Tuesday, June 29, 2010
LEGO puts its brand on New York City
To commemorate the grand opening, guests are invited to help to build a 16-foot high, 2 1/2 ton LEGO model of a giant red apple in honor of its hometown city. The first 500 guests to spend $35 in the store on Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday will receive an exclusive, limited-edition LEGO I love New York t-shirt! Shirts are available in child’s sizes only.
A LEGO lovers dream, the store features smaller scale LEGO versions of some Rockefeller Landmarks including its Prometheus and Atlas statues. Other cool happenings at the store include the opportunity to host a LEGO-themed parties at the store, take classes from "master builders" or attend club meetings with other LEGO fans.
The store also boasts the "world's largest" pick-a-brick wall with stacks of bins where customers can select any of 163 LEGO bricks.
The Last Airbender makes videogame debut
Kids to flip over Wild Planet games
For kids six years old and up comes Hyper Dash Extreme which kicks up the elements of the original game with more games and an upgrade from static targets to moving ones.
Under its Crayola line of branded games comes Guess My Picture, a game of creating and identifying pictures made from different shapes; Doodle Match, a memory game in which players practice matching colors and objects and Color Mix-A-Roo, a no-mess game of color-mixing that teaches basic blending skills.
Monday, June 28, 2010
Lots to Discover with new toy line
Look no further than your local retail store come fall when Discovery Channel debuts a broad (and truly interesting) line of toys in a variety of price points to meet everyone's budget.
Some of the most interesting items include some innovative items from the popular "Mythbusters" series including Mythbusters Hit the Target Game ($24.99) where players learn the answers to 400 myth-busting questions like "Can a penny kill someone if you drop it from the Empire State Building?"
Other favorites include the Teach & Talk Exploration Laptop ($19.99) which helps kids practice spelling, geography, music and more on this wireless laptop featuring a pivoting LCD screen, two-button mouse and over 60 challenging games and the 3D Pyramid Puzzle ($14.99), a cork-backer puzzle displaying ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs as well as a decoder on box.
The company's online arm at DiscoveryStore.com is filled with serious selections including the 4D Space Shuttle Puzzle ($99.95), a puzzle that modelers and space enthusiasts (8 and up) will enjoy assembling without glue, paint or decals. The 20 inch NASA Orbiter complete with 143 removable pieces that snap together.
New York Cityscape Puzzle ($39.95) includes 120 plastic buildings that depict the city as it appeared from 1812 to 1972 with the addition of the World Trade Towers and into the future in 2013 with the completion of One World Trade Center (Freedom Tower).
Each building fits into pre-cut holes in a traditional 2D jigsaw puzzle composed of 575 pieces the form the city's street layout and islands with glow in the dark streets. An online educational feature with more than 2,000 facts is also included.
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Apps head to iPad
Nintendo to debut new 3D platform
Due March 2011, the new platform includes a 3.53-inch top screen and a 3.02-inch bottom touch screen and three separate camera that deliver 3-D effects. The device also includes a motion sensor, a gyro sensor and a slide pad that allows 360-degree analog input. First games out of the gate include "Kid Icarus," "Mario Kart," "Nintendogs," "Pilotwings," "Animal Crossing," "Mario" and "Starfox." Additional games are in development by Disney Interactive Studios, Majesco, Marvelous Entertainment, Rocket, SEGA, Takara Tommy and Take-Two Interactive.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Nick faves favor fitness
Due this fall, the Nickelodeon Fit features 30 exercise games targeting cardiovascular activity, core muscles, upper and lower body strength, balance, motor skill development and foot and hand-eye coordination. Using either the Wii Remote or the Wii Balance Board accessory, kids embark in an imaginative array of physically challenging activities. They can jump rope with The Backyardigans, go river rafting with Diego, leap over hurdles with Kai-lan, pogo stick with Dora and even participate in a stamina-building relay race featuring all of the game’s characters.
Parents can also use a tracking feature in the unit to monitor the progress of their children in metrics, including total exercise time and different intensities of physical activity on a daily, weekly and monthly basis. In addition, they can customize workout routines to focus on designated areas of improvement.
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Add some Disney magic to the summer
"Disney Sing It: Party Hits" will hit this summer for the Wii and PlayStation 3. The karaoke game will feature songs and music videos from Justin Bieber, Black Eyed Peas, Jonas Brothers and others.
In September, girls can release their inner fairy playing "Disney Fairies: Tinker Bell and the Great Fairy Rescue" for the DS. The game is inspired by the upcoming direct-to-DVD release "Tinker Bell and the Great Fairy Rescue" (Sept. 21) and will offer connectivity to virtual world Pixiehollow.com.
For "Cars" fans comes "Cars Toons: Mater's Tall Tales," exclusively for the Wii this fall. The game will feature a variety of mini games based on the animated series "Mater's Tall Tales."
WWE has got a lock on summer fun
Monday, June 14, 2010
Gearing up for some super cool spying
Wanna have some fun while getting to the truth of the matter? Then check out the Lie Detector Kit, a portable truth-detecting device ($14.99-$19.99) that includes a galvanic skin response sensor, chart paper (free refills online), clue book and carrying case.
Kids can also protect their valuables and make sure their buddies aren't trying to smuggle unwanted stuff into their space using the Security Scanner, a hand-held metal detector ($19.99-$24.99) with a light and sound alarm that will shine if they're trying to sneak in a camera, microphone or other metal.
Just gotta hear what's going on in the next room?
The Spy Decoy Listener ($9.99-$14.99) looks like a cell phone, but is really a listening device that features a directional mic that amplifies sound allowing kids to hear distant discussions more clearly.
Thursday, June 10, 2010
VeggieTales: A Good Pick in Fall
Take them to see the "VeggieTales Live! Sing Yourself Silly!" tour which heads out to venues in over 37 major markets this fall.
The show focuses on Junior Asparagus and his struggle to fall asleep. No amount of sleep-inducing tactics from his Veggie friends seems to work! But when Junior’s babysitter Suzie reminds him that the Bible tells us to “think about whatever is true, right, pure and lovely,” and that God is bigger than any fear or problem we may have, Junior begins to understand that he is safe under God’s protection—even when he is sleeping!
Fan favorites include classic silly songs such as “His Cheeseburger,” “I Love My Lips,” “Oh, Where is My Hairbrush,” “The Water Buffalo Song,” and more, as well as the original, never-before-heard silly song, “My Bear” featured on the brand new VeggieTales: It’s A Meaningful Life DVD coming this fall!
The tour kicks off on September 28 in Shreveport, Louisiana before heading to cities such as Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Louisville, Nashville, Orlando, Washington, D.C. and Birmingham.
For the latest itinerary, ticket information and group sales (ranging from $10 - $25), please visit www.bigidea.com/events.
Girls to fancy new DS game
In fall, game show fans can spin the wheel or test their knowledge with Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy! games for the Wii and DS. Both games will use the Wii Speak feature for an enhanced gameplay experience and feature the voices of the show hosts, Pat Sajak, Vanna White and Alex Trebek.
Monday, June 7, 2010
New scooter hits the pavement
A fun solution could be Whiplash, a self-propelled, part scooter, part Wave (caster board)that is great for kids 5 and up.
The Whiplash is available throughout the US (also on Amazon.com) and retails for around $79.99.
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Toy Story 3 heads to Toys"R"Us
The hot "Toy Story" at Toys"R"Us these days is a new boutique filled with action figures, construction sets, role play accessories, musical instruments and electronic devices to support the upcoming "Toy Story 3" movie. As a special promotion, customers who purchase $25 in "Toy Story" merchandise from June 13 to June 19 will receive a complimentary “Toy Story 3” movie ticket, while supplies last. In addition, Babies“R”Us is showcasing a carefully selected assortment of “Toy Story” merchandise geared toward younger children including room décor, with a large assortment of baby furniture, toddler beds, stepping stools and more featuring “Toy Story” characters. Additionally, the boutiques include “Toy Story” playthings for the tiniest tikes, such as the “Toy Story 3” Imaginext line from Fisher-Price. Fans can also visit Toysrus.com/ToyStory to view the toys as well as downloadable coloring sheets and wallpaper for iPod touch and computers. As an added bonus, shoppers can also find videos highlighting the unique features of the hottest “Toy Story 3” products.