Gifts For Kids

It really warms my heart to see just how popular the Illustory is.

This wonderfully creative idea lets kids (or grownups, for that matter) to create an entire printed book in hardcover. Their storyline, text and illustration are the elements that make up an entirely professional looking book!

What a great way to encourage school children to write and draw and what a magnificent way to preserve their work, literally for generations to come. It’s a wonderful gift for the holidays, that can provide the entire family with hours of quality time together during cold evenings.

The Illustory kit includes everything they need to start creating. The only ingridient to add is imagination! This kit you see here contains 18 book pages, 2 cover pages, 10 washable markers, story web planner, instructions, order form, and prepaid envelope. Parents can take the time to plan out the story with their kids, draw and write. Once everything is ready, it can be mailed in (or uploaded online) and your book will be shipped back to you within a few weeks.

To be honest, I wasn’t sure this would be an attention grabber, but you can’t argue with success. It’s a best seller, and as I said really warms the heart to see such a wave of creativity leading to the creation of unique and very personal books. What would old Gutenberg say to that?

Click for more details and price

Here’s an idea for a gift that is both fun and healthy!

I confess - I absolutely fell in love with the concept. My boys love watching TV and they love playing the computer. We restrict TV time to relatively educational shows, and I do believe that computer games usually have educational value (or at the very least, they help develop certain skills). What I’m worried about is the lack of physical activity. Exercise for kids isn’t (just) about weight control either. They need it as part of their daily routine and if they don’t get enough of it, they tend to become hyperactive by bedtime.

So, when I saw this fun exercise bike for kids that is actually a video game machine that plugs into the TV, I knew that Fisher Price has a winner here. This gadget makes kids pedal the bike and burn off steam as they play. If they want to play the cool games, they need to sweat - no two ways about it! It’s something that kids love and parents do too - no wonder it’s on Amazon’s list of best sellers.

As your kid pedals away, she or he can see the landscape roll ahead in front of them. They can turn the handlebars and make their way through racing courses, splashing through mud and enjoying the view. The bike comes with one game software set, but you can purchase more, featuring your child’s favorite cartoon characters, or other themes (how about a journey back in time to dinosaur land?) These aren’t just fun games, they are programmed to be educational, teaching numbers, letters, spelling, shapes, problem solving and more (different levels available in each game).

The bike are strong and easy to use and they certainly do live to the Fisher Price Standards as indicated by the positive customer reviews this product receives. An awesome gift for any boy or girl aged 3-6!

Click here for the Smart Cycle page on Amazon or click here for available Smart Cycle games.

I don’t think I’ve ever written about a Playstation game before, but this one was just too cute to resist. I don’t mean pink girly kinda cute either, I’m talking about the new too-cute-not-to-be-cool hero - Sackboy:

This is just one version of Sackboy though. As a player of LittleBigPlanet you get to fashion your character from different materials and with different looks and styles. Create your own unique character and take it on a journey through multiple worlds and scenarios in this complex universe. Oh wait, we’re talking about gifts for kids, right? not for the parents? Ummmm…. ok then.

LittleBigPlanet is not for very young children, but I do know that my own boys, aged five and seven have no problem dealing with its level of complexity. They may not be able to play online or compete against older players, but they can still enjoy exploring the LittleBigPlanet world on their own, or playing as a team.

I really liked the design of this game, with its 3D animated characters and settings. It manages to have a “naive toy” look without resorting to pastels or a plasticky look. There is a variety of shapes, textures and colors for that strange yet appealing “realistic fantasy” look. And it allows kids (or grownups) to have control over the characters and the world around them, changing and working to their own liking.

As with all good games, this one should come with an addiction warning. Read the reviews on the Amazon page to see just how great this game is and how addictive. It can be a great great gift for the holidays, with plenty of gameplay hours in store for the lucky reciepients.

The Green Angle

Despite the name, this is not a game about our own planet earth, so no particular green messages embedded here. It’s a computer game, for good or bad, so I couldn’t see any particular “green” aspects to it.

Amazon has just launched a wonderful new concept - frustration free packaging!

As a parent, I know only too well how frustrating it can be to try and dislodge that new toy from its packaging, when you have an impatient kid hobbling at your feet. The plastic wraps and then those annoying metal wires, entwined around each and every piece of the toy - yikes! Get the right tools ready, or prepare to spend some time untwisting those…

So, I am glad to see someone is finally doing something about it. Amazon has launched a long-term initiative to simplify packaging. It makes sense too, that an online shop would do that. After all, all the fancy packaging is intended to make the product attractive in the window display. When you’re selling online, why not make the packaging functional instead?

There are only a handful of products currently featured in the frustration-free packaging program. Fortunately, there are some good gifts for kids there too. My favorite by far is this one:

The Imaginext Adventures Pirate Ship by Fisher-Price is just the kind of toy you want in this program. With so many details, this one would come heavily packaged in the store, but listen to what Amazon says is missing here:

36 inches of wire ties, 1,576.5 square inches of package inserts, and 36.1 square inches of printed carton materials. Also eliminated are 175.25 square inches of PVC blisters, 3.5 square inches of ABS molded styrene, and two plastic fasteners.

Talk about environmentally friendly! Bye bye plastic wraps and PVC blisters! No more tree-consuming printed carton materials! Easy for parents and eco-friendly  - what else can we ask for? Alas, it’s not cheaper than the traditionally packaged version, but hey, it’s not more expensive either, so I know where my vote goes.

Let’s not forget that this is a fun toy too. This Pirate Ship Playset comes with two figures, each with its own helmet, sword and flag. There is also a treasure chest with treasure pieces, and a working triple cannon! Perfect for an action laden fantasy game for kids aged 4-8.

With the weather getting cold, what can you get a boy or girl who loves star gazing? Here’s a great idea:

Uncle Milton Homestar

This futuristic looking sphere is your home based planetarium system! Just switch off the lights and play your star show with over 10,000 stars showing up and rotating on your walls and ceiling! This is a great gadgets for scientifically oriented teenagers, as they can study the very realistic night sky in their room, or just enjoy the “cool” effect in their bedroom.

Find out more and buy at Amazon: Uncle Milton Homestar