BABES IN TOYLAND THIS YEAR'S PLAYTHINGS HIT THE MARKET TO SEE WHICH COMPANY WILL BE THE HAPPIEST ON THE BLOCK.Byline: Chris J. Parker Correspondent The assignment seemed simple enough: Take home a carload carload In commodities trading, a railroad car or truckload of grain that ranges from 1,400 to 2,500 bushels. of toys, invite the neighborhood kids, see which toys captivated cap·ti·vate tr.v. cap·ti·vat·ed, cap·ti·vat·ing, cap·ti·vates 1. To attract and hold by charm, beauty, or excellence. See Synonyms at charm. 2. Archaic To capture. the children most and write about this ``Toy Test 2001.'' Yeah, simple as a Rubik's Cube Rubik's Cube (commonly misspelled rubix, rubick's or rubicscube) is a mechanical puzzle invented in 1974[1] by the Hungarian sculptor and professor of architecture Ernő Rubik. . What's the best advice that can be given after six kids (ages 3 to 7) go through 15 toys, two bowls of snack crackers, a pot of macaroni macaroni: see pasta. and cheese and 10 juice boxes in two hours? How about: Don't try this at home. Kids were jumping from toy to toy to toy like tourists at a Vegas buffet. Every ``ooh'' and ``ahh'' was followed by a shout from the other side of the room, ``Look at this!'' and then a chorus of ``cool!'' What were the most popular toys? More on that later. First the setup. Analysts predict two big trends in Toyland this year - retro-toys and movie tie-ins. Retro-toys are re-releases of old toys, typically updated with electronic components and a modern design. Retro-toys appeal to parents from the GenX and Baby Boom eras, who now wander aimlessly aim·less adj. Devoid of direction or purpose. aim  less·ly adv.aim through miles of superstore aisles looking to buy something for their Little Jacob or Jenny. Among the retro-toys reintroduced this holiday season: Shrinky Dinks, Magna Doodle Magna Doodle is a children's magnetic drawing toy, comprised of a magnetic drawing board, a pen, and a few magnet shapes. It was invented in 1974 and over forty million have been sold to date; they are still popular with children today. Plus Color, Rock 'em Sock 'em Robots Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots is a two-player game/toy designed by Marvin Glass and Associates and released by Marx toys in the 1960s. Marx later was acquired by Tyco Toys, which was acquired in 1997 by Mattel, Inc. It is currently marketed by Mattel. and Magic 8 Ball. Rubber duckies are even being given a face lift; they're now Rubba Ducks, in a variety of styles such as ``Duckosauraus'' and ``Duckles'' the clown duck. Toy Test 2001 included Shrinky Dinks, along with a few other toys that are the latest editions of established brands. There were also some new toys. Toy Test 2001 skipped the movie tie-in toys because, for the most part, they're very similar to last year's toys (albeit tied to different movies). And, if a kid likes Harry Potter, she's probably going to like any toy with a Quidditch or flying broom logo plastered plas·tered adj. Slang Intoxicated; drunk. plastered Adjective Slang drunk Adj. 1. on it. Back in the living room, the kids weren't allowed to see or play with any of the toys until the test started. They were asked to try each toy for at least a few minutes, and to share as much as possible. Amazingly, the children actually followed the rules. Out of the gate, most of the kids headed straight for the craft table, where the Shrinky Dinks were joined by a Mrs. Fields Mrs. Fields Cookies is a chain of bakeries, located mostly in the United States, founded by Debbi Fields (b. 1956, Park City, Utah). Mrs. Fields and her husband started their business in the late 1970s, opening the first of many retail bakeries in Palo Alto, California, selling Baking Factory and two new bubble blowers - Mini Tumblers For other meanings, see Tumbler. Tumblers were proposed by Ted Nelson in "Literary Machines" as a means to address every bit ever written, or a particular span of bits in any text ever written. A tumbler is a unique numerical address of an interesting artifact. and Glitter Bugs. The kids immediately set to work on Shrinky Dinks with the help of two helper-moms who were rediscovering their '70s childhoods. The kids carefully traced their artwork on the special Shrinky Dink plastic, colored it in with their Shrinky Dink pencils and then gave them to one of the helper-moms to bake in the oven, where the Dinks shrink to about one-third the original size. Not only has Spin Master Toys brought back Shrinky Dinks about a decade after the last ones were sold, but also the company sells a mini-oven that bakes the artwork in about three minutes "Three Minutes" is the 46th episode of Lost. It is the twenty-second episode of the second season. The episode was directed by Stephen Williams, and written by Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz. It first aired on May 17, 2006 on ABC. . Family Fun Magazine and DSN DSN - Digital Switched Network Retailing Today, an industry publication, are among those predicting that Shrinky Dinks and its Incredible Shrinky Dinks Maker will be one of the top selling toys of the holiday season. There was no Shrinky Dink oven in the living room, but the Shrinky Dink plastic went fast. Most of the kids begged to make a second Shrinky Dink; some managed to make three. For kids born after the administration of the first President Bush, Shrinky Dinks weren't retro [Latin, Back; backward; behind.] A prefix used to designate a prior condition or time. ; they were just cool. A few other toys passed the multiple ``cool'' test. Hot Wheels' latest track - called the Fireball fireball, very bright meteor leaving a trail in the sky that can remain visible for several minutes; often a distinct sound, perhaps caused by very low frequency radio waves, is associated with it. Raceway - was one of the most popular toys on the floor. Its biggest competition for attention: Matchbox Rescue Net Map & Go Fire Truck. The Fireball Raceway drew wave after wave of ``cools'' and ``whoas'' as the two Hot Wheels Hot Wheels is a brand of die cast toy car, introduced by American toymaker Mattel in 1968. It was the primary competitor of Johnny Lightning and Matchbox until 1996, when Mattel acquired rights to the Matchbox brand from Tyco. cars raced around the spherical track. That's correct, spherical. The bright orange raceway looks like a giant fireball with a meteor meteor, appearance of a small particle flying through space that interacts with the earth's upper atmosphere. While still outside the atmosphere, the particle is known as a meteoroid. Countless meteoroids of varying sizes are moving about the solar system at any time. in its center. The Hot Wheels race up and around the track until they crash, which usually causes the meteor to ``explode'' into two parts. Meanwhile, every kid seemed to know about the Map & Go Fire Truck before the test started. Using a stylus stylus: see pen. (1) A pen-shaped instrument that is used to "draw" images or select from menus. Styli (the plural of stylus, pronounced "sty-lye") come with handheld devices that have touch screens, such as PDAs and video games. attached to the fire truck, kids drew a line on a screen attached to the top of the vehicle. Once the stylus was back in its cradle, the fire truck revved up its engine and then drove this ``path.'' On tile, the fire truck is remarkable. On carpet, it doesn't follow orders very well. But the kids never seemed to mind that the truck wasn't following their exact coordinates. But those weren't the only popular toys. MGA Entertainment MGA Entertainment is a manufacturer of children's toys and entertainment products founded in 1997. Its products include the Bratz fashion doll line. External links
Bratz dolls come in different styles (like ``urban street'' or ``Bohemian'') and come with a change of wardrobe and a whole lot of attitude. More Britney and Christina than Barbie Barbie in full Barbara Millicent Roberts A plastic doll, 11.5 in. (29 cm) tall, with the figure of an adult woman that was introduced in 1959 by Mattel, Inc., a southern California toy company. and Ken. MGA's Palm Puppies/Kitties look like stuffed animals on the outside, but they're wired for tricks and sound on the inside. Neither toy breaks any molds. Yet, they were the most popular toys for a couple of testers who've got arm-loads of similar toys of their own. One girl with a dresser drawer full of Barbies spent most of her time with the Jade doll, changing her clothes and introducing her to the other toys in the room. Meanwhile, another girl who has a closet full of stuffed animals spent most of her time playing with the Palm Puppy. Why play with that when you've got so many stuffed animals at home?, she was asked. ``I don't have anything like this,'' she said, solemnly. ``This one moves.'' The drop-off in interest was pretty steep after that. Still, as requested, the kids played with the rest of the toys as well. The Mrs. Fields Baking Factory from MGA (1) (Monochrome Graphics Adapter) A display adapter that employs Hercules Graphics, combining graphics and text on a monochrome monitor. (2) (Matrox Graphics Accelerator) A trade name used by Matrox Graphics Inc. was a fun five minutes of prep work, but by the time the brownie was done 20 minutes later the kids were on to their third or fourth toy. Little kids? Harmonix by Scholastic helps teach preschoolers shapes and sounds. Multicolor pieces shaped like a star, a moon, a triangle and other forms light up when touched and play a portion of a tune. The challenge for youngsters is to remember the sequence and play the entire song. No-Spill Bubble Tumbler Minis and Glitter Bugs (bug-shaped bubble blowers) were the perfect size for the smallest testers. And at $2.50 and $3, respectively, they're the perfect price (and size) for stocking stuffing. But the novelty wore out quickly in the face of so many other toys. The 30th Anniversary Edition of UNO was commandeered by a group of Gen Xers, who declared it a fitting version of the card game they played as kids. Holiday Hot Wheels - a large-scale, souped-up dragster drag·ster n. 1. An automobile specially built or modified for drag racing. 2. A person who races such an automobile. being driven by a Santa figurine - was neglected until the kids decided to race him against the Map & Go Fire Truck. Even on the ground, Santa flies. Max Steel was only mildly entertaining, but maybe he needed more combat friends and fewer wanna-be diva dolls. And the Glider glider, type of aircraft resembling an airplane but having at most a small auxiliary propulsion plant and usually no means of propulsion at all. The typical modern glider has very slender wings and a streamlined body. X1 - a foam airplane that kids launched with a small rubber band sling sling (sling) a bandage or suspensory for supporting a part. mandibular sling a structure suspending the mandible, formed by the medial pterygoid and masseter muscles and aiding in - also suffered from technology envy. Staff Writer Evan Henerson contributed to the toy review child's play child's play n. 1. Something very easy to do. 2. A trivial matter. child's play Noun Informal something that is easy to do Noun 1. We put toys to the ultimate test: kids! The ratings: One star Coal in the stocking Two stars Destined des·tine tr.v. des·tined, des·tin·ing, des·tines 1. To determine beforehand; preordain: a foolish scheme destined to fail; a film destined to become a classic. 2. for the bottom of the toy chest Three stars What will wear out first: The toy or its batteries? Four stars Someone must be on Santa's extra-good list TOY: Bratz COMPANY: MGA Entertainment DESCRIPTION: Dolls with an attitude, and a look that will fit in at the next Britney Spears concert AGE GROUP: 5 and up RETAIL PRICE: $15 MANUFACTURER SAYS: ``The girls with a passion for fashion'' KID REACTION: Every girl played with her PARENT REACTION: Bratz beats Barbie in attitude and realistic body proportions. But the wardrobe?! OUR RATING: Three stars TOY: Bubblin' Glitter Bugs COMPANY: Little Kids DESCRIPTION: Blow the back end of a plastic bug, get bubbles AGE GROUP: 3 and up RETAIL PRICE: $3 ($5 for 2-pack) MANUFACTURER SAYS: ``A new line of whimsical whim·si·cal adj. 1. Determined by, arising from, or marked by whim or caprice. See Synonyms at arbitrary. 2. Erratic in behavior or degree of unpredictability: a whimsical personality. bubble blowers'' KID REACTION: Lots and lots of bubbles PARENT REACTION: Stocking stuffer idea for Santa or his helpers OUR RATING: Two and one-half stars TOY: Glider X1 COMPANY: Little Kids DESCRIPTION: Foam fighter jet (and rubber band launcher) that fits the hand of the adult who takes it away from kid for playing with it inside the house AGE GROUP: 5 and up RETAIL PRICE: $3 MANUFACTURER SAYS: ``For outdoor and indoor play'' KID REACTION: Lots of ``cools'' as it glided across the room PARENT REACTION: ``That's not an indoor toy'' OUR RATING: Two and one half stars TOY: Holiday Hot Wheels COMPANY: Mattel DESCRIPTION: Santa Claus Santa Claus: see Nicholas, Saint. Santa Claus jolly, gift-giving figure who visits children on Christmas Eve. [Christian Tradition: NCE, 1937] See : Christmas Santa Claus is driving a decked-out dragster with one foot out the door AGE GROUP: ``Adult Collector'' RETAIL PRICE: $27 MANUFACTURER SAYS: ``Even Santa loves Hot Wheels!'' KID REACTION: ``He's a cool Santa Claus'' PARENT REACTION: Santa should wear a seat belt. This dragster has no great options to keep kids occupied OUR RATING: One and one half stars TOY: Hot Wheels Fireball Raceway COMPANY: Mattel DESCRIPTION: Bright-orange track and sphere shape gets kids' attention; crashes keep 'em coming back for more AGE GROUP: 5 and up RETAIL PRICE: $40 MANUFACTURER SAYS: ``Put Hot Wheel cars to the ultimate test of speed, endurance and performance'' KID REACTION: A dozen ``cools'' per minute PARENT REACTION: Oh, that is awesome!'' said one dad OUR RATING: Three and one half stars TOY: Matchbox Rescue Net Map & Go Fire Truck COMPANY: Mattel DESCRIPTION: Kids draw a path on an attached screen which the fire truck follows - sometimes AGE GROUP: 3 and up RETAIL PRICE: $40 MANUFACTURER SAYS: ``The only truck that drives the pattern based on kids' directions'' KID REACTION: Everyone wanted to direct the truck PARENT REACTION: Where's the volume control? OUR RATING: Three stars TOY: Harmonix COMPANY: Scholastic DESCRIPTION: Light up game board with musical shapes. Plays Mozart and jazz AGE GROUP: 3 and up RETAIL PRICE: $24.99MANUFACTURER SAYS: ``Instrumental for Growth'' KID REACTION: Loved the shapes first, music second PARENT REACTION: I'd rather hear repetitive Mozart than Elmo any day OUR RATING: Three stars TOY: Mrs. Fields Baking Factory COMPANY: MGA Entertainment DESCRIPTION: Mrs. Fields does to Easy Bake Oven what Mrs. Fields did to corner bakeries AGE GROUP: 8 and up RETAIL PRICE: $20 MANUFACTURER SAYS: ``Now you can bake the best-tasting treats the Mrs. Fields way'' KID REACTION: Easy to wait for 20-minute baking time with a room full of new toys PARENT REACTION: It's faster to pop frozen cookie dough Cookie dough refers to a blend of cookie ingredients which has been mixed into a solid yet malleable form but has not yet been hardened by heat. The dough is often then separated and the portions baked to individual cookies, or eaten as is. in the kitchen oven OUR RATING: Two and one half stars TOY: No-Spill Bubble Tumbler Minis COMPANY: Little Kids DESCRIPTION: Smaller versions of the bubble makers already on the market AGE GROUP: 2 and up RETAIL PRICE: $2.50 MANUFACTURER SAYS: ``Party favor or impulse (purchase)'' KID REACTION: Tumblers were lost in a room full of mechanical toys PARENT REACTION: No-spill container is ingenious OUR RATING: Two stars TOY: Palm Puppies/Kitties COMPANY: MGA Entertainment DESCRIPTION: Electronic but lovable lov·a·ble also love·a·ble adj. Having characteristics that attract love or affection. lov , they interact with each other if you buy more than one AGE GROUP: 5 and up RETAIL PRICE: $15 MANUFACTURER SAYS: ``The cutest, interactive plush animals ever'' KID REACTION: They wore out the new batteries playing with it PARENT REACTION: Very cute, but that mechanical yapping and meowing could get annoying OUR RATING: Three and one half stars TOY: Shrinky Dinks COMPANY: Spin Master Toys DESCRIPTION: Nearly 30 years after they were introduced, Shrinky Dinks return with a better plastic, fewer paisley designs and a whole new generation of potential ``artists'' AGE GROUP: 5 and up (with parental supervision Parental supervision is a parenting technique that involves looking after, or monitoring a child's activities. Young children are generally incapable of looking after themselves, and incompetent in making informed decisions for their own well-being. ; 8 and up without) RETAIL PRICE: $5-$10 MANUFACTURER SAYS: ``The most exciting toy relaunch Relaunch can refer to several things:
KID REACTION: The first thing most of the kids wanted to do, and many wanted to make two or three each PARENT REACTION: One mom bought Shrinky Dinks right after the Toy Test OUR RATING: Four stars TOY: UNO 30th Anniversary Edition COMPANY: Mattel DESCRIPTION: The card game gets dressed up for its birthday AGE GROUP: 7 and up RETAIL PRICE: $10 MANUFACTURER SAYS: ``One of the most popular card games in the world'' KID REACTION: A good compromise for ``family time'' PARENT REACTION: UNO's been around for 30 years?! OUR RATING: Two stars TOY: Marble Train COMPANY: Kidstation DESCRIPTION: Kids push marbles within a wooden maze that has no starting point Noun 1. starting point - earliest limiting point terminus a quo commencement, get-go, offset, outset, showtime, starting time, beginning, start, kickoff, first - the time at which something is supposed to begin; "they got an early start"; "she knew from the or finish line AGE GROUP: 1 to 6 years old RETAIL PRICE: $44 MANUFACTURER SAYS: ``Encourages logical thinking and reasoning'' KID REACTION: What's it do? PARENT REACTION: Seems destined for the waiting room of doctors' offices everywhere, right next to the marble-and-wire apparatus and the wooden puzzles with pieces missing OUR RATING: One star CAPTION(S): 7 photos Photo: (1) Six-year-old Chloe, foreground, sends the Matchbox Rescue Net Map & Go Fire Truck on a heroic mission while Kristen, also 6, imagines her own adventure. The girls joined four other youngsters to try out new toys. Three stars (2 -- color) Six-year-old Steven puts the pedal to the metal with Hot Wheels Fireball Raceway and its curving track. Three and one-half stars. (3 -- color) Kristen, 6, looks like she has plans for Santa, the driver of her Holiday Hot Wheels dragster. One and one-half stars. Michael Owen
(4 -- color) HARMONIX David Sprague/Staff Photographer (5 -- color) UNO 30TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION (6 -- color) MATCHBOX RESCUE NET MAP & GO FIRE TRUCK (7) Sisters Maddie, 5, left, and Emma, 3, spend time with Palm Puppy and Palm Kitty. Three and one-half stars Michael Owen Baker/Staff Photographer |
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