toys

Small RC cars are fun to play with as long as the battery doesn't drain. Having to recharge them every time you want a few minutes of play time can be a hassle. This tiny solar car never runs out of juice as long as the sun is shining. It's a 4-wheeled car that is [...]

PlayTape is a roll of tape similar to painter's tape that looks like a 2-lane blacktop road or railroad tracks. It's a low-tack adhesive tape that is easy to tear and sticks to any flat surface without leaving behind sticky residue. Kids can stick it to hardwood or low pile carpeted floors to create race [...]

I thought of Jenga when I saw the Balancing Tree toy, but the Balancing Tree looks much less difficult and frustrating for children.  PlanToys developed the Balancing Tree using its principals of sustainability.  They are  a"leading company that has created a new material and process as part of our zero waste goals. Continuing our commitment [...]

LEGO worked with  Ellen Kooijman, a geoscientist, to create this new play kit that shows female minifigs as scientists working in the Research Institute.  Then LEGO Ideas members selected this kit that contains everything these three scientists need to "explore the world below, around and above us."  The chemist figure has a lab with glassware and [...]

Pley is a LEGO version of Netflix. At Pley you create a queue of desired LEGO sets that you want to build. They then send you one at a time, so you can enjoy building each set without the cost of purchasing them. Once you are done, you ship the set back, and they send [...]

Laser Pegs are similar to a lot of toy building blocks on the market, but you build lighted creations with these blocks.  Each kit has 72 blocks, and each block has an LED light and low-voltage circuitry; the power supply in the base makes your creations glow with light.  There are a variety of kits [...]

Are your kids (or maybe yourself) bored with LEGO? Tired of TinkerToys? Do they even make TinkerToys anymore? Here's an alternative construction toy system that I just discovered. They are called Jawbones and they feature pieces that swivel, ratchet and snap together in all sorts of creative ways. They are billing it as The Buildable [...]

Q-BA-MAZE kits are a collection of plastic interconnecting building blocks that you can use to build cool marble maze sculptures. The blocks are made of translucent colored plastic and when combined with other blocks, create tracks and runs for marbles to slide through. They are designed for anyone... adults and kids ages 5 and up. [...]

Science and engineering are cool, right?  That's a matter of opinion, but there is an increasing need in our country for students to study the STEM subjects--Science, Technology, Engineering and Math.  And with more information showing a link between technological innovation and creativity, why not foster both in your kids at the same time?  Describing [...]

Koko and Dunbar not included.When I was offered the opportunity to review a toy train set, I thought it would be interesting to try it in conjunction with my expert team of train set testers – my sons, Franklyn (7) and Matthew (4). They willingly agreed to work with me on the project and share [...]

I have been a builder all my life. To this day, I still love playing with LEGOs and Erector sets. So, it is exciting when folks use modern technology to take these classic thinking-toys to the next level. The designers and engineers at The Seamless Toy Company have created the ATOMS Express smart block system to bring [...]

Teddy Ruxpin (animatronic toy from the 80's) always creeped me out with his freaky moving eyes and mouth. I never had one but I wonder how many kids were traumatized by that battery operated story telling bear? Fast forward 27 years and we now have Ubooly (say it like oo-boo-lee), an orange marsupial that can [...]

From Uncle Milton, the Force Glove disappointingly doesn't actually use the Force but rather magnets. :(  The glove is part of their educational Star Wars Science Range. By changing the polarity of the magnets, you can either "Force Push" or "Force Pull" the supplied Droids or Light Sabre. Available for $16.99 from the Uncle Milton [...]

I find magnetic building sets to be irresistible. I love the pull, resistance and click clack noise as magnets snap together and pull apart. You've probably heard of or seen regular BuckyBalls before. They are small BB sized chromed rare earth magnets that can be arranged in really cool configurations. Three new Bucky sets are now [...]

If you are bored with your current collection of office toys, you might want to check out a set of Tegu Prism Pocket blocks. We've told you about these wooden Tegu magnetic blocks before, but now they are offering smaller sets that store in a heavy felted pouch. The Prism set shown here has 6 [...]

You build with LEGOs and you build with Tinkertoys, but you can't build with LEGOs and Tinkertoys - until now!  F.A.T. Lab and Sy-Lab have created a set of 80 universal connectors that "enable complete interoperability between ten popular children’s construction toys."  (See the F.A.T. Lab site for a complete list.) You can't buy the [...]

I have to admit I've never tried water skiing, and I have my doubts if I could actually even stand up.  The Subwing might actually be more my style though.  The Subwing is made of fiberglass, rubber, and stainless steel, and with it, you can travel on the surface, skim the ocean bottom or just do [...]

These LEGO-like building blocks are made from "a composite of the bark of the cedar tree, compressed dust from sawn cedar logs, and coffee beans as well as other recycled materials."  The Earth Toy Earth Blocks are 1.25" long x 0.6" wide x 0.6" high.  A set of 50 blocks is $30 at the Guggenheim [...]

If you're bored with LEGO, how about checking out Playable Metal building sets. Playable Metal sets are made of an aluminum alloy and come in different colors and allow you to build 3 dimensional structures. The parts are connected together with special screws. YoYo.com offers a variety of sets that range in price from $34.95 [...]