Planning a Pirate Party?

Just in, and really cute– Pin the Parrot on the Pirate game from eeBoo.  If you’re planning a pirate filled birthday bash-this variation on Pin the Tail on the Donkey will be a great party game. Comes complete with a green bandanna — the goal here is to take one of the “parrot” stickers and land him on the Pirate’s shoulder.

A box of rocks, really

It was close enough to April 1st when I opened this box– so I figured maybe it was an April Fool’s Joke.  Maybe it was for a movie promotion. But no, it really is a box (or really a canister) of rocks.  The product name is Stonees from a company named Zabazoo.  It comes with 50 Canadian rocks (smaller than a walnut in squarish and triangularish shapes) that have been painted. I’m all for open-ended play–but this really seems to push the envelope.  Are they green because they’re rocks? Does the paint negate their greenishness? Pet Rocks revisited?  Thoughts? Comments?

Pink LEGO kits, oh my…

LEGO kits were one of the few toys I really did play with as a kid. My mother will tell you that I spent most of my time figuring out new ways to put them away…a little puzzle unto itself. Not as creative an exercise as one would hope for–but still, it was challenging. And perhaps because I had older brothers there was nothing unusual about the fact that I played with LEGOs. When I look back on it, I realize that most of my other friends who were girls did not do a lot of construction sets.

So when we started the toyportfolio I was particularly looking forward to trying out my LEGO skills once again. I have to tell you, it’s still a lot of fun. I’m not sure how I feel about the new pre-sorted bags that make the “oh man, where is that one little piece” search a thing of the past.

The first batch of new LEGO kits just arrived. A happy day around here - vehicles, city stations and Duplo sets for beginners.

But there is also a new tub of PINK LEGO bricks…oh my. The label on the front has two seemingly female figures (they have long “blockish” hair), a pink vehicle, and a small structure with a white picket fence. There are also instructions for making a horse (of course).

In the early 90s, pink building blocks were a big thing (not at LEGO) but at their competitors at the time. I found the themes most upsetting (a stable, a house and a mall). Why were girls not being inspired to build skyscrapers, arenas? The whole gender agenda lead to our Gender Free toy list that we put together every year.

While the prospect of pink bricks doesn’t thrill me (although I do have to admit, they are very appealing for their eye-catching uniqueness)–there is also something to be said for the research that indicates that kids benefit from playing with construction toys. Having hands on experiences with spatial relationships helps kids excel in math. Don’t we also want that for our daughters? So, I suppose — if this is the only way we can get girls to build, it has its value. I just believe that the themes need not be so limited to the spheres of home, stables, and shopping. In fact, just a tub of colorful LEGO bricks that also includes the two shades of pink here–would be fun for anyone to play with.

I’ll be interested to see how parents and kids respond when we have them tested.

Wooden Trains…an interesting twist from Plan Toys

It’s really unfortunate that wooden trains have taken such a hit this past year. Wooden trains are one of our favorite play experiences for preschoolers. Putting down tracks is really an open-ended puzzle (hence our recommendation to stay clear of play tables that recommend gluing down tracks). If you’ve ever watched a preschooler work at the process of putting the tracks down, you can almost sense the brain power involved. I’ve also discovered that somewhere around four, most kids are far better at figuring out the tracks than their parents!

Since Brio was acquired by K’nex, the train line has taken a back seat to their core business. Sure there were a couple of new add-ons shown at toy fair, but I miss the “lines” of trains that had interesting themes. Having covered wooden train sets for over seventeen years (how many people can say that?), it’s sad to see how the line has diminished. The lead issue also rocked the world of parents who believed that they were bringing home heirlooms to their kids when they bought pricey bridges and sets from Learning Curve’s Thomas the Tank Engine line.  The bridges, stations, and other accessories are always great from this line. It will be interesting to see if they can regain the trust of parents.

So you can imagine that we were pretty happy to see Plan Toys new Road and Rail set. The handsomely designed station also converts into the storage box for the whole set (pretty neat). We look forward to testing this set. Plan Toys had a number of sleekly designed wooden play settings (garage, airport, etc.) that have that level of design you won’t mind having out in your home. The company also reports that they are phthalates and lead free. We look forward to testing these sets when they’re ready.

Trends from Toyland: Crank it Up!

As part of the green movement, there are two new lines that pull from the past. Both Ecotronic Toys (a British company) and SEE toys are offering toys that you crank up  in order to get lights and sound. Ecotronics even has a crank radio in their line. The idea is to cut down on batteries. When the SEE Toys first arrived in the office, my mother pointed out that the “crank” idea was common in toyland in the ’40s. Of course the toys weren’t plastic–but the idea of getting something to happen without a battery is pretty cool.  We’ve requested the Ecotronic toys–we’ll put both to the test with our testers.

Why I love Hot Wheels

Truth be told, I didn’t play with too many toys as a kid.  I loved my sandbox, and as much as my mother wanted me to love the elaborate (and now I realize) beautiful dollhouse that was given to me, I was really much more into playing with Hot Wheels.  Looking back now, I know that my love of Hot Wheels had much more to do with my brothers.  The youngest of three, I had to work hard to find things I could do with them without being so annoying that I got thrown out of the equation.  I was a great assistant to the elaborate tracks they would put together.

We would go to Davco (the local toy store in Monticello, New York)…I would look at the Barbies — admire the fashions…and then buy another car.  Cars meant entry into the great adventures that went on in our house.  It’s probably  an exaggeration to say that we had enough track to go throughout the house–but we certainly had enough to make the cars down the staircase!  My brothers were pros at making ramps and there was great excitement when the first loops came out.  This year Mattel has new Trick Tracks which has lots of the action we worked so hard to get with pillow and books beneath the tracks.  Somehow, the new tracks seem like a cheat (to a Hot Wheels purist).  We’ll have to see what kids today think! What’s missing from the current line is a track that has lots of length and maybe one or two loops.  The recent batch of closed tracks seem more like one trick ponies– they’re cool to watch but they don’t offer the problem solving that most of us remember from our Hot Wheels days.

This year is the 40th anniversary of Hot Wheels–there’s an anniversary that will make many of us pause.  Even more amazing–this year Mattel reports that they will produce the 4 billionth car!

Trends from Toyland: Soy Fiber in Toys

As part of the green trend, Aurora is introducing a new line of plush called Aurora Naturally. According to the company, these stuffed animals are made from 100% soy fiber — who knew? The stuffing is 100% Kapok (I didn’t know that kapok is a silky fiber known for its hypoallergenic softness). It’s also a sustainable rainforest crop–cool. We’re looking forward to testing this line.

When recycling was a huge trend in toyland (about 15 years ago) it translated into a lot of clever recycling trucks–but that was about it. We’re really looking forward to seeing how the industry responds in a more meaningful way by using greener or re-purposed materials as well as delivering the message in a way that is playful (as opposed to overly preachy).

My personal goal–to remember to bring all the bags I already purchased to the grocery store!

Trends from Toyland: Hasbro’s Biscuit, My Lovin Pup

Most of the hype this holiday season will probably be for Hasbro’s high tech, interactive Kota (a 40″ triceratops). At toy fair, Kota looked pretty amazing– friendly and interactive in a playful way. There is another entry in the Furreal line that should not be overlooked. Biscuit is an over-sized golden retriever that also looks extremely promising. He can sit up, give you a paw, bark, sit down on his hind legs–really great if you can’t handle the real thing.  Apparently all the new york press commented on how great Biscuit would be for city dwellers—no need to walk or pick up after Biscuit.  Biscuit will retail for $150– so again, a big holiday gift.

Trends from Toyland: IToys ME2

We’re looking forward to trying out IToys new ME2 - a plug-in that encourages kids to move around. The more they move around in the real world with the hand-held ME2–the more award points they get for playing on line.  The ME2 has sensors that monitor movement. Of course we will need to have our testers weigh in on the games (kids create their own avatar to play on line).

The ME2 is part of a new (positive) trend in toyland.  Last year Fisher-Price introduced the Smart Cycle for preschoolers- a stationary bike that also requires kids to cycle in order to play the video games.   Parents that we talked to really like the idea of anything that gets kids up and moving– one of the reasons the Wii has been such a hit.  At least you know the kids are moving something besides their thumbs.

Trends in Toyland: K’NEX and Sesame Street

K’NEX is going to launch a new line of preschool sets that feature Sesame Street characters. Unlike traditional K’nex sets, these include more building “bricks” (you know like the other guys) - that will make the sets easier for young builders. They look like fun–we’ll look forward to trying them with our testers.