Another Nine Bizarre Toys

Hare Krishna Zombie
The scary thing about this action figure is not that it is a zombie and not that it is a Hare Krishna (ok maybe a little). The scariest part of it is that it looks like Andy Dick.

It looks so much like him that I had to go to imdb.com to make sure I was wrong. It turns out it was some guy named Mike Christopher. Finally the nightmares can end.




Vincent Van Gogh Action Figure
Finally you can have an action figure of you you favorite depressed/bipolar/schizophrenic/alcoholic artist. Best of all, it comes with two interchangeable heads, so you can play with the single and dual earlobed Vincent Van Gogh. You can relive his frustration when his cousin refused his marriage proposal. You can re-enact his strange co-dependent relationship with Paul Gauguin. You can even recreate Vincent's eventually successful suicide, where he had to walk back home after shooting himself in the chest. Oh, and you can pretend to paint some pretty pictures too.



Cold War Unicorns
The Cold War between the USSR and USA has always been fought by proxies. North Korea, Vietnam, Afghanistan, most of Central and South America for example. In spite of the fall of the USSR, the Cold War is far from over. The epic struggle between two major political and economic systems has evolved to using fantasy creatures in their battles.



USA Vs Commies

"I can no longer sit back and allow Communist infiltration, Communist indoctrination, Communist subversion and the international Communist conspiracy to sap and impurify all of our precious bodily fluids. "

Major Jack D. Ripper (from Dr. Strangelove)

Now you can go where Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev were too afraid to go. With the USA vs. Commies army figures you can fight the next to last battle of the war the would have ended the Cold War. Don't worry about breaking or even destroying these little guys because when the next to last battle is over and the winning side is celebrating, the losing side launches their missiles and starts what would have been the last battle of the Cold War.



Devo Action Figure w/ Interchangable Heads
I am a Devo fan. I saw them at the Palmer Auditorium in Austin when I was 13. The high point of my junior high career was getting searched by a female cop at the gate. I chanted "jump, jump" like everyone else as one of the roadies adjusted the lights above the stage. Now that my Devo fan credentials have been thoroughly established, I have to admit that I am freaked out a little by the Devo action figure with interchangeable heads. I want it, but it scares me. Then again, maybe it is just Devo in general: fans like them but are a little freaked out by them at the same time (everyone else is just freaked out by them).



Monty Python Plush Black Knight

"Like most women, I don't 'get' Monty Python and the Holy Grail. I've tried to watch it with my boyfriend but it's just so stupid. Who would waste their time with such a stupid movie? Oh, when the special edition DVD came out he tried again, 'Honey, it's got an extra 24 seconds of previously cut footage!' Like that would help. He thought he was fooling me by giving me the bunny slippers too, like how could a harmless little bunny bite through an armored man's jugular vein? So Stupid. Then he gave me the Plush Black Knight. Who would want an doll of a man wearing armor? My boyfriend is the one that doesn't 'get it'. I thought he was the one, but he just doesn't understand me. I got so mad I ripped the doll into pieces and beat him with the bloody stumps."

Gi Joe G I Joe Search for the Yeti
I don't want any comments about how this is really an adult novelty toy. GI Joe is definitely a kid's toy. What confuses me about this is why is GI Joe searching for the Yeti? Did the USA declare war on the missing link? Or is the USA trying to capture the Yeti for part of a secret weapons project? It's hard to tell from the picture, but G.I. Joe has his rifle jammed in the Yeti's stomach while the Yeti looks like he is screaming in pain and is about to swipe at Joe with his giant Yeti paw. More pictures here from a guy who really likes this toy.



LEGO Orient Expedition: Yeti's Hideout
I always thought that Bigfoot/Sasquatch was cool. Ever since I was a kid and saw that In Search Of... Bigfoot episode and the Six Million Dollar Man episode where Andre the Giant played Bigfoot. At one point I was even pretty sure there was a bigfoot living in the woods near my house in Texas. I never really felt any love for the Yeti, though. Maybe it was because he was so far away, or maybe because it is so dang cold in the Himalayas (I don't do cold). Maybe it was because there is no way the Yeti exists. Come on now, if you were nine or ten feet tall and could throw boulders like they were baseballs, would you choose to live in one of the least hospitable places on Earth? Sasquatch could be real, because it is conceivable that someone (or thing) might want to live in the forests of the Northwest US and Canada. Hell I'd like to live there myself if I didn't have to live in constant fear of a wookie attack.



Plaid Shirt Zombie Action Figure

(sung to Monty Python's Lumberjack song)
I'm a lumberjack and I'm okay
I lurch at night and eat brains all day

(chorus)
He's a lumberjack and he's okay.
He lurches at night and eats brains all day.

I punch through walls, I catch humans
You can't hid from me.
I think I'll catch more humans,
and eat their brains, yummy!


Related post: The original 9 bizarre toys

Skimboard Surfer

At some point, probably when Cole was old enough to walk, summer stopped just being about staying cool and started being about staying cool while physically wearing Cole out (preferably while he was having fun).   Even though adults will probably pull a groin muscle when they go for a slide (you know you will) the Skimboard Surfer will keep you cool and wear out your kid.  I came across a skimboard in the store the other day and wondered what it was.  It looked like a giant guitar pick, too big for a skateboard, too small for a boogie board.  Now I know, it is a mini-surfboard to use with what is basically a slip 'n slide.  With short run and a little balance you can get some good speed up before you have to abort at the end of the slide.  One skimboard comes with the slide, but you can buy more relatively inexpensively and they come in a wide array of graphics. 

 

Skimboard Surfer (Color May Vary) at amazon.com

Video review of Speedracer toys

Stinkhead at nontoxicreviews.com has a pretty good video review of some of the Speedracer toys out there.  I think the automated track looks awesome, although I don't care too much for the 3 3/4 scale toys.  I also like the fact that he was not afraid to put the blooper of him shooting himself in the face with a toy missile in the video.

link

note: I will be working on my first video review this weekend, so watch for it Sunday or Monday at the latest!

Eyeclops Activity Kit

It is no secret that I am a big fan of the Jakks EyeClops Bionic Eye. Now Jakks has added an activity kit with eight "microprinted" posters. They are full of tiny stuff that you have to find with the Eyeclops. The kit is not very expensive and is eligible for free super-saver shipping at Amazon.

Cole loves seek and find books, I have no doubt that he will have a blast looking across a much larger canvas for tiny clues and items. I am also interested in encouraging him to be meticulous when as he searches. I think that attention to detail and being methodical are good traits to have in adulthood (if not carried to an extreme).

EyeClops Activity Kit at Amazon.com


Related Posts: here and here.

Iron Monger

Cole and I went to see Iron Man last Friday, and except for a couple of bumpy scenes, I have to say that it rocked. Cole already had an Iron Man Mark III action figure, now we are trying to get our hands on an Iron Monger action figure. This is the suit that the bad guy in the movie makes, so it is only natural to have this one also so Iron Man and Iron Monger can "fight". It turns out that I'm not the first one to have this idea, and they are a little hard to find. Amazon has one new one left as of right now, so I'd suggest starting there, possibly buying it from one of Amazon's alternative sources (listed on the right hand side at the amazon link) and then checking on ebay if you don't have any luck.

Iron Man Movie Toy Series 1 Action Figure Iron Monger at Amazon.com
Iron Man Movie Toy Series 1 Action Figure Iron Monger at ebay.com

Fraction Learning Pie Game

Learn fractions while playing this game. Get your piece of the pie by spinning a wheel, complete your pie first and win the game. Along the way, learn how to combine 1/2, 1/3, 1/4, 1/8, and 1/12 to become the pie-master. The game comes with 29 pieces, pie tins, tablecloth, chipboard, and spinner. I must be hungry, I keep posting food related games and toys. It looks like the next post will need to be some kind of activity related toy to work off all of these sandwiches and pies.

Fraction Learning Pie Game

Wooden Sandwich Toy Kit

This wooden sandwich kit is a lot of fun, especially for kids that are still too small to help out in the kitchen. The pieces of the sandwich stick to each other via a small piece of velcro. The kit also comes with a wooden knife so the veggies and cheese can be "sliced" by cutting through the velcro, which makes a satisfying ripping noise. Everything comes in a wooden storage box so everything (in theory) stays together.


Wooden Sandwich Making Play Food For Kids

Evel Knievel Toys For Sale

Since Robert Craig "Evel" Knievel's death in 2007, toys related to the one-time insurance salesman turned daredevil have become much more interesting to toy players and toy collectors. The Evel Knievel Signature Racing set available at Back to Basic Toys is very similar to the toy you may remember from the '70s. It includes Evel and Robbie Knievel action figures, chrome plated motorcycles, jump ramps, and two cycle launchers. Evel even comes with a cape and swagger stick. The set is individually numbered and comes with a certificate of authenticity.

Evel Knievel Signature Racing Set at Back to Basic Toys

Colorforms

The original Colorforms set from 1951 has been re-released for a new generation of sticker loving, vinyl applying kids.  In case you don't remember them, Colorforms are vinyl shapes that you use to make pictures by applying them on a special canvas or other surface (windows are common).  Kids who love stickers will enjoy them because they can be removed and reapplied repeatedly without damaging them (there's nothing sticky on them, they stay applied via static electricity... I think).  The kit comes with 350 shapes and a slick cardboard canvas.  It is also 40% off and is eligible for free super-saving shipping from Amazon.

I found this picture on Flickr to show you what can be done with a little imagination (that is a window not a canvas):

 

The Original Colorforms Setat Amazon.com

The Original Colorforms Set at ebay.com

Eyeclops is a Amazon Gold Box Deal Today

My favorite giant eyeball toy is an Amazon gold box deal today. This is one of my (and Cole's) favorite toys, and the geek in me get excited not only at the 200X magnification you get, but also the wild up and down swings in the price. Suggested retail price is $50, the last time I was at Wal-Mart I saw an entire end-cap of these priced at exactly that. Amazon is always below this price point, but still swings pretty wildly between $30 and $40. Now my geekiness at tracking prices can pay off for you. Right now the eyeclops is at $30.70 with free super saver shipping. I think I might get an another one to give as a Christmas present to someone this year.

Jakks EyeClops Bionic Eye


related posts:
I Spy With My Little Eyeclops
Eyeclops Update

Would you pay $30 for a car or truck?

I don't know how I feel about spending $30 for a toy car. The good news is that you can tell yourself that you saved almost $5 off of the original price. The picture above is one of the Automoblox line of toy cars. Cole and I have never played with them, so I can't give your firsthand knowledge of them, however they are highly reviewed on Amazon. Click on the picture or the link below and go take a look at the details.

Automoblox T9 Truck- Green

Remote Control Snake

I still remember when I was eight and I snuck up behind my mother with a toy snake. She turned around and running purely on instinct, grabbed it from my hands and flung it across the room. I don't know if she was trying to protect me or herself, but I never again doubted her reaction time or her ability to destroy my toys almost as well as I could. Now you can keep yourself out of range of your mother's unquenchable thirst for toy snake blood by using this remote control brown boa. It uses 4 AA batteries (2 in the snake and 2 in the remote) and can move in four directions using tiny wheels.


Remote Control Brown Boa at Hearthsong

Similar item at Amazon.com:
Remote Control - Green Mamba

Boccerball - whatever that means

It is a strange combination of soccer, marbles, and foosball. The best part is that it is 1/2 off at Amazon right now. Click on the link to see a video of a game being played to really understand.

Halex 60657 Boccerball Table Game

Does this Bilibo make me look like Mushmouth?

In 2005 the cardboard box was inducted into The National Toy Hall of Fame. That's right, a cardboard box. The cliche that kids prefer the box over the toy that came in it is quite possibly true. With this in mind, it is worth wondering if our children are not nearly as particular about their toys as give them credit for. Don't get me wrong, I have a lot of interest in cardboard boxes as raw material for play constructions (see here and here and here). The bigger question is that given the sheer number of toys out there and the specialization of many of the toys (example) is it possible that even today's techno savvy kids (even the little ones are surprisingly advanced compared to us when were kids) enjoy a return once in awhile to a simpler time when they could look at a cardboard box and see a castle, or at a bucket and see an astronaut's helmet. The bilibo (pictured above) is essentially a plastic bucket (it looks a bit like a washbasin) with two holes on one end. That's it. A plastic bucket that is flexible enough to be a space helmet (the eye holes help here), or a mountain with a tunnel to drive cars through, or a toy to sit and spin in, or a sled to go down a hill in, or a bucket to carry toys around the house in, or a shell for a turtle... I think you get the idea. They are made of sturdy polyurethane and come in a number of bright colors. Buy one for your kid and watch them enjoy the simplicity of design and creativity that it brings out.

Bilibo - Yellow
Bilibo - Red
Bilibo - Blue
Bilibo - Pink
Bilibo - Orange
Bilibo - Green


Note: for those of you who don't know who Mushmouth is, he was the kid on the old Fat Albert cartoon with the funny stocking cap.

Wooden you like some sushi?

This orderly looking wooden sushi toy from Melissa and Doug toys is more than just a novelty, your kids will have fun "cutting" through the velcro attached pieces with the wooden knife (included) and re-assembling them based on your order. Velcro chopsticks are included as well as wasabi sauce, ginger, soy sauce, and all come in a wooden bento box.

Melissa and Doug Wooden Sushi at amazon.com

Melissa and Doug Wooden Sushi at ebay.com


Also available at Cole's Amazon Store

Seriously, I gotta have more cowbell!

I have had some time to think about the topic after writing my previous post on encouraging your kids to develop their musical talent and appreciation. I have also found a few other cool and inexpensive instruments for them to bang and/or play on.

I briefly mentioned that music is very mathematical and playing and learning music can have an effect on a child's intellect. I didn't reference any specific literature on this subject, but in case you are interested, there is a good roundup of relevant info here.

One bit of more practical advice is for the other non-musically inclined parents out there. While pounding on a drum or cymbal or guiro, etc... may keep your kid entertained briefly, it is not likely to keep them interested for long, and it is also not likely to develop into anything beyond noise making all by itself. My guitar teacher used to play a "jam track" sometimes while we practiced. A jam track is a song played by an ensemble/band, except one of the instruments has been removed. In our case it was the lead guitar part, so I could jam along and solo while the backup band kept the base of the song moving along. Commercial karaoke songs do essentially the same thing with the vocals removed. This is a valuable tool to use after you have mastered the basic mechanics of the instrument and allows you to understand how the music you create as an individual fits into the music created by a group. Since the basic mechanics of most percussion instruments are pretty simple (in most cases it involves hitting them with a stick - which our baby mastered at 6 months) a jam track can be used almost immediately for kids. I suggest playing one of their (or your) favorite songs on the stereo and playing along with it. Keeping a beat and having fun are the two most important goals here. Singing along and getting fancy are secondary, and add not only a level of complexity but make it even more fun.

For some extra music, I suggest getting some free kids mp3's at: freekidsmusic.com. Just in case you are looking for one, the first song in their catalog - The Pancake Song by Abby and the Pipsqueaks has a guiro part. Don't worry if you can't find a real jam track for a particular song, you are just playing along and trying to have fun.

There may come a point at which you are so impressed with your kids progress that you are ready to try another instrument. What instrument that is depends on a lot of factors, such as the age, size and personality of the child. If there is a piano in the house it may be good place to start training your child's "ear" for pitch. Beyond that, if you have a musical sponge or prodigy on your hands, I suggest you begin looking for a professional music teacher. Recommendations from friends, music stores, and schools are a good place to start. After you've gone through all of this, don't forget that they have to understand that to get better they have to practice!

If you made it this far you must be a true music lover, and someday your child will thank you sharing your love for music with them. In the meantime, get out the pots and pans (or buy one of the inexpensive instruments below) turn on the stereo, and start making some noise!

If you have something that you are particularly proud of, send me a recording! I'd like to hear it and if it's OK with you I might share it with everyone else too.

Single 5" High Cage Bell, Assorted Colors
Remo 1 x 8" Lollipop Drum
Basic Beat Egg Shaker
Plastic Finger-Size Castanet

More Cowbell! - Encouraging kids to be noisy

As much as I love peace and quiet, I realize that I won't have any ever again as long as there are kids in the house. It is a trade off that I'm willing to make, in fact sometimes I even help make a little noise myself. Kids are little noise factories, and they will find a way to make noise out of just about anything. One thing I have often pondered is at what point does noise become music? Obviously the answer to this is different for everyone. It is entirely possible that the noise your baby/toddler/child makes IS music to him even though it sounds like noise to you. Maybe we developed into the sophisticated music makers and music lovers that we are today after banging on pots and pans/the wall/the back of the airline seat in front of us when we were children ourselves. With that in mind, we should encourage our kids to make as much noise as possible, maybe with enough sophistication there won't be a Britney in our kids' generation.

There are lots of children's music sets out there, with a smattering of different instruments. We've bought and received several over the years. There is one thing that they never have, and it is the one thing that I remember always fighting for back in grade school music class to get to play. I'm talking about the "guiro", or as we always called it back in the day, "the scratchy fish":

Recognize it now don't you? In case you don't, the little stick is rubbed quickly back and forth across the "ribs" of the fish to make a unique sound. When it comes to percussion instruments, the guiro is actually pretty harmless and, most importantly, relatively quiet. There is also a younger kids version of the instrument, made out of plastic so they can gnaw on it as well as make noise, preferably not at the same time.

Happy noise making!

12" Wood Fish-Shaped Guiro
8" Multi-Colored Plastic Guiro

Huge sale at Land of Nod

Land of Nod is having a sale, up to 80% off lots of merchandise. To go to the sale page click here:




My favorite is the doctor and nurse costume set:

Iron Man Action Figure #1

The other day Cole and I were watching cartoons when an Iron Man movie trailer came on. Both of us froze completely still (a rare thing for him) and were silent for the entire two minutes or so (even rarer). The movie looks like it will be a popcorn fueled blast. I have been looking for good Iron Man toys for the last month, and unless you want to shell out $50 for some collectible type stuff there hasn't been much, or if there has been, it has been buried and hard to find. Not anymore, there is finally #1 in a series(?) of Iron Man action figures available. Get one while you can...

Iron Man Movie Toy Series 1 Action Figure Iron Man Mark 03 at amazon.com

You can view the trailer here (youtube) the movie premiers May 2nd.

Step 2 Up and Down Roller Coaster

Cole and I were driving home from the mailbox the other day and we saw this set up on the sidewalk in front of a neighbor's house. I think that if Cole had been driving he would have stopped the car in the middle of the road to get a longer look (or maybe get out and take the thing for a ride). I did slow down quite a bit and we got good look at it. It was the Step 2 Up and Down Roller Coaster, or as I prefer to call it, the Toddler Roller Coaster. It is just what it looks like, a modular plastic roller coaster for little ones. The pieces snap together and there are grooves to keep the car from going off track. The total height is only about 12-15 inches, but the track is 10 foot long. The car has a high back, foot rests, and a handrail for safety. This looks like a great toy for a toddler, plus, after a few hundred times back and forth on this thing, I'll bet your toddler will take a good long nap!

Up & Down Roller Coaster at amazon.com