As any man who was once a boy (and I think that includes most of us), the utterance of "Hot Wheels" invokes a certain level of excitement. When the opportunity to try out the Hot Wheels Volcano Shoot-Out Play Set came along, it didn't take much thought to jump at the chance. The box came and it even had a "Try Me" button exposed that when pushed, started a whirling of parts, some fancy lights and a voice that sounded too evil to release.  read more »

I found out a few months ago that I'm allergic to our pet guinea pigs and most other furry pets. If only there were a pet that wouldn't affect my allergies. Something that takes minimal care when we travel for the holidays would help, too. And how about making it a dinosaur, just because dinosaurs are cool? Mattel has made an attempt at doing just that with the D-Rex, a foot tall, 2 foot long tyrannosaurus rex named D-Rex.  read more »

Among the great party games, besides Charades, Pictionary remains popular across generations. The simple guessing and drawing game remains popular due to its simplicity and ease to pick up by anyone who can draw even the most rudimentary images, albeit under time pressure. Pictionary Man takes that simple principle an adds just the slightest complexity by foregoing the board and adding the third dimension.  read more »

Since its creation in 1971, UNO, a modified version of Crazy Eights, has become ubiquitous, a card game nearly every home has. Since then, many versions of the game have surfaced, from Barbie to X-Men to Major League Baseball. In addition, Mattel has recently added electronic versions like the twitch-inducing UNO Attack (which we recommend) and the latest, UNO Flash.  read more »

Dale and Teresa are back without pumpkins.  read more »

Recently, thanks to a FOX News report out of Philadelphia, a scandal involving the Fisher-Price Little Mommy Real Loving Baby Cuddle & Coo Doll has surfaced. According to some owners, the doll, amid babbling, says, "Islam is the light," and some report hearing, "Satan is king."

We contacted Mattel, and they assured us, as expected, that this was not the case. Sara Rosales, Vice President of PR for Mattel told us:  read more »

Fisher-Price, Inc., the leading brand of infant and preschool toys in
the world and a subsidiary of Mattel, Inc. (NYSE:MAT), takes active
play for infants and toddlers to an engaging new level with the
introduction of the Laugh & LearnTM Smart Bounce & Spin PonyTM
product, launched on the heels of the highly successful Smart CycleTM
Physical Learning Arcade System the company introduced in 2007. Just as
the Smart Cycle combined physical play and learning to get preschoolers
moving, the new Laugh & Learn Smart Bounce & Spin Pony brings  read more »

Barbie has owned the girls' posable doll market for years, until MGA's Bratz came along with their Hip Hop appearance and attitude, stomping on Barbie's clean-cut image. But the jury's still out on who really owns the Bratz design.  read more »

Fashion Plates have come a long way since I was a little girl. You used to have to place texturized pieces (head, top, bottom) in a tray, place a piece of paper over them and rub a crayon over it. You could color it when you were done. The iDesign Ultimate Stylist has taken that concept to a whole new level. Now you can create your fashion outfits and have them show up on your computer.  read more »

My youngest 2 girls like to play with dolls. They're very good at making "baby" and "little kid" noises. My 6 year old acts like a little mommy and can often be found caring for a "baby". The Little Mommy Real Loving Baby Cuddle & Coo Doll caught her eye immediately.  read more »