Getting ready for Today Show

Posted on by
Reply

Today Show Studio

Just got back from set up. We’re going to have lots of kids on the set–many under three so we’ll see how the segment goes. My little friend Harper, who ran the segment last time is making a return appearance – this time along with her little brother. I’m the opposite of W.C. Fields–I love having kids on the set–it gives new meaning to the concept of “anything goes.”

I’m really happy with the collection of toys we’re showing tomorrow but I always feel terrible about all the other amazing toys on our list that aren’t getting their moment on air.  As usual we’ve packed in as many as we can for four minutes!  Happily this year we have tons of streaming video on almost all of our award winners.

Got uptown this afternoon just in time to catch the last float from the Columbus Day Parade. I’ve lived in NYC for over twenty years and I don’t think I’ve ever really attended this parade so it was fun to see it.

End of the Columbus Day Parade

I know they keep saying the economy is in rough shape–but you’d never know it from the crowds around Rockefeller Center!  The city is full of tourists.  The holidays can’t be too far away when they open the ice skating rink (see below).

Ice Skating Rink at Rockefeller Center

When a hot toy is looking for a second act

Posted on by
Reply

A Zhu Zhu Pet ready for Battle

Zhu Zhu pets were so hot last holiday season, that getting them for national television gigs took more negotiations than you can imagine.  Having watched many a hot toy come and go,  it’s always interesting to see how toy companies try to keep the craze going. Cabbage Patch dolls, Furby, Elmo- they’ve all been there with varying degrees of success. So this year, the sweet and furry Zhu Zhu pets have gone into battle, literally.  The new Kung Zhu Battle Arena is the latest in their line.  Here the pets are now ready to enter the battle arena (sold separately) in varying levels of battle armor (sold separately).  Interesting most of our testers that were in on the Zhu Zhu pet craze last year really enjoyed making their own settings for their pets.  Battle toys are a recurring theme in toyland again (there are a whole host of tops and bugs that battle it out) – so we’ll have to see how the Zhu Zhu pets in their current aggressive form stack up.

If this toy is on your child’s list, know that the battle arena does not come with a pet. This seems unfortunate to us.  Also if you want the armor to cover the pets that is different from the tanks that goes over the armor.  In other words, there are many layers of defense that you will need to purchase if you’re going into this battle.

Watch our video demo

Dance Star Mickey – and Donny Osmond (and Michael Jackson)

Posted on by
Reply

Dance Star Mickey

Now that Fisher-Price no longer has Elmo, the big push for this season in the novelty doll category will be Dance Star Mickey. He made our Platinum Toy Award List— hey, he’s Mickey, he’s pure novelty and he dances.  We just got a press release indicating that his rollout commercial will be tonight during ABC’s Dancing with the Stars.  Makes sense and to bring more things into cultural sync, he will be in the commercial with Donny Osmond.  The fact that Mickey does Michael Jackson’s moon walk also seems right since if you grew up in the late 60s, you probably watched both the Jacksons and Osmonds at some point (both had their own cartoons).

Watch our video of Mickey from Toy Fair.

Watch our video from our office.

Read our review.

Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Toy Awards Announced Tomorrow!

Posted on by
1

Another year of toy testing done!  Tomorrow we will announce all of our toy winners.  I’ve also been really busy the last few months videotaping the toys that have come through our offices.  So throughout the pre-holiday season I’ll be sharing those videos of both our winners and those that just make you wonder how something got made.  The official reviews will be posted at www.toyportfolio.com.

In honor of the new planet Gliese 581g

Posted on by
Reply

With all the news about the new planet Gliese 581g so far far away, I thought this was the perfect moment to share a science toy with a more local bent.  I’m always looking for science projects that will appeal to the child  that may not be enamored with science but say, enjoys art…so here’s a possible way in.  The Crayola Glow Explosion allows kids to make their own solar system.  Thanks to the “magic” of the glow pens, the solar system will glow in the dark.  Our testers liked that the solar system moves on a motorized base.  The glow aspect does not last for very long though–so if you want to have it glow for longer you need to recolor.  That’s a bit of a bummer for the long term…but it’s still a neat science toy!  Watch our video.

Crayola's Glow Explosion

Dead Squirrel

Posted on by
2

I just read a book about a dead squirrel that is in full regamortis for the entire picturebook. That right, a picturebook- so the book featured a beautifully illustrated dead squirrel. On the last page (after they’ve buried the seemingly dead squirrel), there is a squirrel running around on a tree.  I can’t begin to express how many things I find disturbing about this book.

Toy Safety…again

Posted on by
Reply

Last night I was talking about the new toy season – thinking about getting to share another year’s worth of testing.  I know we don’t make any of these toys, but we do take pride in our list of award winners.  It takes a lot of work to get to those select toys that do what they say they’re going to do–AND they’re fun, well made, and going to enhance your child’s play experience.  While there are definite points of the year when I ponder what I do for a living, at the end of the day my mother and I really love finding great products. Our network of family testers take their work seriously and we love the feedback we get from the play trenches!

So you can imagine my dismay this morning. I was barely awake when I saw a reporter on tv with a new set of toys being recalled.  I thought (hoped) that I was still asleep. But no, it was real and even more alarming one of our scheduled award winners was on the list.   All of my happy thoughts about kicking off a new season without the upset of recalls was gone.  Fisher-Price voluntarily recalled 10+ million plus toys and equipment for kids.

The issue this year is not lead or pvc — but small parts.  Now if you’ve read my blog you know this has been an on going worry for us.  In this case the issue is small parts potentially breaking off and posing a choking hazard–but we have been observing small parts that are meant to be there.  Small parts that just stick out of the official choke tube but fall in a toilet roll center (the at-home test recommended by the CPSC).

As always we encourage parents to trust their instincts. If something looks too small or is too loud or is too rough (we had lots of splinter issues this year as well)….take the toy back.  If you have kids that mouth their toys, keep a toilet roll near by.  Put away questionable pieces for the time being.

Fans of the show Mythbusters- here’s a great game

Posted on by
Reply

The new Mythbusters Game from Zimzala Games

Fans of the Discovery Channel’s Mythbusters will  love this new game based on the hit show that puts myths to the test by trying them whether it’s by catapluting a car or blowing something up.  I love that this show celebrates science and makes it fun.  It’s a great show to share with your kids (or in my case, a show that they shared with me!)

Many games from tv shows are a disappointment but this one from Zimzala Games delivers.  The concept is to get the trivia questions correct so that you get to launch Buster the dummy on the cataplut (how fun is that!).  At first we didn’t get many questions right–so there was no launching but we were enjoying the questions and often surprising answers so much that we didn’t really care.  For kids that are video gamers– this may be one of those few games that you can entice them away from their controller with — at least for a little while!

Watch our video demo!

Bed Bugs- in toyland

Posted on by
2

Bed Bugs (the game!)

Every time I turn on the tv, there’s a new report of where bug bugs are now…forget tacky hotels, they’re now everywhere it seems (stores, movie theaters).  The old expression “sleep tight and don’t let the bed bugs bite” doesn’t seem like a cute little thing to say to your kids as you turn off the lights.  I’m itchy just thinking about it.

Bed Bugs are also in toyland!  This week I got a new updated version of the classic game Bed Bugs (now from Patch Products). The game was first released by Milton Bradley in 1985.

The game is still fun (if you can get over the current hype about the real bugs).  Comes with a bed that’s just hopping with bed bugs, literally (the bed is motorized so the bugs really do move about). The youngest player calls out a color and then it’s a free for all where all players are trying to get those colored bugs out of the bed with a tong.

Wonder if the current epidemic will help or hurt the sales of this classic game.