Two More Xmas Gifts For Kids 

Firstly I will answer my cryptic comment in the opening sentence in that the batteries are not provided. My first is from Impact a working remote control Lifeboat. The second mentions a character called 'Bob' is a large remote control Scrambler, this from Born To Play.

Atlantic 75

This product from Impact is stated to be the first that the RNLI have allowed their name to be linked to. I saw two models at Dream Toys the larger one needs a very large pond or lake and my garden pond is not that, so I choose the smaller model.

The small Atlantic 75 model is 14.5cm long 5cm wide and 9.5cm to the top of it's mast. No doubt it will be used in the bath, however when I'm in my bath there is no room for anything else so I gave my fish and frogs a fright or two while it had a trip or three in my garden pond.

For those who need to know this remote control unit uses the 27MHz band. This is not provided with batteries but you should only need to purchase one 9volt and 4AA batteries but they need to be rechargeable. A 45second charge from the 'Insta-cha' should last around 15 minutes of use. In my tests this seemed about right. Depending on where you purchase your batteries I suspect this will add around £8 to the cost.

There are two buttons on the remote unit both with two positions and by correct use of these you can go forward and backward in a straight line or forwards and backwards either left or right. The packaging says not suitable for under 3's I would suggest most 5 year olds would love it. Apart from Impact donating a fee to the RNLI for each sale there is also a leaflet in the box telling you how you could donate to this worthy cause.

About £20 www.impactint.com click on the lifeboat and then next.

Remote Control Scrambler

This unit has the name Bob the Builder on the side and that I am sure will be something that most 4+ year olds will be able to read. Surprisingly the only image of Bob is on the base a 1.5cm line art representation.

It is 30x18x18cm in Blue and Black with grey plastic for the bumpers etc, and should your child own a Bob he could easily be seated in the Scrambler.

The possible movements using the remote control are forwards and backwards using one joystick and left and right using the other. You will need 6 AA batteries and a 9 volt, while I do not agree with packages being supplied without batteries it is clearly stated that they are not supplied. Unlike some products that either forget to mention it or bury it in the small print.

During my trip to Dream Toys this ran over my foot on more than one occasion but it seems a tough durable toy and something that is sure to be a huge 'must have' item this Christmas. Around £20 but as always shop around it could be available for less. Available in most major stores.