Toys

Skinny doll or fat doll.

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GododollPeople have been talking for years about the negative body image dolls like Barbie give little girls, but did anyone ask the little girls? As a sort of commentary on this debate, designer Cristina Bilsland created the GO-DO, a doll that can change it's shape based on whatever the child playing with it wants. The hollow-bodied doll is injected with some sort of liquid that changes it's shape to anything from fat to skinny.

Even though the picture kind of makes it look like the opposite of fun (do syringes and play-time ever really go hand in hand?), and I'm doubting Hasbro will be mass producing it anytime soon (though I don't think that's the point really), I'm surprised no one has thought this up before. In the real world my guess is kids would make the dolls fat, if only because none of their other toys are.

via Core77's design blog, via Boing Boing

Games on the lake.

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HungryhipposLike I mentioned yesterday, we just got back from vacation. While we were there, Grandma brought a game for Madame's cousins (3 and 5 years old) that was a huge hit - Hasbro's Hungry Hungry Hippos. I remembered the commercial from when I was a kid (or more specifically, the jingle - something like "If you want to win the game you've got to take good aim, and catch the most marbles with your hippo! Playing Hungry Hungry Hippos..."), but I had no idea they still made it. It's really simple. You release the marbles and then press a switch down on the back of your hippo that causes it to jut it's head out to gobble a marble. I guess you can't improve on a classic, because this thing kept the cousins occupied for hours.

For the adults, we spent the most time playing a game that we had just recently discovered called Mexican Train Dominoes. It's a basic double twelve domino game, but for some reason it's pretty addictive. It worked out great for the family because it's a low-key game that you can play while hanging out drinking beers and talking. Plus there's the added bonus of nothing to argue about while playing it - a six matches a six, no discussion.

Hungry Hungry Hippos. $17.99 at Amazon.com
Mexican Train Dominoes. $17.99 from Toys R Us.com

Toy solution.

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Ikeabasket

Recently I've been trying to figure out where I can keep Madame's toys so that they are:

  1. In their own place and in a place only for toys.
  2. Accessible and in a place where she can get them without hurting herself.
  3. In a place or receptacle that isn't ugly.

So far I've found one good place, a flower storage basket from Ikea kids (pictured). It's good because not only does it look kind of cool, it's made of cloth and a big spring. This allows it to keep it's shape and be soft enough so that if the baby pulls it down she can't hurt herself. Plus at only $9.99 it was a bargain.

PYRE storage basket. For girls (pink flower) and boys (blue monster). $9.99 from Ikea.

Pop up photo ball.

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PhotopopupballOne of my most favorite stores, Organized Living, is going out of business. This bums me out in a huge way, but I suppose they couldn't make it selling drawer organizers and modular shelving. Anyway, life goes on, so I went to the liquidation sale yesterday to see what I couldn't live without. I got some sweet stuff, among which was the Melannco Photo Pop Up Ball.

Like all brand new toddlers I'm guessing, Madame has been really into pictures lately so we've been trying to find a way she can play with them and not destroy them (or the frames). The pop up ball is a plastic 14-sided "ball" with clear pockets on each side that you slide photos into. It's, light enough for her to play with, keeps the pictures safe, and even collapses and pops up as a bonus. If you ask me it's kind of ugly for real life, but for her it's perfect.

Pink, Blue or Black Pop Up Photo Frame only $2.74 on clearance at Amazon.com. Sweet! (If they marketed it to kids maybe it wouldn't be on clearance.)

Leapfrog learning drum.

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LearningdrumMy designs on not getting Madame any toys that play annoying songs have gone right out the window. She loves anything that plays a song or sings to her, and I'm learning to not be so annoyed. Recently she played with this Leapfrog Learning Drum which, although it's still kind of annoying, I thought was a little better than the rest. It's an electronic drum that, when you hit it, plays songs, single musical notes in a melody, or prompts kids to count or recite the alphabet. It also has a field of red led lights that light up numbers, letters and other shapes to go along with the music - kind of like an old school scrolling message board. What matters is she really enjoyed it, and it's more interactive than just pressing a button.

Leapfrog Learning Drum. $19.99 from Amazon.com

Can I also say, just for the record, what an awesome name "Leap Frog" is for a learning toys company? The guy that came up with that brand deserves a raise (if he wasn't the guy who founded the company in the first place).

Darth Tater puns.

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Darthtater_1As I've already posted a while ago, I love the Darth Tater. It seems Mr. Miller, a 7th grade teacher from Seattle, challenged his students to come up with some Darth Tater puns. There are a lot of good ones, but my favorite is actually a tie between:

"Trust your peelings." by Emily
and
"Luke, I am your farmer." by Andrew.

After trying to think up my own, all I could come up with was:
"You are part of the rebel alliance and a tater. Take her away."
and
"No. Fry not. Bake or bake not. There is no fry."

Theirs are better.

Darth Tater Puns [via Boing Boing]

Restaurant toy.

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Fascination_stationCheck out the Sassy "Fascination Station" (doesn't "Fascination Station" sound like a bad mid-70s rock group?). We got one from my dad quite a few months ago, and at the time we just put it with the rest of Madame's toys. Then one day we were looking for a toy to bring with us to a restaurant, and a light bulb went off. It has a suction cup on the base.

Now it pretty much has a permanent home in my diaper bag. The wheel on it spins around and provides a pretty decent distraction at the table, and while the suction doesn't work perfectly, it's enough so that if she finally gets it off the table we can intercept it before she throws it on the floor.

Are there any go-to restaurant toys you use and love? Suggestions are always appreciated.

Sassy Fascination Station. $9.95 at Baby Age.com

Bilibo.

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BiliboI saw a lot of cool modern stuff for kids in Kid O while I was in NYC, but the thing that impressed me the most was this Swiss toy called Bilibo. It's just a really simple plastic shell that kids can use for all sorts of playing. You could sit in it and rock, have someone spin you around, or wear it like an over-sized helmet. The website also shows kids playing with it in a pool, using it as a turtle shell and a tunnel for toy trains. It's simple, sturdy and leaves a lot open to the imagination. I spoke with the woman working at Kid O about them and she said that you can only get them in the US through them, and that they might be distributing them to other stores in the US soon.

For now you can order one for $30 from Kid O
Also, get the general kinderspiel from Bilibo.com

Identify this kitty.

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WatermelonkittyA friend of mine from San Fransisco gave Madame this stuffed toy (pictured) and I can't figure out what it's called. It's made by Sanrio and is obviously some sort of Hello Kitty plushie, except where Hello Kitty's body should be is a green, cylindrical shaped thing. There are pictures of what seem to be watermelons around the side of it, so I've taken to calling it "Watermelon Kitty." The tag says "Nyanko Party" and has a link to San-X.co.jp which, although it's fun to look at, if you don't speak Japanese (which I don't) isn't much help. Does anyone out there know anything about it? And what is it about this kind of bizarre Japanese stuff that makes me love it so?

Stacrobats.

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StackrobatsMadame (as the first grandchild on my side of the family and all-around special baby that she is) got lots of stuff for Christmas, some of which we wisely held back for a later date. She doesn't know the difference now, and eventually it's the parents who get sick of a particular toy, not the baby. So recently we rotated into the collection a really cool toy that my aunt got her - Kushies Zolo Stacrobats.

I can't really figure out what exactly Zolo is - I think it's some sort of toy brand created by a design group - but they make toys for older kids and also have a "Kushies" line of toys for babies. The Stacrobats are these little, magnetic, semi-plush figures and come in a carrying case/stage for the baby to stack them on to. They are colorful, easy to grasp and are honestly the one toy she plays with that I am interested in playing with it, with her. I can't speak for the rest of the Zolo toys, but if they're anything like this one they must be good.

Classic cups.

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StackupcupsYou know, no matter how many Spanish speaking, movie tie-in, remote control things you get for your kid, sometimes you just can't beat the classics. Madame's Grandma showed up for Easter dinner a week and a half ago with a simple gift that she can't keep her hands off of. These Stack Up Cups from The First Years are incredibly simple, just some nesting plastic cups with numbers on them, but they are keeping her more occupied than any other toy she plays with. And at $2.99, it easily has to be the best toy bargain out there.

Stack Up Cups only $2.99 at Buy Buy Baby.

Finally. A home for budding Dr. Frankensteins.

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ToyzooHappen's Toy Lab is this place in Cincinnati where kids can go and make their own toys out of recycled parts. Kind of like the Build-A-Bear workshop idea but way cooler, kids can take parts from all kinds of discarded action figures and dolls and create a one-of-a-kind toy. The Toy Lab also encourages the children to name their toy and give it a back-story - does it have superpowers?, where does it live? etc. Then they take a picture of every toy and post it on their website. It seems like a fun, creative experience for kids, plus they get to keep their toy at the end.

It's always cool to see people coming up with great ideas for kids (like the folks at Pancake Mountain) and then turn those ideas into reality. Too bad (for me) that it's only in Cincinnati.


Happen's Toy Lab (via Plastic Bugs).
Also, definitely check out the bizarre creations in the Toy Zoo.

Journey into videogames.

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Ion_videogame_1When I was a kid my family went to Walt Disney World and Epcot Center in Florida, and one of the attractions at Epcot was this exhibit where you could be “in” the movie. It was basic weatherman-green-screen stuff, all designed to make the kids laugh and make their parents look goofy. Unlike a lot of the promises of the Journey Into Imagination, it seems at least one has come true. Sort of.

Hasbro has announced it will launch a new “learning” video game system for kids in the fall called the ION Gaming System (even the name sounds so Epcot). The system has a small motion sensitive camera, which will put the children playing “into” the game so they can interact with it. For instance one game will have kids popping virtual bubbles filled with letters so they can spell a word. It sounds kind of cool, but I bet it feels like playing pong with your hand as the paddle. And no matter what Hasbro says, I don’t think this is going to help stem the problem of obesity in kids.

Who am I kidding? Home electronics/educational toys/video game systems? I think I’m genetically programmed to buy this kind of stuff.

Link via Cool Hunting

Oh yeah. And happy St. Valentine's Day.

"Baby's fun" rattle.

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Babys_fun_rattleYou know, you can buy all the Lamaze and Baby Einstein crap in the world for you kid, but sometimes it's the random stuff they love the most. My parents went to Japan for a vacation last year, and while they were there they got a couple of toys for their grandchild-to-be. One of them was this simple rattle (pictured), made by this company called Toyroyal.

It's cute, but not anything you would think was that special. There's no black, white and red stripes; no crinkly flaps; and if you can believe it, it doesn't even speak Spanish. All it is is a basic, plastic rattle that makes a chiming noise when you shake it. And right now it's pretty much her favorite thing in the world. I can surround her with all kinds of stuff while she's sitting on the floor playing, and all I have to is hold it up, make it chime and she kicks her legs and yelps like it's the coolest thing she's ever seen.

Then she grabs it and tries to put it in her mouth.

I'm pretty sure you can't get them in America, but it you've got a friend (or a mom and dad) who are going to Japan anytime soon, I'd recommend asking for one.

Here's the Google translation of the Toyroyal page where the "baby's fun" rattle "Super chime" is found (750 yen = a little over $7.00).

Mini DVD.

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CyberhomeminidvdA lesson I learned: when you’re at a convention of thousands of electronics vendors, if someone tells you they are the only people making a particular type of product, it might not be true. After reading on Gizmodo about the Samsung DVD jr. I decided to check it out for myself. It’s an OK idea for a kid’s product: take the somewhat useless mini DVD format (smaller 3 inch discs, up to 80 minutes of program time) and put children’s movies and cartoons on them. The rep at Samsung said that they already had Universal, Paramount, Warner Brothers, New Line (and unofficially Disney in a week or two) making mini DVDs with their kid’s movies. The Samsung product looked OK. It’s kind of bulky and has a small screen, but the rep assured me that it tested well with the kids. Oh, and it will retail for around $129.99.

Then later on that day I saw mini DVD player from Cyberhome (pictured above). This was basically the exact same thing (same small screen size) except the player had a clamshell design like a Gameboy, didn’t have the rechargeable battery, and it will retail for $99.99. As long as the discs aren’t that expensive it might be something a kid would enjoy, I’m not sure. Both should be available nationwide in March.

My favorite gift I gave.

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Remote_trexEven though this was the first Christmas with my baby girl, I have to say the best gift I gave this year went to my 4 year old nephew - the Discovery Remote Control T-Rex. It's a dinosaur that works with an infrared remote control so you can make it roar, move it's head and mouth and walk forward. The buttons were really easy for him to figure out how to work, you just needed to make sure you pointed the remote directly at it. It even has rubbery skin and eyes that move when it moves it's mouth.

This was the dinosaur toy of my youth. Although it was rad, it's nice to see that things are improving.

The Babbler

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BabblerChristmas has come and gone and all-in-all I think it was pretty successful. My dinner (grilled turkey) came out really good and, as expected, Madame got lots of loot. There are a few things she got that I’m particularly interested in (some of which I’ll probably blog about later), but one of the more interesting things is The Babbler.

The Babbler is this plush toy that speaks Spanish, French and Japanese to the baby when it’s shook or moved. Not a particularly revolutionary idea, but instead of just saying phrases or words The Babbler concentrates on vocal sounds not found in English. It repeats the sound three times, and then says the word. For instance, when it’s in French mode, it will say “ru, ru, ru, rouge.” The idea is that if a child is exposed to these different vocal sounds early on in life, then it will be that much easier for them to learn the language when they get older. Kind of a cool idea and it’s not too annoying to listen to (yet). It has two volume levels and it seems pretty solid, though it is kind of heavy (for a child’s toy).

It’s out of stock at Amazon.com, but my sister got it at geniusbabies.com (geniusbabies has a much more in-depth explanation of it as well).

Toys, gifts, and more toys.

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It's probably because I'm not done shopping yet, but I’ve got gifts (especially toys) on the brain. Here are some gift related items I’m lumping together this morning:

Fresh wooden toys.

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WoodenfelissimotoysA brief andoddly depressing trip to a Kay-Bee toy store this past weekend has only helped me come to the realization that most kid’s toys are plastic pieces of crap. For every well conceived and well-made product, there are twenty more cheap, plastic things that beep or make some other sort of annoying noise. And then there are twenty more just as cheaply made, but with some sort of television or movie tie-in. I know I’m probably a little naïve about this (I don’t have a toddler demanding Dora the Explorer stuff yet), but wouldn’t some good design and a little old-school craftsmanship be better?

Then last night I saw these wooden toys on Boing Boing. They’re designed by Rodney Alan Greenblat, a guy who among other things is apparently the genius that designed the characters in PaRappa the Rapper (one of the only Playstation video games my wife would play with me back in the day). The toys are part of a line of products he designed for a Japanese catalog company called Felissimo, and they look pretty cool to me. Boing Boing recommends the Crazy Box, Wooden Man and Bird Clock, which seems to have worked because they are sold out of all of them (more will be available on the 15th).