Smart Toys and Games Adds Lights to SmartMax

May 8, 2013 By

SMX_505 Build&Light (pack)[1]

Smart Toys and Games, Inc., producer of the SmartMax magnetic construction system, has introduced 13 new SmartMax sets that will allow children to create structures that light up, vehicles that move on their own, and new items to help create construction masterpieces.

In addition to multiple bars and magnetic balls, the new SmartMax Lighthouse and Build & Light sets each include two LED-lit bars for building houses, towers, and other structures that light up and blink. The accompanying instruction guides will help model construction ideas so children can learn how to create designs of varying shapes and heights.

All SmartMax vehicle sets complement and work with the SmartMax construction sets. The new pull back vehicle sets include Loading Luke the dump truck; Speedy Sam & Stan, two racecars in red and blue; Tommy Train, a train with hopper cars; and Rob & Ringo, a sports car and flatbed truck just waiting to race. An additional vehicle set, Pip & Pete Plane, features Pip a compact car and Pete the yellow plane. All vehicle sets allow children ages 3 and up to build various vehicles. Magnetic bars, wheels, cockpits, propellers, and friendly eyes are just a few parts that can be used to personalize each vehicle.

Tommy Train can stretch up to 35 cm in length and is perfect for transporting loads of magnetic bars or balls included in the packaging, or even small items found around the house. Pip & Pete Plane, Rob & Ringo, and Speedy Sam & Stan are perfect to share with friends because children can easily create two separate vehicles.

New add on component sets come in transparent containers and include: six long bars, eight metal balls, eight medium bars, eight curved bars, six mixed medium and large glow- in-the-dark bars, and four flowers. All SmartMax items can be used with all other SmartMax sets.

The entire 2013 SmartMax product line will be available online here in June.

Filed Under: 3-5, 5-8, 6-8, 8 and up, 9 and up, New Products Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Mimoco Releases Limited Edition R2-A6 MIMOBOT

May 6, 2013 By

3UP_R2A6_Photo_watermarkMimoco, makers of the MIMOBOT line of designer USB flash drives, in collaboration with Lucasfilm and in honor of the Star Wars fan favorite holiday May the Fourth Be With You, launched the R2-A6 MIMOBOT. R2-A6, an astromech droid in the same family as R2-D2, is translated in the MIMOBOT’s illustrated flash drive form. Available in up to 128GB and USB 3.0 capabilities, the drive comes in a run of 1,000 limited edition, hand-numbered units. The R2-A6 MIMOBOT drive also comes preloaded with bonus Mimory and the MimoDesk personalization suite of wallpapers, icons, and avatars. The R2-A6 MIMOBOT flash drive joins several other Star Wars MIMOBOT characters, such as fellow droids R2-D2 and C-3PO. The limited edition R2 unit is now available at www.mimoco.com.

Filed Under: New Products

Lucky Diaz and the Family Jam Band Releases Spanish-Language Album

May 2, 2013 By

fantasticoLucky Diaz and the Family Jam Band, a Silverlake-based indie-pop band for kids, will release its first entirely Spanish-language album, ¡Fantastico!, for kids, just in time for Cinco de Mayo. The new recording is available now from www.luckydiazmusic.com and other vendors.

The  nationally touring “kindie” rock duo of Lucky Diaz and Alisha Gaddis debuted the new songs at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books Target children’s stage and at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. 
To celebrate this holiday weekend, SiriusXM Satellite Radio’s Kids Place Live (Channel 78) will air a special one-hour “Rumpus Room” concert with Lucky Diaz and the Family Jam Band four times during May 3 to 5:

  • Friday, 9 p.m. EST/6 pm PDT
  • Saturday, 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. EST/ 6 a.m. and 2 p.m. PDT
  • Sunday, 12 noon EST/9 a.m. PDT

Translating their hit song “Blue Bear” into “Oso Azul” and re-introducing songs like “Que Dices” and “Gato Astronauta,” Lucky Diaz and the Family Jam Band offers hip, fresh beats for not only Spanish speakers, but to families that yearn to immerse their youngest listeners in dual language right from the start.  ¡Fantastico! will have you dancing, regardless of what language you speak.

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Radz Introduces New Radz Gone Wild Characters

May 1, 2013 By

Radz Gone Wild_HRFour new friends will join the Radz zoo of characters–Scratch the Tiger, Bandit the Zebra, Spanky the Monkey, and Squeak the Penguin, collectively known as Radz Gone Wild. Mystery glasses, lanyards with a swivel clip and buckle end, and Radz Gone Wild collectibles join the Radz product line of allowance-friendly treats/toys that are techy too. With each purchase of a Radz candy dispenser comes a bonus Radz Plus code that accesses free Apps for the iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad.

Gift shops in zoos and aquariums and neighborhood candy shops now stock their shelves with the Radz Everyday Series (featuring Antic, Bubbs, and Critter) and the Sports Crazy (with Homer, Hoops, and PK) themed dispensers. Candy refill packs and add-ons like mystery glasses keep the Radz collectibles fresh and entertaining.

Kids can enter the online world and play in the Radz Arcade at www.RadzWorld.com. Once they own a code, the Apps store opens up to fast-paced games ZapTap, ZigZag, and ZipFlip. New this summer are added levels and play patterns in ZapTap.

The online world of Radz was designed for preschoolers (already tech savvy) and older kids with little help needed from parents. Older kids up to tweens also gave their stamp of approval for the apps, saying they were engaging and fun to play.

Find Radz online at RadzWorld.com, Facebook.com/RadzWorld, Youtube.com/RadzTV, and in the iTunes App Store.

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K’Nex Stays in the Fast Lane with New NASCAR Building Set

April 30, 2013 By

Nintendo Mystery Bag SeriesK’Nex, the U.S. construction toy company, is pleased to expand its officially licensed NASCAR building toys product line with new building sets that let young race fans expand their high-speed world. New building sets include the most popular cars and drivers of NASCAR and feature cool new paint schemes.

Each of the NASCAR: Driver Figure Bags Series #1 includes one buildable NASCAR driver. Drivers include No. 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr., No. 24 Jeff Gordon, No. 18 Kyle Bush, or No. 48 Jimmie Johnson, and each figure is compatible with the entire K’Nex NASCAR line of products. Each sold separately, so kids ages 5 and up can collect them all.

The K’Nex NASCAR Figure Bags are available on knex.com and at retailers nationwide.

Filed Under: 5-8, 6-8, 8 and up, 9 and up, Licenses, New Products Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

LeapFrog Introduces the New LeapReader

April 30, 2013 By

LearnToReadLeapFrog Enterprises, Inc. has unveiled their latest product, LeapReader: the complete learn to read and write solution for kids. LeapReader, from the creator of the Tag Reading System, is the next generation of learning that helps children build literacy skills and reading confidence. With LeapReader’s three essential experiences–learn to read, learn to write, and learn through listening–kids can sound out words, read sentences, write letters with interactive guidance, and develop comprehension skills through audio books and music, all available in the LeapReader library of more than 150 learning experiences.

The LeapReader Library

  • Learn to Read: Kids learn to read by sounding out words, reading sentences, and building comprehension through LeapReader books, maps, and flash cards. The LeapReader books help kids with feedback by not only recognizing letters, but also helping them through the irregularities of letter sounds. Some Learn to Read titles also include pages with 3-D elements. 
  • Learn to Write: Interactive LeapReader workbooks feature audio coaching and support to help kids learn the sequence of strokes and build writing fluency. These new workbooks feature revolutionary LeapFrog Learning Paper, which contains ink embedded within the page for a mess-free writing solution. These workbooks provide feedback on stroke order, and teach letters by similar curves or lines instead of in alphabetical order.
  • Learn through listening: LeapReader audio books, learning songs, and trivia challenges foster children’s comprehension skills, vocabulary, and imagination. By making the learning process interactive, it makes reading and writing more engaging and motivates kids to not only learn to read, but also to want to read.

LearnToWriteLeapFrog worked closely with world-class publishing partners, including Random House, Scholastic Inc., and Kidz Bop, to select the audio content for the LeapReader library. The library will feature children’s characters and audio books such as The Magic Tree House and Little Golden Books from Listening Library, a division of Random House Inc.; Clifford and The Velveteen Rabbit from Scholastic Inc.; and today’s hits from the audio series Kidz Bop.

LeapReader is available in pink and green for kids ages 4 to 8. The LeapReader will be available for pre-order on June 12, and it will be available at major retail locations and at LeapFrog.com in early July. All audio books and music albums will be available for download using LeapFrog Connect Application for LeapReader. LeapReader holds audio for up to 40 books or 175 songs at a time, works with most Tag books, and has a USB-rechargeable battery that lasts up to five hours.

Filed Under: 3-5, 5-8, 6-8, New Products Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Pinkalicious Introduces New Games with POOF-Slinky

April 29, 2013 By

Pinkalicious Cupcake Party Game_hi resPinkalicious, the popular picture book about a girl who loves the color pink and eats too many pink cupcakes, has expanded its franchise to board and card games, which are newly licensed under POOF-Slinky, the manufacturer of the world famous Slinky and top-selling foam sport balls in North America. The games include Pinkalicious 3 Cupcake Card Games, Silverlicious Sweet Tooth Game, and Pinkalicious Cupcake Party Game. Additionally, Pinkalicious is now a live and touring musical production.

Filed Under: Licenses, New Products Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Learn Classical Music from the Birds

April 26, 2013 By

Listen To the Birds coverThe selection of works by Mozart, Tchaikovsky, Vivaldi, and others in Listen to the Birds: An Introduction to Classical Music, from The Secret Mountain, introduces children to classical music through the discovery of the melodious similarities between notes produced by instruments such as the flute, the organ, and the harpsichord and the birds’ songs. In addition to the illustrations by Cecilia Varela, the 64-page book features a glossary of musical terms, a short biography of each composer, and a brief description of each bird evoked or mentioned in the composition.

The accompanying CD offers excerpts of 20 different recordings, ranging from The Goldfinch, Hens and Roosters and The Dance of the Swans to The Cuckoo and the Nightingale, Piano Concerto N, and Dance of the Firebird. These recordings are performed by world-class luminaries including the London Symphony Orchestra, the Moscow Radio Symphony Orchestra, and the Toronto Chamber Orchestra.

Originally published in Mexico, the English language edition is available in the U.S. on May 15 and Canada on May 28.

The author, Ana Gerhard, was born in Mexico. She studied as a concert pianist at the Mexican National Conservatory. As well as giving concerts and teaching the piano, she has hosted radio and television programs designed to introduce the public to classical music.

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Travel Through Time with The Time Tribe

April 25, 2013 By

User room 3The Time Tribe is a free-to-play, online time travel adventure game series for kids ages  8 to 13. Based on real history and archaeology, The Time Tribe is anchored in an epic story of everyday life in different cultures around the world and through time. Player choices directly shape the outcome of the story, and an integrated Charity Portal empowers players to make current, real-world impact on the complex issues they encounter in the game world. Optional real-world print and toy collectibles expand the story and gameplay experience.

Check out The Time Tribe Official Trailer below:

Filed Under: 8 and up, 9 and up, New Products Tagged With: , , ,

Smart Games Live Releases RoadBlock Mobile App

April 24, 2013 By

RoadBlock app image 1SmartGamesLive.com released RoadBlock, its second mobile app. Smart Games Live is the digital arm of SmartGames, producer of single-player logic games, and features many online versions of Smart’s physical games.

Based on one of Smart’s best-selling games, the RoadBlock app challenges players to strategically position police cars in order to block a stolen red car and prevent a thief from escaping. This brain-teasing game offers 130 separate challenges at the following levels: Starter, Junior, Expert, and Master.

Game players can download the app to their mobile device and play eight challenges at various levels. The additional challenges can be unlocked at iTunes and at Google play.

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