My Kid is Smarter Than Yours|Don’t cry. I don’t hold it against you.
Oct
31
Filed Under (Parenting) by Corey
Adam Johnes asked:
Whether for entertainment or utility, people increasingly use mobile technology to stay connected while they travel. The wide range of affordable high-tech products can also make family vacations all the more enjoyable.
Instead of overloading the car with Lego bricks and coloring books, many parents are taking along all-in-one gadgets, such as smartphones, to keep children entertained. Kids stay busy surfing the Web, playing games and snapping photos. Smartphones, such as the Palm Treo smartphone, combine a mobile phone, Internet access, e-mail, organizer, games and more into one compact device. And, for those who want to maximize battery life, a separate Treo TripKit conveniently stows a car charger, extra battery and more in one neat traveling pouch.
Not only can parents avoid overpacking the car with a DVD player, laptop and other unnecessary luggage, but these all-in-one devices can help keep the whole family happy. Parents can use smartphones to:
1. Track expenses for gas, food and last-minute supplies.
2. Let children snap photos of interesting roadside landmarks with the built-in camera.
3. Replace crumpled maps and avoid getting lost with a portable GPS device accessory, such as the Palm GPS Navigator.
4. Sing along to the family’s favorite songs downloaded on the smartphone’s MP3 player.
5. Instantly e-mail vacation photos to friends and family.
6. Edit last-minute Word or Excel documents for work.
7. Organize a Tic-Tac-Toe contest for the kids using the digital note pad.
8. Find the nearest gas station, restaurant or motel using Palm’s GPS Navigator database containing more than 4.5 million landmarks.
9. Keep children entertained with their favorite TV show using applications such as MobiTV (sold separately).
10. Download and read an eBook to help pass the time.
The latest, smartest, all-in-one phones may soon become a favorite vacation accessory for on-the-go families.
By: Adam Johnes
Whether for entertainment or utility, people increasingly use mobile technology to stay connected while they travel. The wide range of affordable high-tech products can also make family vacations all the more enjoyable.
Instead of overloading the car with Lego bricks and coloring books, many parents are taking along all-in-one gadgets, such as smartphones, to keep children entertained. Kids stay busy surfing the Web, playing games and snapping photos. Smartphones, such as the Palm Treo smartphone, combine a mobile phone, Internet access, e-mail, organizer, games and more into one compact device. And, for those who want to maximize battery life, a separate Treo TripKit conveniently stows a car charger, extra battery and more in one neat traveling pouch.
Not only can parents avoid overpacking the car with a DVD player, laptop and other unnecessary luggage, but these all-in-one devices can help keep the whole family happy. Parents can use smartphones to:
1. Track expenses for gas, food and last-minute supplies.
2. Let children snap photos of interesting roadside landmarks with the built-in camera.
3. Replace crumpled maps and avoid getting lost with a portable GPS device accessory, such as the Palm GPS Navigator.
4. Sing along to the family’s favorite songs downloaded on the smartphone’s MP3 player.
5. Instantly e-mail vacation photos to friends and family.
6. Edit last-minute Word or Excel documents for work.
7. Organize a Tic-Tac-Toe contest for the kids using the digital note pad.
8. Find the nearest gas station, restaurant or motel using Palm’s GPS Navigator database containing more than 4.5 million landmarks.
9. Keep children entertained with their favorite TV show using applications such as MobiTV (sold separately).
10. Download and read an eBook to help pass the time.
The latest, smartest, all-in-one phones may soon become a favorite vacation accessory for on-the-go families.
By: Adam Johnes
Oct
31
Filed Under (Home And Family) by Corey
divprod asked:
I have heard numerous times that children exposed to music and that children that study music are almost always higher in intelligence than the children that do not study music. (ex. piano, flute, clarinet, voice etc.)
I have heard numerous times that children exposed to music and that children that study music are almost always higher in intelligence than the children that do not study music. (ex. piano, flute, clarinet, voice etc.)
Oct
30
Reba K asked:
Neil Bush has come up with a robot teaching tool that has teachers in a number of States shocked that they can’t get normal school supplies but they’re being forced to purchase the expensive computer for tens of thousands of dollars. Some teachers who’ve tested it say the device is useless. They insist that teacher interaction is better. But Neil’s company has sucessfully pushed 1700 machines on school heads so far.
Neil Bush has come up with a robot teaching tool that has teachers in a number of States shocked that they can’t get normal school supplies but they’re being forced to purchase the expensive computer for tens of thousands of dollars. Some teachers who’ve tested it say the device is useless. They insist that teacher interaction is better. But Neil’s company has sucessfully pushed 1700 machines on school heads so far.
You can’t even get basics like paper and scissors, and we went
out and bought them. I just see red, one teacher said. Sources familiar with the Bush program said pressure to buy Bush’s toy- like device comes from influential Republicans who orchestrated initial funding from huge foreign donations, i.e. Saudia Arabia and Russia.
Some school administrators aren’t afraid to speak up. I wouldn’t advise anyone else to use it, said Supt. Paul Vranish.
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-ignite22oct22,0,4402778.story?track=tottext
Oct
29
Filed Under (Parenting) by Corey
Oct
29
Filed Under (Parenting) by Corey
melinamenny asked:
Toys And Babies
The mind’s eye can never really picture a baby without a toy. Babies respond instinctively to their surroundings and toys become important as they stimulate the baby’s brain, thereby arousing interest and inquisitiveness. Moreover, the young age is when an individual learns the most and also the fastest. Everything around a baby is new to him/ her and yet within a few months, they grow an inherent awareness that helps them distinguish between objects, touches, sounds and colors. Therefore it is essential that kids be provided with the right kind of toys that will aid their learning processes.
In infancy, babies have a blurred vision, and cannot focus clearly on things at a distance. So their first memories are invariably associated with color. Red, white and black are among the first colors they can observe and distinguish between. An infant should therefore be given a lot of soft toys in bright colors. Rattles, wind chimes, cot toys, or brightly colored mobiles are also exciting for a kid as the noise and shape attracts them and engages their curiosity.
At a slightly older age, educational toys like wooden blocks of various colors and shapes teach children about colors, shapes and sizes. These toys teach a child interactive and interpretive skills at a very basic level. Cognitive skills also start getting developed when variations of these toys are given, for example, when a child has to sort the blocks according to color, or drop them in boxes depending on the size or shape.
Games like puzzles, jigsaws, beads, construction toys help promote the reasoning and analytical abilities in a child. Books with alphabets, numericals, or pictures are also great learning toys for children. They can observe the different objects in nature and relate them to the information in the books. This is probably one of the fastest learning processes in a child. Often there are books which allow a child to listen to the sounds made by animals, or even get a feel of their furs and hence distinguish one from the other.
Different furniture around the room can also be a learning toy for the child. For example, a baby will quickly observe and learn that meals are to be had at the dining table, while the sofas are places where one lounges. Similarly, the bath tub is a fascinating place for a toddler as he/ she subconsciously reacts to the interplay between the body and the water, and the ripples caused by the movements.
Child psychologists and researchers have established the deep connection between the child’s overall development and the learning toys and there is a constant effort to create unique learning toys that will enhance and nurture the development in babies.
Toys And Babies
The mind’s eye can never really picture a baby without a toy. Babies respond instinctively to their surroundings and toys become important as they stimulate the baby’s brain, thereby arousing interest and inquisitiveness. Moreover, the young age is when an individual learns the most and also the fastest. Everything around a baby is new to him/ her and yet within a few months, they grow an inherent awareness that helps them distinguish between objects, touches, sounds and colors. Therefore it is essential that kids be provided with the right kind of toys that will aid their learning processes.
In infancy, babies have a blurred vision, and cannot focus clearly on things at a distance. So their first memories are invariably associated with color. Red, white and black are among the first colors they can observe and distinguish between. An infant should therefore be given a lot of soft toys in bright colors. Rattles, wind chimes, cot toys, or brightly colored mobiles are also exciting for a kid as the noise and shape attracts them and engages their curiosity.
At a slightly older age, educational toys like wooden blocks of various colors and shapes teach children about colors, shapes and sizes. These toys teach a child interactive and interpretive skills at a very basic level. Cognitive skills also start getting developed when variations of these toys are given, for example, when a child has to sort the blocks according to color, or drop them in boxes depending on the size or shape.
Games like puzzles, jigsaws, beads, construction toys help promote the reasoning and analytical abilities in a child. Books with alphabets, numericals, or pictures are also great learning toys for children. They can observe the different objects in nature and relate them to the information in the books. This is probably one of the fastest learning processes in a child. Often there are books which allow a child to listen to the sounds made by animals, or even get a feel of their furs and hence distinguish one from the other.
Different furniture around the room can also be a learning toy for the child. For example, a baby will quickly observe and learn that meals are to be had at the dining table, while the sofas are places where one lounges. Similarly, the bath tub is a fascinating place for a toddler as he/ she subconsciously reacts to the interplay between the body and the water, and the ripples caused by the movements.
Child psychologists and researchers have established the deep connection between the child’s overall development and the learning toys and there is a constant effort to create unique learning toys that will enhance and nurture the development in babies.
Oct
28
Filed Under (Parenting) by Corey
Kenneth Scott asked:
How often have you looked back and thought that much of what you studied in school has proved to be irrelevant. If you can think like this and agree to this statement, imagine what you children go through when they go through boring lesson after lesson, doing homework and studying while not understanding the actual reason why they are being subjected to such boring information.
The fact is that unless a task has relevance for us, it looses its importance. Many kids crib about how boring mathematics is or how difficult and irrelevant science seems to them.
It is up to the parents and teachers to make these learning a fun activity with a meaning so that the kids can appreciate why they are learning certain things. Experiments, real life examples and expedition can bring alive the information in text books.
Today there are many companies with presence on the website that provide helpful learning tools guised as games to make learning a fun-filled activity. You may have seen that younger kids **** reading and it is impossible to find a magazine or book that will interest them. But hand them over a video game and they will be busy for hours together.
Even as video games per se have no informational content, there are many reading tools that come in the format of a video game, endearing itself to the child in the first instance. Role playing is one such category of games that can be adapted to video games and as the child goes through the instructions in the games and moves from level to level, the reading skills are honed. Depending on the role that is being played the child can learn maths skills by buying items in a virtual store, selling and managing a business and much more.
They can also acquire better reasoning skills by working their way through various obstacles and reaching their goals. There are also some games that enable the children to understand what they study in school better. These learning games have options that you can choose from and include demonstrations of the experiments that they have done in school, the option of running and managing a theme park, learning how to conceptualize and build things and more.
There are also options of board learning games that can be played with the family. These prove to be a nice way in which your child can learn while spending time with you.
The best part is that kids do not realize that they are learning skills that they need to acquire while playing thee games. It is the best situation where they get to play a game while you can ensure that they are learning and acquiring the skills that they are supposed to.
How often have you looked back and thought that much of what you studied in school has proved to be irrelevant. If you can think like this and agree to this statement, imagine what you children go through when they go through boring lesson after lesson, doing homework and studying while not understanding the actual reason why they are being subjected to such boring information.
The fact is that unless a task has relevance for us, it looses its importance. Many kids crib about how boring mathematics is or how difficult and irrelevant science seems to them.
It is up to the parents and teachers to make these learning a fun activity with a meaning so that the kids can appreciate why they are learning certain things. Experiments, real life examples and expedition can bring alive the information in text books.
Today there are many companies with presence on the website that provide helpful learning tools guised as games to make learning a fun-filled activity. You may have seen that younger kids **** reading and it is impossible to find a magazine or book that will interest them. But hand them over a video game and they will be busy for hours together.
Even as video games per se have no informational content, there are many reading tools that come in the format of a video game, endearing itself to the child in the first instance. Role playing is one such category of games that can be adapted to video games and as the child goes through the instructions in the games and moves from level to level, the reading skills are honed. Depending on the role that is being played the child can learn maths skills by buying items in a virtual store, selling and managing a business and much more.
They can also acquire better reasoning skills by working their way through various obstacles and reaching their goals. There are also some games that enable the children to understand what they study in school better. These learning games have options that you can choose from and include demonstrations of the experiments that they have done in school, the option of running and managing a theme park, learning how to conceptualize and build things and more.
There are also options of board learning games that can be played with the family. These prove to be a nice way in which your child can learn while spending time with you.
The best part is that kids do not realize that they are learning skills that they need to acquire while playing thee games. It is the best situation where they get to play a game while you can ensure that they are learning and acquiring the skills that they are supposed to.
Oct
28
Filed Under (Friends) by Corey
sw!sshy.!. asked:
i just need it for my news in our newspaper at school.
i just need the name. and how you raise your child. like, if you need to adjust or whichever. thanks,
by the way, how your parents help the genius child with their situations what do they do. and any suggestions how?
i just need it for my news in our newspaper at school.
i just need the name. and how you raise your child. like, if you need to adjust or whichever. thanks,
by the way, how your parents help the genius child with their situations what do they do. and any suggestions how?Oct
27
Filed Under (Electronics) by Corey
Roberto Sedycias asked:
Every parent wants to see their kids happy, cheerful and smiling all the time. So, they want to bring their kids happiness in every possible way. When it comes to gifting your child something, there is nothing like offering them an elegant and sleek digital camera. However, buying a digital camera for them could be extremely daunting task as you may not be aware of their personal taste and liking. At the same time, you would want to pleasantly surprise your kid with a gift and hence, would keep it a secret. This article will tell you what to keep in mind while purchasing a digital camera for gifting your child.
The Latest & Most Sought-after:
The digital camera that you are buying for your kid should be the latest trend and the most demandable one. Go for the one which is being heavily advertised and popularly talked about. This will give you child immense happiness and a sense of pride. Besides, it will make your kids really proud of the possession and will make them feel special.
Elegant Design:
Children have a knack of being excited by the looks of their possessions. So, while buying a camera ensure that it must have elegant look to impress your children. It doesn`t really matter to them if the camera has a big screen or whether it is 2 mega pixel. What matters a lot to them is whether the camera has got a smart shape, flashy colors, and funky look. Kids are not pretty amazed by gadgets that look boring or serious. Hence, you have to carry this factor in mind while buying a digital camera for your child.
Compact Size:
Children like their gadgets small, funky and compact. So you need to select a digital camera for your kid that should be small and compact in size. While you choose a camera, weigh it by your hands and see if it would be comfortable for your kid to carry or hang round their shoulder. Don`t go for large and bulky models even if they have attractive features, they will not catch the fancy of your kids.
Fun Features:
The gift to your kids might be meant for taking pictures for school projects, however, they will be using it for taking pictures of their friends and for some really fun activities. Hence, try to choose a digital camera that has maximum fun features. It may be colorful background images, sound effects or wonderful photographic effective. You can truly win the heart of your kids if you offer them a camera that best fits their interests and activities.
Easy Usability:
The digital camera you buy for your children should have easy functionality for them. They should find it easy to use their camera without much problem. For example, the `click ability` factor should be taken into consideration as it could be confusing for some kids. In short, the camera gifted by you should have simple system through which children can easily take pictures quickly and efficiently. However, children these days are much smarter and gadget geeks and they pick up really fast.
Price:
It is really understandable that you don`t want to spend a fortune on buying a digital camera for your children. Luckily, there are lots of choices available in the market and the prices of digital cameras start from as low as 30 USD to 300 USD. Hence, it really depends how much you want to spend for the gift of your kids. However, it is advisable that you should start simple and upgrade it if you notice that your kids grow out of the one you have bought for them.
So, consider these factors into account and buy your kids a digital camera so that they can take their favorite pictures. Who knows, they can be a talented photographer in future!
This article is under GNU FDL license and can be distributed without any previous authorization from the author. However the author’s name and all the URLs (links) mentioned in the article and biography must be kept.
Every parent wants to see their kids happy, cheerful and smiling all the time. So, they want to bring their kids happiness in every possible way. When it comes to gifting your child something, there is nothing like offering them an elegant and sleek digital camera. However, buying a digital camera for them could be extremely daunting task as you may not be aware of their personal taste and liking. At the same time, you would want to pleasantly surprise your kid with a gift and hence, would keep it a secret. This article will tell you what to keep in mind while purchasing a digital camera for gifting your child.
The Latest & Most Sought-after:
The digital camera that you are buying for your kid should be the latest trend and the most demandable one. Go for the one which is being heavily advertised and popularly talked about. This will give you child immense happiness and a sense of pride. Besides, it will make your kids really proud of the possession and will make them feel special.
Elegant Design:
Children have a knack of being excited by the looks of their possessions. So, while buying a camera ensure that it must have elegant look to impress your children. It doesn`t really matter to them if the camera has a big screen or whether it is 2 mega pixel. What matters a lot to them is whether the camera has got a smart shape, flashy colors, and funky look. Kids are not pretty amazed by gadgets that look boring or serious. Hence, you have to carry this factor in mind while buying a digital camera for your child.
Compact Size:
Children like their gadgets small, funky and compact. So you need to select a digital camera for your kid that should be small and compact in size. While you choose a camera, weigh it by your hands and see if it would be comfortable for your kid to carry or hang round their shoulder. Don`t go for large and bulky models even if they have attractive features, they will not catch the fancy of your kids.
Fun Features:
The gift to your kids might be meant for taking pictures for school projects, however, they will be using it for taking pictures of their friends and for some really fun activities. Hence, try to choose a digital camera that has maximum fun features. It may be colorful background images, sound effects or wonderful photographic effective. You can truly win the heart of your kids if you offer them a camera that best fits their interests and activities.
Easy Usability:
The digital camera you buy for your children should have easy functionality for them. They should find it easy to use their camera without much problem. For example, the `click ability` factor should be taken into consideration as it could be confusing for some kids. In short, the camera gifted by you should have simple system through which children can easily take pictures quickly and efficiently. However, children these days are much smarter and gadget geeks and they pick up really fast.
Price:
It is really understandable that you don`t want to spend a fortune on buying a digital camera for your children. Luckily, there are lots of choices available in the market and the prices of digital cameras start from as low as 30 USD to 300 USD. Hence, it really depends how much you want to spend for the gift of your kids. However, it is advisable that you should start simple and upgrade it if you notice that your kids grow out of the one you have bought for them.
So, consider these factors into account and buy your kids a digital camera so that they can take their favorite pictures. Who knows, they can be a talented photographer in future!
This article is under GNU FDL license and can be distributed without any previous authorization from the author. However the author’s name and all the URLs (links) mentioned in the article and biography must be kept.
Oct
26
Filed Under (Parenting) by Corey
Krista QQ(www.123giftfactory.com) asked:
All toy companies are eager to grow sales in a stagnant $22 billion market, they want to know which toys are “hot” for the year. Invariably, the toy trends for the year are strongly influenced by movies being released that year. This year, there are some awesome icons vying for our attention - Indiana Jones, the Incredible Hulk, Iron Man and Batman. Aside from these superheroes, the hot toy trends for 2008 also include dinosaurs, robots, musical toys and of course, web connected toys!
Aside from these, “Electronics and the Internet. That’s what kids are obsessed about today,” said Jim Silver, editor and co-publisher of Toy Wishes magazine. “They have an iPod, they are on Facebook and some are e-mailing by age five.”
1. Web Connected Toys
IToysWe all know and love Webkinz, the pioneer of the “virtual toy” revolution. Webkinz is still doing very well and now has been joined by several other toy manufacturers. Russ’s Shining Stars, TY Girlz, Barbie and now even TY’s Beanie Babies. Aside from dolls and plush toys, there’s a brand new preschool game which nicely incorporates play and technology. It’s called Me2 from IToys. Also worth noting is Clickables, a wonderful line of toys from Technosource. Clickables integrates the virtual world of Disney Fairies with toys for girls. There are a lot of other web connected toys and dolls. My collegue, the Doll Collecting guide, has a great article up on the virtual doll trend.
2. Dinosaur Toys
Dinosaurs have been around for a while now, (remember the very recent Pleo?), but they certainly made their presence felt at the Toy Fair! Here is one dinosaur which was hard to miss - Kota the Triceratops from Playskool. This friendly creature is pretty tall at approximately 40 feet and is equipped with sensors, which when activated, make him move his head, tail and horns. Kids will enjoy sitting on this playful (and very pricey) creature. Another dino in the spotlight comes to use from Mattel. D-Rex, a remote controlled dinosaur with a lot of different sounds and realistic motions aims to fascinate kids this year.
3. Indiana Jones Toys
HasbroIndiana Jones is really something to look forward to this year. The movie Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is slated to be one of the hot movies of 2008. It’s no wonder then, that Lego, Hasbro and the rest have jumped onto Indy’s bandwagon! The plot of the movie isn’t yet revealed fully. Still, Lego had some wonderful sets based on Indiana Jones. The Indiana Jones LEGO sets include Indiana Jones Temple Escape, Indiana Jones Race for the Stolen Treasure, Indiana Jones and the Lost Tomb and Indiana Jones Motorcycle Chase. Some of Hasbro’s Indiana Jones offerings include Mr Potato Head: Taters of the Lost Ark, Indiana Jones Sound FX Whip and of course Indiana Jones action figures.
4. Science and Nature Related Toys
Jakks PacificI noticed a large variety of Science Kits and nature themed toys at this year’s Toy Fair. Elmers (the glue company) had some really cool science kits represented by Bill Nye, the science guy. Scientific Explorer had a lot of fun kits to offer where kids can experiment with fascinating stuff like bubbles, perfumes, volcanoes and more. The biggie in the science category is none other than EyeClops from Jakks Pacific, which has updated versions(read night vision and higher magnification) available. Also, Uncle Milton of the Ant Farm fame had some cool Indiana Jones based products to show.
5. Batman - The Dark Knight Toys
MattelThe new Batman movie, The Dark Knight is slated to be released later this year. Mattel has a host of Batman related toys and action figures up their sleeve. The Stealth Batmobile and the Wayne Tech Tri Fire Blaster are must haves. Apart from those two, there are a lot of pretend play options and Batman action figures from Mattel. Lego also has some great Batman themed construction sets for release this year.
6. Speed Racer Toys
MattelSpeed Racer is another big movie franchise on which Mattel has a great lineup of toys. I know that Hot Wheels has a Morph Mach 6 vehicle and an interactive helmet to offer as well as the Speed Racer Sky Jump Track Set among other toy vehicles. The movie should spark off a craze for racing and toy cars which is going to be huge. Lego also had some great Speed Racer kits on display at Toy Fair. Personally, I think this is THE franchise to watch out for.
7. Animated Toys/Robots
Fisher-PriceOk, so by now everyone must have heard of Elmo Live, right? Well, the animated toy trend seems to be very prevalent this year with Elmo Live, Hasbro’s Biscuit, Playskool’s Kota the Triceratops, Tomy’s ISobot and more. While I’m on the topic, let me mention that I just previewed an adorable duckling from Hasbro’s Furreal Friends line - it’s too cute for words. Just like me, it seems like everyone enjoys seeing animated animals nowadays!
8. Iron Man Toys
HasbroHasbro has a fantastic line of action figures based on the Iron Man. This is another movie franchise for this year which is going to be popular with Marvel fans.
9. Green Toys
It’s no wonder that everyone is focusing on healthy and safe play this year. The “green” theme is predominant with many toy firms promoting their eco-friendly products. One toy manufacturer which I really liked was Plan toys from Indonesia which had a wonderful lineup of natural wooden toys. There were some toys made out of recycled milk bottles from a company called Green Toys. They had tea sets, gardening sets and beach sand sets on display which looked very appealing. I also noticed the Kapla line of wooden construction planks which falls into the “green” category as well. 12. Classic Toys - Lots of Anniversaries!
10. The Incredible Hulk Toys
HasbroThe Hulk was at a lot of places at Toy Fair 2008. I specially loved the Kid Designs line of Hulk laptops and learning toys. Hasbro has a fantastic lineup of Hulk toys including the much awaited Hulk Smash Hands, a plush animated Hulk toy, conventional Hulk action figures, a Hulk power glow electronic mask, a Hulk dart blaster and much more. Looks like “green” is popular in more ways than one!
11. Musical Toys
KID Designs For the last couple of years, toys based on musical instruments have really grown in popularity. Remember Piano Wizard, Piano Made Easy, I Can Play Guitar, Guitar Hero and the other toys on similar lines? This, along with musical toys based on celebrities like Hannah Montana and hit TV shows like American Idol practically dominated the musical toy scene. This year, the trend continues with some more Hannah Montana toys, new DVD games based on American Idol (KIDDesigns has an awesome American Idol DVD game) and much more. Stay tuned. (pun not intended)
12. Keyboard for toddlers, Wallcrawler Spiderman
The portable DVD player is made to withstand a kid’s abuse. It features a 3.2-inch color TFT screen, rechargeable batteries with a two-hour lifespan, an anti-skip buffer, grip handles and a stand for hands-free viewing. The player, which plays DVDs and CDs, comes with a battery charger and wall power unit, a video output jack, and a headphone jack.
13. Wall Crawler Spider-Man
“Wall Crawler Spider-Man” is a standout innovation from Hasbro. The remote-controlled Spider-Man toy, which incorporates vacuum-pump technology, actually crawls ups and down walls.
Last, but not the least, classic toys are very much in the forefront. This year, many classics were celebrating their anniversaries. Hasbro’s My Little Pony celebrated their 25th anniversary with a lovely birthday party at the Hasbro showroom, complete with a cake cutting! Cabbage Patch Kids celebrates it’s 25th anniversary as well. The LEGO brick celebrates its 50th anniversary with a commemorative gold brick. Other brands celebrating this year include Scholastic’s Clifford, the big red dog, the Toy Company’s Wham-O and Mary Meyer (who is turning 75 this year). We’ll wind up with congratulating Hasbro’s Mr Potato Head who is turning 80 this year. Way to go!
All toy companies are eager to grow sales in a stagnant $22 billion market, they want to know which toys are “hot” for the year. Invariably, the toy trends for the year are strongly influenced by movies being released that year. This year, there are some awesome icons vying for our attention - Indiana Jones, the Incredible Hulk, Iron Man and Batman. Aside from these superheroes, the hot toy trends for 2008 also include dinosaurs, robots, musical toys and of course, web connected toys!
Aside from these, “Electronics and the Internet. That’s what kids are obsessed about today,” said Jim Silver, editor and co-publisher of Toy Wishes magazine. “They have an iPod, they are on Facebook and some are e-mailing by age five.”
1. Web Connected Toys
IToysWe all know and love Webkinz, the pioneer of the “virtual toy” revolution. Webkinz is still doing very well and now has been joined by several other toy manufacturers. Russ’s Shining Stars, TY Girlz, Barbie and now even TY’s Beanie Babies. Aside from dolls and plush toys, there’s a brand new preschool game which nicely incorporates play and technology. It’s called Me2 from IToys. Also worth noting is Clickables, a wonderful line of toys from Technosource. Clickables integrates the virtual world of Disney Fairies with toys for girls. There are a lot of other web connected toys and dolls. My collegue, the Doll Collecting guide, has a great article up on the virtual doll trend.
2. Dinosaur Toys
Dinosaurs have been around for a while now, (remember the very recent Pleo?), but they certainly made their presence felt at the Toy Fair! Here is one dinosaur which was hard to miss - Kota the Triceratops from Playskool. This friendly creature is pretty tall at approximately 40 feet and is equipped with sensors, which when activated, make him move his head, tail and horns. Kids will enjoy sitting on this playful (and very pricey) creature. Another dino in the spotlight comes to use from Mattel. D-Rex, a remote controlled dinosaur with a lot of different sounds and realistic motions aims to fascinate kids this year.
3. Indiana Jones Toys
HasbroIndiana Jones is really something to look forward to this year. The movie Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is slated to be one of the hot movies of 2008. It’s no wonder then, that Lego, Hasbro and the rest have jumped onto Indy’s bandwagon! The plot of the movie isn’t yet revealed fully. Still, Lego had some wonderful sets based on Indiana Jones. The Indiana Jones LEGO sets include Indiana Jones Temple Escape, Indiana Jones Race for the Stolen Treasure, Indiana Jones and the Lost Tomb and Indiana Jones Motorcycle Chase. Some of Hasbro’s Indiana Jones offerings include Mr Potato Head: Taters of the Lost Ark, Indiana Jones Sound FX Whip and of course Indiana Jones action figures.
4. Science and Nature Related Toys
Jakks PacificI noticed a large variety of Science Kits and nature themed toys at this year’s Toy Fair. Elmers (the glue company) had some really cool science kits represented by Bill Nye, the science guy. Scientific Explorer had a lot of fun kits to offer where kids can experiment with fascinating stuff like bubbles, perfumes, volcanoes and more. The biggie in the science category is none other than EyeClops from Jakks Pacific, which has updated versions(read night vision and higher magnification) available. Also, Uncle Milton of the Ant Farm fame had some cool Indiana Jones based products to show.
5. Batman - The Dark Knight Toys
MattelThe new Batman movie, The Dark Knight is slated to be released later this year. Mattel has a host of Batman related toys and action figures up their sleeve. The Stealth Batmobile and the Wayne Tech Tri Fire Blaster are must haves. Apart from those two, there are a lot of pretend play options and Batman action figures from Mattel. Lego also has some great Batman themed construction sets for release this year.
6. Speed Racer Toys
MattelSpeed Racer is another big movie franchise on which Mattel has a great lineup of toys. I know that Hot Wheels has a Morph Mach 6 vehicle and an interactive helmet to offer as well as the Speed Racer Sky Jump Track Set among other toy vehicles. The movie should spark off a craze for racing and toy cars which is going to be huge. Lego also had some great Speed Racer kits on display at Toy Fair. Personally, I think this is THE franchise to watch out for.
7. Animated Toys/Robots
Fisher-PriceOk, so by now everyone must have heard of Elmo Live, right? Well, the animated toy trend seems to be very prevalent this year with Elmo Live, Hasbro’s Biscuit, Playskool’s Kota the Triceratops, Tomy’s ISobot and more. While I’m on the topic, let me mention that I just previewed an adorable duckling from Hasbro’s Furreal Friends line - it’s too cute for words. Just like me, it seems like everyone enjoys seeing animated animals nowadays!
8. Iron Man Toys
HasbroHasbro has a fantastic line of action figures based on the Iron Man. This is another movie franchise for this year which is going to be popular with Marvel fans.
9. Green Toys
It’s no wonder that everyone is focusing on healthy and safe play this year. The “green” theme is predominant with many toy firms promoting their eco-friendly products. One toy manufacturer which I really liked was Plan toys from Indonesia which had a wonderful lineup of natural wooden toys. There were some toys made out of recycled milk bottles from a company called Green Toys. They had tea sets, gardening sets and beach sand sets on display which looked very appealing. I also noticed the Kapla line of wooden construction planks which falls into the “green” category as well. 12. Classic Toys - Lots of Anniversaries!
10. The Incredible Hulk Toys
HasbroThe Hulk was at a lot of places at Toy Fair 2008. I specially loved the Kid Designs line of Hulk laptops and learning toys. Hasbro has a fantastic lineup of Hulk toys including the much awaited Hulk Smash Hands, a plush animated Hulk toy, conventional Hulk action figures, a Hulk power glow electronic mask, a Hulk dart blaster and much more. Looks like “green” is popular in more ways than one!
11. Musical Toys
KID Designs For the last couple of years, toys based on musical instruments have really grown in popularity. Remember Piano Wizard, Piano Made Easy, I Can Play Guitar, Guitar Hero and the other toys on similar lines? This, along with musical toys based on celebrities like Hannah Montana and hit TV shows like American Idol practically dominated the musical toy scene. This year, the trend continues with some more Hannah Montana toys, new DVD games based on American Idol (KIDDesigns has an awesome American Idol DVD game) and much more. Stay tuned. (pun not intended)
12. Keyboard for toddlers, Wallcrawler Spiderman
The portable DVD player is made to withstand a kid’s abuse. It features a 3.2-inch color TFT screen, rechargeable batteries with a two-hour lifespan, an anti-skip buffer, grip handles and a stand for hands-free viewing. The player, which plays DVDs and CDs, comes with a battery charger and wall power unit, a video output jack, and a headphone jack.
13. Wall Crawler Spider-Man
“Wall Crawler Spider-Man” is a standout innovation from Hasbro. The remote-controlled Spider-Man toy, which incorporates vacuum-pump technology, actually crawls ups and down walls.
Last, but not the least, classic toys are very much in the forefront. This year, many classics were celebrating their anniversaries. Hasbro’s My Little Pony celebrated their 25th anniversary with a lovely birthday party at the Hasbro showroom, complete with a cake cutting! Cabbage Patch Kids celebrates it’s 25th anniversary as well. The LEGO brick celebrates its 50th anniversary with a commemorative gold brick. Other brands celebrating this year include Scholastic’s Clifford, the big red dog, the Toy Company’s Wham-O and Mary Meyer (who is turning 75 this year). We’ll wind up with congratulating Hasbro’s Mr Potato Head who is turning 80 this year. Way to go!
Oct
21
Filed Under (Home And Family) by Corey
A W asked:
Hi, I am in a playgroup where kids often snatch toys away from my son and moms seldomly correct their children. My son has learned to be selfish as a result and now refuses to share or cries when his things are taken from him. How do I teach him to share under such circumstances?
Hi, I am in a playgroup where kids often snatch toys away from my son and moms seldomly correct their children. My son has learned to be selfish as a result and now refuses to share or cries when his things are taken from him. How do I teach him to share under such circumstances?
