36 Concerning 37 Snitch (on)

38 Chiwere speaker 39 Used to be 41 Royal flush card 43 Like many candies 44 Get in 45 Ramble on and on 46 Amateur 47 Birth announcement word

48 Sanaa native 51 One taking a fall 53 Egyptian slitherers 57 Mauna __ 58 Little devil 59 Device that may be wet or dry, briefly 60 End of the day 61 Cleaning ingredient

LA TIMES CROSSWORD By Craig Stowe

TUESDAY’S LA TIMES SOLUTION

kidspost

BY MARYLOU TOUSIGNANT

N

ot even the North Pole has been spared in the worldwide outbreak of the coronavirus. San- ta’s elves are working extra hard to make and deliver enough toys for the coming holi- days. But creativity in imagining this new bag of toys seems to have stalled in 2021 as the pandemic drags on. “There are many wonderful products but no real game-chang- ers — no design or technology innovations that will mark this year as particularly notable in toy land ,” says Stephanie Oppen- heim, an expert on what’s hot and what’s not in the $32 billion U.S. toy industry. Her company, Oppenheim Toy Portfolio, reviews thousands of toys each year, giving advice on what is worth your time and your parents’ or grandparents’ money when toy-shopping.

For 2021, Oppenheim says, toy companies decided to stick with what worked well for them in

“You’ll find more games,
puzzles and activity kits this year,”
she says. “Families are looking to
have fun together” and cut down
on screen time. “This year we saw
many more outstanding puzzles,”
she notes.
There are also more toys and
games that focus on emotional
well-being, diversity and inclu-
sion. The Barbie doll family, for
example, comes in different skin
tones, hair colors and body types,
and a new Ken uses a wheelchair
and has 22 movable “joints” to
exercise.
The key for toymakers, Oppen-
heim says, is “to find products
that are fun and engaging.”
Below are some of her top picks
for 2021. Prices are manufactur-
ers’ sug gestions. For more infor-
mation on these and other toys,
visit the website toyportfolio.com.
[email protected]

TOP TOYS OF THE YEAR

Awesome puzzles,

games, activity kits

CHIP SAYS Barbie was introduced in 1959, and her full name is Barbara Millicent Roberts. The first career the doll had was as a fashion editor in 1960.

KIDSPOST.COM Find more of the year’s best toys in the version of this story on our website.

TODAY Skies are sunny, high temperatures reach the upper 60s or low 70 s, and winds are strong. ILLUSTRATION BY DELORES HARKLESS, 12, ALEXANDRIA

ALL PRODUCT PHOTOS FROM MANUFACTURERS

Mega Mouth: The Game of Reading Lips Big G Creative, $13.99 Ages 8 and older Players try to guess what their teammate is silently mouthing from behind a large magnification window. The words are printed on cards, and each correct answer earns a token. First team to collect 21 tokens wins. (This game is also a good reminder to floss regularly.)

Shifting Stones Gamewright, $17.99 Ages 8 and older A family game night challenge for up to five players. Shift the nine “stone” tiles to match the cards in your hand. It sounds simple, but there’s a l ot of strategy involved. Experienced players suggest watching a practice round on YouTube before you try it. So, go ahead, try it!

Paint Your Own Porcelain Christmas Ornaments MindWare, $22.95 Ages 8 and older Paint, bake and then enjoy these porcelain ornaments for years to come. The kit has six designs, 12 paints, a brush, ribbon and a guide for mixing colors and creating special effects. Adult help may be needed when baking. For younger artists, MindWare offers a 12-piece coloring (not baking) version ($26.99).

Star Wars Imperial Shuttle Lego, $69.95 Ages 9 and older Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader are ready to board once you finish building their shuttle. Then, in the words of Han Solo, “Let’s see what this piece of junk can do.” The 660-piece shuttle kit is price y, just like actual space travel. But if Grandma can afford it, maybe you can talk her into adding an Imperial Light Cruiser to your fleet (1,336 pieces, $159.99).

Happy City Gamewright, $14.99 Ages 10 and older Like Monopoly, only better, toy testers said. Build your own city, attract residents, earn money, balance the budget and get elected mayor. Sounds like a real success story. The catch is: You win only if yours is the happiest city around. Gamewright calls this a “delightful” building game. We’ll let you be the judge.

Astrology 1,000-Piece Square Puzzle eeBoo Piece and Love, $21.99 Ages 13 and older You don ’t have to be an astrologer to foresee that hours of fun await those who tackle this puzzle that promotes patience and problem-solving. Each of the 12 zodiac signs is shown with a bird, flower, gem, motto and its place in the sky. Everyone in the family can take a turn at being a star puzzle-solver.

Ka-Blab! Hasbro, $20.99 Ages 10 and older Roll the dice to see how many items you must list in a given categor y. For example, how many Disney princesses can you name? But be careful. Don’t take too long, because there’s a t icking time bomb that could end your turn faster than you can say “Cinderella.”

Olivia’s Electric Car (and other Lego Friends toys) Lego Friends, prices vary Ages 6 and older Here are three new players in the 2021 Friends lineup: Olivia’s Electric Car kit comes with a buildable car, a wind-turbine charging station, two mini dolls and a puppy (183 pieces, $14.99). Heartlake City Vet Clinic includes eight animals and three mini dolls, one of whom is blind and has a guide dog (258 pieces, $39.95). Heartlake City Movie Theater has a hinged play set that opens to reveal a screening room and popcorn kiosk for three movie-mad mini dolls (451 pieces, $49.99).

The Washington Post - USA (2021-10-27)

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