Posted: March 15th, 2010 | Author: Dave | Filed under: Toy of the week | Tags: kids, magnetic tile building set, Toddlers, Toy of the week, toys | No Comments »
Buying toys for kids is hit-or-miss. Often times you’ll labor over a decision to buy. “Will she really like this? Is it worth fifty bucks? OH MY GOD DID I JUST CONSIDER SPENDING FIFTY BUCKS ON A TOY FOR THAT INGRATE?”
Others you toss down onto the floor in hopes that it’ll keep their pie holes sealed long enough to get dinner on the table.
Then there are those magical toys with near-hypnotic powers. They keep the kids engaged — appropriately engaged, not assaulting each other — for an hour or more. The next day, they’re still playing with it. And the next day. It’s a miracle, and in that moment you don’t care how much the damn thing cost.
This magnetic tile building set is one of those toys.
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Posted: December 26th, 2009 | Author: Dave | Filed under: Toy of the week | Tags: camera, kidizoom, toys, vtech | No Comments »
Most kids are shameless hams who love seeing photos and videos of themselves. Let them create those snaps and the fun (and narcissism) skyrockets.
The Vtech Kidizoom Plus Digital Camera is sturdy, ergonomically-designed and simple enough for most older toddlers to master within a few minutes. Out of the box, the Kidizoom can store up to 200 pictures via internal memory, but external cards are so inexpensive that there’s almost no reason to avoid one. The cable to connect it to your TV (RCA cables) and computer (mini-USB to 6-pin) are included. The memory card mounts as a volume so the Kidizoom doesn’t care if you’ve got a Mac or a PC.
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Posted: December 17th, 2009 | Author: Dave | Filed under: Toy of the week | Tags: iconfactory, iphone, ipod, ipod touch, parenting, pickin time, toys | No Comments »
Toy of the week
You spent a few hundred dollars on an iPhone or an iPod touch. Then you find yourself in the mall with jr., pushing the obnoxious red stroller you rented for $5. Jr. has that look on his face. The look that says he’s about to go Chernobyl. Do you hand over the iPhone? Well, what’s worse — a scratch on your precious or a red-faced meltdown in the middle of Baby Gap? Exactly.
Of course, you don’t want them checking out the SI Swimsuit App, so grab something appropriate from The App Store. One of the best is The Iconfactory’s Pickin’ Time.
Forget that Pickin’ Time’s graphics are gorgeous. Forget that it takes seconds to learn or that the down-home music stays with you all day. None of that matters if the kids dislike it. Fortunately, kids love Pickin’ Time.
At launch, a friendly rabbit family waves hello and prompts your kid to choose between single player or multiplayer mode. In single player mode, he’s shown a piece of fruit or vegetable. Once play begins, the rabbit tosses a bunch of produce into the air. Jr.’s job is touch his target item. As he moves along, the number of items increases and the background color changes (tricky when it’s the same color as the target). The clock ticks away and at the end he’ll see how many he’s gathered (hint: flip the iPhone/iPod around at the end).
In multi-player mode, each player (up to 4) selects a piece of fruit or a veggie. The rabbit tosses them up in random order, and the object is to be quick enough to tap your item.
It’s a bit memory, a bit beat-the-clock and a whole lot of reaction time. The best part is Pickin’ Time isn’t a game with a definite end. Sure, a session ends, but you can always restart with another target item and try to beat your best score.
In Daddy Daze’s Official Toddler Testing, Pickin’ Time is a winner. The kids get excited, laugh and have fun, which gives me a few minutes of peace in the grocery store. Spend $1.99 for a toy that does all that? You better believe it.
You spent a couple hundred dollars on an iPhone or an iPod touch. Then you find yourself in the mall with Jr., pushing the obnoxious rental stroller. He’s got the look on his face that says he’s about to go Chernobyl. Do you hand over the iPhone? Well, what’s worse — a scratch on your precious or a red-faced meltdown in the middle of Baby Gap? Exactly.
Of course, you don’t want Jr. checking out the SI Swimsuit App [App Store link], so launch something appropriate. One of the best is The Iconfactory’s Pickin’ Time.
Forget that Pickin’ Time’s graphics are gorgeous. Forget that it takes seconds to learn or that the down-home music stays with you all day. None of that matters if the kids dislike it. Fortunately, kids love Pickin’ Time.
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