Category: boy toys

NKT Faves: Bot Shots, Chan and Skylanders Cloud Patrol

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

As usual, so much has been going on around here.  Even though I haven’t been updating as frequent as I like, I’m always updating Twitter, Facebook and my current obsession (and everyone else’s,) Instagram.

My current Instagram obsession made me think about the other obsessions we have going on in our house.  My Four year old is at that stage in life where he clings onto things incessantly.  And the fact that I review kid products means that his obsessions change with every new package we receive, or so it seems.

So, I thought I’d try to update weekly on what are our new favorites.  It will most likely be a random sampling of things, but all fun finds nonetheless.

1. Transformer Bot Shots

These Bot Shots from Hasbro can be cataloged in a few different ways:  they’re collectible, have a battle aspect and they transform.  They’re small in size, which makes them perfect for young school-aged kids and maybe even preschoolers.  The fact that they’re Transformers adds to the cool factor.  When in battle mode, players can push, then crash into their opponent, and then the Bot Shot automatically transforms.  I can’t tell you how many battles we’ve had with our guys.

I love the low price point for these toys, almost as much as I love the fun play pattern.  It’s competitive, yet creative and all around fun, especially for Transformers fans.

2.  Chan, Pie and Gnon Teethers

I’ve had a lot of baby on the brain as of late, and baby toys are no exception.  I’ve talked a lot of Sophie the Giraffe, but I’m so excited that the makers of Sophie have friends for this famous giraffe.  Chan, Pie and Gnon are rubber, just like Sophie.  These little mushroom-looking characters are easy to grab and even have a squeaker toy inside.  As my baby learns to grasp things, it’s so cute to hear that little squeaker squeak.

3.  Skylanders Cloud Patrol

The uber popular video game franchise is already a hit on the web and on consoles, and now, it’s available on mobile platforms.  Our whole family loves playing Skylanders, so naturally, Cloud Patrol was an instant hit for all of us.  Cloud Patrol has a combination of mini-missions and shooting adventures, which are all easy to play on a touch-pad devices.  The colors and characters are just as vibrant as the other game platforms, and quite honestly just as addicting.  Activision is getting it right with the multi-platform interactivity.  I love the way you can engage characters you already own, just by inputting the number they came with.  Skylanders Cloud Patrol is a game that will be along with many of our roadtrips and train rides this summer.

2011 Top Toys

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

We might be well into 2012, but I got a little nostalgic while putting together an application.  This application process, which involved pinning the best of 2011’s toys, made me really think about what made these toys and games so great*.  But before I go into that, here’s just a few of the hot toys of 2011.  Coincidentally, I was at the launch for two of my favorite toys from last year, but parties and costumed monsters aside, these toys really rocked!

Let’s Rock Elmo

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This interactive and rockstar-inspired version of the the furry red monster, comes with his own tambourine, microphone and bongos. Kids can sing or play along with Elmo or let Elmo be his own one man band with his instruments.  I love how Let’s Rock Elmo can recognize the instruments and does his own little dance.  And not surprisingly, since this Elmo sings and dances, my four year old still loves to rock out with him.  And as I mentioned on my Pinterest description, one of my favorite aspect of Let’s Rock Elmo is that its interactivity is a hit with many special needs kids.

Skylander Spyro’s Adventure

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I have a whole detailed post about Skylander coming up, but I’ll just reiterate what I said on Pinterest. Activision’s Skylander Spyro’s Adventure does what no other video game has been able to do: bring characters to life in the form of functioning collectibles.  And even though he may not totally get the game itself, my guy loves the concept and the whimsical characters—so much so, he slept with his Skylander case for weeks!

Pining for Pinterest

As social media continues to flourish, I try my best to stay at the forefront of it all. Even though I haven’t been blogging as much as I’d like, in our families’ recent health scares and the new baby arrival, Pinterest has kept inspired.  Over the past few months I haven’t been pinning kid products as much, but instead, I’ve been unearthing ideas for my home and brightening up my monochromatic wardrobe!  But tonight as part of the Toy Insider Parent Advisory Board application I submitted, I put together some pins and my opinions on what I thought were some of the best toys of 2011.  I’ll be sure to update my boards with more cool kid stuff.  Pinterest is such a tricky space right now, so I’ll more than likely share my own ideas and repinning everything under the moon!  And since we’re talking about pinning, find me on Pinterest!

*IMO: What makes a toy great

Since I’ve been writing about kid products for a few years now, I thought I’d reassess why I choose to feature the toys and products on this site. Why do I think a toy is great?  Aside from what my own family thinks about a product, I consider these things:

  • Does it have a lot of play value? (this is a biggie)
  • Will it make it past the first month?
  • Is it durable enough to pass down?
  • Is it safe?
  • Is it educational in some way?
  • Will it drive me crazy?
  • Is it really worth it?

As products in general constantly evolve, I still get excited about the newest innovations in toys, games, apps, books.  I count my lucky stars for being able to do something fun and fascinating on my own terms.

Aquadoodle Draw ‘n Doodle is Educational, Mess-Free Fun

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

Like most preschool-aged kids, my guy has been practicing his letters and numbers.  There’s so many great toys and tools that promote reading and writing-readiness, and Aquadoodle‘s mess-free mat is one that’s become a mainstay in our lesson enrichment stash.

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This toy has been around for a few years, but it just recently found its way into our inbox.  There’s so many reasons to like this educational toy, but I especially  like the fact that it promotes kid-powered creativity and brain power. With just water and the included pen and mat, the Aquadoodle Draw ‘n’ Doodle Mat is both fun and educational, while remaining virtually mess-free. The kid loves the pen; it’s ergonomic shape for littler hands and cool water “ink” were quite the novelty for my 4 year old.  He loved seeing the different colors appear within the various sections of the mat.

Not too many complaints with Aquadoodle, although, I will warn that the pen will leak water if you don’t twist it tightly.  The water filling, too, can become a preschooler “I can do it myself” nightmare, as I’ve learned.  No really, kid, you don’t need a refill after writing one letter!

Here’s a little video where I try to get the kid to draw an “A” on the Aquadoodle.  Ten requests later, he finally complied. Sheesh!

In the $20 range, the pricepoint of the Aquadoodle classic Draw ‘n’ Doodle Mat is very reasonable and a great pick for toddler and preschooler birthday presents.  In addition to the Aquadoodle Draw ‘n’ Doodle Mat, Aquadoodle has several products in their line, such as the Travel Doodle, Plush Doodle Pet and the Doodle Wall Mat.

You can find Aquadoodle products as retailers such as Target, Toys R Us and Amazon.

Full disclosure:  I was provided with product samples for purposes of this review.  As always, all opinions on NKT are my own.

Water Balloon Fun with KAOS Nemesis

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

Long summer weekends usually means grilling, relaxing and fun in the sun.  And since the kids are already in the pool, why not break out the water balloons?

Of all the fun summer toys we’ve been checking out this season, a family favorite has been the water balloon launcher, KAOS Nemesis Wrist Launcher.  After filling up the cool textured balloons via the handy garden hose nozzle, big kids can launch their water balloons with the KAOS Nemesis Wrist Launcher.  Likened to a lacrosse stick (albeit for water balloons,) the launcher can launch water balloons up to 100 ft.

Even though I have pix of the kid playing, it was my husband and the neighbor kids who had the most fun seeing who could launch their balloons the furthest.  The smaller kids had fun trying to locate where the balloons landed and picked up the broken pieces. And of course, it was the grown men who had the most fun with the Kaos Nemesis.

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From personal experience, I don’t recommend actually launching the balloons AT people.  The launchers make for a fun poolside or BBQ game, and one that gets everyone involved, from the filling of balloons, to launching, to measuring/cleaning balloons.  The best aspect from the official balloon filler?  The nozzle that helps you streamline the process!

Intended for kids 8 and up, the KAOS Nemesis from Imperial Toys retails around $14 and can be found at retailers like Target, Toys R Us and Kohl’s.

Full disclosure:  Samples were provided to facilitate this review, but as always, opinions on NKT are my own.

Stocking up on Staycation Goodies and Gear with Diapers.com

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

As everyone is anticipating the upcoming holiday weekend, I’m finally getting back into the groove of things after last week’s travel and then a bout with sickness.  I hope you guys have fun weekends planned.

At our house, summer is definitely in full swing, and we’ve got the bug bites and sunkissed faces to prove it.  It’s our first summer in the suburbs, and by the smiles the kid gives us, I think we made the right choice in neighborhood.

Our new neighborhood, though just 30 miles from NYC, is in a wooded area that surrounds a lake.  Families swarm to the lake for daily swimming and evening outings; it might not be the chaos of the city that I love so much, but this corner of the world is truly more than I could have ever envisioned for our family.

A patch of grass to call our own

Having spent the past few summers at public parks, running through water sprinklers to cool off, I can’t even begin to tell you how excited I am to have our a patch of grass to call our own.  As much as I miss city living, one thing I don’t miss is the lack of space.  Once upon a time, we’d have to question ownership of one or two ride-on toys and where we’d put them, and now, we sort of have a fleet of them, next to the baseball bats, footballs, water balloons, water guns, floats…

Boredom is not an option

Outdoor play is a big part of our day-to-day routine, and making sure we have the goodies and gear onhand is crucial.  Boredom is not an option.  Because of our former space restraints, we didn’t have too many big outdoor toys to begin with and besides our usual brick and mortar shopping locales, I love knowing that my go-to online shop for all things baby/kid, Diapers.com, sells toys and other outdoor play paraphernalia.

Diapers.com fangirl

I’m a long-time fan of Diapers.com and their sister site, Soap.com.  In fact, I went to the launch event for Soap.com and regularly sing their praises on Twitter.  When I was asked to participate in this BabyCenter Blog Network campaign, I giddily obliged knowing that I’d get to write about Diapers.com, yet another service that I already love.  And because the suggested topic idea had to do with a staycation, I actually waited to write about this campaign so it would coincide with our actual staycation, which begins this weekend.

On this recent shopping trip on Diapers.com, I made a point to stock up on even more outdoor toys and gear for the boy to enjoy over the holiday weekend.

The staycation  goodies and the gear

So, for this staycation,  I spent right around $100 and I made sure to stock up goodies and gear that would get good use on our staycation.  For starters, we have enough sunblock in our arsenal, but we’re low on bug ointment that actually works and is safe for the kid.  Badger Balm, which gets great reviews on Diaper.com, was first on my list.  Can’t play outside if the bugs have their way with you!  And as for the good stuff, of course I ordered toys..lots of outdoor toys!  I ordered a kiddie pool for the back yard, a float for the lake and various other toys to play with in the yard or when we go to the beach.  So, here’s the main goodies I ended up buying:

I’m so impressed by how many great toy brands there are on Diapers.com, including brands that I’ve only seen at specialty boutiques.  I especially LOVE Spielstabil‘s beach and outdoor toys.  Spielstabil is a beloved German toy company that’s also under the Haba umbrella.  Their products, which are extremely durable, are bpa, pthalate and pvc-free.  I just love that Diapers.com puts a lot of thought into the products they sell. (Trust me, I’ve seen the buying team in action at Toy Fair.)  I ordered the sand and water mill from Spielstabil and can’t wait to see it in action!

Amidst the hundreds and hundreds of choices of toys, gear and baby and kid products, I finally made my purchase and the first shipment should be arriving tomorrow.  The main caveats of this shopping trip were my indecision and that the order is coming in three separate shipments, with one of them not coming until next week.  Nevertheless, I  can’t wait to share more AND to reveal a pretty fun giveaway to boot!  Stay tuned.

Full disclosure:  This post is sponsored by BabyCenter in conjunction with the BabyCenter Blog Network.

Lego Encourages Kids to Rock Out with Duplo Jams

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

LEGO aptly describes their construction play sets as catalysts for ideas, and I couldn’t agree more. Like many of you, we’ve sat for hours playing LEGOs, building architectural masterpieces, crazy vehicles and pretend food, among other whatchamacalits… The possibilities are endless, but one thing’s for sure: creative play and LEGO go hand in hand.

At Toy Fair, LEGO once again invited bloggers to their booth for an after-hours party where we had the chance to check out all of the upcoming sets and more. Aside from their beloved bricks, LEGO gave us a peek at their latest foray into the creative play space: Duplo Jams.

LEGO launched Duplo Jams as a new dimension to encourage and inspire creative play for toddlers and preschoolers. The three songs that are currently available are all written and performed by a preschool dad that everyone listen to for free. Duplo Jams has a dedicated iTunes channel and Facebook Page where the free songs can be accessed and are also hubs for future anticipated releases. To encourage further creativity, LEGO says they plan to release a new song every month.

We found the British Pop inspired-songs, “Sort Out the Blues,” “Build with Letters,” and “Stick Together,” to be catchy and cool, and a funky musical backdrop while we play in the playroom. As more parents are realizing the importance of limiting screentime, musical outlets such as Duplo Jams are a fun way to shift the kids’ eyeballs to hands-on play and complement with good kid tunes, where copious sing-a-longs and dance parities are expected.

Many families already engage their kids in kiddie music classes, so I think Duplo Jams is such a great way to reinforce many kids’ natural love of music. We’re a musical family, so we can usually be found jamming out one way or another, and it goes without saying, Duplo Jams is perfect complement to our eclectic playlist.

Be sure to check out Duplo Jams’ latest releases on their iTunes channel—for free!

New Duplo Sets

And speaking of Duplo, have you seen the latest playsets? Here are just a few:

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Happy National Train Day

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

Happy National Train Day, everyone.  National Train Day is a day that celebrates the service that our rail system provides.  As new-ish suburbanites who head into the City several times a week, we rely on NJ Transit to get us around quite a bit.

We can hear the train from our house, walk to the station in a few minutes and get to where we need to go, with almost no effort, thanks to our train system. *Almost*  Aside from loving toy trains, like many other families, trains are a way of life for us.

On the train to the City

Chuggington has so many great things coming up, and as a Chuggington Conductor, I’m always thrilled to share the latest and greatest Chuggington news with you guys!

In honor of National Train Day, I wanted to share some cool news from Chuggington.  As you guys know, Learning Curve offers some of the most amazing toy trains out on the market. In fact, in celebration of National Train Day, Learning Curve is offering a pretty sweet discount on one of our favorites, the Chuggington Interactive Trains.  Have you seen our vlog on YouTube about the Interactive Trains?  (It’s not the best video, but you get the gist of how cool these trains are!)

In celebration of National Train Day, get a Free Interactive Engine (a $13.99 value) with any purchase of $30 or more at Chuggingtonstore.com. Offer expires May 17, 2011 or while supplies last.

To take advantage of this offer, please follow these four steps:
1. Add $30 or more of Chuggington items to your cart at Chuggingtonstore.com.
2. Add the interactive engine of your choice to your cart at Chuggingtonstore.com. (Your subtotal should be $43.99 or more)
3. Enter coupon code TRAINDAY and hit apply. You will see a $13.99 discount reflected in your shopping cart.
4. Checkout.

We’ll be celebrating National Train Day this afternoon with a few neighborhood friends, sharing some fun Chuggington goodies.  I’ll have more Chuggington news later, but I definitely wanted to share this cool deal with my fellow Chuggington fans!

Check it

This year is Amtrak’s 40th anniversary, and to celebrate they will be touring the country with a special Amtrak exhibit train that will be stopping at 40 cities within the coming year. Chuggington will be sponsoring the Kids Depot, which will be a spot for children to read books, watch episodes, and color a Chuggington mural! For more information on this partnership (and to see when the Chuggington Kids Depot will be coming to a city near you), visit www.amtrak40th.com!

Gag-Worthy and Gross: Dino Poop and Dr. Dreadful

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

Happy April Fool’s Day, everyone.  I’m not one for pulling pranks, but I do enjoy laughing at clever gags—from a distance.

For April Fool’s Day, I thought I’d spotlight a few new toys that are sure to elicit a few gags and giggles for those who appreciate the gross factor.  And yes, these are real toys!

Dino Poop

Uncle Milton has a great lineup of new Dinosaur Train toys, but one that definitely caught my eye is Dino Poop.  This pliable dough that looks like, well, poop, lets kids discover what a dino had for lunch.

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Goodies and Gear: Opening Day

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

Citi FieldIt’s that time of year again; it’s Opening Day, a day that celebrates the Boys’ of Summer’s reemergence from the offseason and time to play ball again. If your family is anything like ours, reality and kiddie shows are happily swapped for 6 months of  America’s Pastime streaming on the tv—that is, when we’re not outside enjoying the outdoors ourselves.

With snow in our forecast, it may not be the most ideal weather for this time of year, but that’s not to say we can’t celebrate Spring and Opening Day with some of the latest and greatest in baseball fun for the kids.

This morning, while I was reading the news online, I was pretty disappointed to read about the decline in kids playing baseball over on WSJ.  To be quite honest, despite what the studies show, you’d never know there was a decline from the plethora of great toys and gear that are aimed to share the love of the game.

Here are just a few of my baseball picks in honor of Opening Day:

Melissa and Doug All Star Sports Fill and Spill

Baby can’t throw or catch quite yet, but Melissa and Doug’s All Star Sports Fill and Spill helps to familiarize tiny fingers with ball shapes.  Each of the four balls rattle, jingle or crinkle and are suitable for 6 months and up.

Grand Slam Baseball from Step 2


Spotted at Toy Fair last month, Step 2’s Grand Slam Baseball is an electronic auto-pitch machine that encourages hand-eye coordination, not to mention, promotes outdoor play. Geared to the smaller baseball fans, Grand Slam Baseball gets kids fielding balls and a chance to work on their swing.

EA Sweet Spot Baseball Bat


For the bigger kids, EA’s Sweet Spot Bat incorporates a little crowd cheer every time the batter hits or holds the ball in that sweet spot.  Ideal for beginners, it features a soft bat, and helps the rookies to refine their accuracy and hand-eye coordination.

SKLZ Sweet Spot Youth Training Bat


Beyond the tee-ball phase, SKLZ makes the top-rated Sweet Spot Youth Training Bat.  The training bat features an all-wood barrel and handle, as well as a fiberglass rod, and provides instant feedback and “stings” if hit too far off.
Looking for training tools for entry-level players? SKLZ Hit-A-Way Jr. is something that I’m going to check out for batting practice and hand-eye coordination for our not-quite Tee Ball-aged little guy.

Sports Illustrated Kids: All Access


And to better understand and appreciate America’s Pastime, Sports Illustrated Kids has a new book that delves into the inner sanctum of baseball.  Sports Illustrated Kids: All Access grants readers a behind-the-scenes look into cool findings, including favorite stadiums, the story behind the Green Monster and something that I want to know more about: Lousisville Slugger’s journey from big trees to the big leagues.

Go Mets!

And Speaking of behind the scenes look at baseball, did you miss our family’s adventure at Citi Field last season?  If you’ve been reading NKT for awhile now, you must already know that we’re Mets fans–in good times and in bad.

It’s always been my husband’s dream to sit in our beloved Mets’ Clubhouse, and thanks to a fun media invite, we had the chance to learn more about the Mets’ new stadium.  Be sure to see where our exclusive behind the scenes tour took us at our beloved (and sometimes beleaguered) Mets’ CitiField.

Citi Field Tour

Hooray for a new season!  And yes, even for us Mets fans, it’s a brand new ball game!

TOTY: Best Toys and Games Honored at TF11

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

Toy Fair may IMG_9099wtmkhave been a grand stage to unveil the latest and greatest toys, but it was also the perfect backdrop to honor the best innovations from the previous year.

To kick off Toy Fair, the Toy Industry Association held their annual Toy of The Year Awards Celebration at a gala at Lincoln Center.  I may not have attended the event, but I “watched” from a distance on Twitter.  Among the best in show included many NKT faves such as LeapFrog, Crayola, Squinkies and Hexbug, with Mattel’s Sing-a-ma-jigs nabbing the Toy of the Year title.

Here’s the list of this year’s TOTY winners:

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