MaineMade Wooden Game TaKaRadi is Perfect for Holiday Gift Giving



Jeff and Pattie Parsons, founders of the Maine-made wooden-block tower game Ta-Ka-Radi, are pleased to announce that they have launched a new e-commerce site, just in time for the holiday season.

From their Outdoor Adventure shop in Bethel, the Parsons created a wooden tower game in the late 1970s, which before long, toppled all expectations. Sold across the globe and by popular retailers like L.L. Bean and Lands's End, the young family was able to share with the world the fun, excitement and cultural heritage of Ta-Ka-Radi in the 1980s and 1990s.

Today'ss family game market is increasingly online, says Mr. Parsons. As more and more people are making Internet purchases, we decided that it was time to share our game with the World Wide Web.

While crafted in Maine, the game'ss origins are rooted in the West African port of Secondi-Takoradi in Ghana, where it has been played for generations. While traveling, the Parsons were introduced to Ta-Ka-Radi through close friends who had visited the village while they were in the Peace Corps, and were instantly hooked on the game.

Quite confident that others would share their enjoyment and due to their tight budgets during the holidays, in 1978 the Parsons decided to reproduce the game themselves and present it to friends and relatives at Christmas. They came up with a few rules, fashioned tiles out of native Maine hardwoods, sewed up re-usable tote bags and off they went. What happened next was somewhat unexpected. Their family loved it, their friends loved it, and soon its popularity started to spread from the little town in Maine to beyond national borders.

Following the success of the Parsons's game, Milton Bradley introduced a similar game in 1986, Jenga. Although similar, Ta-Ka-Radi provides a wider extent of creativity and unlimited building styles, differing from Jenga'ss single tower design. Ta-Ka-Radi is also proudly made in Maine, sustainably produced exclusively from native hardwoods.

The Parsons are pleased to bring this game into the Internet limelight. It is an opportunity to share a game that is educational and artistic in nature with the world. In the global economy, Ta-Ka-Radi is perfect for those concerned about safe toys for their children or environment sustainability.

The Parsons also have an e-newsletter, the Ta-Ka-Radi Times, which provides creative gift ideas and customer testimonials.

Please visit www.takaradi.com to learn more.





MaineMade Wooden Game TaKaRadi is Perfect for Holiday Gift Giving