Kids Review Stuff

There are all different kinds of diecast toys that a person can choose from depending on their tastes and interests. That being said, one of the most popular types of models, aside from cars, is trucks. Why are trucks popular? To begin with they are good sized models and there are all different types. Furthermore, this is a vehicle that tends to have many details and various parts that can actually be moved if the model is made large enough.

What types of diecast toys are available in the form of trucks?

• Standard trucks – You can obtain replicas of all different types of these vehicles from the big name manufacturers. You’ll find models from various eras, including vintage and classic, as well as the latest models on the market.
• Tractor trailer – This includes a variety of products, such as trailers, rigs and delivery trucks.
• Classic utility vehicles – vintage and classic firetrucks, police trucks, trash trucks and other similar types are popular, rare and valuable collectables.

No matter the type of diecast toys that interest you, all of these toys have a unique beauty and look excellent on display. Whether you choose to build your own personal collection or give them as a gift to someone else, die-cast models are valuable works of art that can be treasured for years to come.

We bought the LEGO Ultimate Building Set a while ago and the boys were thrilled. There’s something about LEGO that makes it so easy to come up with elaborate stories, but it’s also perfect for kids to just build things, which is what Dante uses it for more, rather than playing.

This set comes with 405 pieces and a number of designs to start out with. The little booklet has a couple of houses, a garage, cars and boats, etc. that you can build. They offer a step by step guide to building each item and since it’s visual, even kids who can’t read yet can build.

While the bin looks large, it really doesn’t have that much LEGO in it, so I suppose it’s good for storing other collections as you build it up.

The main advantage of this LEGO kit is that it is usable for anything. Most sets on the market today are designed to let you build one thing and one thing only, so the LEGO Ultimate Building Set is perfect for kids who love to use their imaginations. They can play outside the box, as it were and ensure that their creations are varied, rather than always being the same.

Mama Says:

“I was surprised at how little LEGO was actually in this kit. You get everything they say, but it looks bigger in the picture because the box is huge . . . the actual LEGO blocks barely cover the bottom! That being said, it’s a great way to keep kids occupied for hours and they work together to build some pretty crazy structures. You can’t go wrong with LEGO.”

Dorian Says:

” LEGO is SO fun! I want to make a car, there are wheels for making cars in the Lego. Also, boats.”

Dante Says:

“I like Lego. I make a car and a boat and a helicopter.”

LEGO Ultimate Building Set Pros

• Encourages open play
• Builds patience
• Kids can build from the illustrations, step by step
• A nice variety of blocks for all building purposes

LEGO Ultimate Building SetCons

• Huge bin, teensy amount of blocks
• Only one small base pad, so it’s hard if you have two kids wanting to share
• 405 blocks . . . but most of them are so tiny that they barely count
• Teensy bits get lost very easily!

Tags: LEGO, LEGO ultimate building set

Tangled is one of the more recent movies from Disney and it is definitely a good one. The story is the elongated version of Rapunzel. Rapunzel’s mother nearly died during pregnancy and to heal her, the kingdom was searched for a special flower with restorative powers. The powers went from the flower tea into the unborn baby, a precious princess who carried the flower’s power in her hair.

A wicked witch, Gothel, steals the baby to keep herself young and locks her in a tower, raising the baby as her own. The movie really begins, however, when Rapuzel is about to turn 18 and leaves the tower with the company of a wanted thief, Flynn Rider. She blackmails him into taking her to the city so she can see up close the thousands of lanterns that are released each year on her birthday. Of course, along the way, the two run into a lot of adventures, are pursued by Gothel, court soldiers (Rider stole the princess’ crown) and two associates of Rider’s, as well as a warrior horse named Max with an overly strong sense of duty.

The movie is quite fast-paced, funny and sad and is an excellent movie even for fairly young children since it doesn’t have any very scary parts.

Mama Says:

“This was a great movie for kids and adults, we all loved it. Rapunzel is a little messed up, but you have to expect that after being locked up in a tower most of her life. The movie was well done, appropriate for kids and there’s nothing too terribly scary about it, so even little children can watch it. Tangled has all the elements for a classic Disney movie, witches, magic, princesses and adventure, plus lots of singing.”

Dorian Says:

“Rapunzel is a princess with really long hair. She is kinda crazy and she likes to sing. I like the Mother Knows Best song. ”

Dante Says:

“I like the hair and Rapunzel is the lost princess. There’s lights in the sky, too. They’re very pretty.”

Tangled Pros

• Funny
• The characters are flawed, but lovable
• Disney doesn’t disappoint with their songs
• Fast moving and interesting, kids can sit through the whole thing and not get bored

Tangled Cons

• If you don’t like magic, this is not a good movie
• It’s a bit sad in spots

Tags: movies for kids, review, Tangled

AquaDoodle mats are simple, yet very effective. They consist of a flat white surface that lets children draw with water pens. As the material is dampened, it shows up as blue. Children draw as much as they like and the water dries up, leaving a blank surface for them to play with again. There are a few different sizes and types of mats. We were given two travel mats by a friend, along with an assortment of water pens. These only contain water and are completely refillable, so they don’t make a mess, even if your child draws on the walls.

The pens are designed to open and close by twisting them in the opposite direction as usual. This can be confusing at first, but it also means you won’t accidentally open them and spill water. Only a small amount of liquid is necessary. The pens come in a few different thicknesses and there is also a brush version, which we didn’t get.

The travel mats, which we received, were very light and flat, but opened up to offer two spaces for kids to use. There are illustrations around the edges to help children draw some simple items, like a tree or a car. My sons had a lot of fun with these!

Mama Says:

“We love AquaDoodles around here. There’s no worries about kids (Dante) drawing on the walls or furniture and the water dries fast enough that by the time they have used both sides, the first one is ready to go again. We’ve been using them for school and the kids have a blast writing out their letters with the water pens.”

Dorian Says:

“I like it. It’s really good for school and letters and stuff.”

Dante Says:

“I like to put water in the pens. And then I paint with it.”

AquaDoodle Pros

• Light and portable
• Only uses water, fast cleanup
• Very satisfying for kids
• Dries rapidly for reuse

AquaDoodle Cons

• The white surface gets dirty easily
• The pens are confusing because they screw on in the opposite direction . . . also a pro because kids can’t easily undo them and spill the water

Talking toys are popular with kids, but not so much with parents. This game, however, offers the best of both worlds, fairly low volume and plenty of fun for kids. Electronic Talking Silly 6 Pins by hasbro are designed to keep children’s interest and make them feel good about their accomplishments.

The pins chatter away as you put them onto the base, which is extremely stable. They wiggle to let you know that they’re ready to play the game and when you knock them over, they cheer for you! This keeps little ones entertained for longer periods of time since they don’t get frustrated and are entertained longer.

Mama Says:

“This game has been a huge hit in our house. Even Dante, who often gets frustrated with things like this enjoys it. The pins cheer for him, snore if he’s just standing there or misses a shot and generally keep kids entertained, even if they’re not very good at the game.”

Dorian Says:

“I really like bowling. I do bowling on Wii and now like this! The Wii ones don’t talk, though.”

Dante Says:

“These things talk and they’re really funny! I like to push the buttons, too.”

Silly 6 Pins Pros

• Bright colors and cute facial expressions
• Each pin has a different personality, very cute!
• Not too annoying for parents
• Keeps kids occupied for longer, since even missing is entertaining
• Extremely sturdy, Dante body bowls and the game holds up just fine

Silly 6 Pins Cons

• If one pin is missing, you can’t play properly
• Voices are a little fuzzy sometimes

Tags: bowling game for kids, Hasbro, Silly 6 Pins, Toys

My youngest son is in love with lacing. Until recently, he used our shoes as his practice boards, so I bought a set of Lace and Learn Safari Animals. This kit comes with two laces and five lacing cards in the shape of animals. It includes a giraffe, lion, zebra, rhino and an elephant. Each has holes punched around the edges so kids can lace through them.

The idea behind lacing is to teach kids fine motor skills. The package says for kids over 3 and I think that’s about right for the difficulty level. Children need to have fairly good hand-eye control to get the laces through tiny holes, which is all good preparation for writing in school.

Mama Says:

“When I was little, we just used ice cream bucket lids that my mother cut into shapes and punched holes in . . . these Safari animals are really fun and beautifully illustrated. The boys were all over them as soon as we opened the package! This is a great rainy day activity.”

Dorian Says:

“Well, I think I like it. But my lace was too short for the animal. Maybe if we try a new one.”

Dante Says:

“This is so fun! I can do it. I can make the zebra and the elephant!”

Lace and Learn Safari Animals Pros

• Beautifully designed animals
• Perfect for learning fine motor skills
• Keeps kids occupied
• Teaches sewing skills

Lace and Learn Safari Animals Cons

• The cardboard is stiff, but bends with a little force from a frustrated child
• Laces are too short to complete some animals
• Only comes with two laces, for more kids, buy extras!

We recently received a review copy of ABC is for Circus, a chunky alphabet book by Patrick Hruby. This is not your average ABC book!

Instead of simplistic drawings of apples and cats, this book is chock full of fascinating illustrations that put black to good use, with colors popping out everywhere. The style is not very commonly found in children’s books, but is quite charming and eye catching.

With words like “calliope” included, this book is bound to increase vocabulary. My children particularly liked the illustration for N is for Nighttime, with a girl on a Ferris wheel against a black sky full of lights and fireworks.

Since little ones usually chew on books, the chunky sturdiness of this one will stand up to years of use. And, while it is based around the alphabet, my boys still found it fascinating.

Mama Says:

“ABC is for Circus is a fun book that is out of the ordinary. The illustrations are colorful, but not overly so . . . there’s plenty of darkness in the pictures to really make them stand out. The theme is pretty neat, too.”

Dorian Says:

“So many colors! And now I really want to go to the circus.”

Dante Says:

“I like the circus and the elephant. E is for Elephant and I is for Ice Cream.”

ABC is for Circus Pros

• Great colors and well done illustrations
• Chunky pages are easy for little hands
• Resistant to chewing
• Fun concept that includes words not usually found in baby books

ABC is for Circus Cons

• Some words are hard for little mouths to pronounce

Tags: ABC, ABC is for Circus, book, book review

Nuby No Spill Gripper Soft Spout sippy cups are designed to hold a full ten ounces of liquid, more than enough for any growing toddler. The soft spout is meant to make the transition from bottle to sippy cup a little easier for small tots and those who are resistant to leaving their precious bottle behind.

These sippy cups are durable. Made from hard, BPA free plastic, they have twist on lids and come in an array of bright colors, with the main part of the cup shaped to fit smaller hands. This also means they are taller than the average sippy cup.

The soft plastic spout is replaceable, so if it leaks (as ours did, see below), you can change it out, provided you live in an area where the replacements are available.

Mama Says:

“Not that impressed, really. While the concept is good, it’s tricky getting the lids on so they don’t gush water or milk all over you. One out of the four we bought had a drippy spout. My boys were excited to try them, then decided they didn’t like them . . . now Dante has decided he DOES like his, but Dorian prefers to use a regular cup.”

Dorian Says:

“I don’t like it. It’s hard to get the milk and I like to have just a cup better. I don’t spill my drinks.”

Dante Says:

“I just like it. For water at bedtime.”

Nuby No Spill Gripper Soft Spout Sippy Cup Pros

• Fun colors
• Easy to hold for little hands
• No drip spouts (see below)

Nuby No Spill Gripper Soft Spout Sippy Cup Cons

• Tops can be hard to screw on right
• Some of the spouts drip
• Takes some extra work to clean milk out of the spout

Tags: Kitchen, Nuby, sippy cups

We recently had a chance to try out Oliver’s Labels, labels for kids that are designed to stick and stay. These suckers are waterproof and we put them through their paces . . . we stretched them (the ink stretches WITH the label, very nice!), rubbed them and stuck them on things. These suckers really do stick!

When you order from the Oliver’s Labels website, you can pick your design. There are a lot of options to choose from. We picked the transportation set. They come with bright, cheerful graphics and I was very pleased to see several options for boys. Usually label companies have limited selection for the boys.

One of the things that really sets these labels apart is that you can order them with the special Found-It code. If something is lost, like that brand new jacket you bought your child, anyone who finds it can go to the website on the label, enter in the code and you’ll be notified that your things were found! Pretty darn cool!

We got a sample pack, but they offer a wide range of brightly colored labels for just about everything you can imagine!

• Clothing labels (both sticky and iron on)
• Shoe labels (in our house, that means no more struggling to find the right shoes for each kid since they are very similar in size)
• Mini labels (for pencils!)
• Regular labels (for everything else)

There are also luggage tags, wristbands, kitchen labels and custom photo labels.

Mama Says:

“Love how sticky these labels are! The designs are great and the labels are waterproof and durable, which is important when you have little guys who are going to rub at them.”

Dorian Says:

“I like it! They can go on my shoes and it has my name on it.”

Dante Says:

“I don’t have any. I like the race car.”

Oliver’s Labels Pros

• Very sticky
• Great designs and lots to choose from
• Waterproof
• A nice variety of label types for all occasions
• Found-It system makes it easier to recover lost items

Oliver’s Labels Cons

• Price may put some parents off

Tags: clothes, kids, labels

What do you look for in a toy? It probably varies from person to person, but there are a few things that I look to when choosing toys for my children. These include the following:

Material. Is it made of flimsy plastic? My youngest son is HARD on toys, so he needs something that is sturdy and will stand up to him hucking it across the room. I like metal and wood toys in particular because they are almost always sturdy.

Versatility. Around here, we like toys that can be used for a variety of purposes. Lego is an excellent example of this. Of course, some toys, like cars or dolls, tend to be a bit more specific in their use, but they still leave the imagination WIDE open. I like my kids to use their imaginations, so that’s what we go for.

Parent friendly. All parents know about those horrid electronic toys that beep incessantly and make irritating noises. We try to skip those! Instead look for toys that have A) nice sounds and B) volume control!

Educational. Ok, not all toys need to be educational, but it’s a real plus if it is! I count just about all skills under educational. That means blocks, which teach coordination and balance, are educational. Do you agree?

What do you look for in a toy?