Category Archives: Toys

Matchbox Mega Rig toys = endless possibilities!

August 8, 2008Age 5-7, ToysAlicia

There aren’t many toys that keep Sebastian’s attention for longer than five minutes but these Matchbox Mega Rig toys do. The new Matchbox Big Rig Shuttle Mission toys are tons of fun. Each of Big Rig toy start off as one big toy and can be broken down into several individual vehicles.

One thing that I love about the Matchbox Big Rig toys is that they encourage kids to make up stories. With each toy breaking down into so many different pieces that can be individually played with, the story telling opportunities are endless. The age recommendation for these toys is 4-9. Sebastian will be 9 soon but he still finds lots of ways to play with them. The space shuttle even launches a rocket! The durability of these toys was tested by my 2 year old and they passed. Like any two year old, Madelyn can do a number on toys like these. If she knows something comes apart, she will do whatever it takes to make it happen even if it isn’t the right way. The toys have held up well though.. I impressed.

Another great thing that parents appreciate is that the toys don’t have to be put together in any particular way so kids are able to use their imagination when putting them back together and aren’t forced to figure out the right way to put them back together.

You can see what I mean by endless possibilities now, right?

Where to buy: Space Shuttle on Amazon.com OR Space Rover on Amazon.com

Jishaku magnet game – it’s addictive!

July 29, 2008Games, ToysAlicia

Jishaku1_2 Jishaku is the most entertaining game I’ve played in a long time. As you can see in the photograph, my husband is very entertained as well.

Jishaku is a game of magnetic attraction. Jishaku magnets like all magnets, have North and South poles. These smooth, shiny magnets aren’t marked though so you can’t tell which side is going to attract or repel neighboring magnets.

The game is played by placing one of your magnets in a hole in the foam game board and hope
that your magnet doesn’t attract magnets in nearby holes. If the magnet you just played does attract a magnet or multiple magnets, you have to take your magnet and the
magnets that attach to yours and put them back in your hand to play again. Players take turns until one player runs out of magnets

Continue reading Jishaku magnet game – it’s addictive! →

Xeko: an eco-friendly game that’s fun for kids and parents

July 29, 2008Games, Green, ToysAlicia

Sebastian and I are hooked on two games right now. One is Xeko: Mission China. Mission China is the newest Xeko mission. Xeko games are eco-conscious collectible, educational card games. The object of this game
is to build the strongest Xeko-system that balances resources and
species. In order to become a Xeko Master, your child must learn how to balance the eco-system. A player wins by running out of cards in her draw pile AND also must have the highest number of eco-points indicating that she knows how to balance the Xeko-system. Conserving cards is important too though, so like I said the game is all about balance. Sebastian and I were playing like pro’s within a couple of hours and it is so much fun to play!
Players must play a Species card on each turn or pass. Species cards must be linked together whether it be to your own Species card already in the field or your oponent’s species card.

Sebastian loves to go on the Xeko website to learn more about his Xeko species cards and play games. Add more fun to the game with booster packs. Booster packs come with 9 cards from a random selection of 150
cards. All Xeko collections are playable with one another, and players
can mix and match to build custom decks.

Your child
will learn interesting facts about endangered animals and their
habitats while playing Xeko!
Visit the Xeko website for a store near you or buy at Amazon.com.

Cahooties – a modern twist on the classic ‘fortune telling’ game

June 30, 2008Age 7-10, Games, ToysAlicia

Like most little girls, I spent hours folding paper
and playing the game of ‘fortune telling’ when I was a child. I was recently thrilled to learn about Cahootie, a game based off of the ‘fortune telling’ game and to share it with Sebastian, my eight year old son. Who say’s boys can’t play too? Despite the fact that Cahootie is geared toward girls onl Cahootiestickers
y, Sebastian enjoys the Sporty Girl Cahootie. I didn’t make a big deal of the game being for girls, so he doesn’t care.

Cahootie, available in several versions; Truth or
Dare, Wishes and Dreams, Sporty Girl, Birthday Wishes, Democrat, and Republican each featuring colorful designs and 40 re-positionable stickers, so the game changes as often as players want it to.

I quickly learned that Cahootie is tear-resistant. My 2 year old daughter and un-approved Cahootie tester put our review Cahootie to the test and I am pleased to say that the Cahootie withstood some rough treatment.

Priced at just $5.95, Cahootie make a great gift.

Cahootie.com, is an interactive website where free Cahootie templates are available for download and printing so your kids can make their own Cahootie and stickers. Join Club Cahootie and your kids can submit their own Cahootie designs to be featured on the website!

I have five Cahootie’s to giveaway! Sign up for our newsletter using the link above or come back to see when the giveaway starts.

Think-ets

June 22, 2008Age 7-10, Games, ToysAlicia

It’s inevitable; kids get antsy, bored, wound up, and just down right crazy when in the car for more than 10 minutes, waiting for the doctor, or waiting for their food at a restaurant. Don’t bring the Gameboy next time and see just how imaginative your kids can be with Think-ets. Think-ets is a game that brings out the imagination in your child and will fit in your pocket, diaper bag, purse, or carry-on bag.

Think-ets is a little mesh bag full of trinkets including a horse, a block, a little pair of pliers and more. Two or more ages 8 & up can participate in a Think-et game / story telling adventure. Think-ets is played by making up stories based on the trinkets each player draws before the game starts. For example, if I chose the horse, block, hat, and pliers, my story may start off something like this:

"Once upon a time there was a horse who was training for the Kentucky Derby. His owner Sally, would sit with her pretty hat on and watch her horse gallop and jump across the field. Meanwhile, her friend, Bob, was fixing the door to the horse’s pen with a pair of pliers and a screw driver while his daughter, Jill played with some blocks."

The second player continues the story based on the trinkets she drew. An alternate way of playing is to draw one trinket at a time, adding one sentence to the story on each turn instead of half of the story on one turn.

For $1.25 you can buy a
Geode "Cave to enhance the story telling experience and for $6.00 you can get a Agate "Stage" that players can use as a stage.

As you can probably tell, Think-ets will bring out the imagination in anyone. Stories can be as silly or serious as the players want.

Website: Think-ets