The Toys Store

The wild things--with their mismatched parts and giant eyes--manage somehow to be scary-looking without ever really being scary; at times they're downright hilarious. Sendak's defiantly run-on sentences--one of his trademarks--lend the perfect touch of stream of consciousness to the tale, which floats between the land of dreams and a child's imagination.

Air Hogs lets you control a car along the ground and up walls. (red sports car version shown) View larger.

Use the remote to charge the car's built-in battery. (red sports car version shown) View larger.

What We Think Fun Factor: Durability: (what this means) The Good: Car can drive up walls; includes rechargeable battery The Bad: Car is a bit fragile; slightly loud; limited wireless range In a Nutshell: Car can do everything it advertises, but all the conditions must be met At a Glance Ages: 8 and up Requires: 6 AA batteries for remote, clean surface

Smart, Innovative Design
Air Hogs makes the only cars that can climb walls, and the Zero Gravity Micro is smaller and faster than the original Air Hogs Zero Gravity Humvee. We were surprised by how small and light the Zero Gravity Micro is; it is basically a thin plastic shell wrapped around a light body with a vacuum in it. Our car was designed to look like a red race car, but you can choose from other designs available as well.

We were able to get the Zero Gravity Micro up and running without any problems. The remote control unit needs six AA batteries (not included), and is then used to charge the built-in rechargeable battery in the car. This is done by connecting a cable from the remote control to the car, and flipping the switch to charge mode. Thanks to smart design, this cable can be stowed and hidden away when not being used.

After about half an hour for charging, the car was ready to go. Right away, we set the car to wall climbing mode and set it on our wall. Though we'd read about what it was supposed to do, we were still very impressed when we saw the car stick to the wall and climb. You can see the vacuum working, as there is a window on the top of the car showing a spinning fan. The car makes quite a bit of sound when it is in wall mode.

Using the remote, we were able to make the car go up, turn left and right, and go down as well. With a tight turning radius, the car is very maneuverable and with some practice, you can get the car to do exactly as you wish. In addition to Wall mode, there is also a Ground mode which leaves the fan/vacuum off, and lets you drive full function on the ground. You need to walk around with the car, however, as the remote has limited range. This is not as big a concern on walls because we were usually pretty close to the wall as the car was climbing it.

The car has working headlights that double as a battery indicator--when they start to blink, the car is running low on power.

Needs Clean, Smooth Surface
The instructions warn that the car should be played only on a clean, smooth surface, and they're not kidding. Since the car is able to stay on walls due to suction, the moment an inconsistency is introduced, the car loses suction and falls off. We found that a surface like glass works very well. With our concrete wall, we often ran into problems with the car maintaining its suction. Coupled with the car's light construction, we fear that repeated abuse could cause damage to it.

Overall, we found the Air Hogs Zero Gravity Micro to be an innovative and fun toy. We wished it were a bit more hefty and could work on more surfaces, but when we got it going on our window, we were very impressed. It's a great new idea and twist on an old toy, and is bound to keep children mesmerized.

Thomas is powered by a single AA battery. View larger.

A waterfall and a collapsing bridge keep action canyon interesting. View larger.

What We Think Fun Factor: Durability: (what this means) The Good: Exciting train set features popular characters The Bad: Track only includes one train car In a Nutshell: Action Canyon is ready to be invaded by imaginative kids At a Glance Ages: 3 and up Requires: 1 AA battery

Laying the Tracks
Before the fun begins, Thomas and his friends will have to wait for the railroad to be assembled. Detailed instructions with clear illustrations make building the track through Action Canyon an easy task. It does take a few minutes to sort out all the pieces and get a feeling for how their plastic connectors snap together. Once the bridge and the mountainous waterfall are in place, you need to place a single AA battery (not included) inside Thomas, so he can power uphill.

A Dramatic, Dynamic World
Be careful! One light tap on a secret button might cause the old rickety bridge to collapse right under Thomas. This colorful, sturdy track that runs through the unpredictable canyon is a great setting for imaginative play. Little engineers will love the switch that lets them pick whether Thomas busts through the waterfall or continues to the top of the mountain and on toward a daring descent.

Kids who have seen The Great Discovery or ardent fans of the Thomas and Friends TV show will love that they can immediately start recreating adventures, like the discovery of a long lost town on the island of Sodor, but familiarity with these existing storylines isn't essential. Any imaginative child will be able to enjoy a day at Action Canyon.

A Growing Circle of Friends
If climbing up a steep pass and zipping through a narrow passageway isn't exciting enough, Action Canyon can be combined with other TrackMaster sets to create a humongous world for Thomas to explore. Adding exciting, new destinations, additional engines, railcars, and trucks to liven up the secluded canyon is sure to make this set way more fun for multiple kids to play with.

The fact that Thomas only requires a single AA battery to run is convenient and economical, but he does labor a little bit on the steeper portions of track, which makes us wonder how he would fair pulling a heavy load. This seems a small concern compared with the potential of surrounding him and the Action Canyon with fun-loving friends and constantly evolving stories.

A box chock full of at least 2,172 laughs.

Of course, advancing to the center of the board is where all the fun is had. Teams must work together to answer, sketch, sculpt, solve, act, hum, and more. Four card decks with 600 cards and 15 activities dictate what must be done in order to move forward--and make everyone laugh out loud. One of the great things about Cranium games is how much fun they make it to discover new talents among friends and family. With something for the artist, brainiac, actor, and wordsmith, it’s guaranteed to be a good time.

Maybe you’ve always wanted to use your best friend as a puppet to act out "milking a cow." Or perhaps you want to prove you can draw "bed head" with your eyes closed. You might be eager to show off your vast knowledge of "The Hoff," YouTube, and which came first, the toaster or sliced bread. If any of these are true, you should play Cranium Wow very soon. Why keep those hidden talents hidden when they’re so impressive?

Additional vinyl movers are sold separately.

Cranium Wow has introduced another fanciful twist on this game. While the box includes four colorful vinyl movers, there are a total of 12 out there to be collected. Each one is sold separately, has its own profile, and comes with a hat or hairdo that can be switched among any of the other movers. This means that the people you play with most frequently can have personalized movers to match their own personalities. Wow!

• Game board
• 600 new cards
• 10-sided die
• Tub of purple clay
• Timer
• Drawing pads
• Pre-sharpened pencils
• 4 customizable movers with interchangeable hats and hairdos

The Ball-tivity Center encourages hand-eye coordination and visual and auditory development. View larger.

Hours of Interactive Fun
The Ball-Tivity features cute jungle animals and a ladybug that entice little fingers to grasp and explore. Mom or baby can press down on the ladybug to start the action and keep things moving. As the air starts to flow, lively music plays and animal sounds seem to bring this activity set to life. Parts appear to magically move, making this exotic adventure pure delight for a curious child.

The bright colored balls swirl around the pool. View larger.

Stimulates the Senses and Encourages Healthy Development
The Ball-Tivity engages all of baby's senses, and encourages hand-eye coordination while introducing your child to the relationship between cause and effect. Colored balls swirl around the pool, inviting little hands to reach in and pull them out, then drop them back in to watch them swirl around and around again. You or baby can also place a ball on top of the volcano and see it hover. Stackable palm tree, elephant and alligator pieces all spin, twirl and chomp when placed on their separate ports, or they can be stacked for a different perspective.

The Ball-Tivity Center requires four "D" batteries (not included), and comes with monkey and palm tree snap-in pieces, three balls, three stacking pieces, and instructions. For your child's safety, all plastic fasteners should be removed and discarded before play.

With the Petal Cottage your little girl can have a house of her own. View larger. View Side - Back

The cottage can be easily stored away.

The Perfect Playhouse
Easy for an adult to assemble, the Rose Petal Cottage offers plenty of space to accommodate even the biggest imaginations. It measures 42 inches high by 37 inches wide by 18 inches deep, and will comfortably house your little girl and her friends along with several toys. The cottage has been built with only the softest and safest materials, ensuring your child's safety. For added fun, the cottage comes with a durable fiberboard stove -- the perfect accessory for when it's time to prepare pretend meals. The stove has knobs that really turn and an oven door that opens.

Charming Design
The Rose Petal Cottage has been designed with the sensibilities of young girls in mind. It has a charming and quaint appearance, and is constructed with fabric walls to help children feel right at home. It comes complete with several draped windows, a Dutch door that opens and closes, and a delightful pink chimney.

The cottage is colored in a warm mix of pastel blue, pink, viridian, and yellow -- a palette that will be certain to appeal to any little girl. It even has several colored flower and ivy decals to give the cottage a welcoming, rustic feel. In addition, both of the cottage's "rooms" are totally unique and look different from one another, giving your child's imagination even more space to explore.

A Wish Come True
This simple wooden toy fosters creative play and is a wonderful addition to imaginary kitchens everywhere. Use the wooden spatula to serve the cake and the fake candles to make a wish. This toy will make an excellent birthday gift for future bakers.

The cake itself is painted white with blue icing swirls and has seven removable candles that fasten to the top. Three delectable toppings -- strawberries, jellybeans, and gumdrops -- can be added to the top and the cake comes in a decorative box kids love. This delicious dessert is already cut into slices that fasten together with Velcro and easily pull apart. It also has a bright red serving platter and each of the six pieces is about the size of a real piece of cake. Also, as a well-made and durable wooden toy, it withstands child play and the paint won't easily chip off, even if it is accidentally dropped. Storing all the pieces may be a challenge, but a party box is included to contain the candles and decorations.

Features
This birthday cake is a hit for those who like to help out in the kitchen. Children love redecorating and serving it using the wooden spatula. Unlike many of today's modern toys, it encourages creativity, as children get to design their own cake and parties. It amuses future hosts and hostesses for hours and is an exceptional value as a 33-piece set. This cake remains child's favorite for years and includes enough candles to celebrate a lot of birthdays. The cake has a 10-1/2-inch diameter.