Review: Zibits
Written on Sep 9, 2010 by RuthJS and filed under Brands, Featured, Reviews, Senario
The Zibits mini r/c robots from Senario are collectible toys with sound and lights, speed and spin. They are fun, easy to use, durable, and the new favorite toy of many of my testers. At $10 each, I can see the Zibits being a must-have stocking stuffer or Hanukkah gift.
Out of the Box
There’s not much [...]
Star Wars The Clone Wars Indoor Flying R/C [Republic Gunship]
Written on Nov 18, 2009 by Brian and filed under Hasbro, Reviews
We were able to see early designs of the Star Wars: The Clone Wars indoor flying R/C vehicles at Toy Fair this year and were pretty excited about the opportunity to fly Star Wars ships. The foam-bodied flyers come in two versions, a Republic Gunship and Jedi Starfighter. We’ve been putting our review unit of the Gunship through its paces the last few weeks – making kid’s Clone Wars dreams come true.
Review: Thomas Wooden Talking Railway [Farewell at the Docks]
Written on Nov 14, 2009 by Brian and filed under Learning Curve, Reviews
Right, so technology and classic wooden Thomas trains don’t go together right? If you’re a regular reader, you’ll know that’s not true, as we brought you the news of RFID integration coming to Thomas at this year’s Toy Fair. We have our first hands on one of the new Talking Railway sets from Learning Curve featuring Cranky, Thomas and Spencer. If you have a child who loves Thomas, then this new lineup will have them “Peep Peep-ing” with excitement.
Review: FAMPs
Written on Nov 12, 2009 by RuthJS and filed under Mattel, Reviews
Short for feelings, attitudes, moods and personalities, FAMPs allows users to customize their computer’s look based on their mood, play games and meet up with friends online. Coming from Mattel, it’s no surprise that everything about this toy appeals to the age 6+ target audience. I reviewed the FAMPs starter kit.
Review: Xtractaurs
Written on Nov 10, 2009 by Brian and filed under Mattel, Reviews
Mattel showed off Xtractaurs at CES back in January. Now the dinosaurs are available, another entry in Mattel’s line of merged physical and online play set of toys.Xtractaurs combine the offline world of dinosaur play with an online world filled with adventure games and perhaps most important, the ability to mix and match dinosaur parts to make unique hybrids ready for battle.
Review: Tonka Chuck My Talking Truck
Written on Nov 8, 2009 by Brian and filed under Hasbro, Reviews
Any parent with a young boy invariably will end up with a collection of trucks and related vehicles, many of them with the Tonka brand. In our house, my son still plays with his first Tonka dump truck that he received as a gift nearly 5 years ago. With Chuck My Talking Truck, Tonka has fused their classic dump truck durability and design with technology, to give kids 2 and older an entirely new truck experience.
Review: UCreate Music
Written on Nov 6, 2009 by RuthJS and filed under Mattel, Reviews
Ok, so is there anything cooler to an 8-year-old than creating his or her own dance music? Well, video games are big, but jamming with the UCreate Music ranks pretty high with my testers.
Review: Super Why Touch & Learn Super Duper Computer
Written on Nov 4, 2009 by Brian and filed under Learning Curve, Reviews
It doesn’t take long for kids to want their own computers. And while the idea of a 3-year-old running around with Mom or Dad’s laptop isn’t the best plan, there are alternatives. Learning Curve has recently released one such “computer” complete with touch screen interface. The Super Why Touch & Learn Super Duper Computer gives kids access to their favorite Super Why characters and games, in a fun and portable form factor.
Review: Fisher Price Splatster
Written on Oct 29, 2009 by Brian and filed under Fisher Price, Mattel, Reviews
Fisher Price announced what was then called the Splatter Brush at Toy Fair earlier this year. The now named Splatster is a plug and play TV game that gives kids a truly unique way to not only express their creativity but save and print it as well.
Review: Spy Gear [Wild Planet]
Written on Oct 28, 2009 by RuthJS and filed under Reviews, Wild Planet
Wild Planet has released the new products under their Spy Gear brand, which we saw earlier this year. We reviewed a kit with the Lazer Tripwire, Spy Night Scope, Micro Ear Gear, and Evidence Kit all designed for ages six and up.
Review: Playskool Kota & Pals Stompers (Triceratops)
Written on Oct 27, 2009 by Brian and filed under Playskool, Reviews
At Toy Fair we saw the new lineup of Kota-branded dinos from Playskool. The Stompers are a mid-range interactive dinosaur line that walk, errr, stomp, roar and in the case of the Triceratops, raises and lowers its head.