droolicious : indoor toys

7 Days of Indoor Toys: Xeko, the Eco Trading-Card Game

Aaron Burgess — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 15:03:00 GMT

Even though it plays a lot like Pokemon and Magic: The Gathering, Xeko trumps other trading-card games by having a social conscience beneath its surface. That's not to say kids will be turned off by Xeko's attempts at turning its players into activists. One look at the packaging -- a (sustainably farmed!) wood shipping crate with a "secret mission" inside -- and they'll be too jazzed about breaking into Xeko to question its makers' m.o.

And that's where Xeko is really clever: It uses a style of gaming with which kids are already familiar to school them on serious environmental issues. The objective, in ultra-simplified terms, is to build the strongest "Xeko-system" in one of several real-world ecological hotspots. You face off against opponents in the standard draw-and-battle style of Pokemon (demo here) and win by amassing the most "Eco-points" in your environment. The beautifully illustrated cards also teach you about the rare and endangered species you're saving.

Priced at $30, with 4% of proceeds going to Conservation International, Xeko starter sets include 40 booster cards, a rulebook, larger learn-to-play cards, and an oversized play mat/map. Kids can also send back the cards' wrappers for recycling and in exchange earn "green points" redeemable for landfill-sparing junk like screensavers and wallpapers. And, not only is Xeko's packaging made from recycled/recyclable materials, but if you order online from the company, you're likely to receive your game packed in a box that's been reused from a previous order.

7 Days of Indoor Toys: Battleground: Crossbows and Catapults

Aaron Burgess — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 15:02:00 GMT

Besides reissued G.I. Joe action figures, there was one other revived '80s plaything that found my kids and me bonding in geekdom over the recent holidays. The latest incarnation of Battleground: Crossbows and Catapults ($40 for the starter War Chest) turns your living-room floor into a Lord Of The Rings-style battlefield, and unlike the flimsier version many of us played as kids, it also packs stronger plastic armaments and better-detailed figures.

Choose to play as either knights or orcs; set up your castle, soldiers, flags and walls; and load your rubber-band-powered crossbows, catapults and cannons with battle discs. There's actually a good bit of strategy involved, and in my family, our 7-year-old had little trouble grasping the basic rules (although, being 7, he delights more in breaking them). His brother, 4, has also enjoyed getting into the action (as has Mom), and no matter what your tolerance for rules or geekiness, the game offers a ton of leeway in making things up as you go along.

The War Chest (pictured) includes 80 pieces, and a variety of additional sets let you add bigger and badder weapons to your arsenal. For those parents who are concerned about violence, the game's core principles -- taking turns; strategizing; and understanding basics of physics, force and aim -- are designed more to teach patience and improve fine-motor skills than to encourage fighting. I mean, I played the thing endlessly as a kid, and I turned out OK...

Green Baby: Tori Riding Horse Rescues Wood from the Scrap Heap

Aaron Burgess — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 15:03:00 GMT

This modern take on a classic children's toy also has an interesting green backstory: Made from end-of-life rubber wood, the sort of "garbage" lumber that's traditionally burned in heaps to use for charcoal, the Tori Rocking Horse ($100) is also sealed with a non-toxic natural finish. It folds down for easy storage and transport and is aimed at kiddoes ages 2-3, although on school and government holidays like today, the older kids will have just as much fun whiling away the hours playing ride-'em.

The Babble Review: Shadow Magic toy

Gwynne Watkins — Tue, 14 Aug 2007 21:13:00 GMT

The names of the box contents alone were enough to sell me on Shadow Magic ($24.99) — who wouldn't want a Light Blaster and Glow Screen? The basic premise: put kids in a dark room. Have them jump or pose in front of the Glow Screen while you click the Light Blaster (or just put it on auto flash). Marvel at the "captured" shadows. Amuse yourself by adding details and captions with the built-in light pen. When I put it to the test, though, my young subjects and I were not quite as thrilled as anticipated. You must use it in a totally dark room, the image captured lacks sharpness, and there's no easy way to "clear" the screen except to wait a few minutes for the image to fade. The built-in light pen works best when it is used to "draw" (with light) directly on the Glow Screen. Still, it's a cool novelty toy, well-suited to August days when it's too hot to play outside. — Katie Bayless

Make Kids Tee Off with Marble Golf Run

crazedparent — Thu, 21 Jun 2007 21:30:00 GMT

This fun miniature golf set brings playing marbles to a whole new level. Kids can set it up in any configuration outside or indoors...hours of entertainment? Possibly. It's for children ages 6 and up.

Available for $35 at Kid O.