Because there was simply too much to cover in a single post, we thus proceed: It makes sense to enter into the fairy market. I don’t mean where you can haggle with Seelie rug manufacturers–I mean the same place where Disney has placed Tink & Friends (or whatever they’re calling it). Young girls love action figures (when they’re called dolls) and they also greatly appreciate fantasy and towards both of those ends you get their love of fairies. Winx Club is an Italian cartoon that’s hit stateside on Nick and here they have, via Jakks Pacific, a line of six of the Club fairies. This is the 11.5″ Musa, the fairy of music, complete with glitter-bedecked wings and a brush–because hair on dolls is extremely important (so I’ve been told). The wings do flap when you move the doll and they also pop off, allowing you to mix and match with other dolls in the line. In addition to the tie and shoes that she shows up wearing (and the brush), you also get a Club Membership Card. The dolls actually are pretty cute and poseable–and the franchise appears to be quite popular with the demographic. And at around $20, you won’t want to rush out and snag the entire line for your kid (or if you do have that sort of cash to throw around, just remember me) but a fan of the show would love the hell out of this. (Click here to buy it from Amazon.)
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And of course, when you have one line of dolls, it makes sense to take the same characters and make them available as part of another line. Hence we have another 11.5″ doll; this time it’s Flora and from their Concert Collection line. Because from the beginning of time, it has been known that the key to a solid animated series is having your characters also be in a rock band. This doll comes with a belt, shoes and a hairbrush (see comments above) but hey, if you want her to get fairyfied–wings are sold separately. (Click here to buy it from Amazon.)
Another Nick property that we would be remiss in leaving out is Dora the Explorer. Here we have the Art Play Mat. The main bit is a washable canvas that you can draw on with the three colored markers provided. Which beats the hell out of your kid drawing on something non-washable with very specific markers they shouldn’t. We’ve all seen the pictures on Facebook–you know what I’m talking about. What’s nifty is that the whole thing folds up into a tote. Thus you can take the markers as well as the smock, “palette” and “beret” (it looks sort of like a bit of fabric you just perch on your head…even moreso than a normal beret, I mean) with you practically anywhere. Again, know a budding artist who wants to destroy property? Throw this in their way. You (or their parents–or both) will be glad you did. (Click here to buy it from Amazon.)
In pursuit of Mighty Math Powers, the members of Team Umizoomi are represented as well by the Umi Shape Adventures Board. The adventures come in the form of double-sided mission cards, each with a different mission, but all with the same theme: learning about and working with shapes. Considering the high school graduation exam in my home state infamously had “Of the following four shapes, which is the circle?” as a question…this is crucial knowledge. Beware, though: once a card is placed into the board, the board begins talking, instructing the child how to proceed with what shapes are needed, and then they get rewarded with the shapes on the board moving and more talking. There are twelve shapes provided. I figure if you know a kid who enjoys the show, this isn’t a bad way of working with shapes for them, as they’ll probably appreciate the company of a talking (and extremely perky!) toy. But we’re adults, so bear in mind: if you’re allergic to Toys That Make the Noise, then ensure the child you’re giving it to does not, in fact, live with you. (Click here to buy it from Amazon.)
On one hand, the notion of a Nickelodeon Edition of Guess Who? seems terrifying, especially when you see the perky, smiling faces of the cast members of Big Time Rush, iCarly and Victorious that you have to choose from. For those unfamiliar, it’s a guessing game in which you use questions to try and figure out which of the faces on the board your opponent has picked. Getting a “No” to “Are they a mad scientist who wants to conquer the world with an army of zombies?” would eliminate all the known non-mad scientists with zombies on the board. And so forth. Now, I realize that kids may actually enjoy these folks and that’s fair enough. But remember the original game had cartoon faces, so just think of this as a live action adaptation and you’ll be fine. (Click here to buy it from Amazon.)
Well, it wouldn’t be Nickelodeon without an appearance from SpongeBob SquarePants. And really, just about every toy company has been represented here except Lego. So let’s go with Lego. It’s the Glove World set, which comes with four characters (SpongeBob, the Ice Cream Vendor, Sandy and a ice cream-bespattered Patrick) and the bricks necessary to give you the ice cream stand, ticket stand/entrance area and a ride the characters can actually sit in and which can actually turn. The set comes with 169 pieces and since this is a themed, planned out Lego set, I would only add that I advocate buying other sets and letting your kid mix and match them, since that’s good for the mind. Whether it’s the ultimate building set or something like a Lord of the Rings set. Variety is the spice of life. Especially with Legos. (Click here to buy it from Amazon.)
