Fin Fin Friends by WowWee

Mason is getting to the age where he loves animals of all kinds, especially fish.  I actually had him at the pet store yesterday and the first section we hit were the fish tanks.  He says, "fush", points and them and makes the fish face I taught him!  I have been considering buying Mason a fish tank for his room, but I'm not quite sure I can trust him alone with anything with water in it.  I can see it now, he will climb up to get to the tank or drink the water and possibly the fish with it.  Then there is always the question of who will clean the tank.  I digress....

Again, my problem is solve by the smart people at WowWee!  WowWee has created a line of interactive fish....yes, interactive fish! The brand new Fin Fin Friends are no doubt headed to be one of the hottest toys for this holiday season.

First off, Fin Fin Friends swim in real water.  Your new pet will "come alive" and respond to lights, sound and motion.  The more you play with them, the more they develop their own personality and different behaviors.

There are two modes that come with your fish, play mode and sleep mode.  In play mode, your fish will swim around his play set happily, but they want to be played with.  The more you play with it, the more active it becomes.  If you press the feeding button, it will make chomping sounds.  Also, if you play with your fish, you will soon discover how to train it!  There are three levels that your Fin Fin can achieve too.  The higher the level, the smarter your Fin Fin becomes.  When you talk to you Fin Fin, it will react to you.  You can feed him, watch him dance and laugh.  You can even watch him sleep.  Sleep mode is the second mode.  Your Fin Fin will find a sleep routine if he is left alone for 3-4 minutes or if you turn your aquarium off.

I set up my WowWee Fin Fin Play Set - Skate Park  and Seaside Shop play set and my little helper, Mason, was right next to me.  Of course, the first thing he did was push to button to feed the Fin Fin.  Little munching sounds came from the tank.  Not only that, but when the Fin Fin was done eating, it burped at us!   Mason loved sending the fish down the slide over and over again.  Each time the Fin Fin entered that water, the tank lit up and played music.  The Fin Fin seemed very happy and after a few times of tapping on the side of the tank, it seemed to actually swim over to where we were tapping the tank.  The Fin Fin also seemed to be be "talking" to us as he swam around.  Pretty cool!  Since this is recommended for 4 year olds and up, it was a little messy playing in the water of the play set with an 18 month old.  But, really, what can you expect, he loves water play!  When I pushed the button for the Fin Fin to go to sleep, he retreated to the back of the tank under the bridge and made sleeping sounds. 

You can also buy accessory packs to go along with your new friend.  I have the WowWee Alive Fin Fin Friends Accessory Pack with Snorkel Fish.  This pack included a Fish Friend, 3 Floaties, Decoration and Sticker Sheet.  This accessory packs retail for around $6.99.

I have read in several reviews of the Fin Fin Friends that they are going to be hard to find the closer your get to the holidays.  Also, you might start to see retailers jack up the prices as they become more popular and scarce to find.

Fin Fin Friends are recommended for ages 4 and up.  There are 4 play sets in all, the Seaside Shop, Tropical Paradise, Hang Ten Skate Park, and the Caribbean Castle.  Fin Fin Friends play set retails for about $19.99-$21.99.  You can have hours of fun connecting the play sets and watching the fish play together.

WowWee provided me with the product reviewed above in order to facilitate this review.  All opinions are 100% mine.

Tag Jr by Leapfrog Review

I am very happy to tell you that Mason LOVES to read books.  I have been reading to him since I brought him home from the hospital.  I know it might seem silly to read to a 1 or 2 month old since they mainly lay around like a ball of mush, but I felt the time we spent reading together was great bonding time. 

Now that Mason is 18 months old, he continues to read with me, but he also likes to read independently.  The fact that I can have my son sit for 20 or 30 minutes with a pile of books makes me so happy.  He points and talks to the pictures, makes animal sounds at the pictures and even gives the occasional kiss to another child that is pictured in the book.  My heart just melts.

I don't think you can ever have too many book.  As a matter of fact, I still have some of my easy reader books from when I was a child.  And yes, I have already added these books to Mason's collection. 

I realize that since Mason is reading independently, he is ready for the next step.  Enter LeapFrog Tag Junior Book Pal and Books.  First off, these are interactive board books.  This is perfect since anything resembling paper in my house immediately become shredded.  There are 22 books and games offered in the Tag Jr series, each of which offers a different pre-school skill.  You will find titles from Sesame Street, Curious George, Dora the Explorer, Thomas and Friends, etc.  I think any parent would be hard pressed to find a book in this series that their child would not like.

The Tag Jr set I received included the Tag Jr Book Pal, a USB Cable to download the audio for the books, a Parent guide, and a sampler book, If I were....  This sampler book was already downloaded into the Tag Jr PAL.

Since this is my first experience with the Tag Jr, I had to download the Tag Junior LEAPFROG Connect Application to my computer.  This was easy enough!  Once I installed the program, I was able to download the audio for any of the Tag Junior Books.  There is also an option to personalize the Tag Jr with your child's name.  Your child will be greeted by hearing their name when it is turned on!

I played with the book and the Tag Jr Pal before giving it to Mason.  I wanted to see how sensitive the reader was and accurate the response was. I first tried the book, Monster Faces by Sesame Street.  This book is super cute and goes through emotions like happy, worried, sad, and proud.  You will also find all the Sesame Street characters that your child has come to love.  Each picture says a couple of different sayings before it repeats.  Also, I really like the fact that the voice on the Tag Jr Pal uses a child-like voice that is easy to understand.  Because of this, I believe that children will relate better to the books and have an overall better reading experience. 

I showed the Tag Jr Pal to Mason and the books that accompanied it. He squealed when saw Elmo on the front page of the Monster Faces book.  I showed him the Pal and he swiped it from my hand and started to press the on/off button.  Everything and anything with buttons is a hit with him!  I opened the book for him and showed him how to press the Pal on the page so he would get a response.  As soon as he hear Elmo's voice, he started to giggle and moved the Pal all over the page.  I was glad to see that, as I expected, he had no trouble holding the Pal, as it is definitely made for little hands to use.  Mason also went through the starter book, If I were..., which is an imaginative book about what you would do if you were an animal, and the Toy Story 3 book, which features adventures with the Toy Story gang.

This series is geared for ages 2-4, so this is definitely something Mason will grow into over the next few months.  However, I do not foresee any problems with letting him play with the reader or books now.  It seems durable enough to withstand the occasional fall.  It's compact size will also make it great for travel, taking along in the car, at the doctor's office, or in a restaurant.

As a former teacher and parent, I have no doubt that Mason will learn from using the Tag Jr reading system.  These books can only help to enhance the early reading experience.  Knowing my son it a typical toddler, I believe this will give him a sense of independence that he craves.

Don't forget to check out leapfrog.com.  You will find other resources for parents and teachers.  You will also find printable activities on leapfrog.com that go along with each book in the series.  This is yet another way for you child to be actively involved while learning new skills.

LeapFrog provided me with the product reviewed above in order to facilitate this review.  All opinions are 100% mine.

VELCRO KIDS Review

Everyone knows that kids love to arrange and rearrange and change toys and patterns while playing.  Well, Velcro Kids has figured out how to create endless play for kids!  Velcro Kids has created three-dimensional playsets in which children can play, peel, and place pieces anywhere they want on the playset.  Play sets currently include the VELCRO KIDS Royal Princess Castle Fantasy Deluxe Playset and the Velcro Kids Pirate Ship Adventure Deluxe Playset.

I was lucky enough to get my hands on the Pirate Ship playset!  This play set includes 3 fabric wall pieces that create 4 adjustable rooms, 1 double sided fabric floor creating 2 floor choices, 1 double sided fabric deck creating 2 deck choices, 1 fabric sail with a plastic mast, 1 plank, 2 pirates and their stands, and 34 HOOX decorative pieces and storage bag.  Now, you might be wondering what HOOX is all about.  The pieces in this play set are made of a "tear-resistant film and have VELCRO® brand soft touch small hooks covering the backs". You don't have to worry about the pieces getting torn or broken either.  Kids can also arrange and rearrange the play sets hundreds of times and move and dress the pieces however they want.

The best things about this toy is that kids can assemble and create the playset themselves!  How many times has your child wanted to play with a toy or game, but still needed your help?  VELCO KIDS has independent play build right in.  As a perent, you have to love that!  Another great thing about this toy is that ot stores flat, which is a great space saving feature.  It would also be great for travel.  Just pack it at the bottom of your child's suitcase! 

Don't forget to check out velcrokids.com for more information! 

VELCRO KIDS provided me with the product featured abouve to facilitate this review.  All opinions are 100% mine.

KIDZ BOP Dance Party! The Video Game for Wii

I love the Wii.  Plain and simple.  The games are so much fun and there are always good times to be had when family and friends come over. I by no means have a background in dancing.  I admit, I love to dance, and I was so excited when I received this game to review.  This was right up my ally!  That being said, it doesn't negate the fact that when it comes to dance moves, I am seriously lacking.  OK, I really have no  moves!  This game taught me simple dance moves that will translate easily to other dance songs.  So when you have to get up and dance at that next wedding or party, you can pull out your KIDZ BOP moves and get down and groove!  Most importantly, you will have fun!

Kidz Bop Dance Party:The Video Game is awesome!  This dancing game for the Wii features 24 popular KIDZ BOP dance hits.  Players can:

1. Customize their own character with cool clothes and accessories
2. Choose 5 different gameplay modes
3. Get helpful hints from KIDZ BOP Kids, Dana and Valerie

Songs include Party in the USA, Thriller, Disturbia, Fire Burning, Paparazzi, and many more! In KIDZ BOP fashion, all the songs are sung by kids and any inappropriate lyrics have been replaced.

 
There is no dance pad used for this game.  Instead, it is like other Wii games in that you use the motion sensitive controller in your hand to relay the dance moves.  The characters in the game demonstrate the moves very clearly and this makes it easy for you to follow and dance.  You can also follow on screen arrows which tell you which way to move the remote.  This was a big help for me since I found that I have two left feet most of the time and get my left and right mixed up quite often!
 
I love musical games and this game is great for kids who will actually learn some real dance steps they can take away from the game. Kids are exposed to nice rhythm based dance moves that will help young kids with coordination skills.   Each song completed earns your character points that you can spend on new clothes and accessories, which are also age-appropriate.  There also doesn't seem to be any penalties for missing steps, which is really a nice feature for young players.  This helps to get youngsters up and moving, which I think we need more of.  Kids can just dance and have fun and not worry about looking silly or messing up.

If you have a child that loves pop music, the Wii, dancing, singing, having fun, or laughing, this game is a must for the holidays this year.  You won't be sorry!

Price: $39.95

Rating: E for Everyone



KIDZ BOP provided me with the product reviewed above in order to facilitate this review. All opinions are 100% mine.

Zhu Zhu Pets Review

Just about every child I know wants a pet.  When I was little I had pets.  I had fish, a dog, and a hamster.  My hamsters name were Mickey and Squeaky.  They were so soft and cuddly, but best of all, so much fun to play with.  I would watch them run in their wheel, and in their tunnels, and best of all, the ball.  That was until they escaped.  Then we had a scavenger hunt on our hands!  We found the hamsters in the heating vents, chewing the leg of the coffee table, behind the TV or wherever they could squeeze their little bodies!  And, I was only able to get the hamster when I was old enough to take care of it myself.  I had to feed it, give it water daily, play with it, and change its cage...(YUCK!)
If you buy a Zhu Zhu Pet, you won't have to worry about any of this.  If you remember, Zhu Zhu Pets were one of the hottest toys for the 2009 holiday season.  I will bet that 2010 will be no different with the introduction of new Zhu Zhu's and the Kung Zhu line of Zhu Zhu pets. 

These plush robotic hamsters are the cutest!  They are fun and entertaining for kids and adults alike.  They run around the house just like real hamsters, get under the sofa, in and out of corners and continue wiggling around, just like a real hamster.  These Zhu Zhu's are interactive, have their own personality and make their own unique sounds.  I will also tell you that they do look real.  From someone who occasionally gets a mouse in the house, when I have to stop and take a second look to see if it is real, I'd say that is pretty lifelike.

I wanted to find out more about how these little hamsters work.  A review I found that explains that the "underside of each hamster is covered in molded plastic -- called bump codes -- that keeps the furry creatures from repeating the same moves over and over again".  That is what makes them so life like and realistic.  Their unpredictability makes them so much fun.

There are three modes of play these Zhu Zhu Pets.  The modes include Talk Mode, Explore Mode, and Sleep Mode.  In Talk Mode,  is considered the "nurturing and loving" mode.  You can press the head button to make your pet make many cute sounds.  The Explore Mode allows your pet to get out there and have some real fun!  You press the back button to activate your Pet and then let them loose to scamper around.  If your hamster bumps it's nose, it will back up to find a clear path to run about.  If you hamster accidentally falls over, the tilt sensor will be activated and the motor on your hamster will stop and it will go into Talk Mode.  The Sleep Mode will let your Pet rest and conserve the batteries.  You can activate it again by pressing on the head or back button. 

There are so many accessories that go along with the Zhu Zhu Pets.  You can find clothes, habitats, play sets, and so much more to go along with your new Pet.  Your child will have many hours of imaginative play with these toys.  Zhu Zhu Pets will help your child to develop an imaginary world where these hamster come alive. 

These toys are recommended for ages 4 and up.  I did let my 18 month old son play with the Zhu Zhu's (with supervision).  He loved the hamster!  He laid on the floor to watched it run around and he squealed and laughed as it chased him around the kitchen.  I would not let him play with this on his own since it does have wheels and there is a waring that your hair could get caught.  My son doesn't have much hair at this point, so I am really more concerned with the moving parts. 

As a parent, I can see the upside of these hamsters. You can allow you child to have a pet without all fuss, mess, and arguments that may ensue after the high of having a new pet happens.  There is no messy cage, smell or chewed furniture to worry about either!

Here are some of the Bios you will find on ZhuZhu Pets Website.

Zhu Zhu Pets Hamster Toy Nugget: Nugget is the dreamer of the Zhu Zhu Pets crew.  Her head is often in the clouds, but her paws are on the ground!  Her favorite thing to do is catch butterflies and find shapes in the clouds.

Zhu Zhu Pets Hamster Toy Patches: Patches is the Zhu Zhu hamster that is always on the move.  She loves flowers and will do anything, run on the wheel, slip on slides, and go through crazy u-turns to sniff some delicious petals.  While she is always moving and running around, she still makes time to spend with her human friends.  Patches is huggable, lovable, zhu-zhu-zhu-oom-able hamster and friend.

Zhu Zhu Pets Hamster Toy Peachy: Peachy is a southern belle, who is known for her cuteness, hospitality, and award winning peach cobbler.  Everyone in the country tries to replicate her recipe, but no one has ever been successful!  When we asked Peachy what was the secret ingredient, she said lots of sugar, darlin'!"

Check out Zhu Zhu Pets online too.  You will find  Hamster Bios,  Fun and Games, News and Events, Info and Instructions, and much more!  Zhu Zhu Pets sell for about $9.99 each and accessories like clothes and battle armor, retail for about $4.99-$7.99.  Additional play sets will retail from $9.99 to $19.99.


Cepia, LLC provided me with the products reviewed above in order to facilitate this review.  All opinions are 100% mine.

Mickey Mouse Clubhouse: Road Rally Review

Mickey Mouse Clubhouse is a great show for toddlers and pre-schoolers. Mickey Mouse Clubhouse: Road Rally was released on September 7, 2010. I was fortunate enough to get a peak of this new release!

Right off, the DVD cover is adorable! Checking out the back, I realized that this DVD has three ways to watch and play this full length feature. First, there is Discovery Mode for ages 2-3. In this mode, as you watch the movie, you can use your remote to answer questions about colors, shapes, and sizes. The next mode, Discovery Mode 2, is for ages 4-5. In this mode, you move to a higher mode with more challenging questions to answer. The third mode is Fast Play. This mode lets you watch the movie without having to use your remote. This is the mode I watched the movie in with Mason.

The first episode, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse: Road Rally, is an adventure in which the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse gang participates. They must travel through Mickey Park, a sandy desert, Mistletoe Mountain, a tropical jungle, and then back to the Clubhouse, all while finding hidden “Mickey Markers” along the way! Once thy have found all the markers, they may head back to the Clubhouse.

There are challenges along the way of course! The gang must pull together to help each other overcome obstacles like a pile of rubber duckies, a sand covered road, and a broken down bridge. Oh, Toodles is also along for the Rally to help the gang out.

The next episode on the DVD is Mickey Mouse Clubhouse: Pluto Lends a Paw.  This episode is just as fun to watch as the rest of them!  Pluto, the rescue dog, is enlisted to help Minnie find her kitten, Figaro. Along the way the gang runs into Donald at the golf course, Daisey painting a picture, and Goofy who is also looking for his lost kitten, Mr. Pettibones. And, as usual, Mickey and his friends use their Mouseketools to help solve their problems.

Mickey Mouse Clubhouse is a wonderful and educational show because of the learning that is inherent in program.  Mickey Mouse Clubhouse encourages teamwork, early mathematical skills and problem solving skills. Children are involved socially with the characters and there is also positive reinforcement for your child though cheers from the characters. You will also find that your youngster has to count, complete patterns, find shapes, and colors.

I would recommend Mickey Mouse Clubhouse: Road Rally to any parent who is looking for, not only entertaining, but educational programming for their child.

Price: $18.99

Disney and provided me with the product reviewed above in order to facilitate this review. All opinions are 100% mine.

Disney Tangled Featuring Rapunzel Braiding Friends Hair Braider

When I was a little girl, I had a ton of Barbies. I had most of the accessories, including the inflatable 70's furniture.  That was my favorite!  Well, Mattel continues to bring joy to little girls with their new Rapunzel Braiding Friends Hair Braider.  This is Disney inspired by their new animated feature film, Tangled.  Tangled will be released in theaters on November 24, 2010.

Girls can now braid Rapunzel's hair with help from her little animal friends.  All you have to do is give a strand of hair to each animal friend and turn the braiding wheel. The best part, it actually makes a perfect braid!  Girls will surely love braiding Rapunzel's hair over and over again.  Rapunzel and her friends can also be removed from the braiding base for independent play from the braider.

This set includes the Rapunzel doll with her signature gown and shoes from the Tangled movie, animal friends (rabbit, raccoon, and squirrel figures), braiding wheel, a brush, hair ribbons, and accessories for her hair.

Disney Tangled Featuring Rapunzel Braiding Friends Hair Braider is for girls aged 3+.  It retails for about $29.99.

Disney Consumer Products provided me with the product reviewed above in order to facilitate this review.  All opinions are 100% mine.

KIDZ BOP CD Review

As a music teacher, I taught Kindergarten through 8th grade.  When dealing with 6th through 8th grade, I would try to appeal to their taste in music.  Because all of the children did not listen to the same music, I would allow the opportunity for one or two children per class to bring in a song that we could listen to while packing up or copying homework at the end of class.

However, I listened to much of the pop and rock music that the children listened to, so I was very familiar with the lyrics and content in the songs.  I had to ensure that the content was appropriate and that there was no foul language used in the song.  I insisted that a copy of the lyrics be provided to me for review before we played the song.  And sometimes, I would have to tell a child that I could not play a song.  Sometimes, the child didn't even realize the inappropriate content, and then I had a few sneaky kids who would try to get one past me.  Well, I am here to tell you that if you listen to a KIDZ BOP CD's, the problem is solved!

KIDZ BOP is the #1 series of kids brand music for kids aged 5-12.  It is a series of CD's that choose current pop songs on the radio and have the KIDZ BOP Kids chorus sing a remake of the original song. The KIDZ BOP writers have omitted or changed sexually suggestive lyrics. Changes made to the lyrics are so subtle that I feel this is a great alternative to the "radio" version.

The singing by the KIDZ BOP kids is very good.  Children will easily be able to relate to their voices and sing along with the songs.  These are kid-friendly CD's that provide current song hits of which both parent and kids will approve.

There is a wide variety of songs and artists offered on the CD's, most recently including Lady Gaga, Beyonce, Train, and Cascada. You can safely have your child listen to today's popular music without fear of introducing inappropriate content or sexually suggestive content.  You can have your child enjoy current pop music with their friends without the worry of negative effects, branding, and materialization that can be present in pop culture.  In case you still are not convinced, KIDZ BOP has a proven history of success!  KIDZ BOP CD's have earned one Platinum and nine Gold certificates since it's debut in 2001. 

I was fortunate enough to check out Kidz Bop 18 and Kidz Bop Dance Party.  Kidz Bop 18 debuted at #5 on the top 200 Billboard Chart this past summer!  This CD includes 16 of today's biggest hits "sung by kids for kids".  Songs include Telephone, Break Your Heart, Evacuate the Dancefloor, Naturally, California Gurls, and Single Ladies.  KIDZ BOP 18 is #1 on the Children's Chart, in addition to the other 2 KIDZ BOP  albums in the Top 10.

I have to admit, I am a sucker for cover songs.  Don't know why, but I love remakes.  As I was listening to this CD, I was bopping around to the songs.  Even my 18 month old son was dancing to it as it was downloading into my ITunes!  It retails for $18.98 and is well worth the money!

Another great CD I checked out was the KIDZ BOP Dance Party.  This CD can be found in the KIDZ BOP collections.  This CD is a collection that features 12 of the hottest KIDZ BOP Dance Tracks, including Tik Tok, Party in the USA, Don't Stop the Music, and Circus.  This CD was just as enjoyable to listen to as KIDZ BOP 18 and is definitely parent approved!  It retails for $13.98.

Also check out Kidz Bop.com and you will also find a large variety holiday CD's for Halloween, Christmas and Hannachuka.  There a also a large variety of CD collections.  The Christmas music CD's feature holiday classics and newer versions of holiday hits!  Kidz Bop Christmas Party features songs like, White Christmas, Deck the Halls, You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch, and Jingle Bell Rock.  Kidz Bop Christmas Party is a great stocking stuffer gift! 

KIDZ BOP products are available on the all new and redesigned KIDZBOP.COM.  You will find over 840,000 members that you can safely chat with other members via their Safe Text Messaging System and comment on member videos and photos.

You can also check out KIDZ BOP as featured on Kid Cuisine.  KIDZ BOP "Music Mania" sweepstakes fretures free CD's, dowloads, and MP3 players.  This sweepstakes runs until November 29, 2010.

KIDZ BOP provided me with the product reviewed above in order to facilitate this review. All opinions are 100% mine.

Holiday Gift Guide 2010

It's that time of the year again!  The holidays are around the corner and before you know it, you will be out in the hustle and bustle of the malls and your favorite stores.

I will be providing reviews for some of the hottest toys this holiday season.  There will even be some Giveaways on the main Blog at http://www.chasingtinyfeet.com/.  Check it out!