Archive for the ‘For Older Kids’ Category
20
Apr
Strategery in Phoenix
Categories: For Older Kids, Games, Toys
I’m back from my vacation – thanks for bearing with me while I took a break from writing. While we were kicking back in Phoenix, I took the opportunity to do some toy testing with my kids and my family. We are big time game players, a trait that seems to be genetically hardwired, so… read more!
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21
Mar
Bedlam time
Categories: For Older Kids, Toys
Get excited. The Bedlam Puzzle is a 3D puzzle that has taken the UK by storm. It’s basically 13 oddly shaped pieces that fit into a square box. There are, in fact, over 19,186 different ways to make them fit into a perfect square. But there are so many possible combinations that it’s actually incredibly… read more!
2 Comments
20
Mar
Bananagrams Split
Categories: For Older Kids, Games, Toys
No, it’s not a stuffed banana. Bananagrams is a great new word game that’s sort of a takeoff on Scrabble. Players are “dealt” a predetermined number of letter tiles, and then each player uses his/her letters to create a personal assortment of intersecting words. As the letters dealt get used, more letters are taken from… read more!
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12
Feb
Hyperinteractivity
Categories: ABC Show 2007, Dolls & Make Believe, For Girly Girls, For Older Kids, Multimedia, Toys, Travels & Trade Shows, Travels & Trade Shows
Lately, it seems like everyone is talking about Webkinz. These stuffed virtual pets are all the rage among middle school kids all over the country (if you’ve never heard of them, read my previous entry about them here). So it’s not really a surprise that their success is spawning at least a handful of eager… read more!
3 Comments
12
Feb
Brick by Brickadoo
Categories: Building Toys, For Older Kids, Toy Fair 2007, Toys, Travels & Trade Shows
This is my 4th toy fair, and one of the categories that I have been seeking out are great, new building and construction toys. There seemed to be a plethora of items that match that description, many of them wooden, but my favorite product of the day were the Brickadoos. When I mentioned the Brickadoos… read more!
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20
Dec
It’s a small world.
Categories: Dolls & Make Believe, For Girly Girls, For Older Kids, Toys
Not too long ago, if you wanted a really beautiful dollhouse with those intricately detailed furniture sets and accessories, you needed to seek out a store that specialized in dollhouses and miniatures. These little stores are usually off the beaten path and filled with quirky charm. The goods are often pretty pricey, and therefore favored… read more!
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4
Dec
An Eye to the Sky
Categories: For Older Kids, Toys
Outer space is fascinating, no matter how old you are. Telescopes are one way to get a closer look at celestial bodies, although most conventional telescopes aren’t big enough to really see anything cool. But now, you can take a peek into some of the most powerful telescopes in the world. Slooh has created an… read more!
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26
Nov
A Deflexion by any other name
Categories: For Older Kids, Games, General, Toys
Last year’s popular holiday game, Deflexion, is back for 2006 but with a new name. For reasons I may never completely understand, they’ve renamed it Khet. According to a press release on the game’s website, they rebranded the game based on feedback from customers and retailers, and Khet is an Egyptian word for flame or… read more!
1 Comment
16
Oct
Incognito and Ugly
Categories: For Older Kids, Toys
Uglydolls have been a sensation since they debuted in 2004. Why do so many folks gravitate towards these soft, charming and, yes, unattractive litte characters? I’m not sure, but I have one on my desk at work. Now, they’ve come out with a limited edition Secret Mission series of all-black Uglydolls. What they lack in… read more!
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9
Aug
Dinner Theater
Categories: For Older Kids, Games, Toys
When someone first showed me Dinner Games, from FamilyTimeFun Games, I was very skeptical. Why would parents need a little box of suggested activities to keep kids engaged during dinner? I found a curmudgeon blossoming within me: why, when I was a kid, we just sat at the dinner table and talked. We didn’t need… read more!
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