Toys for toddlers

A huge variety of toys, especially at Christmas, are launched each year. There are games and toys that flood the market throughout the year. There are so many that your kids will like many of them and choosing the best toddlers toys can be a difficult task if it is the ideal toy you are looking for.

Most toys can be purchased by gender or on the basis of their ages. For many years girls have always, and will always love to dress up dolls and play house. They love to use their tea sets and have afternoon tea with the little ladies. Boys, on the other hand, like toys that are rugged, big vehicles, building toys and things they can take apart.

Of course the age of the child is one of the most important factors in buying a toy for a child. Toddlers are less than four years old but a toy that is made for a two year old will not keep a four year occupied or happy. So the exact age of the recipient of the toy is important and not just what age group they fall into. Of course it goes without saying to be careful and do not buy anything hazardous.

For newborns you may prefer to buy teethers or rattles and for the slightly older ones you may want to get soft toys, musical instruments, blocks for building or a walker. The older ones can have dolls, playhouses, picture books or coloring books.

There are also toys just for education but the child will also get enjoyment from them. These types of toys are often times for the toddlers between two and four and help them with certain development skills like hand-eye coordination and memory skills. Just remember toys are good for children to have just know when it is appropriate to buy them and what kind.

Hasbro My3D

How would you like to turn your iPhone into a view master so you can view your apps in 3D? Well now you can but it is far from perfect. Idea behind the Hasbro My3D is a good idea, but the reality is not. The toy has a retro appeal of the old Viewmaster from the 1970’s, but the novelty soon wears off once you start to use it. Young kids will be amazed for a short while, but even they won’t be interested for long.

Form the outset The Hasbro My3D feels very cheap and mass-produced. Fair enough, it is a modern take on an old cheap and mass produced toy but the older one felt sturdier whereas this version feels like it could be snapped very easily. That could have something to do with the age we were when we had the original Viewmaster, and sat fascinated while we watched out favourite cartoons through it.

Even taking all that into consideration, there are still some glaring flaws and problems with this My3D. To start with, the mechanism by which you attach it to your iPhone was not designed for those with an average sized hand. It’s simple enough to hook up the My3D to the iPhone base, but the top hook up is a whole different ball game.

This is a two handed job, and takes dexterity to do everything at the same time so it connects properly. Overall, this is an okay product that could have been great if it had been designed better.

National Trust Top Trumps games

The National Trust has launched two new Top Trumps card games to help support the charitable work carried out by the Trust.

Everything from tanks to Transformers have featured in the Top Trumps card game so far, but now some of the country’s historic houses are set to battle it out in a new version of the game.

The National Trust game is being made available in Trust shops and online and features thirty historic places to visit in the UK going head-to-head in battles over acreage, film and TV appearances, hauntings and cups of tea consumed.

The game follows the successful National Trust Monopoly launched last year which gave people the chance to buy up their favourite places and develop visitor centres and holiday cottages.

Alan Parris – buyer for the National Trust – who masterminded the Trust version of the game, explained:

“The 30 properties were selected to show the great variety of the historic places looked after by the Trust. Games are a fun way of engaging people in what we do – but, better still, people also have the chance to visit and see for themselves. The game’s size makes it perfect for kids as they travel on days out, so could be ideal for the start of the holidays, but I am sure some grown-ups will be keen to get hold of it too.”

A new National Trust game of British Wildlife Top Trumps is also on sale, featuring 30 creatures living on Trust land, including adders and raft spiders.?

More info here

Perfect educational toys for Christmas

Most people have to purchase a children’s toy for someone on their Christmas list, which can be frustrating due to the high demand for certain must-have items.  This year, avoid the crazy rush by choosing to indulge the child on your list with an educational toy.

By doing so the child can get a toy that actually will help them develop and you get to rest easy with the satisfaction that you have made a positive contribution on their life.

One of the most popular tech-smart toys this year is the Nitro Web Notebook ‘Safe Surfing” product which has 70 interactive activities programmed into it that teach children everything from Spanish to science to art to maths.  The tiny classroom learner is also connected to the web, which means the content can always be updated and allows children to interact with peers also using the same device.

For younger children, the perfect gift may be the Kidizoom Digital Camera Plus, which allows small children to use the miniature digital camera that allows them to store up to 2000 photos of their own.  It is equipped with 2.0 mega pixel resolution and can be connected to a home computer or television so that children get to share their art with friends and family.

Finally, one more option for the child who is hard to shop for is the Expanded V Smile Motion Smartridge Library which contains titles from all of the most popular children’s characters such as NASCAR, Ni Hao Kai Lin, Handy Manny, UP, and plenty more.