Gifts under the deadline
It’s Christmas in July at City Parent. That’s when the pitches start to arrive from toy manufacturers and their public relations firms.
There’s a steady stream right up until Christmas. We can’t review them all and we won’t review toys that don’t appeal to our reviewers. I limit the number of battery-operated toys reviewed and keep prices below $150. Some don’t make the list because they have limited play value, limited age range or offer too many bells and whistles. Some just have too many voices, tunes, flashing lights and buttons incorporated into plastic things that use precious resources to produce and end up in the landfill. Give them a set of wooden blocks, some musical instruments and a wonderful alphabet book instead.
Not to sound too Grinch-like, there have been dozens of gift ideas reviewed in the November and December issues of the magazine as well as the Holiday Happenings Gift Guide. Mattel was late out of the gate to meet the deadlines for those publications so when they proposed several toys for bloggers to review, I decided to comply and chose four from their short list.
Holiday Barbie
She’s always beautiful and especially so when dressed in this elegant red and gold gown. Say what you will about the crazy body image, Barbie is the bomb. Look around girls, there are no real-life Barbie dolls unless their images have been enhanced by Photoshop. Barbie reminds moms of their own childhood and she’s a lovely tradition to pass along at Christmas. $49.99
Barbie Life in the Dreamhouse Glam Camper
So pink that only Barbie could live in it, the Glam Camper will inspire hours of imaginative play. It’s complete with beds and a kitchen and is filled with lots of accessories. The cab detaches to become a pool. Just add Barbie and some friends. $119.99
BOOMco Stealth Ambush Blaster
Notice it’s not called a gun. It’s a blaster and it’s the kind of toy that gets the super safety conscious anxious. Be sure your child knows the “no head shot” rule, insist on safety glasses if he or she gets into a battle with another blaster. It holds 17 darts that shoot a distance of 70 feet. Encourage kids to take the fun outside with this toy. $39.99
Thomas & Friends TrackMaster Avalanche Escape Set
I’m a huge fan of wooden train tracks and Thomas & Friends tr
ains. Each time the tracks come out there can be a new configuration and placing of the bridges and other accessories. This version of the train set features a motorize
d engine and the track’s design is all laid out for the little engineers. There’s a mountain, rickety bridge, collapsing guardrails and a monster lurking in the junkyard. Fisher Price has come up with railway adventure. $69.99
The toys are available at Walmart, Toys “R” Us , Target, Sears, Loblaws and Amazon.
Check out http://mattelholiday.ca/ for more toys and gifts to consider before your buying deadline.
