What to get your young one this Christmas

I’m struggling with this very concept right now. Not for Hannah, I know what we’re getting Hannah for Christmas, but we don’t know what to get for Daniel. I’ll just have to read this weeks guest post:

With so many new toys on the market with so many different designs it’s hard to know
exactly what to look for this Christmas. Try to consider what kind of personality your child has; are
they sporty, love learning, or do they love the latest toys?

The Classics:

Going with the tried and tested winners is always a safe bet. Some of the great classic gifts
are the ball and catcher’s mitt, toy cars or western style toy guns for boys. Classic girl toys are dress
up dolls, butterfly wings, and princess dress ups. Action figurines are great; it’s just working out who
their favourite characters are that’s the hard part. Lego is one of the most popular toys ever created.
Lego blocks are a simple idea, but in the right hands can become a source of endless entertainment.
For those unfamiliar with Lego, you simply fit together different size blocks to create whatever you
want. The only downside of Lego is the mess. You do NOT want to step on a rogue Lego block on the
carpet; TRUST ME. It hurts! Lego and other creative toys can help your child’s mind to grow by
helping to build their creativity and thinking skills.

The New:

Technology is at the forefront of the latest toys. There are plenty of new games for console
games like X-Box and Nintendo, as well as plenty of other new software. One of the most popular
computer games is Minecraft (note from Sheri: This game is not just for kids, Aaron and I play it a lot! We love it!). This game allows the child to build their own city and create all kinds of fun and exciting places, while battling away skeletons and zombies. This game has recently been released on X-Box, and has become even more popular. If your kid loves computer games, and loves
to create; this game might be for them. More great toys can be found at oo.com.au.

The latest and greatest toys don’t always have to have the newest hi-tech gizmos inside them. Some
of the newest crazes take the classics and put a different spin on them. Action figures like Ben 10
are very popular with children, particularly boys, following the success of the TV show. These action
figures often come with matching watches so kids can play along too.

*This post was written and sponsored by oo.com.au

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Guest post: Creepy Kids Toys

 When I was little, I had this Christmas carol book with a built in keyboard.  I loved it.  Until it decided to randomly play in the middle of the night. At first I thought maybe the books next to it were causing a bit of pressure on the keyboard.  So I took it off the shelf and opened it up.  It still played randomly.  Then I thought maybe the batteries were dying.  I know toys can do weird things when the batteries aren’t working properly.  So I took them out.  At least I think I did.  It still played.  And creeped me right out.  I took that creepy Christmas book to the garage and threw it in the bin.  And didn’t sleep well for weeks, sure that something was out to get me.

Ben (and daughter) from My Rad Dad

That is why I can totally relate to today’s guest post by Benjamin of My Rad Dad (Go on, go check out his blog…you know you want to).  Yes, today we will be getting a Dad’s perspective on things.  Namely, creepy kids toys.

Kids toys can be many things.  They can be fun, annoying, entertaining, hilarious, boring, expensive, pink, pink and they can also be pink (its another 3 daughter joke… I know, I know, not that funny).

But there are a few very entertaining toys (entertaining for odd reasons) that I love, and some toys totally creep me out.  Let me explain.

First we’ll start with the oddly entertaining toys.
These are the toys that spell.  Now why would these be so entertaining? Admit it, when you pick up a toy that has letters that you can push and they make the letter sound the first thing you try to do is spell cuss words.  I know, I do too.  There is something about it that makes it impossible for an adult to play with a spelling toy and not try it.  (At least after reading this you are going to try it.)

The thing is is that toy companies have caught on to this semi-mature behavior from adults and put the kabosh on some kids toy cussing.

My daughters have this caterpillar that has letters on the feet and when you press the feet down it makes the sound of the letter.  But when you try to spell bad words it giggles.

“S” “H” “I” “hee hee hee hee, that tickles.”

Even as I write this it makes me laugh.

Creepy Kids Toys

I am about 99% sure some kids toys are possessed.  Toys that make sounds are all the rage for kids.  Toys like puzzles that moo when you put the cow in the right spot, potty chairs that sing when your child goes pee pee and toys that sing and talk in Spanish so your child will know how to say uno dos tres.  Its these very toys that are so creepy.

The mooing puzzle (which also meows, barks, oinks and cockadoodledoos) is triggered by light.  When you put the piece in the right spot the censor gets dark and the animals sound magically comes out of the puzzle.  Now lets say your responsible little kid loses every single puzzle piece, but the puzzle board still sits in the toy shelf in the living room.  Each and every night for six months you get a random creepy animal sound when you turn out the lights.

The singing potty chair has a mind of its own.  It is supposed to be triggered by liquid hitting the censor (whisper this: ‘The liquid is pee’).  But instead it is triggered by pure chance and creepiness.  The potty chair will burst into song any time it so desires.

“Tinkle tinkle hooray for you.

You went potty, number two.

Now I’ll sing to let you know, each and every time you go.

I’ll also sing when no ones around.

Just to freak your family out.”

In between kids we had the potty chair in the attic and if the house was quiet enough you could hear that freaky little toilet belt out a pee ballad once every few weeks.  That little potty really freaked me out.

Lastly is the Spanish speaking toy.  This toy also bursts into random song and spoken word, its just in a different language.  This has gone off in the middle of the night and I literally thought there were little Mexican kids singing and playing in our living room at 2 am.

So there you have it.  Don’t say you were not warned about creepy kids toys, and informed about ways to make innocent toys hilarious.

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Why isn’t it purple?

Hannah:

I don’t know who was more excited, me or Mommy.  Mommy had been telling me for days that her and Daddy were taking me to the Penrith show.  I think Mommy likes shows (although she calls them fairs because “she is American”).  Mommy said that I’d get to see lots of animals.  I do like animals.  I see lots of animals in my books every day.  Oh, and on my toys.  Some of my toys are animals.

As soon as we got to the show, Mommy got really, really excited.  I think she even jumped up and down a little.  She was tugging on Daddy’s shirt, saying there were pony rides.

“Isn’t she too young for  pony rides?” Dad asked.

“NO!” Mommy declared.  Mommy said she started riding horses when she was way younger than me.

I didn’t know how I’d possibly ride a pony.  Aren’t  ponies really small?  My toy ponies are way smaller than me.  Maybe the ponies were going to ride me.

“Look, there’s a pony!” Mommy and Daddy said.  I looked where they were pointing.  Wow, ponies are really big!  Daddy put me in the saddle and I held on while Daddy walked next to me and Mommy hid behind her camera taking endless photos.  Riding is really fun!  We only got to go in a little circle though, so I got bored after a little while.  I really like ponies!

I got to see a cow too!  It was laying down and the nice man let me go in it’s playpen and pat it.  I was a bit scared of all the animals at first.  They make really loud, funny noises.  Mommy and Daddy always tell me that a cow says “Moo” and a duck says “quack” and a sheep says “baa,” but they don’t sound anything like that!  I think Mommy and Daddy need to practise their animal noises.  I soon got used to their actual noises and then I wasn’t shy with them anymore.

The show even had a petting zoo!  Daddy got me out of my pram and took me inside the animal playpen.  There were goats and chickens and a baby pig and even a pen full of piggies (guinea pigs, Mommy and Daddy call them piggies)!  Oh, and there were a couple of puppies too!  I like puppies.

Someone gave me a carrot and the goats all wanted some.  I was the most popular little girl in the playpen (when I had a carrot)!  I got to feed and pat all of the goats!  It was so much fun!  I was having so much fun that I didn’t even realise someone stole my balloon while I was in the petting zoo.  It’s not very nice to steal someone’s balloon 😦 .

There is one thing that I don’t understand about the animals though.  Why aren’t they purple?  Or pink?  Or even yellow, or blue or green?  All of my toy animals are brightly coloured.  I have a blue sheep, a pink and purple pony, a green koala.  Maybe they only wear their special colourful fur when they go to weddings or parties.  Yeah, I suppose that’s it.  I only wear my really nice clothes when I go to a wedding or something like that.  I bet their mommies don’t want them to get their nice furs dirty wearing them everyday.  I know my mommy doesn’t want me to get my nice clothes dirty all the time.

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