Vulli Sophie the Giraffe Teether

One was not enough – By Ro (Texas)

I bought one giraffe and it was such a hit with my twin grandchildren that I had to buy another so that they wouldn’t “fight” over the one. It is so good to know that it is safe for them to put in their mouths because it is phthalates and BPA free. It seems to really help with their teething. It is an easy toy for them to hold, and they can now squeeze it to make sounds. Rather pricey, but worth it.

Pleo Dinosaur

Senario Pleo Dinosaur A pretty good start…

We’ve had our Pleo for four days now and we love him–when he’s awake!

Pleo Dinosaur

Pleo is a cunningly cute robotic toy that has a very “1.0″ feel about it. For better and/or worse, you can tell that some envelopes are being pushed here. The baby dino can feel touches, knows when it is upside-down, and can “see” with a small camera in his snout. Supposedly it can hear but apparently not very well.

First the good news: Pleo behaves with a good degree of “intelligence”. He will purr like a kitten and growl like a puppy; he responds to being petted or stroked under the chin. His reactions are a bit slow but generally appropriate. He won’t walk off the edge of a table, although he *will* back off. He knows when something is in his mouth and will make feeding sounds or, if you jostle him, he will growl and play tug-of-war. His skill at tug-of-war is a highlight.

Also, if you decide to get a Pleo, be aware that the first few times you turn it on, it will be in a “newborn” state–sleepy and uncoordinated, wanting only to be petted. So some patience is required. It seems to take a few days for the robot to become fully active and more independant.

The bad: In current form, the battery life is frustratingly poor. Put simply, your Pleo will be an inanimate object 3/4 of the time. If your battery recharges correctly–mine overheats about half-way through–you will need to wait 3 or 4 hours to get an hour of activity from Pleo. (I knew this going in, but somehow the reality of it is worse than I expected.) Even when charged, our Pleo needs constant attention or he will quickly curl up for a nap! I understand that battery issues were responsible for the release date being pushed back by many months. A robot this aware and active obviously places great demands on the battery; it would be nice if two were included or at least available! 

I debated on how many stars to give Pleo. In the end, I think it deserves 4 stars, even if only for potential. (As I typed this he walked to the desk leg and spent a minute exploring it with his camera, making sniffing noises. Then he nudged it with his snout and made a frustrated sound.) I hope that Ugobe will find a (much) better solution to the battery problem, and they have promised free software updates in the coming months. - Shawn Tracy (Portland, OR)

John Deere Gator HPX

John Deere Gator HPX

John Deere Gator HPX Great Ride on – By R. Leonardo (CT. USA)

I bought 2 of these for my 2 boys and they are going nuts over them. They are very good in the grass, better on grass then on asphalt. The price is great at amazon to. A little rubber would be better on the tires but the company has not figured that out yet. The battery has gone a hour so far while in high gear and it should go alot father. My kids have 2 other cars and the Peg Perego motorcycle and by far the Peg Perego products are much better. You also get a 2 year warranty.

Give a Laptop, Get a Laptop

One Laptop per Child XO Laptop

Best Learning Tool for Primary School Children – By Wayan

Pro:
1. Great for children to learn with
2. You help others learn as your child learns

Con:
1. Not a business laptop replacement – its for kids
2. Requires software modifications to print or share files

Overview:
I love the XO Laptop. I love it so much I bought 4 (two for me, two for a child int he developing world) and I started a whole online community at OLPC News to focus on its use.

- If you are a parent of a young child
The XO laptop is a great way for them to explore and learn. Not about computers mind you, but learn language, math, logic, while enjoying themselves. Oh, and they learn hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills as a bonus.

- If you want change education in the developing world
This makes a great social gift – teaching your own children about those in other countries and their different lives. You can just give a laptop, or give 1 get 1.

- If you want a adult laptop replacement you may be dissapointed
Be warned that this is not a cheap replacement for your Macbook. Its a challenge to use it for office-type activities, and most adult users do extensive modifications to the software to make it practical. Remember, its designed to educate children how to think and learn, not for PowerPoint.

- If you want to share childrens work, it takes work
Be warned that the XO laptop is designed to digitally share with other XO’s – it cannot print or share some types of files without software modifications. You have to think of this as a super-duper Leapfrog, not a $100 Toshiba.

Conclusion:
For parents of young children, this is the perfect Xmas gift. Even better if they can share and learn with another nearby XO user too – be that a parent or another child.

For adults who wants a cheap travel computer, this may not be right for them. They could be happier with a 4PC.

 

WowWee Tribot Talking Companion

WowWee Tribot

Best WowWee Robot Yet!! - By A. Stagg (Virgnia, USA)

Of all the WowWee robots, I think Tribot is more fun than the Robosapien and far, far beyond WowWee Robotics RoboPanda. After being disappointed by Robopanda, we were really excited to see how Tribot would build off that failure.

Tribot does not look as human as WowWee Robosapien with Mini Robo – Silver, but it moves better, quicker, and more efficiently. The three-wheel configuration works great!! The biggest innovation is the tilt-sensitive remote control combined with a very intuitive remote which makes it much simpler to operate than Robosapien.

Like the RoboPanda, the sarcastic dialogue might get tiresome, but its not as immediately annoying. Still, there is something familiar and friendly with Robosapien’s grunts. I wish Tribot had two modes to allow users to choose coherent or incoherent dialogue!! Uh-huh!!

Air Hogs Zero Gravity Micro Car

Air Hogs Zero Gravity Micro Car

Who wouldnt want this - By Aimee N. Gouveia (Rocklin)

Omg!! A car that races on the walls. Who wouldn’t want this. Only Santa could be magic enough to make this happen. How sturdy can you make something that is racing against gravity?! This is what I call a Christmas firework. It may not last long, but it will be remembered. It’s only $25 bucks. Most people I know spend a lot more than that on their Fourth of July fireworks. These fireworks are the reason that this toy even exists. We could all be playing with sturdy Lincoln Logs, or Jacks right now.I rated the educational value high also because it should spark an interest in gravity, and what a fun way to do so. I predict this will be a SOLD OUT, hard to find, toy this season even with the economy issues.

More SpinMaster Air Hogs

The Fisher-Price Fun-2-Learn Computer

 

Fisher-Price Fun-2-Learn Computer

The Fisher-Price Fun-2-Learn Computer is a learning tool that plugs into your home computer.

This kid-safe, kinder-friendly laptop builds confidence in young ones by teaching important school skills. It plugs into your computer via an easy-to-use keyboard (QWERTY) to provide learning fun throughout five learning centers and one field trip activity. The centers are: Reading, Writing, Math, Art, Music and Science. Activities in each center can be accessed by the simple push of a button. Children can also print out reward certificates and supplemental worksheet-type activities for further encouragement. Plus, parental controls keep kids away from Mom and Dad’s desktop, prohibit internet access, and limit the number of prints your child can create. Expandable system includes keyboard, writing tablet with stylus and CD Rom software.

Mario Kart Wii with Wii Wheel

 

Mario Kart Wii with Wii Wheel

Mario Kart for Wii - By A.Wells “Gamegirl” “A.Wells” (South Carolina)

This is coming from someone who played all the Mario Kart series except Super Mario Kart for SNESS and Mario Kart for GBA. I have to say this is a must have for any Wii owner! 

The Graphics are beautiful. The screenshots on the back of the box says it all. Racing with the Wii wheel is easy and fun! It sometimes feels like your actually driving if you use your imagination! You can race with the game cube controller or the Wii remote and nunchuk if you want. You can even race with your Mii! But you have to unlock it first. 

All the courses are great! Some of the classic race tracks from pass Mario Kart games are on it. Rainbow Road on this game is so beautiful! My favorite Race Track is Mario Circut 3 SNESS. I like it because its a classic and it gives me a chance to race on a track from Mario Kart SNESS which is a game I never had the chance to play. 

WiFi is Very fun. I’ve raced against people all over the world! Its really cool! Fortunately Nintendo eliminated snaking, which had ruined 
Wi Fi on Mario Kart DS. But you can pop wheelies on the motorcycles which makes you go slightly faster than the cars. There is also this thing called download Mario Kart Channel. Its when you can download your Mario Kart Stats on you Wii menu. 

The bad things are the item frequency. It’s unbelievable sometimes! I get hit by 2 blue shells in one lap followed by a red shell which is crazy! But don’t listen to the people who say that winning is a gamble. Even though I do get hit by a lot of items, I still almost always make it to either 1st 2and or 3rd place. Another bad thing is, depending on the weight of the character, all the karts are basically the same. No one has their own individual kart so whatever character you pick, its just for eye candy. 

Overall this is a great game and I recommend it to anyone who owns a Wii. Thanks for reading!

Kid Trax Red Fire Engine Electric Ride-On

Kid Trax Red Fire Engine Electric Ride-On

 

 

Fabulous!!! By S. Frazier (Romeoville, IL)

My son just turned 4 and received this from his grandparents. He loves to play pretend (fireman, policeman, pirate, etc.) and this firetruck has become in 1 week his most favorite activity – Kid Trax seems to really have improved on the concerns raised by prior consumers from the original model – everything is working well, simple to put together, has 2 speeds, handles easily, etc., etc.

Kid Trax Red Fire Engine Electric Ride-On A FABULOUS choice for Electric Ride-On!!

Fisher-Price Smart Cycle

Fisher-Price Smart Cycle

Education, Fun, and Exercise – all in one By Rhonda C. Boyd (Washington, NC)

This is a toy that was well worth every penny. Family times are slim in today’s busy world. Now since we have had the Smart Cycle, family time is back. My husband and I really cheer our 3 1/2 year old when she is on this. We are focused on her having fun as well as learning at her age. It is a wonderful teaching tool and at the same time FUN! I don’t want to raise my kids to be “couch potatoes” and this has motived the whole family to get up and move. I have even sat a chair behind the cycle and paddled, played and had fun while the family was cheering me on.

Want to get the “family time” back?

Want a way to have fun at learning?

I suggest purchasing the Smart Cycle.