Although Family Talk is listed as a game, in actuality it is not a game, it is an ingenious tool that proliferates social interaction between people; a tool to be used as an ice-breaker. Granted it can be a barrel of laughs but overall it is a most unique and innovative concept for striking up conversations and making the experience an enjoyable one. For each of our evaluators for this product, we all thought it was a "cute" idea, but then the analytical side of the brain kicked in with a number of questions all surrounding the carabiner upon which the cards are attached. Once we each actually sat down and played with Family Talk, we quickly began to realize the full value of it.

We were all quite pleased with the very carefully chosen questions which are displayed in the collection of cards from Family Talk. Each question is an excellent tool to create some laughter in a group, initiate a discussion, or just plain try and establish a means to pass the time away while getting to know the person or persons you are with and having fun doing it. In speaking with one of the psychologists we work with in our evaluation of products such as this, she expressed how "...Family Talk serves as an excellent tool to develop positive social interaction." She continues further to say, "Family Talk creates an environment where even those who are more withdrawn from interacting with others, will find themselves breaking new ground in their personal communication skills."

One of the primary points which we kicked back and forth in our evaluation was how it is our nature in the fast paced society of today to want to just pull the entire lot of cards right off the carabiner immediately. The problem with that it is a task which would require a little effort. We noted how that several of the question cards can be removed at a time, but if you choose to try and push the entire lot at one time, there is a much higher risk of the cards being damaged. This is a simple concern that once recognized soon afterwards becomes a minor point of thought. The overall effect from the game draws the attention to the unique questions that create plenty of levity in the social environment where Family Talk is being used.

For most of the evaluators of Family Talk, we took a look at the product and automatically "assumed" it couldn't be much of anything, but we have all learned from past experience that looks can be deceiving. Family Talk proved that point a thousand time over. It was simply amazing how every time we took the game serious and answered the questions honestly, that we soon would have a laugh fest as we learned new things about each other we never saw in them before!

Just imagine the potential if Family Talk was given out as a gift to a bunch of employees at a work site, or if it was given out at a party for others to enjoy as they interact with each other throughout the evening. In our evaluation, we came to the conclusion that there is a literally endless number of applications where this simple product could change things in a matter of minutes. It is so powerful that once someone experiences it, they will want to buy another one for a friend or loved one, or even their worst enemy? Big surprises truly do come in small packages, especially with Family Talk.

Consumers hold no punches when it comes to hands-on evaluation of a product. We have already seen all too many times in the past where products we have provided for consumer hands-on evaluation were literally blasted out of the universe with negative feedback. Let's see how the Family Talk fared in our latest evaluation.

At all of the public locations we used for our evaluation, things started out a bit slow at first with Family Talk due to the fact we just arrive with all of these products with no warning and invite consumers to do a hands-on evaluation. People are of course a bit skittish at first but that changes promptly once they sit down and begin playing with Family Talk. What became quite humorous was how at some of the locations we had a mixture of kids and adults using Family Talk yet at at other locations it was most kids, all kids, or all adults. No matter what the age group or combination of such, the results were consistently the same. People began interacting with other more socially and let their guard down for a while to have some fun with others. We even noted in our feedback form how many of the participants stated that they had even exchanged phone numbers with people they had met during the product evaluation.



After compiling all of our notes and feedback form information, it was easy to determine that Family Talk was clearly a very unique product which could work well in both consumer and education market venues. This was an experience in our product evaluation that all of our evaluators had an excellent time working with the product being evaluated.

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.

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. The ratings featured here are only a small part of the entire group of evaluation ratings used in our product evaluation process.

EVALUATION RESULTS - From evaluation for induction into "The Toy Man® Product Guide"
Overall Rating: 4	Seal of Approval: Approved	eco-Recognition Seal: Not Eligible	Award of Excellence: Not Eligible	eChoice Award: Not Selected

THE TOY MAN® SEAL OF APPROVAL "The first and original Seal of Approval... designed for product recognition and validation."

Since 1971 "The Toy Man® Seal of Approval" has served as an emblem and standard for professional recognition of a product or online service having met the globally recognized evaluation standards of The Toy Man® Product Guide. This emblem was first established in 1971 by the International Parenting Institute™. It is modeled after the "Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval®", an emblem of recognition for products which meet the globally recognized high standards set forth by the Good Housekeeping Institute®.