Beam me up, Smartie!

Laser Maze Jr. is a single player logic game for kids 6 and older that makes a traditional board game seem like a snooze-fest. The object of Think Fun’s version is to bend the beam of a real laser (that is anchored to the game tray), so it can make contact with and “ignite” the rocket.

Laser Maze Jr. includes the kid-friendly laser, 11 game tokens (such as satellite mirrors to deflect light, space-rock blockers to absorb light, rocket targets, and a beam splitter), and 40 challenge cards ranging in difficulty from beginner to expert. (The game does require two triple-A batteries, which are not included.)

If the answer to one of Wei-Hwa Huang’s puzzles is evading your little rocket scientist, the game also includes an instruction booklet with the challenges’ solutions. But it will be much more fun if your child tries to trial-and-error it out himself, because this space-themed game is truly out of this world.

Laser Maze Jr. by Think Fun, $30, www.amazon.com.