…quite literally. Just before heading out for E3, I completed work on a handmade sandbox (with attached toy chest, no less) for my son, Gabriel.

Indeed, it was a proud moment as a father - amplified by the fact that it was my first “woodworking” project since building a jewelry box for my mom in high-school (ie, I’m good with a keyboard, but not so handy with power tools).

Adding a twist to the usual Tonka truck gameplay mode, I dumped in a few bags of marbles and little plastic animals to serve as “hidden treasure”. Having these little “easter eggs” has added an extra dimension to play in the sandbox, especially when friends come over and discover them as well. Anyway, the gamer/designer in me thought that would be a cool “feature” to add without delaying the production schedule by much ;)