For Valentine’s Day, my kids get enough candy at school and from friends, but I try to get them a little something sweet, too. Nothing big, just a small token of affection like a mylar balloon or a My Little Pony figure.

Maura is more of a My Little Pony fan than Maya. It all started with the adorable My Little Pony: So Soft Sleep & Twinkle Starsong which she still has, by the way, more than 2 years later! She loves to line them up along her windowsill and comb their long, colorful manes. Rainbow Dash is her favorite!

We added our first My Little Pony play set to our collection recently -
Rarity’s Carousel Boutique!

Maura has pretty much claimed it as her own. Like a merry-go-round for My Little Ponies, it’s a beautiful way for her to display her collection in her bedroom. We went to an amusement park not too long ago, so the excitement of that easily translated into how Maura played with this play set. When you slide the lever, the carousel starts to turn and the music starts to play…

Maura had one pony selling carousel tickets from one window, the other operating the concessions – selling popcorn, a drink, fries, candy, and ice cream…

While the little mouse went ’round and ’round on the carousel!

BUY IT

I’m very happy with this toy, as are both my daughters! Best for kids 3 years and up (because of the small parts), My Little Pony: Rarity’s Carousel Boutique sells for $29.99. It includes 2 “AA” batteries so it can be played with right out of the box. Let me tell you – this past Christmas was the first I year I had ever purchased anything directly from Hasbro, and I was so incredibly happy with their prices and fast shipping. The Hasbro Toy Shop kicked Toys ‘R’ Us to the curb!

Disclosure: Hasbro provided me with the product sample pictured above to facilitate my review. All opinions are my own.

My nine year old son, an avid Lego guy, is in a rut. We are drowning in Legos and he’s looking for some new building inspiration. So, I am very excited that this Christmas he will be finding Hasbro’s Kre-O Transformers under the tree. It’s a new twist on an old favorite which I know he is going to like. Best yet, they are even compatible with Legos! The possibilities are endless.

Autobot Jazz can be built as a car or a robot and includes a race driver…

Autobot Ratchet can be built as an ambulance or a robot and comes with a medic!

Transformers are bound to take shape brick by brick and I’m looking forward to enjoying some quality construction time with my son.

BUY IT

Through Sunday night at midnight EST, Hasbro Toy Shop is offering free shipping on any order, no minimum. The entire KRE-O line is still in stock, and range in price from $7.99 for a basic set, to $45.99 for the ultimate Autobot hero, Optimus Prime, a set with over 500 pieces!

YOUR TURN: Do you have boys my son’s age on your Christmas shopping list? What are you getting them this year?

I know that may sound a little dramatic, but really. It’s the truth. This is the first time that I haven’t been able to find the toys that Maya really, really wants… and I feel terrible. I’m hoping this oven (and an IOU from Santa) makes up for it. I have a feeling it will. 100 times over. The Easy-Bake Ultimate Oven is recommended for kids ages 8 and up, so Maya, being almost 7-and-a-half, is right on target. I can see Maura being her little assistant. Who knows… maybe 20 years from now, they’ll be the next DC Cupcakes sisters!

Yesterday on The Chew, a cooking/talk show on ABC, chef Carla Hall took a trip down memory lane, sharing one of her favorite things from her childhood – baking with her Easy-Bake Oven. She had her mom on, giving her a hand. Her mom who doesn’t bake. That’s how easy the Easy-Bake Oven is to use. Even if you don’t have any baking skills whatsoever, you can play along with your kids and make real treats that the whole family will enjoy. While I didn’t have an Easy-Bake oven when I was a little girl, I always dreamt of having one. Those of us that didn’t all had a friend who did, right? Chew co-host Daphne Oz was so excited because that’s how she learned to bake. I’m sure many of you can relate.

I was sent an Easy-Bake Ultimate Oven a couple of weeks ago, for review, and had hidden it in my closet until I could set aside some time to test it out. Usually the girls help me with toy reviews, but this time it’s just me.

MY THOUGHTS

The Easy-Bake Ultimate Oven has a really sleek, modern look and features a heating element similar to that of a conventional oven. It’s a new design, as the original used a light bulb that I’m guessing was deemed dangerous.

In the box you get the oven itself, a baking pan, cupcake pan, pan pusher, instructions/recipe booklet, chocolate chip cookie mix, red velvet cake mix, cupcake wrappers, pink frosting mix, and one pack of rainbow sugar crystals. Add in a few basics that mom has in the kitchen – water, cooking spray, measuring spoons, kitchen timer, a mixing bowl and spoon – and you have everything you need to start baking right away. I decided to start with chocolate chip cookies, leaving the red velvet cupcakes for the girls to make on Christmas morning.

Using the Easy-Bake Ultimate Oven is incredibly easy! It does take some time, though, so prepare your kids to be patient. First, you have to plug in and pre-heat the oven for 20 minutes. During this time, I sprayed the baking pan with cooking spray, spreading it evenly with a paper towel. Making the cookie dough was as simple as pouring the mix and a teaspoon of water into a bowl, then pressing it together to form the dough.

I rolled the dough into a ball and separated it into 12 smaller balls. This all took a couple of minutes. I placed the dough on the baking pan, and flattened each one a tiny bit before sliding the pan into the baking chamber with the included pan tool. I set a timer for 9 minutes. It would be cool if you could see inside the oven. I felt like maybe I pushed the tray in a little too much at first, and there was no way to tell, without taking it out and putting it back in again. Even Chiquito wanted to see what was going on. He started barking at the oven, so I had to send him outside, lest he reveal my secret!

While I was in the corner of the dining room, Maura was in the next room playing with Play-Doh, completely oblivious to what I was up to! At this point, it was time to move the cookies into the cooling chamber, also done with the pan tool. After cooling for 5 minutes, I slid the pan out of the oven, not forgetting to turn it off and unplug it.

I have to admit this is all a lot of fun, but it’s definitely not a toy that kids should be left alone with. It is a real oven, after all, and gets really hot. Plus kids can potentially break it if they don’t follow the instructions carefully (like how they shouldn’t put the cupcake wrappers in the oven, or how the cupcake pan should be placed in the baking pan, etc.)

And these are my cookies! I know they don’t look that great. Maybe I made the dough balls too big, or didn’t space them right in the pan so they all stuck together. Next time I’ll try splitting it into two batches.

That doesn’t really matter, because they are actually quite good. Tiny, but yummy. Now Maya can make a friend or family member their very own personal birthday cake. Or a special dessert for after dinner. Or, a yummy snack to take to school. Perhaps one of my New Year’s resolutions should be to only eat desserts made in the Easy-Bake Oven. Talk about portion control!

Not sure if your kids would have fun with this oven? Think about whether they like to help you in the kitchen. Download the free Easy-Bake Cupcakes app and play with them. This app lets you make, bake, decorate, eat and share yummy virtual cupcakes right from your iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch. You pick your cupcake mix, fill the pan with cupcake batter and water then mix, and slide the pan into the virtual Easy-Bake Ultimate Oven to cook. Decorate each cupcake with frosting and candy toppings, and then share your delicious creations with your friends and family via email or Facebook. Maura and Maya send me virtual cupcakes by email all the time when they play with my iPad. It’s a cute way they tell me they’re thinking about me!

So… yes, the girls love playing with the Easy-Bake app, but interestingly enough, they’ve never asked me to buy the actual oven for them. It’s not really a surprise because they don’t ask for much, and their Christmas lists were fairly short. That’s what makes this that much more exciting. They’re not expecting it. I’ll get their reaction to opening the oven on video Christmas morning, and share that with you next week. I may be more excited about this than any of the gifts I bought them!

BUY IT

Back to The Chew. Everyone in the audience went home with an oven, and they shared a special coupon with the viewers at home. A Chewpon (haha!). Using code CHEW10OFF, you can get $10 off the Easy-Bake Ultimate Oven through Sunday, December 18th, at HasbroToyShop.com, plus free shipping. Visit thechew.com for more information on how to claim this deal. UPDATE: Gah! I just saw that it’s out of stock now. Sorry. Toys ‘R Us and Kmart still have it online and in-store, though.

To make up for the cookie mix that I used up, I just purchased an Easy-Bake s’mores snack mix from Amazon. Hasbro Toy Shop has free shipping through the weekend, so I’ll likely buy another mix or two there as well. They have the best prices. The new oven bakes an extended menu that includes cookies, red velvet cupcakes, checker cakes, pizza, pretzels, cinnamon twists, and brownie sticks, so we have a lot to choose from.

If you haven’t been able to find the perfect gift for that special little girl in your life, consider buying her an Easy-Bake Ultimate Oven. The holidays are about creating memories, and that’s exactly what you’ll be doing… it’ll be something she remembers for the rest of her life!

YOUR TURN: Did you have an Easy-Bake Oven when you were a little girl?

Disclosure: I was provided with an Easy-Bake Ultimate Oven for review purposes, but all opinions are my own.

Kids have loved playing with trucks since, well, the invention of the toy truck. And what’s not to love? They’re big, they roll, and they can haul really cool things like dirt, rocks, and bugs. Make a lovable dump truck, throw in a few fun-loving, vehicular friends, and you’ve got the Chuck and Friends line from Hasbro/Tonka.

A sampling of our collection.

As you may have read from my other reviews, my two and a half year old loooooves trucks, trains, and anything else transportation-related. So it wasn’t a surprise that he would like the Chuck line. What I didn’t know was how much he would love all the Chuck toys. They have been our go-to toys for quite some time. We started our collection with the Chuck and Rowdy the Garbage Truck toys. These were, and still are, staples when we travel or go out. They have allowed my husband and I to eat many a “leisurely” meal at a restaurant. From there, we expanded to the sticker book which has hundreds of reusable stickers. We blew through the sticker book in only a couple of weeks. The stickers are definitely reusable, but they inevitably lose their stickiness when played with over and over and over. The sticker book also has activities for older kids. We mostly just stuck and re-stuck the stickers anywhere that suited our fancy (over and over and over).

Check out that sticker love!

When I got the items for this review, you can imagine my (and my son’s) delight when it included another sticker book! We’ve already made quite a dent in it. Some stickers have made it on the laminated pages, others have been worn proudly, or stuck on cups or any other objects close by (thank goodness they peel off pretty easily).

We also added a few more cars and trucks to our collection. These were put to the test right away. The “road” of choice seemed to be the brick wall outside. The trucks have logged many miles on this bumpy, rough path and are no worse for the wear. In addition, we got our first look at Chuck’s first feature film: Chuck and Friends Big Air Dare. This 44 minute film features Chuck (and friends) in an action-packed adventure. As expected, there is a lesson about friendship amongst the flipping, rolling, and hauling. My little guy asked to watch it again, the equivalent of a big two thumbs up! Chuck is also featured in print, and even featured in his own iPhone/iPad app.

If you (or a child you know) loves trucks and cars, look no further than Chuck and Friends…they rumble, race, haul, and keep your kid quiet and occupied. What more could you ask for?

Buy It

Check out the entire line of Chuck toys, and where to buy them, at Hasbro’s website.

Disclosure: I was provided with several Chuck and Friends products in order to facilitate this review – the DVD, board books, sticker book, and small toy trucks – but the opinions are my own.

We used to set up our Chuggington tracks on our coffee table, but it’s made of glass, so I didn’t like doing so too often. Our alternative was the floor, which isn’t very comfortable. Sigh. What to do?

I honestly never considered buying a train table… I have two little girls, after all! But now that we have the Chuggington Let’s Ride the Rails Playtable, I can’t believe we didn’t get one sooner! It’s the first quality train table made specifically for the Chuggington brand.

SET UP
The Chuggington Playtable arrived in a big box. It’s heavy (50 pounds or so, I’m guessing), so the delivery guy was nice enough to bring it into the house for me.

I was impressed by how the table was packaged. Many parts had screws pre-installed, and no pieces touched each other so nothing was scratched in any way during transit.

As far as putting the table together, I was planning to do it myself, but my husband insisted he’d do it, mostly so I could fix him lunch. In the time it took me to heat up the previous night’s leftovers and toss a quick salad, he was done! But he is handy. I’m sure it would have taken me a little longer. That said, the the instructions are simple – only 4 steps – and the only tools you need are a wrench (included) and your own screwdriver. I suggest taking all the parts to the room where you plan for it to stay, since it is kind of big once it’s complete.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS
This fun, kid-friendly table is so colorful, it’s become the centerpiece of our playroom. Both the board and table are decorated with fun and vibrant Chuggington graphics.

Just over 4 feet long and almost 3 feet wide, I could see this being a little too big to put in a child’s room (it certainly wouldn’t fit in my daughter’s bedroom), but it makes our playroom feel complete! We placed it in the middle of the room, so the girls have access to all four sides.

Maura and I immediately set up all her wooden tracks on it and played for a long time, just me and her. She loves playing independently, but sitting down and enjoying some Chuggington time with her is wonderful. This table makes it that much easier because it’s just the right height for little engineers to play! There is plenty of room around it so a group of kids can play together. This was hard to do when we had the tracks on the floor.

As far as safety, the corners of the table are protected by bright yellow bumpers. This is a great feature because it makes it so there are no sharp points anywhere. The table itself is very solid. Because of its weight, the girls can’t push it around, which I appreciate.

The top of the table is made out of two fairly thin boards; I’ve warned the girls that these aren’t made to hold their weight, so I’m trusting they’ll respect this rule and not sit or stand on it. There is a support in the middle, though, and I don’t think this takes away from the sturdiness of the table at all. It just makes it easier to set up and take down. You can see a slight groove where the boards meet, but it doesn’t take away from the beauty of the table.

Printed on the board is a train station, mountains, trees, a river and a lake, giving kids a little something to fuel their imagination. Maura was appalled that I set up the roundhouse on top of the lake, LOL! I like that the sides of the table are enclosed, so whatever is on it remains there. We used to have Chuggington stuff all around the house; now I’m hoping it’ll all stay in one place!

NEXT STEPS
I’m going to buy some nice baskets or bins to put under the playtable for all our trains, tracks, and other Chuggington accessories. The girls also like to use the table for tea parties, so it’ll be nice to be able to clear everything off of it, yet still keep everything organized and tidy.

BUY IT

Intended to go along with the Chuggington Wooden Railway, the Let’s Ride the Rails Playtable by Learning Curve retails for $249.99. Is that about average for a train table? It seems reasonable. You can visit the Learning Curve website for more information.

WIN IT

Giveaway has ended.

You may or may not have a Chuggington train set already… or maybe Santa is bringing one for Christmas. Either way, how would you like to win this train table for your kids? Leave a comment below telling me what your favorite Chuggington toy is, and I’ll pick a winner at random on Wednesday, January 4th. Visiting Learning Curve or Toys “R” Us for ideas.

Prize: (1) Chuggington Let’s Ride the Rails Playtable by Learning Curve. A value of $249.99. Trains and tracks must be purchased separately.

For extra entries:

• Subscribe to my feed by reader or email (or let me know if you already do). 1 entry
• Tweet about this giveaway up to once per day using the Tweet button below, or copy this: #Giveaway! Win a traintastic Chuggington train table at The Domestic Buzz! http://thedomesticbuzz.com/?p=15361 #TDB - 1 entry per day
• Like The Domestic Buzz on Facebook. 1 entry

A product sample was provided to facilitate my review, but all opinions are my own. Learning Curve also supplied the giveaway prize. Giveaway entry period ends Tuesday, January 3rd, 2012 at midnight. US entries only, one person per household. Leave a separate comment per entry and a valid email address. Winner, chosen at random, has 3 days to claim their prize. Find more of our Chuggington content here.

For more chances to win, enter my fellow Chuggington Conductors’ giveaways, too:

• Real Moms Real Views – All Aboard for Playtime Fun! – Ends December 21
• The Mommy Files – Chuggington Let’s Ride the Rails Play Table - Ends January 1
• MamaBuzz – Chuggington Let’s Ride the Rails Playtable – ends January 4

I wrote about The Trash Pack a few weeks ago, a new toy craze that has taken the U.S by storm. Named after all the delights you might toss in a trash can – Smelly Sock, Germ Worm, Scum Gum, Stale Bread, Sour Snail, Putrid Pizza, etc. – this garbage-themed line of toys for kids was created by Moose Toys, an Australian toy company.

We recently added the Trash Pack Garbage Truck to our growing Trashie collection. It’s a lot of fun and a great way to store the Trashies and trash cans when the girls aren’t playing with them. There’s room for up to 10 of the small trash cans, or a few of the bigger ones. The trash cans are a big selling point when it comes to The Trash Pack, so it’s great that you can incorporate them.

The truck is mobile, so kids can roll it along the floor like any other toy car, but it also has some cool features! Like a real garbage truck, this one has tip ‘n flip action that allows you to dump your Trashies into the back of the truck. You can even set your Trashies on the top of the wheelie bin and launch them off. The doors of the truck open up and have little points to display the Trashies. Maya has this open on her desk when she’s not playing with it. There are seats in the cabin for a driver and passenger… and the truck comes with two exclusive Trashies, Sludge Can and Dead Tyre.

One important thing to keep in mind is that this garbage truck is for kids ages 5 and up. Ours has been thrown around a few times by the girls and their friends, and the doors have popped off here and there. While it’s easy to stick them back in, it’s not made to withstand the rough treatment which toddlers are known for. Trashies can pose a choking hazard to children under 3, anyway, so they shouldn’t play with this line of toys at all!

That said, with the Trash Pack Garbage Truck, your kids can have some seriously gross fun taking out the trash! Available exclusively at Toys “R” Us, this is one of the hot toys this holiday season, and well-priced at under $20, so don’t be surprised if you have a hard time finding it in stores! Santa can always leave an IOU, no?

Visit www.trashpack.com for more information, and be sure to follow The Trash Pack on Facebook for news and contests!

GIVEAWAY!

Giveaway has ended.

There are hundreds of Trashies to collect and trade, each with a level of rarity: common, rare, ultra rare, and limited edition. For example, there are only 500 of the limited edition Soggy Tomato Trashies in the entire United States… so odds are slim that you’d find one, right? Think again. A lucky TDB reader is going to win one! What would your kids think if you won them one of the rarest Trashies there is?

To enter to win, please share in a comment below the best soggy tomato dish you can think of. Get creative! I make a pretty good soggy tomato pie, I must say.

A winner, chosen at random, will win the sought-after Soggy Tomato Trashie, along with a Trash Pack two-pack, which includes one large can, two Trash Pack characters, and one collector’s guide for easy reference of all the Trashies.

For extra entries:

• Subscribe to my feed by feed reader or email (or let me know if you already do). 1 entry
• Tweet about this giveaway up to once a day using the Tweet button below, or copy this: #Giveaway! Fan of The Trash Pack? Win a limited edition Soggy Tomato Trashie at The Domestic Buzz! http://thedomesticbuzz.com/?p=15308 #TDB - 1 entry per day
• Like The Domestic Buzz on Facebook and share this giveaway with your friends, tagging me in the post. 1 entry

Entry period ends Sunday, December 18th, 2011. US entries only, one person per household. Leave a separate comment per entry and a valid email address. Winner, chosen at random, has 3 days to claim their prize.

Disclosure: I was provided with the Trash Pack Garbage Truck for review purposes, and the company is also supplying the giveaway prize.

If you’re looking to add to your kids’ construction sets this holiday season, consider KRE-O. It’s the hot new brand introduced by Hasbro over the summer!

Reasons why I think KRE-O is such a perfect holiday gift for your kids:

• KRE-O is ‘more than meets the eye!’ Each Transformer may look like just a robot, but it deconstructs to create a vehicle. Disassemble the vehicle to build a robot again. Twice the fun in one! Kids ages 6 and up will love ‘em!
• KRE-O works with other leading construction brands. You know. Those. So you don’t have to worry that you’re investing in a whole new system, or figure out how to keep them separate.
• KRE-O sets are seriously affordable! From $7.99 from a basic set with 75 pieces (pictured below), to a super deluxe set at $59.99, I’d say these are definitely a good value compared to other brands.
• KRE-O is a great way to introduce your kids to the Transformers brand, which may be dear to your heart (or your husband’s) from when you were a child. You can play (and reminisce) together!

Speaking of playing together, that’s something that my kids and I do everyday, of course, but during the holidays it’s, well, different. There’s something infectious about holiday cheer. It’s our favorite time of year. From December 1st on, we read a holiday-themed book everyday. Open a little Advent gift. Make a Christmas ornament for the tree (which sometimes don’t last until Christmas!). Bake cookies every afternoon. Christmas carols are always playing in the background. You’ll often find us sipping hot chocolate while watching our favorite Christmas movies snuggled together on the couch, just taking it easy!

I try to get my necessary shopping done ahead of time, usually online, so in the days before Christmas I can calmly stroll through the mall with the girls and let them pick some gifts for others. And visit Santa, of course. Sometimes even more than once. They always forget something that first time that they have to run back and tell him a few days later. After all, a letter might not get to the North Pole in time. And apparently Santa doesn’t do email, according to Maya, my 7-year-old. I think she asked him!

For many people, the holidays are anything but cheerful, but that doesn’t have to be the case! Make it fun. Relax. Create unique traditions with your family and you’ll see how easy it is to keep everyone’s spirits bright!

I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Hasbro blogging program, for 8,000 My SocialMoms Rewards Points and a KRE-O gift. The opinions expressed in this post are mine and don’t necessarily reflect the opinions of SocialMoms or Hasbro. For more information on how you can participate, click here.

The latest characters in the Zhu-niverse are here! Zhu-Fari! Just like the original ZhuZhu Pets, Zhu-Fari characters are unpredictable, fun and bit wild. They come in a variety of adorable jungle-themed characters that are really cute!

Meet the Zhu Crew

• Baako the zebra: A natural explorer, Baako is brave and strong.
• Zuri the leopard: A wise huntress and tracker.
• Wharton the elephant: A clumsy cutie, Wharton is always tripping over his trunk.
• Zulu and baby Button the giraffes: Zulu and Button love to explore, and due to their tall stature they can always be on the lookout!
• Jack and baby Wilder the lion: Jack is the noble leader of the Zhu-Fari crew; he’s always looking after his fellow animals, especially baby Wilder.
• Ozzy and baby Banana: These two monkeys are the entertainers. Ozzy loves to entertain Banana with music!

Each Zhu-Fari character has its own unique attribute that reflects its personality including name, birthmark, birthday, collector number and biography. Each one makes silly jungle-themed sounds and moves unpredictably around. Simply press their back and watch ‘em go. You never know where they’ll go, so watching Zhu-Fari is half the fun. For an added bonus, kids can collect Zhu-Fari Deluxe assortments, which include both a ‘parent’ jungle pet and an adorable baby character to match. Providing imaginative play and adventure, these fun-loving Zhu-Fari characters are sure to be on many a child’s wish list this holiday season.

Zhu-Fari Playsets and Accessories
Building, changing and rearranging their Zhu-Fari world is part of the fun: all the playsets connect! Get ready for an adventure with you and your Zhu! Maya and Maura loved the baby zip-lines!

• Lion’s Park Playset: A playground for Zhu-Fari characters, the Lion’s Park Playset is an excellent environment for mommy and baby ZhuZhu’s. ZhuZhu Babies can slide down the slide, swing on the monkey swing, and play peek-a-boo.
• Lion’s Rock Playset: Watch as Jack the lion watches over the Zhu-niverse with this playset.
• Jiggle-Bug Jungle Playset: Zhu-Fari characters frolic through the set as jiggle-bugs magically fall from the tree. There’s even a special spot for a baby located at the top of the tree!
• Zippity Zip-Line Playset: ZhuZhu Babies fly on zip-lines through the Zhu-niverse in this playset! You can even use the zip-lines to connect different sets!
• Fun Rover: Explore the Zhu-niverse in this wacky vehicle! Watch as a fun surprise pops up!

BUY IT

For kids 4 and up, these jungle-themed toys by ZhuZhu Pets are available exclusively at Toys “R” Us just in time for the holidays. Zhu-Fari characters, playsets and accessories are sold separately and range from $9.99-$19.99. For more information, please visit www.zhuniverse.com.

DaGeDar (pronounced da-geh-dar), is the new racing game from Cepia. Requiring speed, skill and strategy, it’s a really unique game. Add in the collectability factor, and the interesting backstories of each character, and you’ve got a toy that’s sure to please boys (and maybe even a few girls!) this holiday season. We’ve played with these briefly, and I have to admit, DaGeDar’s a lot of fun!

The Story Behind DaGeDar
In a region far past the earth’s atmosphere lays Dimension 33: home of DaGeDar. In this place, DaGeDar reside in their spirit-like forms. Although they have different quests and motivations, DaGeDar are bonded by one uniting force: their love to race. The DaGeDar break through the veil at the earth’s surface and enter the atmosphere, transforming into high-speed ball-like avatars. It is through racing that the DaGeDar can experience their spirit within.

DaGeDar Characters
The DaGeDar balls have a steel core center that gives them a special weight and provides the velocity the Dags need to race around the track. Each DaGeDar character has it’s own unique graphic that reflects their inner racing spirit. Players can log-on to www.DaGeDar.com and enter the code located on the back of each ball to unlock the spirit of their ball and learn more about their character. Special balls are marked with the rare sign of “33” and are more challenging for players to collect. With over 100 different characters, players can try to collect them all!

DaGeDar Gameplay
“House Rules” rule with DaGeDar! The game encourages kids to use their own creativity and imaginations to make up their own rules of play (which they would end up doing anyway, right?). Having kids identify how to play causes them to work on the important skills of imagination, leadership and collaboration. Players can choose between three different tracks with varying levels of skill. All require the right roll to get the Dags through the loops, bends and drops. The more kids play, the more they can perfect stunts and tricks. Ultimately, it’s a game where kids decide how they want to play, and they make the rules! Maya had fun making the balls fly through the air, though it was definitely a challenge!

The three tracks:

• High Speed Battle Jump Trackset: As DaGeDar launches through the loop, players try to land it in the cup
• High Speed Score Zone Raceway: Two balls go head to head, but only one will be the ultimate victor. Players can even play for points in this cutthroat competition
• Two Lane Battle Jump Raceway: Two balls must make it through the loop and over the jump, but only one will finish first

Additional accessories complete the fun:

• Launchers: Players can go head to head, launching balls in this intense game of battle
• Carrying Cases: Take DaGeDar on the go with the special carrying cases. Each case holds up to three balls and they even clip on to your backpack!
• Spinners: Whirl your spinner and knock away approaching competition.
• Dual Top Speed Start Gate: Give DaGeDar a head start by launching it into the track set; the Start Gate gives DaGeDar even more speed!

With DaGeDar, kids learn an important life lesson – sometimes you win and sometimes you lose. The important thing is to get back on the track, play again and have fun doing it!

BUY IT

Best for kids 5 and up, DaGeDar is available at select national retailers. DaGeDar balls, tracks and spinners are sold separately and range in price from $4.99 – $19.99.
For more information, please visit www.DaGeDar.com.

Lite Sprites. This is one of those toys that I just don’t get, but my daughters love. Made by WowWee, Lite Sprites is a collection of mini dolls that cast and catch color and light to express their emotions.

Five Lite Sprites make up the Sprite Sisterhood, and each one has her own special role to play in their world, Lite-Topia:

• Prisma leads the Sprite Sisterhood and loves all colorful light.
• Meadow makes the plants and flowers bright and is a bit of a prankster.
• Brooke is the adventurous Sprite who colors the waters.
• Astra is a starry-eyed dreamer who helps the skies shine day and night.
• Bleak is a mischievous Sprite who thinks it’s fun to zap color from Lite-Topia.

You’ll want to start your Lite Sprites collection with the Lite Wand and Prisma pack. It comes with the Lite Sprite named Prisma, a Lite Wand, and a pod for Prisma to sit on. The Lite Wand is what you need to capture light. You can capture color from any flat surface and then “share” it with the Sprites. It took Maya a few tries to understand how to use the wand. Maura just got a kick out of watching her change the colors!

It’s hard to tell what these dolls do unless you see them in action:

If I were to buy Lite Sprites for my girls (which is a big maybe at this point!) I’d definitely opt for The Tree of Lite as well, to add to the play value. The canopy of the tree catches color, and I’m sure it would look really pretty in Maya’s bedroom. Four Sprites can hang from this canopy, so that would be a nice way to store them as well.

BUY IT

Lite Sprites and The Tree of Lite are best suited for girls ages 4 and up. Be aware that The Tree of Lite does not come with any figures; you’ll have to buy those separately! You can find the collection online at the WowWee Toyshop and Amazon.com, and in-store at toy retailers nationwide. For more information, please visit litesprites.com.