boy toys – Page 6 – The Next Kid Thing

Toy Fair 2011: Hasbro Showroom, Boy Toys

February 18, 2011February 22, 2011 by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

Along with many of my blogging and media colleagues, Toy Fair affords us an opportunity to take a glimpse into toy manufacturers’ lineup of new products for 2011. A few big brands opened their doors for informational tours of booths and showrooms, including #2 toy maker, Hasbro.

I already mentioned a few notables from our tour of Hasbro’s Toy Fair showroom, but Hasbro continues to underscore their success in existing toys and licenses, which includes many of the familiar products that have shows on the new family channel, the Hub, a joint venture with Discovery Communications.

I’m finding it quite difficult to organize everything I saw over the past few weeks, so I’ll try to post them in good-sized chunks to avoid bombarding too much information at once.

Here are just a few of the many new toys for boys from Hasbro:

Hasbro’s new Boys Toys didn’t disappoint. Marvel Super Heroes, once again, have a big presence in Hasbro’s lineup of new toys. With Thor and Captain America hitting the big screen later this year, Hasbro has several new toys, including role play sets, that will have launches coinciding with movie releases.

(above) The Lightning Hammer is a replica of Thor’s signature weapon, and is fully equipped with electronic battle sounds and a launching projectile.

The Captain America Disc Launching Shield fires miniature foam disks and has a diameter of 15 inches.

Because I have a smaller super hero fan, I love the Super Hero Squad 3-Packs. In addition to other popular super heroes, Hasbro will have Thor and Captain America 3-Packs as well. I’m excited to see this segment of Super Heroes go on to expand with more accessories and playsets

Aside from the Marvel Super Heroes, Rescue Bots (Transformers) and Star Wars are joining this chunkier line up for smaller hands.

Q and A: Sarah Ball, Chuggington Writer and Director

February 10, 2011February 10, 2011 by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

Over the weekend, the kid and I did all kinds of fun stuff that were NKT-related. Among the fun events on our agenda, we went to a Chuggington screening and storytime at the Scholastic Soho store.

Along with other Chuggington fans, we had the chance to view a fan favorite, “The Chugger Championship” and preview a never-before-seen episode, “Snowstruck Wilson.” The sneak preview of “Snowstruck Wilson” involved a curious trainee straying, after being told to stay close. Having lost my own curious and adventurous kid the other week at a store, “Snowstruck Wilson” hit pretty close to home.

In addition to the screenings, Sarah Ball, Writer/Director of Chuggington, gave a brief introduction before the episodes. After the screening, the kids all enjoyed a little bit of coloring and crafts, which made for a fun afternoon.

As we’ve been reporting, Chuggington has a whole slew of new licensed products coming our way, which includes a series of Scholastic books (reviews are forthcoming.)

It’s always a pleasure to share the latest and greatest about one of our favorite properties, but it’s even cooler to be able to speak to the brains behind such a beloved show. Check out my brief Q&A with Sarah Ball who told us a little bit about the ideas behind the episodes and the new characters, Hoot and Toot.

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Season two of Chuggington debuts on February 14 on the new Disney Jr. If you’re on Twitter, join me and other Chuggington fans tonight at 9 p.m. as we celebrate the upcoming Season Two premiere. Follow @Chuggington, and #Chuggington. And of course, my twitter handle is @jenrab.

Finally, let’s give @Chuggington a shout out for the Shorty Awards. Chuggington is currently in 8th place 7th place and needs to get to 6th to get to the finals. To nominate Chuggington, just tweet why you think the property deserves a Shorty Award. Easy enough!

Snowy Days Mean More Game Play

January 27, 2011January 27, 2011 by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

Have you had enough of the snow and cold already? I think we’re tired of the work and obstacles that snow brings with it, but “sleighing” down our hill certainly doesn’t get old. Like most of you, because we can’t get outdoors as much on snowy days, we’ve got a little bit of cabin fever going on.

Being indoors much more than we’d like has meant we’ve had to adjust our normal routine. I monitor and limit tv and screen time throughout the day, and so, we’ve found ourselves playing more games, doing more crafts, cooking, reading and just playing whatever comes naturally. Here’s are just a few activities, crafts and toys that’s been keeping us busy.

LeapFrog Interactive Map

I’ve said it before, but LeapFrog, to me, is one of the frontrunners in innovative, educational toys. The LeapFrog Tag Interactive Map is no exception. The Interactive Map, paired with a Tag Reader, has been keeping us busy on these snowy days, teaching us cool facts about states we’ve visited, where our relatives live and helps us visualize where we hope to visit! After locating cool spots on the map, we like to try to put our new geographic knowledge to good use and and find the same locales on our globe ($1 garage sale find.) The Interactive Map is a great way to engage imagination, curiosity while throwing a bit of geography into the mix.

Jigsaw Puzzles

Who doesn’t love puzzles? Puzzles are a great activity for kids and parents to interact. It involves logic, teamwork and patience, characteristics that have surely been put to the test with all this cabin fever! Our favorite jigsaw puzzle right now is this Super Why Hidden Word puzzle. This puzzle is a fun way to enjoy one of our favorite shows and their characters, and not having to stare a screen to do so! The Why Finder (magnifying glass) to help locate hidden words is a very fun added element that gives even more engagement after the last piece of the puzzle is put into place.

Crayola Color Wonder

Crafts, especially drawing, has been one of the best ways to pass time these days. The kid loves markers; my new area carpet and furniture does not. Our compromise is Crayola’s Color Wonder markers and paints. If you’re not familiar with the awesomeness that is Color Wonder, the geniuses at Crayola have created a line of products that only color on special paper. The markers, paintbrushes and paints only show up on the Color Wonder paper, which means no mess all over your stylish white couch. Santa was so kind to bring the boy Toy Story and other Disney themed Color Wonder coloring books. I will probably never buy another kind of marker again–we love these things so much! No mess=happy family!

WonderForge What’s in the Hat Game

Here we go-go-go! Do you guys watch Cat in the Hat on PBS? We sure do! So, when WonderForge told us about their new Cat in the Hat games, we were all about them. The What in the Hat game, though, is THE funniest game to play with preschoolers, espcially the ones who don’t know how to keep secrets. It’s a simple guessing game that involves hiding everyday items within the Cat’s hat, but it never fails, we get big laughs from this game!

What are your favorite snowy/indoor activities?

Full disclosure: Select samples were provided for editorial review. As always, opinions on NKT are my own.

Play Kitchens Promote Imagination and Creativity for Girls and Boys

January 19, 2011January 19, 2011 by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

I was planning on writing about something completely different today, and then I saw this question posed on Twitter:

I was caught off guard since my boy, like I’m sure many of yours, enjoys play cooking. As we finish our remodel and completion of rooms, we’ve been on the hunt for a kitchen that’s “just right.” But the reason I was caught off guard was, since when did imagination and creativity become a gender thing, because isn’t that what role playing, such as kitchen play, promotes?

Maybe it’s because I choose to ignore such conversations, but I never realized that play kitchens were considered “girl toys.” Quite honestly, I wish it didn’t have to be that way. Ample research has revealed that exposing kids to the kitchen benefits them in the long run. Whether it’s a play kitchen or a real kitchen, let the kids explore, learn and be creative.

Ever go to a toy store where the demo play kitchen is set up? It never fails, the play kitchen, just like a real kitchen at family gatherings, has some sort of magnetic energy that lures people and kids.

While we’re at it, let’s talk kitchens. Here are just a few kitchens that are perfect for cooking up a good (pretend) feast:

The Educo Gourmet Kitchen is made of wood with completely non-toxic, child-friendly paints and finishes. I love that this kitchen features bright, bold and modern, a contrast from that gender-specific color palette.

The Deluxe Kitchen Play Centre from Melissa and Doug is the kitchen in question that always lures my kid in, whenever we visit our local toy boutique. It’s made mostly of wood, features a myriad of controls, buttons, shelves and accoutrements. Basically, like the marketing material implies, this kitchen has everything including the kitchen sink.

Another kitchen that’s made of wood that I love is the kid’s play kitchen from IKEA. Like their furniture, it boast straight lines, euro design and most importantly, the kids love its “realistic” features. Best aspect, though, is that its in the $100 range, with plenty of options to add personal touches.

Speaking of personal touches, what about DIY play kitchens? I can’t think of a more sustainable option that involves interaction from parent and kids than creating a play kitchen from repurposed furniture. This one, made by a set of grandparents, is probably my idea of the holy grail of DIY play kitchens.

Do you guys have any thoughts on kitchens? Any faves? Opposed or in favor of boys/girls playing in the kitchen?

Chuggington Celebrates One Year in U.S.

January 18, 2011January 18, 2011 by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

Another train-centric show that we’ve been fans of since they chugged their way stateside, Chuggington, is celebrating its one-year anniversary since its U.S. debut! I shared my initial thoughts of the show from the beginning and we’ve been tuning in ever since.

As a Chuggington Conductor, it’s been really fun checking out the latest and greatest products. You think Chuggington had a good first year? Well, this Ludorum property is riding the rails steadily, so much so, they’ve launched a slew of cool toys, books and games. Be on the look out for my upcoming reviews and vlogs of the latest Chuggington goodies. BTW, apparently, you guys are big fans of the Chuggington vlog I did on the roundhouse because it’s received over 6k views.

In the meantime, if you’re around in a few minutes, join us on at 1 p.m. for a Chuggington Twitter Party celebrating their one year milestone! I hear there will be some cool surprises, so be sure to honk your horns!

Partying with Mattel’s Toy Story 3 Action Links

December 14, 2010December 14, 2010 by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

We’ve been talking a lot about food over here on NKT, but what we haven’t been talking about enough are toys. Well, that’s because I’m doing things differently this holiday season, which I’ll explain in an upcoming post.

In the meantime, we recently gathered some friends together to indulge in the very cool Toy Story 3 Action Links from Mattel. As huge fans of Toy Story 3, when I was invited to apply to host an Action Links party via MomSelect’s Mommyparties, I jumped at the chance.

Undoubtedly, Toy Story 3 has been the most talked about movie in our house this year, so naturally, this, too, would have been an exciting party to take on and share all about. So, when the giant box of toys arrived, you can imagine our excitement!

At our Toy Story Action Links party, we invited some of Jack’s fellow TS3 fans, all of whom are in the 3-4 age group. We played off the TS3 theme and had hot dogs wrapped with Pillsbury Crescents on sticks, veggies, cupcakes and more. Toy Story Action Links was a great reason to get friends and kids together for a fun afternoon.

I first learned about Action Links at Toy Fair earlier this year. But because the movie wasn’t out yet and because the toys recreate key scenes from the story, I could only talk so much about this interesting concept.

When we first opened the Action Links sets, my husband and I were reminded of the Rube Goldberg concepts, much like that game, Mousetrap. Remember that?

Action Links embodied that same Rube Goldberg concept, where each interlinking set created a chain reaction, complete with Toy Story 3 figures.

Meet the Freaky Pets

November 5, 2010November 5, 2010 by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

If you think all plush toys are all cute and cuddly, then you’re partially right. Combine cute and cranky, then you’ve got this new line of plush pets called Freaky Pets.

At first glance these imaginary creatures are sweet and innocent, then with a quick tuck, the Freaky Pets reveal their cranky alter ego.

To Infinity and Beyond with Disguise Costumes

October 29, 2010October 29, 2010 by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

With the upcoming release of the Toy Story 3 Blu-Ray and DVD, it’s no doubt that the streets will be filled with a copious amount of trick or treating Jessies, Woodys, and Buzz Lightyears. As a well-loved franchise for years, Toy Story has captivated kids for years, so it’s really no surprise that they want to be their favorite characters for Halloween.

Disguise, a division of Jakks Pacific, has a fun lineup of costumes this year, including our Toy Story favorites like Jessie, Woody and Buzz. Their costumes are affordable and as realistic as store-bought costumes can get.

ImagiPlay Dinosaur Puzzle Play Merges Puzzles, Activity Fun

October 19, 2010October 19, 2010 by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

Puzzles are well known activities that involve cognitive development, problem solving and hand-eye coordination for children of all ages. Better yet, puzzles are awesome activities that can engage the whole family. Who doesn’t love an activity that promotes brain power and team work?

ImagiPlay, a toy company that creates sustainable toys and games, has found a way to combine an activity set and a puzzle with their Dinosaur Puzzle Play. The Dinosaur Puzzle Play is comprised of 13 puzzle pieces that are made of rubberwood. When not being used as a puzzle, the pieces double as wooden dinosaur play pieces.

My dinosaur-loving preschooler recently acquired an interest in puzzles, so ImagiPlay’s Dinosaur Puzzle Play is such a fitting new activity. The kid had a fun time with dad, putting the puzzle together over and over, and then going on to exercise their imagination to play a little Jurassic Park on their own terms, with a little help of some colorful dinos. I appreciate the quality wood pieces, colorful and imaginative design, and the very reasonable price point. ImagiPlay toys, always a perfect addition to our toy box, has great lineup of toys that would make great holiday gifts. Don’t be surprised if you see more ImagiPlay on the NKT holiday gift guide.

Giveaway

Speaking of gifts, want a Dinosaur Puzzle Play for your kids? Please comment below and tell me which ImagiPlay product you’d love to check out.

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Want to do some early holiday shopping? ImagiPlay has kindly offered NKT readers a 20% discount from their website. Just enter Play420 to receive a 20% discount from their website. The coupon code is valid for 30 days and is only available in the U.S.

Full disclosure: I received a product sample to facilitate this review. As always, all opinions on NKT are my own.

The Hub Debuts; Fraggle Rock Toys Live On

October 13, 2010October 13, 2010 by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

In case you haven’t heard all the hubbub (pun intended), The Hub, a new kid’s channel debuted on 10/10/10. If you’re a longtime NKT reader, you may remember that I posted last year about the then-yet-to-be-named Hub, which is a collaborative effort between Hasbro and The Discovery Communications.

So far, from what I’ve seen, reviews of the this new channel have been positive, especially with the emphasis on co-viewing. Although the shows are a collection of familiar brands that our kids love, there are also a few shows that may make you nostalgic for your own childhood. I’m talking about Fraggle Rock! It’s so awesome to see them back on tv again, even if they are reruns. I’m digging The Hub’s programming choices and appreciate their tactics for integrating family viewership.

If there’s a show, as you know, toys will follow. Manhattan Toys is helping reignite the Fraggle Rock love with their line of plush toys and puppets. While at the Time to Play Holiday Showcase, I literally stopped in my tracks when I spotted Red on the Jim Henson Company’s table.

Manhattan Toys has a line of Fraggle Rock plush and puppets, ranging from Red to Wembley to Traveling Matt. No word yet if the Garbage Heap will make an appearance.

Like a lovesick school girl, I think I rambled on way too long to the Jim Henson Company’s publicist about my love for Fraggle Rock. Here’s to hoping my kid loves these sing-songy creatures as much as I do. Manhattan Toys’ Fraggle Rock plush can be found on their site, as well as at The Fraggle Rock Store.