Worry Eater

Worry Eaters
I deal with alarmingly high levels of anxiety. I have experienced this since I was a little kid. I don't think a Worry Eater would cure my anxiety, but it really might help! It is a little stuffed monster with a mouth that can be zipped open and shut. You can write your worries down on a piece of paper, "feed" it to the monster, and then zip it shut. This is a great way to symbolically set aside your worries for a while. The visual and kinesthetic experience can help children learn to manage their anxiety. There are eight of these monsters to choose from: besides Schnulli, there is Polly, Saggo, Enno, Flamm, Bill, Betti, and Flint.

I did find this kind of humorous disclaimer on the Haywire website: DISCLAIMER: The toy does not take away the worry, literally. The phrases “we eat your worries” and “worry eaters” are not used in the literal sense to indicate that the worry will be taken away. The phrases are used in the non-literal sense to be rhetorical or whimsical. The toy will not eat the child’s worry. The worry will not be gone forever. The toy is not a replacement for sound and compassionate psychological support by a professional or a trusted adult. 

Keep that in mind, folks.  

The Ungame

The Ungame
Ages: 4 and up
Number of Players: 2-6
I am putting this game on here because I used to love to play it. But, fair warning - Nobody else liked to play it with me. I used to have to beg people to play. This is probably why I haven't played it in quite a while. If you are a parent, though, this game would be a great one for family bonding and getting to know your children better!
Why is this called the Ungame? Basically, because there are no winners or losers, and there is no specific starting spot or ending spot. You can literally just keep going around and around until you get tired of talking to each other.
When it is your turn, you roll the dice, and go that many spaces on the board. The space you land on will either tell you to draw a card, or do something else. If you draw a card, it usually has an open-ended question like, "When do you get angry?" or "If you got $5,000 in the mail, how would you use it?" or "What do you think life will be like 100 years from now?" (In my game there were two decks, one for light-hearted questions and one for more serious questions. You could either choose which deck you wanted to play with, or mix them together.)
While it is your turn and you are talking, nobody is allowed to interrupt, comment, ask questions, etc.
If you land on a "Question/Comment" space, you get to ask anyone in the group a question, or make a comment to any of them. It has to be something kind, though... so you can't turn to your little brother and say, "My comment is, you're a jerk." Not cool, man! Not cool!
Another space you might land on is "If you." It will say something like, "If you felt happy today, go to the Happy Zone." (That isn't really what it is called... I can't actually remember. But something like that. Also different versions of the board have different areas.)
The last type of space you might land on is "Do your own thing," where you can just do anything... tell a joke, make a funny face, do a somersault, or whatever.
This game promotes communication and listening skills, and helps everyone get to know each other. Your children will get the chance to learn things about you, like your favorite childhood pet, or what household chore you'd give anything not to have to do. And you will get to learn things about them as well!
I feel like going and getting the Ungame to play it right now. Too bad I can't find anyone to play it with me!

Thinkfun Roll And Play

 
ThinkFun Roll And Play
Ages: 18 months and up.
Number of players: 1 or more. (Toddlers will need an older child or an adult to guide them through this one!)
This may be a toddler's first real game. To play, the child rolls the large, soft die, and then chooses a card that matches the color the die lands on. Each card contains a simple direction, such as "Clap your hands," "Make a sound like a dog," or "Count five fingers." Little ones will learn about taking turns, following directions, and more, while also practicing skills like counting, color recognition, etc. It comes with a parent guide to help parents make the most of this toy for their children.
This would make a great small group game for an Early Childhood Special Education class or special ed Life Skills class!