The Parent's Choice Foundation, the nation's oldest guide to children's media, has issued its 2005 Parents' Choice Holiday Guide, which contains a number of family-oriented board games including Ticket to Ride, Snorta, and Perpetual Commotion.  The Parents' Choice Holiday Guide attempts to highlight products of all kinds that promote curiosity and awaken a love of learning, including board games that offer both comic relief and relentless concentration.

Among the board games recommended for children ages 8 and up are Days of Wonder's cross country train adventure, Ticket to Ride (SRP $39.95, see 'Ticket to Ride Hits 250K'), Out of the Box's fast-paced matching memory, barnyard sounds game, Snorta ($19.95, see 'Party Game of the Year'), and Goldbrick Games' Perpetual Commotion (ages 12 and up, SRP $18.00, see 'Perpetual Commotion Gets More Awards'). 

Also making the list were two Cranium Games, Cranium Family Fun (8 and up, $19.95), and Cranium: Turbo Edition (12 and up, $34.95).  After achieving some solid success in the mass market, Cranium's board games are just starting to get hobby distribution.