Looks like the Light Brite toy I played with as a kid has gotten a major hi-tech overhaul.

Sketch Art from Hi-Tech Art allows you to make your own art by sticking LEDs.  You use the included background to stick LEDs into and watch them light up.  The board has no circuitry, no soldering, no resistors.

It includes eight differently colored LEDs to choose from.  It runs on batteries, wall power or USB, so you can take it pretty much anywhere.

The Sketch Art is available here, at a price of $49.95

It’s never too soon to start thinking about the holidays and the gifts you’ll need for all the kiddos in your life, and here’s a helpful suggestion: The Charlie’s Playhouse Giant Timeline Floor Mat has been a huge hit with the kids in our house; it might be something to consider for yours. At 20% off, along with all other items in the store besides clothing, you’ll be congratulating yourself on your advance planning while others are scrambling.

Today’s the last day of the sale, so if you like what you see you had better jump on it!

Charlie’s Playhouse

Starting the coming Friday , August 28th, toy retailer Toys R Us will be trying its hand at its own version of the government’s arguably successful “Cash for Clunkers” program.

No, the retailer won’t be accepting old cars.

It will however be accepting old strollers, cribs, car seats, high chairs and more.

Starting Friday and over the next three weeks, the store will offer 20 percent discounts for 16 manufacturers’ products in exchange for the used merchandise.

Toys R US CEO Gerry Storch says the program is slated to end Sept. 20, but could be extended.

The company says it hopes to take in older merchandise that might have been recalled with the consumer’s knowledge as well as turn a profit.

If a certain child you know is a budding paleontologist, then you ought to give a gift that will be sure to keep them interested and occupied for hours: a Giant Timeline Floormat from Charlie’s Playhouse. Children will enjoy reading the Timeline like a book, or spreading it out for over 18 feet of colorful and informative fossil history…

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Robert Oschler, the sovereign of all things robotic has just sent his latest email featuring what will likely be one of the holiday’s hottest toys: Elmo Live.

According to the Fisher Price site, “In this truly life-like creation, for the first time ever, Elmo seems to actually be speaking as his mouth opens and closes just like the real muppet, Elmo, from Sesame Street. His mannerisms are right on target as his head moves back and forth as he speaks. He waves his arms, sits and stands, even crosses his legs all the while telling stories and jokes, singing songs and playing games. Children can activate the magic with a tickle or a squeeze of Elmo’s foot, tummy, back or nose.”

Stay tuned for the cuteness overload…

Hello Judie,

Here’s the latest:

First hands-on review of the Fisher Price Elmo Live Doll, straight out of its retail packaging. The video highlights Elmo Live’s interactive touch sensors, play along stories, singing and dancing, tilt sensor (Elmo knows when he’s fallen over), battery saving mode, and more. Also contains a cameo appearance by Cookie Monster. In conclusion, it’s a smash hit:

Here is a URL to our information page on the Elmo Live and the review video that includes tips on how to play with Elmo Live and how to save big bucks on batteries:

Thanks,
Robert Oschler
RobotsRule.com

When I was a child, I absolutely loved stuffed animals; I had such a massive collection residing on my bed that they threatened to push me off should I stretch out or roll over in the middle of the night. One of my fondest wishes at that time was that some of my favorite stuffed animals could be more life-like and animated. Granted, this was in the 70s, and the closest things we had to robotic toys back then were those obnoxious stuffed dogs that came with a wired battery pack so that they could walk a few steps, bark, and then walk a bit more. These toys certainly weren’t huggable, you wouldn’t want to sleep with them, and once the initial trill of watching them do their “thing” wore off, they would invariably wind up in the bottom of a little girl’s toy bin.

Fast forward thirty plus years (ack! did I just admit that?) and we find that little girls still love their stuffed animals, they still hug on them and sleep with, and they still long for a more realistic “pet” experience. Gone are the wired yap-dogs, and in their place we now have much more life-like and animated animals such as those in the new WowWee Alive series.

I was sent their Lion Cub, and from the minute I opened the outer box, I knew exactly who I would employ as its primary “testers”. My boyfriend has two daughters, ages 5 and 9, and they both love stuffed animal; their beds bear silent testament to this fact. Would this particular toy get any type of special treatment once they had discovered its capabilities? Or would it end up in the bottom of their toy bin like the yap-dogs of yesteryear? There was only one way to find out…

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Update: This giveaway is now closed, and the winners (randomly chosen by Clinton) are Heatwave316, Peter and Gary. Thank you for entering!

Here’s a fun give-away that I think we’ll all enjoy watching unfold. Simtec, the people behind those crazy Funslides Carpet Slides Allen reviewed last year, are sponsoring a give-away on Diary. What’s up for grabs are three of their Face-Off Frenzy PowerBand Hockey games.

To enter, leave a comment about your favorite toy when growing up; it’s that simple. Keep reading for the small print…

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When one thinks about the massive undertaking it takes to set up a concert tour and the amount of gear that a band takes on the road, it boggles the mind. Besides the band of musicians and a drummer, it takes lots of hands to pull off a concert every night. There are tour and production managers, roadies, sound and video engineers, production crews, technicians, tour drivers, merchandisers and tag alongs. Tractor trailers are filled with concert sound and light equipment, merchandise, and much more.

For some bands, it can mean endless days on the highway, playing seedy bars from coast to coast, with each night wishing and hoping for a lucky break to hit the big time.

When a band goes on tour, it may or may not have the financial backing of its label. An artist receives a fixed fee or a percentage of the tickets sold by the venue owner or promoter. Touring is an expensive process. A moderate estimate of touring costs with a bus and small crew can easily reach $15,000 a week. If an artist tours with the support of their label, the expenses are all recoupable, thus potentially increasing a band’s debt. Many successful bands tour without the support of their label so that they can keep all of their touring revenue. An independent band would have more difficulty than a highly successful one in being self-sufficient on tour.

Source: Wikipedia

This Christmas, the Best Lil’ Lego Band from Nashville caught a big break with some new sound equipment and a new stage!

In case you missed it, here are some 2006 archive photos from the Best Lil’ Lego Band from Nashville practicing on their old stage set at Kerry Woo’s Kitchen Table Sound Studios in West Nashville (Tennessee).

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At the same time that Gear Diary was approached to review the Johnny Lightning Battle Wheels, we were also invited to review the V_Bot. What is the V_Bot? Well, here is a clipping from the email describing it:

“V_Bot, the new high-tech hero, transforms from a sleek street vehicle into a giant robot loaded with action moves. This revolutionary RC toy captures kids’ imaginations with a giant robot that they can control, transform and drive. V_Bot even has a plug-in for an MP3 player.”

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When Gear Diary was approached to review the new Johnny Lightning Battle Wheels, I was going pass on reviewing them. I never really was interested in robotic combat. However, Judie convinced me to accept and do the review. And, I actually had fun, thanks Judie!

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When I was a kid, computerized math tutoring came in the form of the Little Professor, an educational device made by Texas Instruments. While it was a fabulously geeky toy for my elementary school self, the Little Professor did have its shortcomings – all “he” could basically help with was addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. Today, kids have it made. Companies like LeapFrog have made educational electronic toys available and accessible – even to toddlers.

I am going to tell you about their new FLY Fusion Pentop Computer, which is marked as appropriate for ages 8 and up. Due to the different accessories and modules available for the FLY Fusion, it can be enjoyed by kids up to 18…and perhaps even older, as it certainly doesn’t appear to be a toy at first glance.

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Recently, Judie did a post about the FunSlides Carpet Skates. Because of a technical glitch with our email server, I never got the team email about reviewing them. It was after Judie did her write up on the skates that I thought to myself, these may be just the thing to solve the problem my Robosapien robots have with walking on carpet. I mentioned this to Judie, and she thought it would be a great idea to let the bots volunteer.

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Here are a couple of goodies from Discovery Toys which have been designed to entertain kids while allowing them to learn. They are also interesting in their own way, so much so that the adults in the child’s life won’t be embarrassed to be caught playing with them.

TODDLER TALK Recording Phone – The Toddler Talk is targeted at children aged 12 months to “Toddler”, which I suppose can mean about up to about three years old. It is an approximately 6″ long x 2.25″ wide x 1.25″ thick red plastic phone-shaped toy.

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Remember the bubble blowing plastic ring with the soapy solution? With our lung power, we huff and puff to blow the biggest and the most bubbles to see the squeal and delight on little kids faces.

I’m forever blowing bubbles,
Pretty bubbles in the air,
They fly so high,
Nearly reach the sky. *

Here’s a fun toy from little tikes that is sure to please young and old alike the Bubble Bellies Bubble Maker Bubblesaurus (shown). Also available are Polly Pig, Clarabelly Cow and Bubble Pup.

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Are you looking for an innovative toy for the kid in your life?  Whether it is for your niece, friend’s son, or your own child, okiedog has created two foldable tricycles for you. Both designs are for specific age groups and offer varying benefits.

The G-Force is the 21^st Century’s answer to the much-loved Original Big Wheel. It provides fast-paced riding and spinning through a sleek design. It is specifically for kids 7 years and older.

picture is courtesy of okiedog
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