 Evaluation Summary - Category Ratings
Category ratings based on scale from 1 to 5 [3] = Meets Passing Criteria [4] = Excellent [5] = Outstanding / Best
( Only scores of 3 or higher are published. )
Product and service final rating is averaged from the sum of all evaluation category scores.
( With a total of 323 evaluation categories, only 6 of the applicable evaluation categories are featured for public view. )
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Critical Skills Development |
Educational Value |
FunFactor™ |
Innovation Level |
Marketability |
Visual Appeal |
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 Safety / Quality Classifications |
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CE Marked | UL Approved | JPMA Certified |  | (Not Applicable) | (Not Applicable) | | | ASTM Compliant | eco-Friendly | eco-Conscious |  |  | |
| CPSIA Compliant | Independent Lab Tested | Independent Lab Name | | (Unconfirmed) |
| | LeadSafe™ - Surface Coatings/Paint
(Complies with 16 CFR 1303/CPSIA 101) | LeadSafe™ - Content / Substrates
(Complies with CPSIA 101) | PhthalatesSafe™
(Complies with CPSIA 108) | | (Not Applicable) | | (Not Applicable) | |
| BPASafe™ (Complies with CPSI EN71) | Soluble Heavy Metals
(Complies with ASTM F963/CPSIA 106) | Mechanical/Physical (Complies with ASTM F963/CPSIA 106) | | (Not Applicable) | (Not Applicable) | | | Flammability - Solids/Textiles (Complies with 16 CFR 1500.44/CFR 1610) | Labeling of Hazardous Art Materials (Complies with ASTM-4236/16 CFR 1500.14(b)(8) ) | iWatchDog™ Approved (Complies with ICCS™ Certification Standards) | | (Not Applicable) | | |
| UPC | Manufacturer SKU | Age Grading | | | | |
| Manufactured In | Safety Hazard/Warnings | | U.S.A. | Choking Hazard - Small Stickers. Not for Children Under 3 |
Going Back In Time...
To get started, let's turn back the wheels of time and go back a few years to the 50's. The economy was not the greatest for families, electronic games didn't even exist yet! Wow!! What ever would kids do for excitement back then? In reality, there was a game which was common across the globe, just as it had been for generations long before. A game that required nothing more than a piece of writing paper and a writing instrument.
Kids would take that piece of paper and carefully fold it up like an Origami creation which had flaps within it which could be opened during a game, then write simple information such as yes, no, and other entries onto each of the inner portions of their innovative creation which when opened would reveal something written beneath it. Each of the outer tabs were numbered.
One child would place the paper creation on their fingers, another child would pick one of the outer tabs. The child with the paper creation on their fingers would manipulate it back and forth the number of times that matched the number on the tab which was chosen by the other child.
What brought the excitement to the game was when the inner flap was opened and it revealed what was hidden. It may have been a task to have to do, or a number of other possibilities. This concept with the paper creation became not just a game that could be created without money, but at the same time it was stimulating the creative skills of each child and fostering social interaction between the children simultaneously.
Cahootie Brings The Past Into The Present...
The game described in a rather sketchy fashion in the preceding section is in fact what is referred to as a "Classic" game. Most people have some familiarity with classic games. These are the products that have withstood the pressures of time and change, yet still managed to remain popular from generation to generation. Cahootie is an offspring from a favorite classic game, yet it brings a number of entirely new angles which were not available in the original concept of the game. Cahootie brings the past into the present so to speak.
It's so easy to try and describe a product by way of text but nothing is as powerful as an actual image. As they say, "A picture is worth a thousand words...", well, I think these images shown above, truly prove that statement all too true.
"...Cahootie, It's Not Just a Game..."
"It is important that people realize when it comes to Cahootie, it's not just a game." These are the very words of a credentialed Psychologist who is one of the evaluator's in our study of Cahootie. Our evaluator's comments come from a basic understanding that in today's society, everything is designed to be electronic and simple. In a more accurately defined way of putting it, people are losing their desire to do much of anything and even more so, take the time to think. After all, why should you have to think when something else can do it for you?
In reading our evaluator's report she continues on with, "Evidence is all too prevalent in U.S. society that people are questioning the need for use of their intellectual skills when in their minds a machine can do it better and faster." Her statement was a very powerful and direct one which serves to validate her overall definition of Cahootie. "With Cahootie, it's not just a game, it is a simple, yet powerful tool, (with no electronic parts to breakdown), which is instrumental in intellectual skill development for children." "From a position of overall evaluation of this game, Cahootie is literally a perfect recreational medium which combines affordable price, creative stimulation, and strongly encourages improvement of social skills with both children and adults alike.
Some Other Primary Details
Game play with Cahootie is quite simple. The person holding the Cahootie asks a player to choose one of the top panels. They spell out loud, each of the letters of the word on the panel which was chosen while moving the Cahootie with their fingers one direction then another. When the Cahootie has finally stopped, the player picks any one of the four triangles showing and opens the flap it is on. You never know what it may conceal beneath it; a treasure, trivia, or a challenge!
There is still much more to the game, but why should I spoil the surprises awaiting you? Just go out and buy your own Cahootie! For that matter, why stop there? Buy all 6 editions of Cahootie while you are at it! You will have a literally endless variety of game play you and your friends can enjoy together, or you can give your Cahootie's as gifts.
Consumers Objective Hands-On Evaluation
Reading our evaluation of a product is one thing, but reading what consumers who have actually had a hands-on experience with Cahootie is a completely different viewpoint to read about. Consumers have no hesitation in telling you what they think of a product when given the opportunity. Are you ready to read what our consumer hands-on evaluation participants had to say?
It is quite interesting how Cahootie can be used in small or large groups, yet still remains stimulating to the children and adults, encouraging social interaction quite effectively, and brings family and friends together to talk, laugh, listen, learn, share, and grow; all of these elements combined simultaneously or in succession. In our groups of children we used in our hands-on evaluation, there was a significant consistency of group social-interaction rather than one primary individual being dominant in the game play.
According to one of the kids at one of the public parks where our evaluators took Cahootie, "This is so much like when I played a game like this at my old school, only more fun and it has pretty colors!" One of her friends was quick to jump in with her own comment, "I like how it has the treasures and questions together, not just all the same, and the stickers were soooooo wickedly cool!"
A very special part of our experience with the hands-on evaluation participants was with a mother of a child who is suffering from Muscular Dystrophy, otherwise known as MS. She is an occupational therapist who was overjoyed with the time which she and her daughter had with the "Sport" version of Cahootie. Her daughter was having a challenge making use of Cahootie yet together with her mother's assistance, they both actuality completed a game! Nothing could ever be as powerful as seeing the mother and her daughter both crying.
You may be wondering how that could be powerful, well, when one of our volunteers approached the mother to see if everything was okay, she responded by saying, "I'm so sorry, I just have not seen my daughter so happy in so long in an activity we are working on together." She continued on to say, "If that wasn't enough for me, she was able to move her hands and fingers far better than I have ever seen before with any activity...Thank you so much!" Need I say more?
Considering Cahootie is based on a classic game that has endured centuries of game play and still remains popular as ever in virtually any culture, Cahootie has a distinct advantage on competitive products in its class and is unquestionably a hot item with the participants of the hands-on evaluation.
Your Opinion Counts
Your opinion counts whether you realize it or not. Maybe you were not on of the hands-on evaluation participants, but your opinion still counts all the same. We welcome you to share your opinions about this game or the product evaluation summary itself in our "Ask The Toy Man" Blog / Forum for others to see what you have to say.
A Breakdown On Each Category Scores Listed
While other organizations will define their ratings in a "blanket" method which simply defines each rating in an overall usage, we choose to take a different approach. Each individual rating that was assigned to this product, based upon our evaluation process, is briefly explained as to how that specific rating score was reached. The ratings for this product are listed below. Please remember that these are just six primary evaluation categories that are part of a far greater overall group of evaluation categories used for our product evaluation.
CRITICAL SKILLS DEVELOPMENT: Rating Level 5 - The level of critical skill development for children when playing with Cahootie doesn't take a rocket scientist to establish. The game provides a substantial stimulation to emotional reactions, motor skills, etc. and the actual amount of critical/cognitive skills stimulated is quite high. Coordination, memory, focus, attention span, executive action capability, as well as visual and spatial perception skills are all enhanced greatly from repetitive play with this game. The final analysis in our evaluation came to a perfect score in this category.
EDUCATIONAL VALUE: Rating Level 4 - The educational value for Cahootie was a bit of a challenge for some of us to establish. Although we have set guidelines established for each product we evaluate which are specific to each type of product, you still run into a matter of interpretation and personal judgment. You might say it can be seen as having has a variety of contributing factors to educational usefulness in reference to skill improvement in contribution to education in this category. The final decision was to allow the scoring of the teachers and psychologist evaluators to carry through. After all, they are the most qualified with their credentials to provide a valid and accurate scoring in the evaluation.
The folks who designed Cahootie demonstrated good, solid thinking in their design and structuring of the game. The random placement of the messages of positive nature, questions, and positive statements which are common for the target age group of this game on the stickers, was nothing short of impressive! Our evaluators felt that the overall content of Cahootie is undoubtedly well above average. Now although the content is great, it was just a tad short of what is needed to be the very best in regard to educational value. The final analysis of our evaluation of Cahootie in this category was a rating of 4 out of 5.
FUNFACTOR™: Rating Level 5 - FunFactor™? What part of Cahootie could possibly be anything short of the greatest in regard to FunFactor™? With every location and every hands-on evaluation participant, Cahootie was a complete riot of a time to play. Cahootie pulled a perfect score in this category.
INNOVATION: Rating Level 5 - Cahootie pulled the stops out in regard to being innovative. After all, who would imagine taking a game that has existed for generations and try and add a whole new spin on it? To top that off, adding a whole new spin that works! The idea of developing a game such as this is nothing outside of the greatest example of being innovative. Cahootie met the challenge of creative design built upon an already established success and made it better! Cahootie pulls a perfect score in this catgeory.
MARKETING VALUE: Rating Level 5 - The marketing value of Cahootie once again wouldn't take a rocket scientist to determine. Cahootie is nothing but the best! Cahootie promises a very strong potential in sales, especially so for the novelty market. Whether being judged in comparison to all games as a whole or in comparison to specialty games only, it still holds value which it nothing but the very highest. With a small footprint, excellent MSRP, and a visual appeal well above average, Cahootie is one which captures the attention of kids and adults alike. The immediate first impression is a tough call yet it has what it takes to take it all the way to the top. Cahootie pulls a perfect score in this category.
VISUAL APPEAL: Rating Level 4 - When it comes to visual appeal, Cahootie was well above average for everything from the packaging to the components of the game, yet just not enough to really put a WOW! in a person's opinion in regard to immediate visual appeal. When you combine the scoring from our evaluators reports, our own evaluation, and the consumer feedback, Cahootie scored quite well, yet fell short of a perfect score in this category by a single digit.
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| Seal of Approval:
Approved |
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| eco-Recognition™
Seal:
Not Eligible |
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| Award of Excellence:
Approved
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THE TOY MAN® PRODUCT GUIDE AWARDS
"The globally recognized awards that are received by a limited few...
and give a product the well earned recognition it deserves!" |
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The
products and online services which become recipients of "The Toy Man® Award of Excellence" acheived an evaluation category rating average of [5] Stars, the highest level of rating available on a 1-5 scale evaluation model. The average is based upon the overall average from all applicable evaluation categories, not just the 6 evaluation categories featured in this summary. |
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"The
Toy Man®  Award serves as an emblem of recognition for products & online services that contribute substantially to positive skill growth and/or productivity. |
| ( This includes books, CD's, DVD's, consumer electronics & accessories, recreational games and equipment, home furnishings, juvenile, software, toys and specialty. ) |
This distinguished award is exclusive as well as unique, with the editor's signature which represents a product being selected as an  . |
PLEASE NOTE: The eChoice™ Award images which were used from 1971-1984, 1984-2007, 2007-April 2010 have been retired. Although the former versions of the eChoice™ Award have been retired, they still remain valid. |
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