droolicious : holiday 2007

Olive, the Other Reindeer Revisited in Pop-Up and Calendar Form

Aaron Burgess — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 20:02:00 GMT

From a purist's perspective, there's really no improving on Vivian Walsh's 1997 book Olive, the Other Reindeer: Cute: Jack Russell Terrier named Olive mishears a Christmas carol, heads to the North Pole to find her calling as the "the other reindeer," confuses Santa's crew in the process, and eventually proves herself a valuable asset to both the team and holiday lore. (The movie is another story.)

Olive, the Other Reindeer: Deluxe Edition ($19.95) brings to life Walsh's story via pop-up versions of J.otto Siebold's wonderful artwork. For the most part, the pop-ups aren't mind-blowers: The simple lift-the-flaps and pull-out tabs don't really add to or take away from the story; they're just sort of... there. The scratch-and-sniff pages (mmm, gingerbread...) and book-closing Santa's-castle pop-up, on the other hand, are truly awesome, and kids will find them worth the price of admission alone.

If you're looking for a way to keep the magic going, Seibold's Olive the Other Reindeer Pop-Up Advent Calendar ($9.95, above) expands on the book's grand finale in just the right ways, with a deluxe pop-up version of Santa's castle and 24 punch-out figures that children can place around it.

Count Down to the Holidays with LEGO Advent Calendars

Aaron Burgess — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 19:03:00 GMT

Okay, so technically you're supposed to use an Advent calendar to count down the days till Christmas, but with 24 miniature LEGO surprises waiting behind each of their doors, these holiday-countdown sets could pique LEGO fans' interest regardless of belief system. Aimed at ages 5-12, the LEGO City Advent Calendar ($24.99, above) offers a new city-themed goodie for each day of the season, including LEGO City minifigures, equipment, a fireplace and a tree.

The Bellville Advent Calendar ($19.99, above) offers 24 similar treats aimed at girls ages 5-10, including fairies, animals and accessories from LEGO's Bellville world. Bundle them in LEGO's Santa gift wrap ($2.99) to complete the package.

Video Game Round-Up: Licensed Fun for Everyone, Part 2

Aaron Burgess — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 20:03:00 GMT

(Screenshot from D3's new Ed, Edd n Eddy: Scam of the Century)

Last week, I rounded up five new licensed video games aimed at kids; this week, part two of my feeble attempt to crawl out from beneath the landslide of licensed properties, with more tie-ins to movies, toys, TV shows and books still yet to come before the holidays. Hooray!

Dr. Seuss's How The Grinch Stole Christmas! (Destination Software)
Available For: DS
The Deal: Aesthetically based as much on the animated spinoff as on Dr. Seuss' classic book (with Jim Carrey thankfully out of sight), this game puts you in the role of the Grinch -- meaning, yes, you use your DS skills to navigate obstacles as you sneak through Who houses, pilfer Who presents, and generally rob Whoville of its Christmas joy. Ho-ho-ho indeed! (It does eventually bring you 180 degrees toward good cheer.)
Who'll Dig It: Any kid whose heart is two sizes too small.

Go, Diego, Go! Safari Rescue (2K Play)
Available For: DS
The Deal: Like its Dora counterpart, this simple-but-fun game puts kids on a quest -- play as Diego to rescue the jungle animals that've had their identities mixed up by a magician's mischievous spells -- and incorporates some nifty features along the way. Among other tricks, you can snap photos with Click, call animals through the DS' microphone, and blow into the mic to ride a hot-air balloon.
Who'll Dig It: Diego fans. (Surprise!)

Ed, Edd n Eddy: Scam of the Century (D3)
Available For: DS
The Deal: Cartoon Network's trio of tricksters lose their trusty scammer's playbook to the neighborhood kids, spending the game's 13 levels tasting their own medicine while uncovering special items and abilities, unlocking minigames, and ultimately recovering the Book of Scams from the dreaded Captain MelonHead.
Who'll Dig It: Fans of the series, obviously (the loose, scribbly animation stays true to the toon's image), although you don't need to be an Ed-head to enjoy the mischief here.

Hot Wheels: Beat That! (Activision)
Available For: Xbox 360, PS2, DS, PC
The Deal: No surprises from the umpteenth Hot Wheels spinoff, although kids won't care: Race through five competitive modes, compete against friends via the multiplayer option, and get special codes (or, just visit the site above to grab 'em) to unlock bonus vehicles. Cool points, however, for recreating the feel of a bedroom track, complete with other toys to dodge and high-speed action beneath the floorboards.
Who'll Dig It: My 7-year-old is a good barometer for most any Hot Wheels game, so let's ask him: Loud noises? Fast cars? Cool-looking tracks? Gold. If you're serious about racing games, skip it.

Shrek: Ogres & Dronkeys (Activision)
Available For: DS
The Deal: In this Shrek-themed spin on the Nintendogs idea, you train and raise your ogre or dronkey offspring, play games (blocks, catch) to sharpen their reflexes and earn bonus items, and finally send the wee beasties into the world for adventures and interaction with other characters from the series.
Who'll Dig It: Any kid who's a fan of train-'em, play-'em-style gaming -- we parents already have our hands full with real monsters.

Hand Made: Gobble Up this Turkey T-shirt

chrisjordan — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 17:00:00 GMT

Fall colored fabrics appliqued on a t-shirt or onesie in a turkey shape. My little kids have always like to wear holiday theme clothing in the days leading up to a holiday. Oh, ok I'll admit that I think they look adorable in photos wearing a pumpkin or Santa on their shirt.

Why not make it a high quality hand made shirt? This turkey shirt is available in sizes from 3 months up to 5T at Snazzie Drawers for $22

From TIE Crawlers to Muscle Cars: Three Must-Have LEGO Sets for the Holidays

Aaron Burgess — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 20:32:00 GMT

Just in time for the holidays, the brickmasters general at LEGO have rolled out several new and hard-to-find sets, all of which look to be as awesome for kids in the 7+ age range as they are for the grown-ups who'll ultimately end up building the things.

While the Exo Force Combat Crawler X2 dominated the Target end cap that sent my kids into a frenzy, the TIE Crawler ($49.99, above) was the hands-down favorite. Part of LEGO's Star Wars Expanded Universe, the 548-piece Rebel-crusher brings Imperial TIE fighters literally down to earth via its working treads, flick-launching missiles and hidden cannons, as well as its two Shadow stormtrooper minifigures. It's a great way to keep the excitement going as ~~you~~ your kids count the hours till LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga hits stores.

If swords and sorcery are more your thing, the 575-piece Dwarves' Mine ($49.99, above) adds an underground world of trolls, dwarves and mystical loot to the clashing knights and skeletons at the center of LEGO Castle's universe. Transport your diamonds and gems in the rolling mine cart and bucket, and defend your haul with a working catapult.

Want something with more big-kid appeal? The 598-piece LEGO Racers Nitro Muscle car ($49.99, above) should satisfy your inner gearhead. It'll look great on a bedroom shelf, with four rotating tires (you can also use the rear wheel to turn the front tires), metallic decals, and a flip-open body that lets you show off its interior. Or, if your kids are like mine, just plan on getting an extra set so you can race 'em around the house when you're done building.

Hand Made: Dress For the Holidays

chrisjordan — Tue, 16 Oct 2007 18:02:00 GMT

It's never too early to start planning what to wear this upcoming holiday season.

Dress has polka dots in red, black, beige, and subtle silver on a white background. Custom made in sizes 2T-5T

Available at Baby Leila for $25

Droolworthy: Magnetix iCoaster

Aaron Burgess — Mon, 15 Oct 2007 20:32:00 GMT

While there have been some awesome Magnetix spinoffs (I’m looking at you, Magna-Man) since the magnetized building-toy line debuted in 2003, the new iCoaster ($89.99 from Amazon.com) is the granddaddy of them all.

Gadget geeks have been cracking up over this thing for its Rube Goldberg-style design, and it’s true: once you start experimenting with configurations, there’s no limit to how ridiculous a track you can build. Stick to the 10 suggested designs, however, and the iCoaster feels like the cool, hyper-animated physics teacher you always wanted.

Assembling the tracks is as easy as getting two magnets to stick together, and with the addition of sensors, you can use the included 10mm ball to trigger a mix of music and sound effects as it flies around the track. (You can also plug in an MP3 player to trigger your own tunes.)

Better yet is that the “Sound FX Music Studio” that drives the soundtrack is the only piece of the iCoaster that needs batteries (4 “C,” not included):

The track, complete with jumps, loops (see below), drops, gaps and working elevator, is completely powered by magnetism, and it can be as quiet or as loud as your imagination will allow.

On-the-Go Creativity: MEGA Brands' smART Easel

Aaron Burgess — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 16:33:00 GMT

For those kids whose creativity literally knows no bounds, MEGA Brands' smART Easel ($39.99) is a cleverly designed, easily transportable personal studio that's as suitable for art time at home as it is for a playdate or a weekend at Grandma's place. Simply fold and go when you're ready to take it on the road, and plunk it down wherever and whenever your muse comes knocking.

Built around an easel that includes both a dry-erase board and a roller for drawing paper (one 50-foot roll included), the set also features two multi-compartment washable pockets for storing markers (eight broadline washables also included), paints and other supplies, as well as an easy-clean art tray and a roomy lower compartment for odds and ends. It collapses, tent-style, to fit the accompanying travel bag (see below), and its metal frame adds sturdiness and support not found in everyday plastic easels.