Toy News Magazine » Arts & Crafts

Doodle Bread – making the ordinary extraordinary

Jill — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 09:23:20 +0000

We’ve just added a new website to our Toy Shop Directory, and thought the product was worth a post. Doodle Bread is a kit that lets you easily add an image through bread as you bake it, meaning every slice is emblazoned with a picture! The kit costs £14 and is a great way to encourage kids to bake. Mostly, we just think it’s cool!

Check out the available kits at www.doodlebread.com.

Go Go Crazy Bones Art Sets – an ideal stocking filler?

Jill — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 08:30:47 +0000

Don’t shout at me for what I’m about to say – but there are only 45 sleeps til Christmas! That means I’m allowed to start giving you ideas for boys’ and girls’ stocking fillers. The first one comes from the Go Go Crazy Bones range, the latest phenomenon to sweep the playground.

The latest addition to the Crazy Bones range is a a set of Art packs and accessories which start at just £1.99 from iwantiwant.com. There are 3 varieties:

- The Mini Art Pack (£1.99) includes 6 paints, crayons, 3 Colouring sheets, an Eraser, Sharpener, Pencil and a Paintbrush.
- The Mini Art case to go (£1.99) is shaped like a GoGo Crazy Bones character and includes 12 Water Colours, 8 Crayons, a Paintbrush, Sharpener, Eraser, Pencil
- The Larger Art case (£7.99) includes a Pencil, Notepad, Ruler, Eraser, Sharpener, 8 Crayons, and a pencil case

If you have any other great stocking filler ideas, comment and let us know.

Yummy Dough edible playdough

Jill — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 09:50:48 +0000

We all had playdough as kids and we all tried eating it…probably only once! Yummy Dough was designed by kids to be exactly what it says on the box. It’s a baking mix that contains vegetable colouring agents only, so when you add water the powder turns into a smooth modelling clay that can be shaped and modelled into something beautiul, wacky or weird! But that’s not the end – you can pop it in the oven to bake it, and even eat it!

In the packet you get Red, Yellow, Green and Blue Yummy dough mix, measuring and modelling tools. Since it’s completely non-toxic it’s suitable for all the family and for only £7.95 from Prezzybox we think it’s a great deal.

Interesting ways to fit in 5-a-day!

Jill — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 09:51:46 +0000

According to the media, more people have made the ‘lose weight and get fit’ resolution this new year than ever before, and to that end, Let’s Cook have come up with a fun way to help you get your kids involved in a healthy new lifestyle. The Fruit Factory has 3 fun ways to encourage kids to make and eat their 5-a-day portions of fruit.

The child-safe blender lets you to turn your favourite fruit into delicious juice and smoothies, or why not pour your smoothie into the special lolly cases, pop them into the freezer and enjoy healthy, yummy lolly pops?

The bright colours and ease-of-use will hopefully help kids to get more involved in the preparation, and make them more willing to try something healthy when they’ve seen what goes into it.

The Fruit Factory is available from Character-Online now for just £19.99

Gladiators Tat2 pen – non-permanent!

Jill — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 16:35:33 +0000

I suppose since the countdown has truly begun when we get sent toys and all we can think is ‘that’ll make a great stocking filler!’ But to be honest, I think this is in the top 10. Surely when you were small, you remember those rub on tattoos that used to itch like crazy and crack after the first hour – well this is the next generation. Now kids can create Gladiator style tatoos with this fantastic Tat2 Pen. The set comes complete with 6 stencils, perfect to give everyone in the family a different mark for Christmas day! The effect is very dramatic, and far better than a rub-on one free with sweets! After kids have created their tatoo, they can simply wash it off and create a new one.

Also, I’m sure there will be plenty of fun after the kids have gone to bed and the adults draw funny faces on each other. Whatever you want one for, they are available for just £14.99 from Character-Online.

High School Musical Stage Star Microphone

Jill — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 12:56:45 +0000

To celebrate the launch of the latest film, Character Online have upped their range of High School Musical toys. Now you can sing-along with the Spinning Microphone, or into the Musical brush – but for the real stage superstar, the obvious choice is the High School Musical Stage Star Microphone.

Now you can sing and dance along to to the hit songs from your favourite High School Musical film, or even your own music collection. The real amplifier will make you feel like you’re on the stage. You just connect the loudspeaker to your CD or mp3 player and it will blast out your very own backing track for you to sing in time to.

Available now from Character-Online

New review – Marvin’s Magic Freaky Body Illusions

Jill — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 10:47:21 +0000

I can’t stress enough just how much fun we had reviewing the latest magic trick set from Marvin’s Magic. Freaky Body Illusions entertained us for days as we tried to master the classic tricks and illusions. You can read the full review here. If you have the set and would like to tell us what you think, post a comment here or on the review.

Not only did the kind people at Marvin’s Magic let us play with their fantastic toy, they have given us a full set of the tricks worth £24.95 to give away to a lucky reader – just in time to freak out your friends at Halloween! The competition begins tomorrow – but if you just can’t wait – remember the Remote control helicopter competition is still running for another week! Don’t say we aren’t good to you – good luck!

Cranium Super Fort – no adults required

Jill — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 11:07:21 +0000

I remember building forts with blankets and my mum’s clothes pegs in between chairs and under tables, but I really wish they had these when I was wee enough to fit in them! The Cranium Super Fort is so easy to build, children aged 4 and up can safely make their own secret places to hide. The ingenious building system features quick-snap magnetic connectors to fix the flexible foam tubes together, and attach the colourful material panels making it super easy to build and (more importantly for the grown ups) easy to put away. It all fits neatly into the storage bag when play time is over!

Anything your child can imagine, they can build – a pirate ship, a fairy castle, or just a hiding place from little sister! There’s even a few suggestions and instructions included in the box to get the creative juices flowing. There’s now £10 off so for only £29.95 from Prezzybox, I think it’s a small price to pay to keep the furniture intact!

Thinking putty – fun stress relief

Jill — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 09:42:40 +0000

I loved Silly putty when I was younger – I used it for everything from a bouncy ball to making moulds. Now putty has a grown up face in the new stress relief toy from Firebox. Thinking Putty is crazy stuff – you can Shatter it, stretch it, shape it, tear it and bounce it – all in the name of at work stress relief.

It’s a highly addictive little invention available in a range of colours and with a variety of properties – even available as a magnetic toy! The makers claim that Thinking Putty doesn’t react like any other substance known to man, and offer a host of scientific reasons why. Toyhype fans will know, however, that we don’t go in for the reasons behind how a toy works – we just play with it – and we can’t put this stuff down! Check out the video after the break to see just how many things you can do with this crazy stuff.

Available now from Firebox for just £6.95.

Morph! He’s back!

Jill — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 08:09:44 +0000

But, they told me he was dead! They said the Aardman Studio’s fire got to him – but no, the mischevious Morph has made yet another comeback. The crazy little Plasticine character that lived in a wooden artbox on the infamous Tony Hart’s desk is now available to buy and build yourself under the name of ‘My Own Morph’.

In this officially licensed product, there are 3 blocks of plasticine, a wizard’s hat, a skateboard, a beard, a comic book and an instructional DVD complete with 15 Morph episodes – which to me makes it even more of a find!

If you’re in my wonderful generation you should remember the slideshow to the Deer Hunter theme, and Morph shaking his fist at Tony. If not then My Own Morph should still appeal to your imagination and creative side.

If you’re ready to tackle the challenge of creating your Own Morph, visit Firebox now for the latest pricing.