Yo Gabba Gabba Goodies: New Bedding, DVD and more

There’s lots of good stuff on the horizon that our fellow Gabba fans will appreciate.  Not only has DJ Lance and the crew taken over our tvs, toy box and tunes, but now, they’re helping the kids get cozy for bedtime.

A range of reasonably-priced, super cool  YGG bedding in now available at Walmart.  The Yo Gabba Gabba bedding that’s sure to be a hit with tune-loving tots includes a 4-piece toddler bedding set, a variety of blankets and some cool Pillow Pals.
We received a cool toddler blanket, just in time for a recent bug and bout with a double ear infection and then newborn congestion and cold. (ugh!)  Needless to say, this cuddly blanket has been a comforting sidekick over the past few days.  My 4yo has been clutching it day and night, and I don’t blame him.  It’s so soft, warm and because of its smaller size, it’s totally portable.  Even though it’s toddler-sized, it still does the trick for my tall guy.

Super Spies on DVD

And speaking of Yo Gabba Gabba goodness, there’s a new dvd that also recently hit the shelves.  The hilarious Jason Bateman guest stars as a spy in the new four episode of Yo Gabba Gabba!, “Super Spies,” which debuted on DVD on April 17.  Yo Gabba Gabba Super Spies is full of adventure and the usual Gabba fun, but with a quirky musical spy recovery mission mixed in.  It’s been the perfect complement for our quarantined sick days as of late.

More YGG Goodness

And for even more Gabba-related coolness, in case you missed it, co-creator Scott Schultz was the keynote speaker at Kindiefest last weekend.  The musical mecca of the coolest kid music, Kindiefest celebrates the best of the best in the kid indie musical scene.  There was tons of great coverage, but I particularly loved my friend, Amy at Media Macaroni’s take on things.  I’m so sad I missed Kindiefest yet again, but Amy’s recap of Schultz’s Keynote underscored my love for YGG AND made me feel like I was really there.

And just a little more Gabba goodness, I recently had the unique opportunity to interview the other co-creator of YGG, Christian Jacobs.  I love interviewing fascinating people involved in the baby and kid space, but when I get to connect to inspiring creatives like Jacobs, that’s when I truly geek out.  We chatted about the awesomeness that is The Aquabats, the show that’s been squatting on our DVR and reinventing our Saturday mornings.  If you’re a Gabba fan or a fan of punk, or just a fan of quirky shows, tune to The Aquabats on The Hub at 11am on Saturday mornings.  It’s wacky and weird, but oh so funny.  I’ll post that interview soon!

Time to Play Announces Holiday Must Haves

It’s October, and fall is officially in full swing.  (How did that happen so quickly?)

Even though the season is just now starting to change, media and bloggers alike have had the holidays in mind for months now.  In fact, I think I went to my first holiday preview back in May?

Nevertheless, I’m excited once again to curate—what I consider—cool new kid gear that would make fun gift for the holidays.  But this week, to get the season started right, I had the chance to attend Time to Play magazines Holiday Showcase here in NYC.

DSCF5716

The pros, Chris Byrne, content director, and Jim Silver, editor-in-chief of TimetoPlayMag.com unveiled Time to Play’s Most Wanted list, the 16 toys they predict will be the “must haves” for the upcoming holiday season.  And once again, NKT was onhand to check things out and tweet all about it.

And here they are, TimetoPlayMag.com’s Most Wanted List for the 2010 Holiday Season:

  • AIR HOGS MOTO FRENZY
    (Spin Master/Ages 8 years & up /Approx. Retail Price: $24.99)
  • DISNEY PRINCESS & ME DOLLS
    (JAKKS Pacific/Ages 6 years & up /Approx. Retail Price: $49.99)
  • HOT WHEELS R/C STEALTH RIDES
    (Mattel/Ages 6 years & up /Approx. Retail Price: $24.99)
  • LEAPSTER EXPLORER
    (LeapFrog/Ages 4 years & up /Approx. Retail Price: $69.99)
  • LEGO Games – LEGO Systems
    (LEGO/Ages 7 years & up/Approx. Retail Price $29.99)
  • LOOPZ
    (Mattel/Ages 7 years & up /Approx. Retail Price: $29.99)
  • MONSTER HIGH Dolls
    (Mattel/Ages 6 years & up /Approx. Retail Price: $16.99)
  • NERF N-STRIKE STAMPEDE ECS Blaster
    (Hasbro/Ages 8 years & up /Approx. Retail Price: $49.99)
  • PAPER JAMZ
    (WowWee/Ages 5 years & up /Approx. Retail Price: $24.99)
  • REAL CONSTRUCTION
    (JAKKS Pacific/Ages 5 years & up /Approx. Retail Price: $24.99)
  • SCRABBLE FLASH
    (Hasbro/Ages 8 years & up /Approx. Retail Price: $29.99)
  • SING-A-MA-JIGS
    (Mattel/Ages 3 years & up /Approx. Retail Price: $12.99)
  • SQUINKIES
    (Blip Toys/Ages 4 years & up /Approx. Retail Price: $6.99)
  • TONKA CHUCK & FRIENDS CHUCK’S STUNT PARK Playset
    (Hasbro Playskool/Ages 3 years & up/Approx. Retail Price: $39.99)
  • V.READER
    (VTech/Ages 3 years & up/Approx. Retail Price: $59.99)
  • ZOOBLES
    (Spin Master/Ages 4 years & up/ Approx. Retail Price: $4.99)

They also highlighted three family-friendly video games, which include:

  • Kirby’s epicYarn
  • Epic Mickey
  • Dance Central

DSCF5759DSCF5786DSCF5738DSCF5734

Most of the toys at the showcase were toys that I’ve had the chance to check out at Toy Fair, at media previews or have even been dubbed NKT faves, so some of the “must haves” were no surprise.  They’re all great picks, but I have several more on my radar that I think should’ve made the mark.  I’ll be sure to share those in my holiday gift guide, which is coming soon.

Do you guys see any toys that you think might be the “it” toy this year?

Whatever you think might be hot, put it on your radar NOW.  Time to Play’s sage advice for consumers and industry insiders alike:  “If you see it early, grab it early.”

Zibits Mini RC Robots: Small in Size, Big on Fun

A few weeks ago, I doted on the cuteness of the teeny tiny trend at Toy Fair, but I left out one tiny toy in specific, simply because I think it deserves its own post.  Zibits might be small in size, but they’re big enough to warrant their own post for being so cute.

At just 2-inches, Zibits from Senario, the new remote controlled miniature robots, might be small in size, but are big on fun.

Check out the size of this Zibit in comparison to the Blackberry:

Zibits

I had the chance to meet with Mike Nakamura, the founder and CEO Senario to learn more about Zibits firsthand.  After talking to Mike, I learned that there’s already been a lot interest in Zibits from kids (and adults) of all ages.

Read More