Toys and Games - Reviews and News

Watching James May’s Toy Stories I’ve found myself becoming quite nostalgic for the ‘good old days’ before the age of computer games.

Coming from the same generation as Mr May I too have a fondness for Meccano, Scalextric and Lego. These were the toys that fostered my interest in Engineering and construction ultimately leading to my career as an Engineer. Now if I’d grown up sat in front of a computer screen wiggling the joystick on a games console, shooting adversaries with a variety of murderous weapons, I wonder what career I would have followed.

If you too have fond memories of your childhood playing with Scalextric you might be interested to hear about a competition currently running at Modelzone where you can win
a Scalextric Street Car Race Set. All you have to do is visit the Modelzone blog and answer one simple question:

In what year did Brooklands Race Track, in Weybridge, Surrey, finally close - 1939, 1949 or 1959?

Drop them an email with your name and address to be in with a chance of winning. Entries must be in by November 29th. - BTW - The answer is 1939 (I think)

Many toys and games are fun to play with, but they don’t necessarily inspire creativity. Providing youngsters with the means to express themselves creatively is always a good idea.

Paints, crayons, paper, brushes and pens are always a good idea. When I was a child christmas was the time of year when I would restock with felt tip pens, drawing pads, paints and other artist essentials.

But what about some musical instruments? Guitars these days are nothing like as expensive as they were when I was growing up so why not treat your son, daughter, neice or nephew to a guitar. Or, if you can stand the noise, what about a drum kit. Children love to bash things so why not encourage them to bash creatively with a drum kit?

There are many ways that children can be encouraged to develop their creative skills and access to readily available musical instruments is an exceptionally inspiring way to fuel their creativity. For further Internet resource see http://www.theadminzone.com.

There are so many toys out on the market that really are just plain wrong, from Christmas toys to toys that just shouldn’t exist, here are just some of them.

Breastfeeding Doll

This has got to be the worst one out of the entire list simply because it is just not right for a kid to be doing it.

This toy is only available in Spain and is aimed at young girls between the ages of 8 and 10. In the box you get a baby and a bra. The child puts on the bra and brings the baby closer to the fake bra just like a woman would do when their child is in that stage.

The owners of this product say that it is out there to try and teach children how to breastfeed for when they are older. Surely this is something a mother will learn on her own and not through a toy? Rivals have suggested that this can only increase the chances of teen pregnancies and should be taken away from the market immediately.

Airport Security Play set

This set is absolutely crazy as kids get to see how airports security works. This has actually been made by playmobil. Perhaps it is used to make children less worried while they are at the airport. I can just see a cartoon series featuring baby Osama trying to get through playmobil airport security.

Golliwog

This has something that has been argued over for a long time. Although this is often seen as a racist toy, many people are after one simply for nostalgic reasons. It is easy to see how they are classed as racist but is also easy to see why they shouldn’t kick up a fuss over it.

So it’s up to you really, you can either buy these gifts for your child or not. Of course many kids are more interested in getting an Xbox 360 or a mobile phone nowadays. If this is the case for you then make sure you have mobile phone insurance as kids tend to wreck the phones often.

Is it just me or are toys not made the way they used to be. I remember when a toy would last you a good 10 years before anything would go wrong with it. You could drop your wooden toy car from the top of a multi-story car park and the most damage it would receive would be a few minor scratches to the paint work. Try dropping a modern toy car from any height at all and it pretty much atomizes. You spend weeks looking for all the bits and pieces that have cracked, smashed and fallen off.

There is an argument to say that toys these days are more technical, they do more stuff and therefore there are more parts to go wrong. I don’t buy this however as some of the more simple toys made these days like Barbie dolls are more fragile than Nicole Richie.

So why are these toys being made to a low standard? Well, as you might expect it comes down to money. Some of the better retailers only sell quality toys, but most are just interested in the bottom line and so have all their toys made in the Far East and using materials that you wouldn’t even want your bin liners to be made from.

The answer? If you’re buying for a girl, hunt around for the best gifts for her on trusted websites, where you know you’ll get quality. You can do the same for boys, but take into account that boys are more aggressive with their toys so they need to be made of tougher stuff.

My parents are away on skiing trip in France and my aunty is looking after my sister and me. So I have hi-jacked my Dads computer and found his blog logins so I hope he spots this.

I know I’m lucky. I have generous parents who earn good wages and my sister and I tend to get what we ask for. But for some reason my dad has been reluctant to buy me the RC car that I have been asking for since last year. I am hoping that this christmas he’ll give in.

I have a plan if he doesn’t cos I’ve not only found the file where he keeps all of his blog logins but also all the details of all of his accounts everywhere - including Amazon. So if I don’t get what I want I am planning to go shopping. Maybe I’ll get a little something for you if you let me know what you want.

To help you enjoy the August bank holiday weekend that’s quickly approaching, Modelzone are offering discounts on popular kids toy and model ranges.

Valid for only the bank holiday weekend, all you have to do to claim your discount is enter the following codes within the basket page.

• AUGTT10 will get 10% off any Thunder Tiger Remote Control Cars
• AUGTAT5 will give you 5% off the Take Along Thomas Range
• AUGME5 will give you 5% off the Meccano Range (excluding Spykee)
• AUGMO5 will give you 5% off the Mondo Diecast Range

Remember that these offers are only available during the August bank holiday weekend so don’t try and use them before or after as you won’t receive your discount.

This coming weekend, 3rd, 4th and 5th of July, its time for the 2009 Goodwood Festival of Speed - and I can’t wait. The weather is promising to be excellent which will mean maximum crowds so be sure to arrive early.

Modelzone, the UK’s largest model retailer, will have a stand at this year’s festival and they’ve told me that lucky festival goers will have the chance to snap up some festival-only motoring related model bargains.

Now I am something of a RC Car enthusiast (RC stands for radio control) so I shall be first in the queue to grab a bargain or three.

Read more in the Modelzone Blog.

There is a great discount offer available from modelzone.co.uk between the 15th and 21st of June. You can get 5% off all products available from their online store if you enter this discount code: MZFD5

A nice little deal if you are looking for scalextric, radio control or die-cast models.

The sun is out, the sky is blue, there’s not a cloud to spoil the view…. But an increasing number of people in the UK are contracting skin cancer.

As we enter the sunny summer months it is important that parents and carers ensure that the children they look after are thoroughly protected from the sun’s harmful rays. Statistics published by Cancer Research UK clearly show the effects of the fashion for what was once described as ‘a healthy tan’.

Many people who were sun worshippers in their twenties and thirties are now regretting having exposed their skin to the ravages of the sun’s rays. Ensuring that children are protected is one thing, but setting a good example is equally important. A child who sees their mother baking themselves on the patio is far more likely to do the same themselves when they get older.

The answer is using adequate and effective sun protection. Apply a good quality, high factor sun screen before venturing out doors and then re-apply, particularly if children are swimming or playing in water. Ideally avoid going outdoors during the peak mid-day hours. This is far easier said than done, I know, so try to keep yourself and your children covered up with good hats and long sleeved shirts.

I know from my own experience how difficult this can be. My own children are now old enough to head off to the beach without me and I always tell them to put on more sun screen after they have been swimming. But I know that this will often slip their minds. If they are playing in the back garden I’ll go out and chase them around with a big bottle of factor 16 sun cream but when they go off to the beach on their own I must rely upon them.

So do try to ensure that you and your children don’t become Cancer Research statistics. Get yourself some good quality sun protection and use it.

Helen Phillips has just been crowned the winner of Biggest Loser after shedding an incredible 140 lbs. She started out at 257 lbs and finally weighed in at an incredible 117 lbs at the finale, and she looked sensational.

A key element in her weight loss programme has been exercise. Something we could all do with more of. If you, like me, have a gaggle of sedentary youngsters who think that picking up a towel from the bathroom floor is hard work then you will know how hard it can be to encourage them to get their essential sixty active minutes a day.

I’ve tried everything from buying them a really expensive play system, taking them swimming three times a week and visiting the park as often as possible. Sometimes I am the only one waving my legs on the swing set while my offspring lounge around laughing at me. In fact I’ve been losing weight with all the exertion.