In the Media!
Find ways to exercise your mind – Examiner, April 21st 2011.
If you have never visited the award winning independent toy retailer, Inquizitive, then you are missing out. But don’t despair! Inquizitive has recently relocated from its location of four years at Kings Meadows to the central position of 110 Charles Street, Launceston.
Inquizitive prides itself on providing the best range of educational toys, games and puzzles for all ages from two to 102. The eight members of staff are always excited and willing to help customer choose a product to take home – and even have a quick match with them. Business owner Louise Smith said that each member of staff had their favourites which helped when providing outstanding customer service. Inquizitive ensures that it has demonstrations for the majority of the products in the store.
Since 2009, Inquizitive’s website – www.inquizitive.com.au – has offered online shopping facilities and product information. “We ensure that our website is as informative as a visit to the store and you will even find video clips of our favourite products and how to play them,” Mrs Smith said. “Customers who purchase more than $100 online receive free delivery in Australia”.
Mrs Smith is busy preparing to take Inquizitive to Agfest for its first appearance. “Our aim is to promote Inquizitive’s products and the website to more people around Tasmania and the country.” she said. Inquizitive will have an extremely interactive marquee where attendees can play all the games and even participate in a couple of activities where they can take something home,”Inquizitive will also be offering the chance for Agfest attendees to enter the Agfest prize pack giveaway, where there are two huge prizes, valued at more than $1000. Be sure to drop by the Inquizitive site, M80 on the Main Street. Inquizitive is also participating in Agfest’s educational Yellow Brick Road event, where participation students are invited to attend certain marquees and answer questions on each business.
One of the most notable games available from Inquizitive is Race Around The World. The award winning game was designed by four pupils, who were in grade 6 at the time – Katelyn Victory, Elisabeth West, D’Nykia Frost and Michelle Els, all of Riverside Primary School. The girls entered their game design into a competition called the Exercise Your Mind Challenge, which was the brainchild of Inquizitive and Australian board game company The Dr Wood Challenge Centre. The inventors at Dr Wood were impressed by the original concept for Race Around The World and licensed the game. It is now available in 14 languages and 28 countries. Mrs Smith likened the board game to a maze. “There are 24 brain-teasers, each representing a different country,” she said. “Players must follow directional arrows on a grid, passing over mandatory squares. “It might sound easy – but be warned it’s not, and it’s addictive. At this year’s industry toy fair, it was awarded the Australian Games Association’s 2011 puzzle of the year and the Independent Toy Specialist’s 2011 best game and best Australian designed product.
Inquizitive at 110 Charles Street, Launceston is open from 9am – 5pm Monday to Saturday and 10am – 3pm on Sundays.
Inquizitive’s New Location Radio Commercials – Chill 90.1 FM, March – June 2011
Race Around the World wins 3 Industry Awards – ABC Radio interview with Penny Terry, 16th March 2011
Northern mind games game a winner-Examiner, 16th March 2011.
A mind game designed by four Northern pupils has won three australian game awards. The one-player game Race Around The World is based on the ideas of Katelyn Victory, 12, Elizabeth West, 12, D’Nykia Frost, 11, and Michelle Els, 11, of Riverside Primary School. It was awarded the Australian Games Association 2011 puzzle of the year, and Independent Toy Specialist’s 2011 best game and best Australian designed product. Game retailer and owner of Launceston’s Inquizitive Louise Smith said Race Around The World was a brain teaser game that is similar to a maze. “It’s harder than it looks,” said Ms Smith. Players must follow arrows on a grid, but must pass over certain squares and choose the correct arrows, in order to make it to the end. There are 24 brain-teasers that each represent a country, which are of varying degrees of difficulty. The winning froup entered their game into a competition that was organised by Queensland toy company Dr Wood. Dr Wood decided to license the game’s concept, which is now sold in 28 different countries in 14 different languages. Mother of one of the girls responsible Kathy Victory described the game as “time consuming” and “addictive”. Race around the world costs $19.99 and can be bought from Inquizitive.
Race Around the World wins 3 Industry Awards – WIN News, 15th March 2011
Race Around the World wins 3 Industry Awards – Southern Cross News, 15th March 2011
Inquizitive’s New Television Commercial – Southern Cross, October 2010
Race Around the World – RACT Magazine, October 2010
Review by Abbey Wynn. Call it fun, challenging or just plain infuriating, ‘Race Around the World’ is one of those games that once you start, it’s difficult to put it down – simply because it seems far too easy a concept to defeat you.
Even starting on Map 1 rated ‘easy’ we got stuck half way – well, how very annoying! But, if your idea of entertainment involves keeping your mind active, this is a great game that only requires one player … and plenty of patience!
We were however, disappointed that a game based on an original idea by three Tasmanian school girls was produced with the ‘Australia’ challenge neglecting to include Tassie … oops! Hopefully the add-on pack due for release later this year will address that.
You’ll find it at Inquizitive in Launceston and other toy and game retailers for an RRP of $19.99. www.inquizitive.com.au
Inquizitive – Tasmanian Town & Country Communicator, October 2010
Inquizitive is an independent retailer of educational, toys, games, puzzles and gift for ages from 0 to 120. Inquizitive prides itself on being a customer focused business where each and every member of staff knows the products that we sell, therefore giving the Customer the ultimate experience. Inquizitive has been open since May 2007 and during that time Inquizitive has not only become the “coolest” toy shop in town, but was awarded 2009 Australian Toy Retailer of the Year. Inquizitive is open 7 days a week. Monday to Saturday – 9am to 5pm and Sunday – 10am to 3pm. Inquizitive is also the only games store in Tasmania to be part of the Australian Games Association (AGA). One of the most important aspects of being a member of the AGA is the opportunity to nominate and vote on the Australian Puzzle of the Year and the Australian Game of the Year.
Young Tasmanians Invent International Puzzle Game – Toy & Hobby Retailer, August 2010
In Late 2009, four grade six school girls from Riverside Primary School submitted an entry for the ‘Exercise Your Mind Challenge’ competition, run by the Queensland-based Dr. Wood Challenge Centre in conjunction with Launceston-based innovative toy retailer Inquizitive. Mind Challenge, the company behind the Dr Wood brand, not only awarded the girls first prize but proceeded to license the puzzle concept for worldwide commercialisation. Race Around the World is now published in 14 languages and marketed in 28 countries around the world. The Puzzle game was officially launched to the toy industry at the Melbourne Toy Fair in March (Toy & Hobby Retailer, May 2010) to what Mind Challenge called “critical acclaim”. Mind Challenge has stated that with only a few weeks in the market, the puzzle games has already been nominated for this year’s Australian Puzzle of the Year by the Australian Games Association. The official launch and presentation of the product was held at Inquizitive on 26 June, where the four girls were presented with puzzles and prizes for winning the overall competition. The Dr Wood Challenge Centre CEO Vishal Mehrotra and general manager Ben Pusztai flew in from the Queensland Gold Coast to present the awards to the girls. Louise Smith, the director of Inquizitive also attended. According to Pusztai the Race Around the World launch held in Launceston “went fantastically well”, with statewide TV and radio coverage. Speaking to TV and print media at the official launch Mehrotra said. “The Race Around the World puzzle showcases Australian ingenuity at its finest. The fact it is based upon an original idea by four 11-year-old primary school girls makes it that much more remarkable”.
Inquiring girls take global game to top level – Launceston Times, 29th June 2010
Four Riverside Primary School pupils last year submitted an entry for the Exercise Your Mind Challenge competition. Their entry has been transformed into a commercial board game for sale all over the world by Mind Challenge Ltd. The game invented by grade 6 pupils Katelyn Victory, Elisabeth West, D’nykia Frost and Michelle Els, now called Race Around The World, was officially launched to the toy industry at the Australian Toy Fair in Melbourne and it has already been nominated for this year’s Australian puzzle of the year by the Australian Games Association. The Exercise Your Mind Challenge was run by Queensland’s Dr Wood Challenge Centre in conjunction with Launceston toy retailer Inquizitive. Launceston’s Inquizitive director Louise Smith said the game was originally call the Arrow Challenge and had come a long way from the three A4 sheets of paper submitted by the team. “The Race Around The World adaption is based on the principle the girls thought up, where you have to follow arrows to get around the board and they submitted easy, medium and hard versions but the end products has been made harder still” Ms Smith said. Dr Wood Challenge Centre not only awarded the girls first prize but is now publishing Race Around The World in 14 languages and 28 countries around the world. The official launch and presentation of the puzzle in Launceston will be held at Inquizitive on June 26 at 11am. The four girls will be presented with their prizes by Dr Wood Challenge Centre chief executive Vishal Mehrotra, and general manager Ben Pusztai along with Ms Smith.
Race Around the World on the Southern Cross News – 26th June 2010
Live Broadcast – LAFM, 26th June 2010
This is Sophie for LAFM, now I’m down at Inquizitive in Kings Meadows. I have Louise with me. Now tell me, how did the store open? Tell me all about Inquizitive. OK, Inquizitive has now been open for three years; we’re an educational toy, games, puzzles and gift shop. We pride ourselves on customer service, we have demos for most of the games that we have in the shop. So, if you are looking that birthday present for a six year old boy, and you’re really not sure what to get, come in and ask us, we’ll be able to help and advise and tell you exactly what the best thing is.
We have a range of products from science kits, brain teasers, art and crafty things, things to make and do, to your traditional normal board games that you would find.
We make sure that we go that extra mile and have that something just a little bit different that you can’t normally find in your most traditional games shop.
Now this is my first time down here and I’m so surprised at how interactional the store is. You can go pretty much down every isle and find something to play with, but not everything’s easy. I found a lot of things are very, very hard, so it does challenge your mind, doesn’t it? Definitely, that’s what we’re here for. The number of people who stand in the doorway and say “Oh, it’s a kids shop” and you go “No, we’re more than a kid’s shop” Definitely something that everyone has to come down and see, now tell me, what are your opening hours and how can people get here?
OK we’re open Monday to Saturday 9 till 5, and open Sunday 11 till 4. But you can also find us online at www.inquizitive.com.au.
Inquizitive in Kings Meadows, come down check it out, play with the toys. Louise will help you out, if you ever need it. This is Sophie for LAFM.
This is Sophie out and about for LAFM, now I’m down at Inquizitive in Kings Meadows. I have Michelle who’s age 11. Now, she is one of the designers of Race Around the World which is being released today down at Inquizitive. Now, Michelle how did you come up with this idea?
It was a school project, so we started with a grid and added arrows, so you had to get from start to finish using to your advantage the arrows on the board. So the game was more mind, so you’ve got to work with your mind on it? Yes, it’s really challenging, the produced copy is quite hard to get through. I had a go at the New Zealand one myself and I can’t finish it. So for an 11 year old you have achieved quite a lot. Tell me, what do your friends think about it, at school? They think it’s a really big achievement. Well of course, I mean this is being sold on the other side of the world, how amazing is that? For an 11 year old, to produce something to be sold on the other side of the world, how does that make you feel? WOW. Really, much bigger than I though. Absolutely, now when you were making this game, is the finished outcome different to what you expected? Well, we had it on a piece of paper, a blank pieced of paper with pencil marks on it, this is colour, everything. Pretty amazing that an 11 year old can achieve such an amazing thing. So, come down to Inquizitive in Kings Meadows, see what it’s all about. This is Sophie for LAFM.
Good morning guys, it’s Sophie here from LAFM and I’m down at Inquizitive in Kings Meadows. Now I have Louise here with me, what are we doing here today, Louise? Ok, well every year we hold a competition called the Exercise Your Mind Challenge Competition, where we get the kids of Tassie to design and make a brainteaser. Last year we had a winner from Riverside Primary School, where four girls invented a really cool game called race around the world, and today we’re having the official launch. The game has been turned into a proper game, as in a colourful box, by the Doctor Wood Challenge Centre. The guys are down from the Gold Coast, and basically at 11 o’clock we have the official launch where the girls are going to be here and will be awarded their prizes and the games that they won and we’ll all be able to have a look and play the games and there’ll be a lot happening down there today. Now I’ve had a quick play of this game and I’m telling you it’s not easy is it? Now, tell me how old these kids are? Ok, so the girls are ages 11 and 12 there is four of them, there’s’ Michelle Els, Katelyn Victory, D’nyika Frost and Elisabeth West. And their wonderful idea that is basically a follow the arrow game, there are 24 challenges and they get harder as you go through. The first ones supposed to take 10 minutes, which is the one that you’ve just played. Took me a bit longer than that. The hardest one is supposed to take 60 minutes, so far we only know someone who’s taken 2 ½ hours to achieve it. So there you go, so come down at 11 o’clock to Inquizitive in Kings Meadows, see what it’s all about and have a try of it yourself, see how good you are. This is Sophie for LAFM
Race Around the World Interview on Breakfast with Penny Terry - ABC Radio Launceston, 5th July 2010
Toy Shop has best game in country – The Examiner, 4th February 2010
A LAUNCESTON shop has been awarded a national prize for best toy shop, beating out competition from across the country. Inquizitive, a puzzle and game shop in Kings Meadows, took away Australian Toy Retailer of the Year for 2009. Owner Louise Smith said the store had won the Tasmanian award for the same category last year but knew she could go one better. Mrs Smith said the award was determined by both sales and the store’s involvement with the companies. She said Inquizitive stood out from other shops because of the work team’s hands-on approach. “We have all the games out. At the end of the day if you can tell someone how to play the game it is better than just selling it out of the box on the shelf,” Mrs Smith said. “All my seven team members know how to play 99 per cent of the games in the shop, and if they don’t, then someone else does.” Mrs Smith said the store had a little bit for everyone. “You have got everything from your standard jigsaw puzzle, down to board games, there are make-it-do-it stuff, we have science stuff, Diablo’s. She said the range catered for people of all ages. “You would be surprised how many people stand at the door and go “oh it is a kid’s shop”.” Last year Mrs Smith said Inquizitive opened an online store, which gained attention from Western Australia. “I think there are a lot of Tasmanians who have got relatives over in WA and they take stuff from here to over there……and then we get all these internet sales from there,” she said.
Toys and Games Donations Brighten Faces – Examiner, 29th July 2008
For nine-year-old Emily Burr lying in hospital with a broken leg from a motor-cycle accident is not fun at all. That was until a games business made things a little easier with a delivery to the Launceston General Hospital that put a smile on Emily’s face. Inquizitive at Kings Meadows donated $200 worth of toys and games to the hospital’s games room, to help ease the boredom of patients. LHG play therapist Susie Reid said the new games were important to the recovery of children. “Anything that can keep children’s minds off what they are going through it important, “Ms Reid said. “Engaging children and keeping them amused and stimulated while in hospital helps.” Inquizitive raised the money for the games through a games night and owner Louise Smith said hopefully the delivery would help in patients recovery. Emily has already spent five weeks in hospital with her leg in a brace. “I have one week to go but sometimes I get really bored because I can’t move,” she said. Ms Reid spends her day amusing the patients with toys and games. “If kids are mobile I encourage them to come down to the games room to play”, Ms Reid said. “Otherwise I take things to them or we wheel them down here.”
