A New Family Favorite
Well, I have been told that it is time to introduce myself. I am Pam, the mom or (COO) of this ‘crew’. If you call us here at Out of the Toy Box, you will more than likely hear my voice on the other end of the line. Everyday is an adventure around here, between daily chores, homeschooling, a recent wedding, the boys’ lawn care business, our website and all the normal activities and unplanned chaos that happens with older children in the house. I just thought things were hectic when all I had were babies, toddlers and pre-schoolers! I do usually get a full night’s sleep these days, unless of course, we are waiting up for one of these big guys to return home from an outing! 
One of my ‘jobs’ is to choose new toys and games for our website. It is fun but can also be a daunting task. The products we look for must be wholesome, worthwhile, a good value and qualify for many years of family service. We recently received a shipment of new games that we have been waiting for since January. It was so exciting to finally see them.We are very impressed with this new line of Past-Tyme Classics from Melissa and Doug Toys. Some of the games included in the line: Chinese Checkers, Pick-Up Sticks, Backgammon and more. The line is beautifully made, and designed to be displayed and stored on your wall. As an avid organizer and mother of a fairly large family (always needing better ways to store things), I love the idea.
We were thrilled to find a game that truly fascinates everyone in our family, from our seven year-old to our new son-in-law to the (maybe-I-shouldn’t-tell-you-how-old) Dad. I suppose there is a reason that this game of Mancala has been around for centuries, after all. It is fun!
Did you know that Mancala is believed to be one of the most ancient of all board games? The word Mancala means “to transfer” in Arabic. This game challenges players to move pieces from bin to bin. Many rule variations exist, and Mancala is played in some form in almost every African country. Intrigued? You can find more detailed historical information about Mancala here.