Reviews related to : Toys
This is the first of two similar products aimed at memory, this one is aimed at children 'yesterday' or 'last week'. The second in a few weeks time aimed at older people whose memory often fades and then they cannot recall times of fifty or more years ago.
The contents of the box are the Instant Printer, USB to USB 'C' Cable, four paper coils three are regular and one is Sticky. Three vertical markers, red, purple and blue. Finally a Sticky Sheet of over seventy different images. The printer is 8x8x4cm and weighs 144 grams without paper inserted.
This item can be played with by children as soon as they can crawl, the shapes and colours will fascinate and then as they progress they can progress to the art of building designs. This set consists of 120 magnetic tiles a bit like a stained glass windows for the older child to create a masterpiece of design that does not have to be flat.
The weight of the individual pieces vary from 18 to 34cm according to their size and shape. There are eight different colours all of which are pastel to make the whole range of colours. There are seven different shapes. Even though they are far too big for a young child to eat I see the box says they are 'food grade non toxic'. The actual age stated on the box is 3+. It is by no no means a cheap item but the items mentioned above encourage young learning while they play.
As Christmas draws ever nearer I get the occasional chance to try games and puzzles here is one such item from a range by Geomag. This product is one of a range that gives the child a chance to use their brain to create an item that works.
Aimed at ‘8 plus’ this product should be for child old enough not to try eating parts of it but the ‘safety’ guide covers what younger children might try to do. The manual is in three languages all on the same pages with English always listed first. There are 130 pieces in total that come in four different sealed bags.
When is a toy not a toy? Maybe when it can serve some educational or artistic purpose.
It is commonly accepted that children can tend to imitate adults in how they act. For example children may have seen you, or other family members, doodling on paper while hanging about on the phone waiting for a company to pick up your important call regarding some issue. So why not put this action to use and provide children with their own doodling facility with this next product.
Writing this at the start of September but this product being small and easy to post is an ideal present that auntie or uncle can send to their niece or nephew without exorbitant extra charges. I don’t get the chance to see too many items aimed at younger children. But to my knowledge this is the first item of this type that I have knowledge of.
The product consists of a wipe clean ‘Mini Mat’ which has outlines of 13 wild animals and three felt pens (wipe clean). The mat is 30x20cm and has 13 different outlines of animals to colour and each has a capital letter beside them which can also be coloured in. Once the mat has been coloured in it can be wiped clean ready to be used again on another day. The three Hey Doodle felt pens have clip on lids in the colour of the ink while the rest of the pen is white.
With 500 images to select from, this next title gives you plenty of jigsaw solving practice.
I note that those jigsaw fanatics at 8 Floor Games have been busy yet again. Their latest output is entitled 1001 Black Raven Jigsaw. As with their previous offerings, you can disregard the 1001 part of the product's title but can still look forward to plenty of jigsaw action as you will be presented with 500 images with which to practice your jigsaw solving skills.
Looking to purchase a late Christmas present! This offering might be the answer.
Are you up to a challenge? If not then perhaps you could pass on this particular challenge to the younger members of the family allowing them to enter a world generated by the ! Combining elements of construction with more than a touch of competitive game play, this product has been rated suitable for the inquisitive minds of those aged 8 years and older.
Two rather different toys that will also intrigue, first a ball – a little smaller than a tennis ball – that can with very little effort bounce to a far greater height than it is dropped from. Second a rocket that takes off with only the effort of your foot. So while I must say it very quietly they are both toys to get the child thinking and therefore learning.
The box says for 5+ but I would think children far younger would puzzle as to why a ball dropped will bounce up to the same height, or why a ball bounced goes even higher and then exactly how high will it bounce when thrown onto the ground. Even on grass I easily got it bouncing well above my head, on concrete it bounces far higher.
Two small and useful items for the young, the first a table game and the second two musical toys that may even lead them into a useful career as a musician. They are from the same PR company that sent the large .pdf file in August these items are both reasonably priced. With current restrictions both items are suitable to be posted without costing a fortune.
First the Table Top Bowling Game that does not need a huge amount of flat space to play it. It is 1.2metres long and 23cm wide and weights 294 grams. The flat laminated sheet is supplied rolled up in a box with the weighted pins and balls there are two weighted magnetic strips that go at either end of the sheet to keep it flat. The six pins are each 7cm centimeters tall with a small weight to help keep then standing.
It looks a little like a ‘tank’ with the top removed so in one form it’s just the treads that grip but once it moves into the fitment it moves as if on stilts. There are some pieces supplied to guide your Power Treads unit around a course which you design but you can go freestyle and use things found in your home to make your own truly original track.
If this was just a vehicle with some curves and twists then the stated age of five plus would be fine however as you have to assemble not just the course which is a test in itself with the pieces provided but you also need to fit the treads to the vehicle so maybe an older sibling would be useful to tell you what is possible. Although it can do some amazing twists and turns it cannot defy gravity.
Learning through play is a popular concept and Sphero has taken advantage of with its new Activity Kit.
From its base in Boulder, Colorado, Sphero Inc has built up a well-respected reputation as the industry leader in the field of edTech robotics and STEM-based learning (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics). Adding to its range of products, the company has announced the release of its new Sphero Mini Activity Kit.
With time on your hands, you could create a robotic pet to keep you company.
In the past, the Fereday household has been home to a collection of various pets. I can distinctly remember a cat (actually my grandparents when they ran a pub in Wolverhampton), several dogs, a gold fish, a couple of budgies ( including one that told me to "drop dead"), a white mouse, gerbil, hamster and at least three cockatiels. I am now about to add yet another creature to this list.
Adding to its extensive catalogue of play and educational toys, VTech offer a sea lion.
Splish! Splash! when taking a bath some company might well be appreciated Especially by the young and those who are young at heart Who would not mind, even enjoy sharing the water with a sea lion. For those looking for a sea lion companion to share their bath time, with or without soap bubbles, VTech has a possible offering that might be suitable. This is the appropriately named "Toot-Toot Splash Sea Lion" from the company's Splash Point series to entertain and educate young children.
Collect and decorate the wheels of Ritzy Rollerz.
As I was taking my leave of the latest DreamToys 2019 event, following hearing about the release of the Top 12 Toys, as selected by a panel of retailers and industry experts, I was handed a copy of Ritzy Rollerz™. This gift was from the Tomy Series 2 Besties product line-up. The company feel that this product had been developed and was suitable for the 4 plus age group of children.
Question - What do you say when you meet a visitor from outer space?
Answer - Hello Rizmo!
On my annual visit to DreamToys, I bumped into Rizmo. I should explain that Rizmo is a new arrival from the far reaches of the universe, looking to make new friends with Earth's young inhabitants. To achieve that aim, Rizmo has taken on the persona of a soft cuddly toy waiting to evolve through the attention it gets because of its love of music and ability to provide a series of game. After we had both apologised for the accidental collision, Rizmo set out telling his story.
Money may well not grow on trees but a child can grow their own toy with this next product.
The clue regarding this product, not surprisingly, can be found in its title. Alright the spelling might cause a little confusion but saying the title and you could get a clear indication as to what to expect from this offering Skyrocket UK. I am, of course, referring to the Skyrocket Blume product.
First one of the smallest at less than 10cm tall which has either a looping light or a light always on inside the rabbit. Second one of the largest Pokémon items and certainly for the older child which has induction charging for your iPhone and also USB for those of us without ‘i’ devices.
It is a tad over 9cm tall and comes with the required batteries fitted inside behind a door in the base protected by a Philips screw to deter a young child from eating them. A cord is attached between its ears to hang from the top of a pram so the child can be entertained. The switch on the base has three positions, off, on with a slow rotation from on to off which may even encourage sleep and finally on.
littleBits link with other littleBits to become bigger bits and for anyone ‘8 Years Plus’ a simple solution to make answers to other problems, ‘start out with a voice activated robotic hand and after that the only limit is your imagination’.
On opening the box you see a total of fourteen pieces as well as various cardboard pieces that can be connected together to form various items in the base Inventors Kit. Also in the box is a small ‘Base Inventors Kit’ Instructions Start Here booklet that tells you how to create a a basic circuit to create a buzzer to get the basic inventor going. After this you download the Littlebits App from either the Android or Apple store to your Smartphone and after that the sky is the limit.
With a school time half term coming up, this might offer advice where to pass the time.
If you happen to be in London, especially in the vicinity of the thoroughfare known as Regent Street, during the Spring half term period, then a visit to Hamleys’ flagship store could well be of interest and worth the effort. A recent communication has informed me, that during the period from 16 February to the 3 March, Hamleys will be offering seven floors of live entertainment, fun workshops, new toys and exclusive prizes to attack the attention of all and sundry.
This toy brings songs and sound effects to a young child’s play area.
With a mantra of “Grow, Develop and Explore”, Vtech has developed a number of products for the younger members of the family. Recently I have had the opportunity to check out one of the Vtech products from the company’s Toot-Toot Animal range. As its title suggests, this particular range consists of various animals including the furry cat that was the review sample that was currently occupying my attention.
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