Island of Gorm Playsets

Posted on | April 7, 2010 | Comments Off

Didn’t you hear? Bakugan is out. Long live Gormiti – the new rulers of nature and of our kids.

It sounds Italian and indeed this show was created in Italy. However, the formula of ordinary kids turned into rulers of forces of nature works its magic across the globe. The kids are hooked.

The added bonus is the commitment towards caring for the environment. At least they have a positive goal.

So, what do you buy a young Gormiti fan?

You could get away with a miniature Gormiti action figure. In fact they’re so small and relatively inexpensive, they always come in packs of four. Like this one, containing, ummmm…. two sea gormitis and two forest ones. And I didn’t even read the product description, I’m just a very good Mom

Click here for more packs of Gormiti Action Figures.

However, if you really want to shine through, I highly recommend getting the young environmentalist a good quality Gormiti playset. The world of Gormiti is on the Island of Gorm, an island made of several zones: sea, air, forest, lava etc.

Gormiti playsets can be hard to get a hold of. Fortunately, Amazon now has three of them, so you can choose between the Forest, Fire Mountain and the Volcano (don’t ask… but if you insist, a fire mountain in Gorm is not the same as a volcano, and the magma tribe is different from the lava tribe).

I recommend the pop-up Forest Gormiti set. It has good customer reviews, and well, doncha know forest gormiti rock?

Click to Buy the Gormiti Forest Playset

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Iron Man is Back!

Posted on | March 9, 2010 | Comments Off

Iron Man is back with a second movie in the series! Ok, so personally, I find it difficult to relate to this guy. Something about this mask seems, well, impersonal, I guess. If I didn’t know better, I’d say the guy looks evil. Still, my kids do know better and they’re big fans of Iron Man.

At their tender ages of six and eight, we don’t allow watching the Iron Man cinematic productions, but they are well versed in the animated version. If you know a kid who feels the same about this metallic hero, now’s a great time to get them a special gift, as there’s a variety of new Iron Man Toys on the market.

Take the Iron Man helmet shown above, for example. It’s not just a mask. This is a super gadget by Hasbro that can light up, talk and execute various “battle sounds”. Pretty cool stuff. It’s new on the shelves, so not something that every other kid in school already has, and there’s even a discount in Amazon right now for this product.

Check out the other new Iron Man 2 toys available – cool and brand new!

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Category: gadgets, movies
Tags: hasbro > Iron Man > super-heroes

UGG Boots for Kids

Posted on | February 26, 2010 | 1 Comment

I admit, the first time I ever saw a pair of UGG boots I thought they were kinda ugly. A big soft boot like that, made me think of some kind of a huge slipper. Something best restricted to home use.

Like crocs though, these comfortable designs grow on you. They become popular and once you see them around, they become more attractive. I’m not even sure if it’s because you see them in various dress combinations or a matter of some underlying force of social conformity.

Either way, I now think the UGG boots are cool, and obviously, I’m not the only one. Similarly to the crocs, they managed to create footwear that is just the height of comfort.

They now have kid versions for their most popular models, such as this one – the classic tall UGG boot for kids.

Click here for full details and customers reviews.

My only concern with UGG’s is that they’re made of sheepskin. While it may contribute to the overall warmth and comfort, I’d be happier if they could come up with a synthetic version that does not involve animal products.

For the classic tall UGG boots for kids click here. If you’re looking for other models,click here for the Amazon page showing the most popular UGG models for kids.

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Category: apparel, general
Tags: boots > footwear > UGG

Transformers Handheld Electronic Game

Posted on | February 22, 2010 | 1 Comment

I still remember how I used to spend hours with my lousy gameboy-wannabe handheld game. back when I was a kid. There’s something about being able to grab your digital game and take it on the road with you. As a parent, I appreciate the same quality about this game – your kids can use it anywhere and anytime.

This one excels in its theme and design – a red and blue transformer with a screen right in the middle and easy-to-use buttons. According to my six-years-old son, this is no other than Optimus Prime, and this is what the game story is -

get ready to search for and destroy Decepticons in multiple head-to-head battles. The longer you play, the more intense the game becomes. Navigate your way through 10 challenging levels as you activate the Autobot pods and avoid the Decepticons, escape from the Hoover Dam and battle for control of the AllSpark.

According to my son this is “cooooool!” and the Amazon reviews seem to support the verdict. Buyers also mention the game’s durability and continuous appeal over many months.

Best part is the price tag. This gadgets costs under $10! Right now, you can get it for $8 or so at Amazon. Since it’s for a single player, I suggest getting one for each kid for those long boring road trips.

Click here to view and order from Amazon

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Category: computer games, gadgets, general, toys

They Might Be Giants Songs

Posted on | February 3, 2010 | 1 Comment

Every now and again I pick a category on Amazon and check for the most recent bestsellers. I’m a great believer in the “wisdom of the masses”. People, talk, read, review and compare and you can count on the collective results to reflect what’s hot and what’s not. When you’re a mega-site like Amazon, we are indeed talking masses, so these results can be very meaningful.

These days, I am looking for some good music/audio CD’s for my kids, looking for some variety when traveling with them in the car. What can I say, I was so pleased to find the “They Might Be Giants” songs high up on the list!

These three albums expose kids to good music. They also provide them with a wonderful learning experience, as they sing along to basic concepts in maths and science and the letters of the ABC.

Click for Here Come the ABC’s

Click for Here Come The 123s

And my personal favorite:

Click for Here Comes Science

This trio will make a perfect gift for any kid aged 5-8 and Here Comes Science is good for older kids as well. Recorded under the Disney label, you can be sure of top quality in both content and design.

There are video clips available for the songs, and you can opt for a DVD+CD option or just get the audio CD. Even better – you can sample the songs before you purchase and you can also buy and download specific songs right away from Amazon! Just click on the product page and start having fun - Here Come the ABCs – Here Come The 123s -
Here Comes Science

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Category: movies, music, science, toddlers
Tags: ABC > CD's > educational > maths > science > They Might Be Giants

Crystal Growing Set

Posted on | January 19, 2010 | 1 Comment

Kids love growing things. The sense of control over a process, of understanding, initiating and cultivating a creation unique and all their own, holds a special appeal to many children. My 8 years old adores tending to his “garden” even though it pretty much consists of a single tulip.

If you’re looking for an indoor garden, and a scientific pastime too, how about buying the kids a really special crystal growing set?

The Ultimate Crystal Growing Set Kit will provide your kids with hours of entertainment. With your guidance, it can also provide a unique educational experience, as you use this set to teach them basic geology.

The set comes with instruction for 15 different crystal projects. The time it takes to grow these crystals – some of of them being fairly large – is just right for kids. It only takes a few days for these to evolve, and that means kids will have a blast checking on their garden everyday.

Click to get this wonderful science project set from Amazon.

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Category: science

Blinky Light Toys

Posted on | January 12, 2010 | Comments Off

Warning! If you have an issue with flashing or blinking images, please do not click the links in this post!

I had to think long and hard before writing this post promoting Flashing Blinky Lights. I finally decided to do it without an accompanying product picture, as most of their images are… well, blinking! For myself, I can’t stand flashing/blinking images on a web page, and I am only too aware of the potential risks to seizure-prone individuals. These are not any different than any blinky light toys you see on street festivals – but combined together on a single web page…

So, why post about them? because when my six-years-old son saw their selection he kept saying, “Cooooooooool! Can I have one?”

Kids seem to have a blinking lights fetish, and let’s face it, some of us never outgrow it. Flashing Blinky Lights have a huge selection of these gadgets. From clothes pins, to hair decorations, lighted glasses to flashing jewelry and any cool party centerpiece you can imagine – they have it all. You can even get them in bulk, making for great party gifts to your kid’s birthday party. While I’m sure even young children will find these little pieces hugely appealing, I think they are more suitable, by orientation and design to older kids, possibly in their early teens.

Click here to view the Flashing Blinky Lights collection

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Category: apparel, gadgets, toys

Educational Science Toys for Kids

Posted on | December 29, 2009 | 1 Comment

Science toys can be a great choice when you’re looking for a unique gift for a special kid.

They are educational – you know the kid will actually benefit from them while playing.
Grownups love them and they’re likely to become the center of parent-child interactive playtime.

Still, finding good quality, interesting educational science toys for kids can be a challenge. It’s why I got very excited when I found InnovaToys: An absolute treasure cove of cool gadgets and science toys. Be warned – their gadgets are not necessarily for kids, so you’re more than likely to end up ordering some stuff for yourself or your friends. If you love nifty tricks and gadgets, you’ll find some irresistible items in there.

I want to highlight some of the stuff InnovaToys have that I think can be just the thing as a fun, interesting and educational gift for the younger generation. What I like these is that they utilize science/physics without being overly didactic. Curious kids would want to know how they operate, opening the door for a science lesson, but they may also be perfectly happy just enjoying the cool effects and appreciating the wonders of nature, science and technology. For today’s post, here are three products that can make a wonderful fun and educational gift -

Mathmos™ Air Switch TC

Living in a world where they have to obey parents and other adults, kids love exercising an amount of control over their surroundings. This lamp can be a wonderful hi-tech addition to their home decor, while allowing them to carefully control the amount of light it makes, literally with a wave of their hand.

This lamp has an IR sensor that can tell how far away a hand is and adjust light intensity accordingly. Any kid would have a blast turning the light up and down by carefully moving his or her hand up and down. Plus, it’s a cool room decor item!

Click for the unique Mathmos hand-controlled lamp

Snap Circuits® pro

Six months ago, when we visited London, my then seven and a half years old son spent hours at one place: the electronic circuits stands at the Science Museum. He enjoyed them so much, we had to go there twice.

We got him his own electronics kit soon after, so I can wholeheartedly recommend this one. It is just what kids need for their introduction to electronics. Easy-to-handle colorful parts with which they can build hundreds of projects, including such wonders as an FM radio, an adjustable light control, a digital voice recorder and many more. The perfect gift for engineer wannabees!

Click here for the Snap Circuits Pro

Oggz Color-Morphing Eggs

Whether or not these ignite a scientific discussion about the meaning of light and colors, it’s going to appeal to kids of all ages. You can’t go wrong with alien-looking eggs that keep changing their colors as they light up. Cooler than a lava lamp, younger kids will love weaving stories around this magical gadgets, while older kids will appreciate the futuristic home decor element.