Toy Whimsy

iCarly Party Ideas - Guest Blogger Lisa Kothari

Do your tweens love the latest show on Nickelodeon, iCarly? It’s one of the hippest, most tech-savvy TV shows around that combines acting with viewer content. Carly, the main character, produces her own web-based show called “iCarly” with her friends. She is smart and gets very good grades, is innovative with her webcast, and is famous, although she never lets it go to her head—all wonderful attributes for any tween! This is a great show to build an innovative theme around for a 13th birthday party.
Check out these ideas:
A fun iCarly party invitation would be one that is tech-savvy! Send an e-mail invitation to your guests with a recorded message from the birthday tween. This invitation is eco-friendly, cutting edge, and fun… just like Carly!

Purchase iCarly party ware, and accent with bright and bold colored balloons, streamers, confetti, and more.

The main activity of your party will be creating your own webcast! Create a set for a show that the birthday gal and her guests will develop together, and provide them with a video camera. The show can combine dancing, singing, skits, discussing topics of interest, etc. Whatever the kids are interested in taping is the way to go! If you have time, the kids can try their hand at video editing and downloading/copying their show onto DVDs. (This may be a bit boring for the entire group, so this part can be done after the party if you want.) At the very least, play back the webcast either on the computer or piped through the TV for fun.

If your guests want to do something crafty, have them create clay sculptures like Carly’s brother Spencer likes to do. Any type of modeling clay can be used, and these masterpieces can be taken home as the party favor.

You can also find party inspiration from the latest episodes of iCarly:

• How long can your webcast go for? Carly tries to go for a full day. How long is yours?
• Spencer tries to help sell fudge to impress. Make a batch of your own birthday fudge!
• Carly, Sam, and Spencer love pie. Serve a favorite pie at your party.
• Spencer consults a magic meatball to make decisions. Make your own magical item, and have the guests ask it for advice.
• Put on your favorite dance videos and dance the party away like Carly and her friends do.
• Freddie and Sam make a bet that involves getting a tattoo on their faces. Apply temporary tattoos to your guests’ faces.
• Play a game of iCarly trivia.

Serve any of your birthday tween’s favorite foods, such as pizza, nachos, or snack chips. Don’t forget the pie and fudge!
Send the guests home with a DVD of their webcast and the clay sculptures they created. If the DVDs are not ready when the guests depart, send them with the thank you notes as a great party memento!

--Lisa Kothari
Peppers and Pollywogs, Inc.
www.pepperspollywogs.com

Drive-in Movies Go High Tech - Guest Blogger Wendy Smolen

One of the hardest parts about family get-togethers is how to keep kids of all different ages occupied. Well, worry no more. Jakks Pacific’s new EyeClops® Mini Projector just hit the stores---way ahead of the Christmas rush, but not a minute too soon for end-of-summer bashes. Barely bigger than the palm of your hand, with its own stabilizing base, this clever mini-projector turns any space into a drive-in movie theater. For kids too young to even know what a drive-in movie is, the appeal of seeing their favorite DVD, game, or even TV show projected up to 60-inches wide on a wall, ceiling or a sheet hung outside in the yard represents the perfect marriage of old-school fun and high tech wizardry. My kids and I tested it using a Wii and an iPod. The appeal was instantaneous. While I have to admit, big screen projection is no longer a big deal, the concept of watching Sponge Bob waddle across the living room ceiling was pretty amusing. Inside, we used the power cord, but switched to batteries when we moved outdoors. Although the hook-up was a little trickier (we needed a standard iPod adaptor), the cool factor kicked in.  Screening Gossip Girl on the patio is definitely a conversation starter. I can’t wait to use this again for my Labor Day multi-generational get-together. I just have to decide what to show!

Guest Blogger Wendy Smolen is co-founder of Sandbox Summit®.  She has been professionally evaluating toys for over 15 years. Her three children have literally gone from crib to college proving (or dis-proving!) her theories on play.

 

Sparkle Baby Cinderella Doll - Tiny Toy Testers Review

Little girls love sparkles, dolls and princesses. Of course, what would be better than all three together?  Check out our tiny princess tester and her new Cinderella doll and then keep reading for the Amazon.com parents' review...

Disney Princess Sparkle Baby Cinderella Doll...

Parents' Review: 5 Stars for Wonderful, 1 Star for Terrible:

Assembly: 5 stars, "no assembly required"

Fun Factor:4 stars, "She was very excited to see the baby doll. Once we got it open, she liked the bottle best – it lights up and has music. She really only wanted to play with the bottle. I had to prompt her to feed the baby, etc for her to engage the doll."

Educational Factor: 1 star, "This toy has no educational value."

--Laura McMullan

Fisher-Price Power Wheels Mustang - Tiny Toy Testers Review

What little girl out there dosen't want a convertible of her very own?  This big girl would be very happy to have one of her own! Check out our Tiny Toy Tester and her cute new ride.  (Her brother seems pretty happy about it too!) Check out the video and then keep reading for the Amazon.com Parents' review...

Fisher-Price Power Wheels Pink Mustang...

Parents' Review: 5 Stars for Wonderful, 1 Star for Terrible:

Assembly: 5 stars, "It took me (alone) about 30 minutes to assemble. The directions were really easy to understand. I had no problems assembling the toy, even with two anxious kids hovering over me.  I (the Mom) assembled the Mustang from scratch – definitely ok even for a beginner. The hardest part was getting the stickers on straight!  The instructions are visual and clear."

Fun Factor:  5 stars, "Nonstop fun from the minute it was fully assembled. If you charge the battery before you assemble the car, you will avoid whining about it not being ready until the next day. On the other hand, you could assemble the car, then charge the battery (18 hours) and use the interim time to have safety talks with your little drivers. This car is perfect for flat surfaces or hills that have traction – if you have a really hilly yard with smooth grass, you may want to try the Power Wheels Jeep model.  Believe me, I have checked the weight limit and been tempted to take a spin on the lawn. I could have a lot of fun in a little car like this."

Educational Factor: 2 stars, "When I hear my daughter instructing her little brother to buckle up before she will move forward, I would have to say there is an educational element to the toy. Even though the Pink Mustang doesn’t provide a dashboard light or prevent itself from starting without the seatbelt being buckled, the seatbelts are there and reinforce what I require in our family cars – always wear your seatbelt. This next one is a stretch, but I have to kids (5 and 3) who both already understand the concept of becoming stuck against a fixed object and reversing the car and turning the wheel, then going forward and turning the opposite direction, and then again until they have a clear path out. Could this help build some early math skills? I say yes! Only the future geometry tests will tell."

Novelty Factor: 4 stars "As a child of the 70s and 80s I would have traded in my little sister for a toy like this.  Both my husband and I agree that the Power Wheels toys were only imaginable on the “Silver Spoons” sitcom. Because of that, we both get a little annoyed whenever the kids stop raving about the car in their backyard that actually drives and looks cool. Luckily that has only happened a time or two when the ice cream truck drove by the house playing Showtunes.  This car will delight any kid. It’s one of the few toys that has not lost its luster after a few uses."

--Laura McMullan

Plan Toys Dancing Alligator and Pull-Along Snail - Tiny Toy Testers Review

Like we have said many times here on Toy Whimsy, in toys, simple is best.  Plan Toys is a great toy company that does something very cool- they take old rubber trees that were no longer producing rubber, and instead of burning them (which is what used to be done) they make wonderful, basic, beautiful toys out of them.  Pull toys are always a hit with new walkers and toddlers.  Check out our adorable tester below and then keep reading for the Amazon.com Parents' review...

Dancing Alligator and Pull-Along Snail:

Parents' Review: 5 Stars for Wonderful, 1 Star for Terrible:

Assembly: 5 stars, "No assembly required. Each toy was held loosely in cardboard and was super-easy to remove."

Fun Factor: 4 stars,  "My 18-month-old was immediately intrigued by the alligator and the snail and she inspected them closely with her hands, especially the alligator’s panels and the snail’s ‘wheel.’ The colors are fabulous and the toys are so well made that they’re fun to just play with by themselves. Of course she started to pull them around (one in each hand) right away, and kept demanding to go “outside! outside!” to take these guys for a walk.
The pull-toys work great on all types of terrain (including grass) and they’re easy to manoeuver  over steps and pesky obstacles like toys or mommy’s feet. The alligator is so sturdy that it doesn’t really tip over easily. The snail doesn’t have just one right side up, so it’s no problem at all if it plops on its belly – your kid can just keep going and won’t get frustrated with the toy falling on its side or toppling over.
The snail has a cute undulating movement as it slides in and out of the shell, which is super fun to watch. It also can curl up on itself, so it can easily be popped into a diaper bag if you’re going to the park. The snail doesn’t make a sound, but the alligator has a clicking sound. While my daughter seemed fascinated with the alligator’s sound for a while, she ultimately gravitated to the snail – then again, she just has a thing for snails and slugs!"

Educational Factor: 3 stars, "In the sense that it inspires her to walk around, navigate somewhat carefully to not lose or entangle the toy, and explore the world, I think the pull-toys are great educational toys. The snail is also realistic enough to get her further excited about real snails."

Novelty Factor: 4 stars, "We already had a wooden pull-toy caterpillar, a wooden pull-toy duck, a musical roller, and a quackalong push walker. The pull-toys are superior to the ones we have due to their design that allows them to recover gracefully from flipping over. The material is beautiful (and non-toxic) and the shapes are absolutely beautiful. My daughter admired the caterpillar that she got when has only 6 months and just enjoyed watching it being pulled by mom and dad. I think these toys could equally entertain at an earlier age than 18 months."

--Laura McMullan

Monsterism - The Art of Toys with Jeremy Brautman

I was recently reading a thread on a toy forum about the meaning of the phrase "designer toys." David Horvath, co-creator of Uglydolls, piped in with a shout-out to a handful of artists and companies circa 2003 whom he felt deserved the title. Among the list was Pete Fowler, creator of Monsterism Island. As an illustrator with clients, he drew people and people-related things. All the while, he doodled monsters in his sketchbook. In 2001, long before designer toys was (close to) a household term, Pete was releasing plastic beasts. It's been 8 years and countless monsters since. I looked to his blog for some explanation for all the monsterism and found an interview with this quote: "It's kind of like the kid in me...You can create your own world and there aren't any rules...You're not constrained by human forms."

In today's market, there is a surplus of blind-boxed mini-figures under the umbrella of designer toys. We all have our favorites and opinions on which ones are the best. Some have their roots in the movement more than others. Pete is up to Monsterism Island Volume 4 now. This particular set features pet monsters and their owners and comes in unique packaging. You can still find some of the earlier series online, too. Pete is still very much making art. He recently applied his folklore-n-psychedelic style to a London billboard. Art that size is likely out of your price range, but a 4-inch piece of toy culture goes for just $9.

--Jeremy Brautman
Toy Journalist
http://www.twitter.com/jeremyriad
http://www.jeremyriad.com

SpongeBob SquarePants Party Ideas - Guest Blogger Lisa Kothari

For all those kids who want to take a swim at Bikini Bottom, a great party theme would be, of course, SpongeBob SquarePants and Buddies! If it is an all-time favorite for your kids, have a look at the ideas below for this truly fun party

Decorations:

• Use colorful construction paper, and cut out lots of different fish and place all over your party area walls to make it look like Bikini Bottom Town’s Folk.
• Cut out flowers as well and hang them too. They will look like the background of the show.
• Make your own SpongeBob using large sheets of construction paper. Hang him at the front entrance of your party, with a sign beside him greeting your guests as they enter the party.
• Also, at the front entrance, hang streamers in different shades of blue so that the kids can enter through this area and feel like they are going into the sea.
• Hang “sea nets” over different areas of your furniture, i.e. your TV, and place little sea creatures inside, i.e. bath toys.
• Hang pink balloons with purple dots on them. Attach pink ribbon to the ends of the balloon and hang these from the ceiling for jellyfish.
• To decorate your table use a yellow plastic tablecloth with red plates and cups.  For added decorations, sprinkle mini-shells and sea confetti all over the table. If you have a large SpongeBob stuffed animal, place it in the middle of your party table for a centerpiece.
• Blow up green, blue, and pearly white balloons and place on the ground so it looks like a sea of color for the kids to “swim” through.

Activities:

• As the kids enter, place leis around their necks welcoming them to Bikini Bottom.
• Have an episode of SpongeBob on that they can watch or listen to as they draw or color SpongeBob sheets.
• Play SpongeBob Says, like Simon Says.
• Play Laugh Like Patrick, Walk like Mr. Krabs, and Do Karate like Sandy.
• Play Pin the Pants on SpongeBob.
• Play Pass the Sponge. Whoever is holding it when the music stops is out!
• Play Mr. Krabs Tug of Money. Just like Tug of War, but the loot is a dollar bill hanging in the middle.
• Play Wipe Out. Have the kids pretend like they are on a surfboard surfing to music. When you yell, “Wipe Out” have the kids fall to the floor!
• Hold a bubble-blowing contest, seeing if the kids can blow them exactly like SpongeBob himself!
• Play Squidward May I? as you would play “Mother May I?”
• Enjoy a Sponge Toss
• Blow up pink and purple balloons and call them jellyfish. Begin playing music, and have the kids toss them back and forth to one another. When the music stops, the kids holding the balloons are stung!

For your party menu:

• Serve Plankton Planks, i.e. Hot Dogs and Crabby Patties, i.e. Hamburgers
• Squidward Snacks, i.e. Cheese Puffs
• Snail Mix, i.e. Chex Mix
• Bikini Bottom Brew, i.e. Kool Aid
• Krusty Krab Pizza
• Sqidward Subs
• Sandy Candy Nuts
• Fruit Kebabs, pineapple for SpongeBob and pink fruits, like strawberries, for Patrick.
• Make Blue gelatin and add Swedish Fish. Cut into star shapes as an additional treat.

Goody Bags:

• Use red fish netting, and place the goodies inside, including mini-bubbles, stickers, gummy fish and sharks, seashells, soft bath toys, etc.

--Lisa Kothari
Peppers and Pollywogs, Inc.
www.pepperspollywogs.com

Toner Twilight Dolls - Amazon Exclusive

Barbie's not the only one making Twilight dolls.  The collector doll maker Toner has created two dolls exclusively for Amazon.com. These dolls are very realistic down to the buttons on the shirts.  They are also much bigger than the Barbie size dolls standing 15 inches.  Here is Bella, dressed for the prom- she even has the leg brace. 
    

And here's Edward in all his beautiful clothes...the detail is amazing.


The detail on the suit is hard to capture on film, but believe me, I have seen them in person and they are lovely.  the little flowers on Bella's sweater are really prefect and tiny. 
You can only get these Toner Dolls through Amazon.com.  You can see Bella here and Edward here.

--Laura McMullan

Wish Come True - The Art of Toys with Jeremy Brautman

The focus of Toy Whimsy may be kids' toys, but the adults behind the blog are toy fans too. It's particularly great when a toy can be enjoyed by both generations. This is highly infrequent in the art toy genre, where toys often have adult themes, small parts and sharp edges. A notable exception to that was 2008's Wish Come True by Miami-based collective Friends With You. Produced by STRANGEco, and released to rave reviews, the toys continued the story of FWY characters popularized in plush and public art installations. The whimsical figures are family-friendly by design. Created around the ageless themes of friendship, magic and luck, the series featured pleasing youthful shapes and bright colors. A weight was added to the bottom of each toy to allow it to wobble, but never fall down. No bells or whistles were spared: literally. Each figure also contains a chime. Friends With You's Wish Come True is equally at home in an art museum or your kid's room. And they're still available.

--Jeremy Brautman
http://www.twitter.com/jeremyriad
http://www.artkivers.com

Mad Men Action Figures - I Am Not the Only One

We have a lot of strange action figures out there.  From Bruce Campbell, to Jesus (yes, Jesus), Moses and Pope Innocent III, to Jane Austen and Sigmund Freud, to President Obama.  (oh and the pictured ones below?  Take a guess and I'll tell you at the end of the post...)

This makes me wonder, aloud, "Why not Mad Men Action Figures?"

Apparently I am not the only one thinking about this:

"I'd like it anatomically correct, an ideal likeness. A friend of mine, J.K. Simmons, plays Jonah Jameson in the Spider-Man movies, and they did a computer rendering of his face so that the action figure looks exactly like him. But I don't think you could technically call a Roger Sterling Barbie an action figure. It's a doll." —Mad Men's John Slattery on the Roger Sterling not-an-action figure

And here's a whole hypothetical post on what these figures would be like from SpunkyBean.  Here's my favorite quote that happens to be about that smirking sales guy, Pete Campbell:

"Don’s archenemy comes with two interchangeable heads, one for each of his moods. In just a few seconds, you too can turn Pete from Smarmy to Impotent. He also includes his famous rifle and a cardboard box to empty his desk into. "

Think of it, we could all have the members of Sterling Cooper on our desks ready to play with whenever the office just gets to be a little too much.  We women can remind ourselves that at least we aren't relegated to getting coffee and pats on the rear aren't acceptable in the office place anymore.  Men can pretend they are as alluring as Don Draper and as crafty as Rodger Sterling.  Someone could make a fortune on these figures.  Do you think they would come with mini packs of cigarettes?

(pictured above, on the left, Ronald Reagan and on the right, Winston Churchill)
--Laura McMullan