Author: bdazzle

“AMERICAN REVOLUTION” SCRAMBLE SQUARES® PUZZLE HONORED AS AMONG “DR. TOY’S 10 BEST EDUCATIONAL PRODUCTS” FOR 2008

REDONDO BEACH, CA… September 16, 2008… b. dazzle, inc. of Redondo Beach, California, has announced that its “American Revolution” Scramble Squares® 9-piece brain teaser puzzle has been honored by The Institute for Childhood Resources in San Francisco as among “Dr. Toy’s 10 BEST EDUCATIONAL PRODUCTS” FOR 2008 and as one of “Dr. Toy’s 100 BEST CHILDREN’S PRODUCTS” FOR 2008. 

The 17th Annual report of “Dr. Toy’s 100 Best Children’s Products 2008” awards announced today is now available to parents, teachers and others in the online magazine, Dr. Toy’s Guide, at http://www.drtoy.com.  The free report also is available by sending a SASE #10 envelope to Dr. Toy.
“Dr. Toy’s 100 Best Children’s Products” Awards Program 2008 was developed by noted child development authority, Stevanne Auerbach, Ph.D. (a.k.a. Dr. Toy) as a service to consumers who desire to purchase safe, affordable, educationally oriented, stimulating toys and products for children.

Dr. Auerbach is the only Ph.D. evaluating toys and children’s products with extensive training, background and over 35 years of experience evaluating, writing and speaking about toys and children’s products.  Dr. Auerbach is trained in education, child psychology, child development, and special education. 

She is a parent educator, consultant, parent and grandparent.   “As a childhood specialist for over 35 years,” says Dr. Toy, Director of the Institute for Childhood Resources, founded in San Francisco in 1975, “I have seen the continuous, essential need for more year-round resources for consumers to identify and choose the most appropriate, safe and engaging learning and developmental products for all children.”  Dr. Toy reports that in the years the innovative on-line magazine, Dr.Toy’s Guide has been available, “thousands of visitors daily from around the world have accessed information.”  The site was the first on-line resource to evaluate toys and children’s products.

Describing the American Revolution Scramble Squares® 9-Piece Puzzle in “Dr. Toy’s 100 Best Children’s Products for 2008,” Dr. Auerbach writes, “These [Scramble Squares®] continue to be perfect gifts for all ages with plenty of value and learning.  Selected is American Revolution for its educational value, but there are other new puzzles in the series, including Seahorses, American Desert Southwest Wildlife and Squirrels.  There are more than 130 topics to choose from.  These are all Scramble Squares® tessellation (i.e., mosaic) brain teaser puzzles and are Easy To Play, But Hard To Solve® for children, teenagers, adults and senior citizens.  Although each Scramble Squares® puzzle has only nine 4” x 4” pieces, Scramble Squares® puzzles are Perhaps the World’s Most Challenging Puzzle®!  At under $10.00 retail, Scramble Squares®  puzzles make inexpensive, but  highly entertaining and valued gifts for both men and women alike…for Father’s Day, Mother’s Day, birthdays, get well, graduation, travel and holidays.   Scramble Squares® puzzles teach patience, perseverance, fine motor skills and critical thinking skills and help maintain mental agility in older persons, while providing stimulating entertainment as either a solitaire game or a cooperative activity. Scramble Squares® puzzles are highly rated by the Ableplay.org web site of the Lekotek National Center in Chicago, which ranks products that are beneficial to the learning disabled.  Each puzzle package includes a panel of fascinating facts on the subject of the puzzle, as well as a trivia question and hidden trivia question answer, all packaged in a unique and handy resealable heavy duty 10-1/2” long x  5-3/4” wide  x 3/8” deep clear vinyl travel pouch which can be collected and stored easily in a standard 3-ring binder.  Over 130 styles of exquisite original art are available on nature, sports, history, geography, culture, occupations, fantasy, science, technology hobbies and activities, and many new styles are introduced every year.”  

The report, “Dr. Toy’s 100 Best Children’s Products for 2008, is being released according to Dr. Toy to “encourage parents and teachers to focus on the value of play as essential to the learning process.”  She adds, “Smart play products selected from 100 companies across the U.S.A., Canada and other countries provide children with exciting new learning tools to help them do better in school, and also provide more constructive activities after school.”

Dr. Auerbach believes “parents and grandparents need help to get a head start locating new, diversified products that children will enjoy while increasing skills, enhance instruction and expand creativity.”  The products balanced among large and small companies, range from low to high tech for “hours of constructive, educational, and stimulating fun.”

“Children learn best through play,” says Dr. Auerbach, “and these smart toys and products encourage children to maximize their potentials.”  “Back-to-school is a good time to ‘take stock’ and do an inventory of what your child is playing with, what is not used and what they need next in their development.” adds Dr. Toy. ”  Our Guide offers excellent ideas for choosing new products for after school play and the holidays ahead.”

“Dr. Toy’s 100 Best Products” were carefully chosen from among thousands that she has reviewed at toy fairs, catalogs, and through many other sources, and by using extensive criteria she has developed over many years.  Among the criteria used are: safety, age-appropriateness, design, durability, lasting
play value, cultural and ethnic diversity, good transition from home to school, educational value, learning skills, creativity, improvement in the
understanding of the community and the world, good value for price, and, naturally, fun.” 

Dr. Toy’s annual report includes company customer service numbers, web site URL, age range, price, and full description of each product.  The award-winning, on-line magazine, Dr. Toy’s Guide, features full color photos of each product, links to companies to learn more, interviews with and articles by Dr. Toy, plus hundreds of “Best Classic” and “Best Vacation” products.  At this time over 4,000 products are included plus links direct to companies, toy stores online, toy history, parent resources and much more.

In addition to easy access on the Internet, a free copy of “Dr. Toy’s 100 Best Children’s Products 2008” may be obtained by sending a self-addressed, stamped #10 business envelope (SASE) to “Dr. Toy,” 268 Bush Street, San Francisco, CA, 94104.

Dr. Toy is the author of Dr. Toy’s Smart Play/Smart Toys to provide tools to parents to enhance their child’s P.Q (Play Quotient).  The book, published in China, Croatia, Germany, Greece, India, Indonesia, Israel, Korea, Russia, Spain,
Taiwan, Turkey and Thailand will soon be available in other countries.

“We are very pleased, honored and extremely gratified that our newest Scramble Squares® puzzles have maintained the very high standards that Dr. Toy upholds as her criteria for the annual “DR. TOY’S 100 BEST PRODUCTS” awards and thrilled to be counted as among the “10 Best Educational Products for 2008,” says b. dazzle founder, puzzle designer, president & CEO, Kathie Gavin.

Founded in 1993, b. dazzle, inc. is a progressive market-driven company which manufacturers and distributes wholesale in the gift, souvenir, toy and educational products industries a wide range of beautiful, wholesome, entertaining and informative gifts of high quality and low cost for all ages of  adults and children that can be selected by style to appeal to the personal interests of the recipient and can be enjoyed as family activities.

b. dazzle, inc. is an official member of the CHARACTER COUNTS! Coalition of the Josephson Institute of Ethics in Los Angeles: (800-711-2670; 310-846-4800). The purpose of the CHARACTER COUNTS! Coalition is to fortify the lives of America’s young people with consensus ethical values called the “Six Pillars of Character.” These six key character values, which transcend divisions of race, creed, politics, gender and wealth, are trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring and citizenship. Because our society places such a high value on material success, there is the tendency in human nature to pursue success by any means, whether fairly or unfairly, honestly or dishonestly. We strongly believe that with our success comes a duty for us to contribute to our society. We wish to do so by advancing the principles of good character and ethical behavior, not only by operating our business in accordance with ethical standards, but also by advancing and promoting the importance of ethical business practices and ethical behavior throughout our industry and our society at large. The “CHARACTER COUNTS!” Coalition has become the nation’s leading character education system, now reaching five million youngsters through a widespread partnership of schools and youth-serving organizations. Two United States’ Presidents, the Congress, most states and countless municipalities have endorsed the Coalition’s approach and declared the third week in October “National CHARACTER COUNTS! Week.”

“TEACHERS” SQUARES® 9-PIECE PUZZLE RECEIVES DR. TOY’S “10 BEST EDUCATIONAL PRODUCTS AWARD” FOR 2007 FROM THE INSTITUTE FOR CHILDHOOD RESOURCES

REDONDO BEACH, CA…October 16, 2007… b. dazzle, inc. of Redondo Beach, California,has announced that its Teachers Scramble Squares® 9-piece brain teaser puzzle has been honored by The Institute for Childhood Resources in San Francisco as a “Dr. Toy’s 10 Best Educational Products 2007 Award” winner and also as a winner of “Dr. Toy’s “100 Best Children’s Products 2007.”

The 16th Annual report of “Dr. Toy’s 100 Best Children’s Products” awards announced today is now available to parents, teachers and others in the online magazine, Dr. Toy’s Guide, at http://www.drtoy.com. The free report is also available by requesting a copy by sending a SASE #10 envelope to Dr. Toy.

“Dr. Toy’s100 Best Children’s Products” Award Program 2007” was developed by noted child development authority Stevanne Auerbach, Ph.D. (a.k.a. Dr. Toy), as a service to consumers who desire to purchase safe, affordable, educationally oriented and stimulating toys and other products for children.

“As a childhood specialist for over 35 years,” says Dr. Toy, Director of the Institute for Childhood Resources, founded in San Francisco in 1975, “I have
seen the continuous, essential need for more year-round resources for consumers to identify and choose the most appropriate, safe and engaging learning and developmental products for all children.”

Dr. Toy reports that in the years the innovative on-line magazine, Dr. Toy’s Guide, has been available, “thousands of visitors daily from around the world have accessed its information.” This web site was the first on-line to evaluate toys and children’s products. The report, “Dr. Toy’s 100 Best Children’s Products for 2007,” is being released according to Dr. Toy to “encourage parents and teachers to focus on the value of play as essential to the learning process”

Exquisite, award winning Scramble Squares® brain teaser puzzles for ages 4 to 104 are at least as popular with adults, seniors, teenagers and college students as they are with children. Although each Scramble Squares® puzzle has only nine 4” x 4” pieces, Scramble Squares® puzzles are Perhaps the World’s Most Challenging Puzzle®! At under $10.00 retail, Scramble Squares® puzzles make inexpensive, but highly entertaining and valued gifts for both men and women alike… for Father’s Day, Mother’s Day, Easter, Halloween, birthdays, get well, graduation, travel and holidays. Scramble Squares® puzzles are Easy To Play, But Hard To Solve!® Over 120 exquisite styles of colorful original art are available on nature, sports, history, culture, geography, science, technology, occupations, fantasy, hobbies and activities, and more new styles are added every six months. Store displays come complete with the unique Scramble Squares® “5–MINUTE CHALLENGE®” in-store free puzzle giveaway promotion for consumers who solve a Scramble Squares® demonstration puzzle within five minutes!

Current Scramble Squares® puzzle topic categories include nature, sports, history, culture, geography, science, technology, occupations, fantasy, gourmet, hobbies and activities. New styles are added approximately every six months. The suggested retail price for a Scramble Squares® puzzle is $8.95 each.
Each Scramble Squares® puzzle package includes a panel of fascinating facts on the subject of the puzzle, as well as a trivia question and hidden answer, all packaged in a unique and handy heavy duty 101/2″ long x 53/4″ wide x 3/8″ deep resealable vinyl travel pouch, which may be collected and stored easily in a standard 3-ring binder. The vinyl pouch is crystal clear, enabling the consumer to see the extraordinary beauty of the puzzles’ realistic original art, while achieving a very high amount of retail value per square foot of store space for the merchant.

Scramble Squares® teaches: o Critical Thinking/Problem Solving Skills

o Fine Motor Skills
o Patience
o Perseverance
o Statistical Probabilities
o Cooperative and Solitary Productivity

Scramble Squares® also helps maintain mental agility, sharpness and memory in seniors and adults, while providing hours of quiet and stimulating entertainment.

Dr. Auerbach believes “parents and grandparents need help to get a head start locating new diversified products that children will enjoy using while they increase learning skills, enhance instruction and expand creativity.” The honored products are from among large and small companies and range from low to high tech for “hours of constructive, educational and stimulating fun.” “Children learn best through play,” says Dr. Auerbach,” and these smart toys and products encourage children to maximize their potentials.

“Back-to-school is a good time to ‘take stock’ and do an inventory of what children are playing with, what is not used and what they need next in their
development,” adds Dr. Toy. “Our Guide offers excellent ideas for choosing new products for after school play and for the holidays ahead.”

“Dr. Toy’s 100 Best Products” were carefully chosen from among thousands that she reviewed at toy fairs, catalogs and through many other sources, and by using extensive criteria that she has developed over many years. Among the criteria are: safety, age-appropriateness, design, durability, lasting play value, cultural and ethnic diversity, good transition from home to school, educational value, learning skills, creativity, improvement in the understanding of the community and the world, good value for price, and, naturally, fun.

“We are very honored and humbled to have again met Dr. Toy’s rigorous standards to be selected for this most prestigious award,” says b. dazzle founder, puzzle designer, president & CEO, Kathie Gavin. She adds, “Each year we strive to introduce products that are worthy of Dr. Toy’s thorough and careful scrutiny, and we consider Dr. Toy’s “100 Best Children’s Products Award” as our validation of our creative efforts and of our unwillingness to compromise our production standards or our commitment to the easy affordability of our products.”

b. dazzle, inc. is an official member of the CHARACTER COUNTS! Coalition of the Josephson Institute of Ethics in Los Angeles: (800-711-2670; 310-846-4800). The purpose of the CHARACTER COUNTS! Coalition is to fortify the lives of America’s young people with consensus ethical values called the “Six Pillars of Character.” These six key character values, which transcend divisions of race, creed, politics, gender and wealth, are trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring and citizenship. Because our society places such a high value on material success, there is the tendency in human nature to pursue success by any means, whether fairly or unfairly, honestly or dishonestly. We strongly believe that with our success comes a duty for us to contribute to our society. We wish to do so by advancing the principles of good character and ethical behavior, not only by operating our business in accordance with ethical standards, but also by advancing and promoting the importance of ethical business practices and ethical behavior throughout our industry and our society at large. The “CHARACTER COUNTS!” Coalition has become the nation’s leading character education system, now reaching five million youngsters through a widespread partnership of schools and youth-serving organizations. Two United States’ Presidents, the Congress, most states and countless municipalities have endorsed the Coalition’s approach and declared the third week in October “National CHARACTER COUNTS! Week.”

SIX SCRAMBLE SQUARES PUZZLES WIN PRESITIGIOUS NAPPA HONORS FOR 2007

REDONDO BEACH, CA…September 26, 2007… b. dazzle, inc. of Redondo Beach, California, has announced that the National Parenting Publications Awards (NAPPA), a program sponsored by DominionMedia and promoted in association with parenting publishers across the United States, has named six Scramble Squares® 9-piece brain teaser puzzles as 2007NAPPA HONOR AWARD winners: Noah’s Ark, Pirates, Planets, Puffins, Swimming Champions and Teachers.

Full NAPPA AWARDS results will be announced Nov. 1, 2007, in 40 regional parenting magazines across the country and online at Parenthood.com. This distinction recognizes Scramble Squares® 9-piece puzzles as a standout among toys, books, DVDs, software & video games, music and spoken-word recordings available for children today.

Now in its 17th year, NAPPA is a well-known name in industries that are focused on children’s learning and entertainment. Parents, relatives and other adults working with children — those who want high-quality toys and products that provide “smart fun” and good design, and grow with children’s developmental needs – rely on NAPPA for their holiday and year-round gift-giving.

“NAPPA-winning products meet the most stringent criteria and are judged by nationally recognized industry experts, educators, reviewers and advocates in their fields,” says NAPPA Manager Barbara Smith Decker. “NAPPA has set the industry standard of excellence for nearly two decades and the award is a much-sought honor by manufacturers, artists, authors and product designers. When parents see the NAPPA Gold or Honors seal on winning products, they’re assured of a high quality, fun and educational experience for their children.” Ellen Metrick, lead judge for the NAPPA Toy & Games category in which Scramble Squares® puzzles won six Honors awards this year, has more than 20 years’ experience in the toy industry. As the toy specialist and manager of business development for the National Lekotek Center, a nonprofit organization that focuses on accessible play for children of all abilities, Metrick helps manufacturers develop and evaluate high-quality toys. In evaluating the six Scramble Squares® NAPPA Honors winners for 2007, Metrick wrote, “Match the pictures along the edges of nine individual squares in each direction to complete a tabletop puzzle. Starting with a winning concept, new themes added to this collection include Pirates, Planets, Puffins, Swimming Champions, Teachers and Noah’s Ark (each sold separately). All puzzles are equally beautiful, equally challenging and equally deserving of an honor award.”

Exquisite, award winning Scramble Squares® brain teaser puzzles for ages 4 to 104 are at least as popular with adults, seniors, teenagers and college students as they are with children. Although each Scramble Squares® puzzle has only nine 4” x 4” pieces, Scramble Squares® puzzles are Perhaps the World’s Most Challenging Puzzle®! At under $10.00 retail, Scramble Squares® puzzles make inexpensive, but highly entertaining and valued gifts for both men and women alike… for Father’s Day, Mother’s Day, Easter, Halloween, birthdays, get well, graduation, travel and holidays. Scramble Squares® puzzles are Easy To Play, But Hard To Solve!® Over 120 exquisite styles of colorful original art are available on nature, sports, history, culture, geography, science, technology, occupations, fantasy, hobbies and activities, and more new styles are added every six months. Store displays come complete with the unique Scramble Squares® “5-MINUTE CHALLENGE®” in-store free puzzle giveaway promotion for consumers who solve a Scramble Squares® demonstration puzzle within five minutes! Current Scramble Squares® puzzle topic categories include nature, sports, history, culture, geography, science, technology, occupations, fantasy, gourmet, hobbies and activities. New styles are added throughout each year. The suggested retail price for a Scramble Squares® puzzle is $8.95 each.

Each Scramble Squares® puzzle package includes a panel of fascinating facts on the subject of the puzzle, as well as a trivia question and a hidden answer to that trivia question, all packaged in a unique and handy heavy duty 101/2″ long x 53/4″ wide x 3/8″deep resealable vinyl travel pouch, which may be collected and stored easily in a standard 3-ring binder. The vinyl pouch is crystal clear, enabling the consumer to see the extraordinary beauty of the puzzles’ realistic original art, while achieving a very high amount of retail value per square foot of store space for the merchant.
Scramble Squares® teaches:

o Critical Thinking/Problem Solving Skills
o Fine Motor Skills
o Patience
o Perseverance
o Statistical Probabilities
o Cooperative and Solitary Productivity

Scramble Squares® also helps maintain mental agility, sharpness and memory in seniors and adults, while providing hours of quiet and stimulating entertainment.

The National Parenting Publications Awards were created in 1990 to review children’s products. It has since expanded into two divisions:

o Children’s Products – Toys & Games, Music, DVDs, Books & Magazines, Storytelling & Spoken-Word Recordings, Software, Video Games and Websites.
o Parenting Resources – How-to Books, DVDs and Websites; Maternity and Baby
Gear, Accessories, Gadgets and Products that make parenting easier.

NAPPA is recognized for its service to parents, having won the Parenting Publications of America’s Gold Award for Editorial Excellence. NAPPA is a program administered by Dominion Media, a division of Dominion Enterprises, and promoted in association with parenting publications across the United States and on the web at Parenthood.com.

Founded in 1993, b. dazzle, inc. is a progressive market-driven company which manufacturers and distributes wholesale in the gift, souvenir, toy and educational products industries a wide range of beautiful, wholesome, entertaining and informative gifts of high quality and low cost for all ages of adults and children that can be selected by style to appeal to the personal interests of the recipient and can be enjoyed as family activities. b. dazzle, inc. is an Official Member of the “CHARACTER COUNTS!” COALITION of the Josephson Institute of Ethics in Los Angeles: http://www.charactercounts.org (800-711-2670; 310-846-4800). The purpose of the “CHARACTER COUNTS!” Coalition is to fortify the lives of America’s young people with consensus ethical values called the “Six Pillars of Character.” These six key character values, which transcend divisions of race, creed, politics, gender and wealth, are trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring and citizenship. Because our society places such a high value on material success, there is the tendency in human nature to pursue success by any means, whether fairly or unfairly, honestly or dishonestly. Kathie Gavin explains, “We strongly believe that with our success comes a duty for us to contribute to our society. We wish to do so by advancing the principles of good character and ethical behavior, not only by operating our business in accordance with ethical standards, but also by advancing and promoting the importance of ethical business practices and ethical behavior throughout our industry and our society at large.” The “CHARACTER COUNTS!” Coalition has become the nation’s leading character education system, now reaching five million youngsters through a widespread partnership of schools and youth-serving organizations. Two United States’ Presidents, the Congress, most states and countless municipalities have endorsed the Coalition’s approach and declared the third week in October “National CHARACTER COUNTS! Week.”

“IRISH HERITAGE” IS THE LATEST SCRAMBLE SQUARES® PUZZLE OFFERING FROM b. dazzle, inc.

REDONDO BEACH, CA… DECEMBER 19, 2006… b. dazzle, inc. has announced its firstpuzzle in its new “American Cultural Diversity ” series of ScrambleSquares® puzzles, “Irish Heritage.” “Irish immigrants, likeimmigrants from Italy, China, England, Germany, Mexico, Holland, Greece, Ethiopia,Norway, Russia and so many other countries around the world have built our countryinto the most diversified, free and productive country in the world,” saysKathie Gavin, b. dazzle, inc. founder, president & ceo. “With our newIrish Heritage Scramble Squares® puzzle, we begin to celebrate the culturaldiversity of our citizens that has contributed so much to America’s greatness,” sheadds.

Adults and seniors love Scramble Squares® puzzles at least as much as do children, teenagers and college students. Although each Scramble Squares® puzzle has only nine 4″ x 4″ square pieces, Scramble Squares® puzzles are Perhaps the World’s Most Challenging Puzzle®! At under $10.00 each suggested retail, Scramble Squares® puzzles make inexpensive, but highly valued gifts for both men and women alike… for Father’s Day, Mother’s Day, Graduation, Travel, Get Well, Easter baskets and other baskets, Birthdays and for the Holidays. Scramble Squares® puzzles are Easy To Play, But Hard To Solve®! Over 120 exquisite Scramble Squares® styles are available on nature, sports, history, culture, geography, occupations, science, technology, fantasy, gourmet, hobbies and activities.

Scramble Squares® puzzles are among the most honored products in the gift, games and educational products industries: Scramble Squares® 9-piece brain teaser puzzles received the maximum number of four “Dr. Toy’s Smart Play/Smart Toys Awards for 2006” from the Institute for Childhood Resources in San Francisco. Five more Scramble Squares® puzzles were also honored by The Institute for Childhood Resources as “Dr. Toy’s BEST VACATION Children’s Products 2006.” The “Swimming Champions” Scramble Squares® puzzle has been honored by The Institute for Childhood Resources in San Francisco as among “Dr. Toy’s 10 BEST SOCIALLY RESPONSIBLE PRODUCTS FOR 2006″ and as one of “Dr. Toy’s 100 BEST CHILDREN’S PRODUCTS FOR 2006.” Scramble Squares® 9-piece brainteaser puzzles were named “HONOR AWARD” winners in the 2005 National Parenting Publications Awards (NAPPA). Scramble Squares® puzzles were awarded the “Chicago’s Choice Award for 2004,” presented during the January Chicago Gift & Home Market to acknowledge distinctive gift products and product lines exhibited at the Chicago Gift & Home Market. GAMES magazine’s “100 BEST GAMES RATED” buyers guide issue has rated Scramble Squares® as among the TOP 100 GAMES available for all ages.

Scramble Squares® puzzles teach patience, perseverance, fine motor skills and critical thinking skills and help maintain mental agility in older persons, while providing stimulating
entertainment as either a solitaire game or as a cooperative activity. Each puzzle package includes a panel of fascinating facts on the subject of the puzzle, as well as a trivia question and hidden answer, all packaged in a unique and handy resealable clear vinyl pouch, which can be collected and stored easily in a standard 3-ring binder.

b. dazzle, inc. retail store Scramble Squares® puzzle displays come complete with the unique Scramble Squares® “5-MINUTE CHALLENGE®” in-store free puzzle giveaway promotion for consumers who solve a Scramble Squares® demonstration puzzle within five minutes! b. dazzle provides a free 24″ x 36″ full color “WIN A FREE PUZZLE” promotional poster to any store offering its customers the Scramble Squares® “5–MINUTE CHALLENGE®. ” Retailers can give a free Scramble Squares® puzzle to any customer who accepts the challenge and successfully solves the 9-piece Scramble Squares® demonstration puzzle within five minutes. b. dazzle promptly replaces the stores’ puzzles awarded to consumers at no cost to the merchants. b. dazzle’s permanent wood counter, floor and slat wall displays each feature a demonstration puzzle on an interactive playing surface with an electronic timer to time consumers in the 5–MINUTE CHALLENGE®.

b. dazzle also offers a free, very compact, corrugated counter spinner display, including the timer and poster, with the purchase of any 72 Scramble Squares® puzzles in any quantity per style.

b. dazzle, inc. is an Official Member of the “CHARACTER COUNTS!” COALITION of the Josephson Institute of Ethics in Los Angeles: http://www.charactercounts.org (800-711-2670; 310-846-4800). The purpose of the “CHARACTER COUNTS!” Coalition is to fortify the lives of America’s young people with consensus ethical values called the “Six Pillars of Character.” These six key character values, which transcend divisions of race, creed, politics, gender and wealth, are trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring and citizenship. Because our society places such a high value on material success, there is the tendency in human nature to pursue success by any means, whether fairly or unfairly, honestly or dishonestly. Kathie Gavin explains, “We strongly believe that with our success comes a duty for us to contribute to our society. We wish to do so by advancing the principles of good character and ethical behavior, not only by operating our business in accordance with ethical standards, but also by advancing and promoting the importance of ethical business practices and ethical behavior throughout our industry and our society at large.” The “CHARACTER COUNTS!” Coalition has become the nation’s leading character education system, now reaching five million youngsters through a widespread partnership of schools and youth-serving organizations. Two United States’ Presidents, the Congress, most states and countless municipalities have endorsed the Coalition’s approach and declared the third week in October “National CHARACTER COUNTS! Week.”

“SWIMMING CHAMPIONS” SCRAMBLE SQUARES® 9-PIECE PUZZLE HONORED AMONG “DR. TOY’S 10 BEST SOCIALLY RESPONSIBLE PRODUCTS” FOR 2006 BY THE INSTITUTE FOR CHILDHOOD RESOURCES

REDONDO BEACH, CA…October 17, 2006… b. dazzle, inc. of Redondo Beach, California, has announced that its “Swimming Champions” Scramble Squares® 9-piece brain teaser puzzle has been honored by The Institute for Childhood Resources in San Francisco as among “Dr. Toy’s 10 BEST SOCIALLY RESPONSIBLE PRODUCTS” FOR 2006 and as one of “Dr. Toy’s 100 BEST CHILDREN’S PRODUCTS” FOR 2006. The 15th Annual report of “Dr. Toy’s 100 Best Children’s Products 2006” awards, announced on October 16, is now available to parents, teachers and others in the online magazine, Dr. Toy’s Guide, at http://www.drtoy.com. The free report is available by sending an SASE #10 envelope to Dr. Toy. “Dr. Toy’s 100 Best Children’s Products Awards Program 2006” was developed by noted child development authority Stevanne Auerbach, Ph.D. (a.k.a. Dr. Toy) as a service to consumers who desire to purchase safe, affordable, educationally oriented and stimulating toys and products for children.

“As a childhood specialist for over 35 years,” says Dr. Toy, Director of the Institute for Childhood Resources, founded in San Francisco in 1975, “I have seen the continuous, essential need for more year-round resources for consumers to identify and choose the most appropriate, safe and engaging learning and developmental products for all children.” Dr. Toy reports that in the years the innovative on-line magazine, Dr. Toy’s Guide, has been available, “thousands of visitors daily from around the world have accessed its information.” The site was the first on-line to evaluate toys and children’s products. The report, “Dr. Toy’s 100 Best Children’s Products for 2006,” is being released, according to Dr. Toy, to “encourage parents and teachers to focus on the value of play as essential to the learning process.” She adds, “The smart play products selected from 100 companies across the U.S., Canada and from other countries will provide children with exciting new learning tools that help them to do better in school, and also provide constructive activities to do after school.”

Dr. Auerbach believes “parents and grandparents need help to get a head start locating new, diversified products that children will enjoy using while they increase learning skills, enhance instruction and expand creativity.” The products are balanced from among large and small companies and range from low to high tech for “hours of constructive, educational and stimulating fun.”

“Dr. Toy’s 100 Best Products” were carefully chosen from among thousands that she has reviewd at toy fairs, catalogs, through many other sources and by using extensive criteria that she has developed over many years. Among the criteria used are: safety, age-appropriateness, design, durability, lasting play value, cultural and ethnic diversity, good transition from home to school, educational value, learning skills, creativity, improvement in understanding of the community and the world, good value for the price, and, naturally, fun.

Exquisite, award-winning Scramble Squares® brain teaser puzzles for ages 4 to 104 are at least as popular with adults, seniors, teenagers and college students as they are with children. Although each Scramble Squares® puzzle has only nine 4” x 4” pieces, Scramble Squares® puzzles are Perhaps the World’s Most Challenging Puzzle®! At under $10.00 retail, Scramble Squares® puzzles make inexpensive, but highly entertaining and valued gifts for both men and women alike… for Father’s Day, Mother’s Day, Easter, Halloween, birthdays, get well, graduation, travel and holidays. Scramble Squares® puzzles are Easy To Play, But Hard To Solve!® Over 120 exquisite styles of colorful original art are available on nature, sports, history, culture, geography, science, technology, occupations, gourmet, fantasy, hobbies and activities, and more new styles are added every six months.

Each Scramble Squares® puzzle package includes a panel of fascinating factual information on the subject of the puzzle, as well as a trivia question and hidden answer, all packaged in a unique and handy heavy duty 101/2″ long x 53/4″ wide x 3/8″ deep resealable vinyl travel pouch, which may be collected and stored easily in a standard 3-ring binder. The vinyl pouch is crystal clear, enabling the consumer to see the extraordinary beauty of the puzzles’ realistic original art, while achieving a very high amount of retail value per square foot of store space for the merchant.
Scramble Squares® teaches:

• Critical Thinking/Problem Solving Skills
• Patience
• Perseverance
• Statistical Probabilities
• Cooperative and Solitary Productivity Scramble Squares® also helps maintain mental agility, sharpness and memory in seniors and adults, while providing hours of quiet and stimulating entertainment.

b. dazzle’s new “Swimming Champions” Scramble Squares® puzzle is the first in the Olympic series of Scramble Squares® puzzles, features John Naber, Janet Evans, Rowdy Gaines, and Mary T. Meagher, each performing their signature swimming strokes (backstroke, breaststroke, crawl and butterfly, respectively) and shows the USOC Olympic rings logo on each of the puzzle’s nine 4″ x 4″ pieces.

The U. S. Olympic Committee’s mission statement is “To support United States Olympic and Paralympic athletes in achieving sustained competitive excellence and preserve the Olympic Ideals, and thereby inspire all Americans.” The Olympic ideals of excellence, teamwork and fair play reflect the values and principles that drives b. dazzle, inc., according to b. dazzle founder, puzzle designer, president & CEO, Kathie Gavin. “What youngster doesn’t dream to someday represent his or her country in the Olympics and strive to achieve the pinacle of his or her sport that only God’s grace, self-discipline, honesty and hard work can achieve,” she adds. “We wish to help inspire America’s youth and are grateful for the opportunity to reach them and their parents through our affiliation with the USOC.”

b. dazzle, inc. retail store Scramble Squares® puzzle displays come complete with the unique Scramble Squares® “5-MINUTE CHALLENGE®” in-store free puzzle giveaway promotion for consumers who solve a Scramble Squares® demonstration puzzle within five minutes! b. dazzle provides a free 24″ x 36″ full color “WIN A FREE PUZZLE” promotional poster to any store offering its customers the Scramble Squares® “5–MINUTE CHALLENGE®. ” Retailers can give a free Scramble Squares® puzzle to any customer who accepts the challenge and successfully solves the 9-piece Scramble Squares® demonstration puzzle within five minutes. b. dazzle promptly replaces the stores’ puzzles awarded to consumers at no cost to the merchants. b. dazzle’s permanent wood counter, floor and slat wall displays each feature a demonstration puzzle on an interactive playing surface with an electronic timer to time consumers in the 5–MINUTE CHALLENGE®. b. dazzle also offers a free, very compact, corrugated counter spinner display, including the timer and poster, with the purchase of any 72 Scramble Squares® puzzles in any quantity per style.

“We are very pleased, honored and extremely gratified that our newest Scramble Squares® puzzles have maintained the very high standards that Dr. Toy upholds as her criteria for the annual “DR. TOY’S 100 BEST PRODUCTS” awards,” says b. dazzle founder, puzzle designer, president & CEO, Kathie Gavin. “ We are
humbled to be honored as among the “Dr. Toy 10 Best Socially Responsible Products,” she adds. “Dr. Toy’s 100 Best Children’s Products” awards program is the standard by which we measure our design and production success. We are proud to have again achieved that success,” Gavin adds.

b. dazzle, inc. is an official member of the CHARACTER COUNTS! Coalition of the Josephson Institute of Ethics in Los Angeles: http://www.charactercounts.org (800-711-2670; 310-846-4800). The purpose of the CHARACTER COUNTS! Coalition is to fortify the lives of America’s young people with consensus ethical values called the “Six Pillars of Character.” These six key character values, which transcend divisions of race, creed, politics, gender and wealth, are trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring and citizenship. Because our society places such a high value on material success, there is the tendency in human nature to pursue success by any means, whether fairly or unfairly, honestly or dishonestly. We strongly believe that with our success comes a duty for us to contribute to our society. We wish to do so by advancing the principles of good character and ethical behavior, not only by operating our business in accordance with ethical standards, but also by advancing and promoting the importance of ethical business practices and ethical behavior throughout our industry and our society at large. The “CHARACTER COUNTS!” Coalition has become the nation’s leading character education system, now reaching five million youngsters through a widespread partnership of schools and youth-serving organizations. Two United States’ Presidents, the Congress, most states and countless municipalities have endorsed the Coalition’s approach and declared the third week in October “National CHARACTER COUNTS! Week.”