Tag Archives: toys

10 Best Geeky Toys for Him

11/12/2017 R.C. Liley Leave a comment

toys, gifts, geeky, cars, remote control

I once read that kids are like little scientists. They learn about the world as they play. With the festive holidays coming along, you’ll need to get your smart kid an incredible toy. I am going to share with you some of the geeky gadgets that you could get your son this Christmas!

1. Starter Kit from LittleBits

This fantastic kit from LitteBits has ten tiny and color-coded circuit boards which are attached to each other using magnets. Both of them perform different functions, and kids can easily see what’s happening as they add and take away modules. What I love most about it is that it allows children above eight years to follow the project plans to make essential objects.

2. Anteater Bug Vac

Here is a baby anteater produced by Uncle Milton. It vacuums all the bugs using its snout and keeps them for closer observation in its stomach. Its belly is transparent to allow children to see and learn the insect movements.

3. Makedo Find and Make Plane Kit

This fantastic set comes well equipped with hinges, clips, pins and some stickers. It gives children the chance of making a plane from just a cereal box! It’s a toy that teaches your kid the importance of creativity and recycling! I love that all you can still reuse its parts.

4. Syma Helicopter

Although the name may roll off the tongue, it’s quite easy to fly. It’s designed to give your son impressive flying range every time. He’ll also love the multi-channeled remote meaning that he can operate more than one helicopter!

5. Hosim All-Terrain RC Car

Thanks to its impressive power, this is arguably one of the best RC trucks for your smart boy. It can move on all kinds of terrain from grass, pavements and rough-roads. If he’s an outdoor person, then you should brighten up his holiday with this fantastic toy!

6. RC Battling Trucks

Of course, we all know that remote control trucks are cool. In this awesome pack, you’ll get two intriguing infrared RC battle tanks. They’ll even sound like the real deal with matching cannon fire and engine sounds, and they come with other super cool features.

7. Maisto R/C Rock Crawler RC Vehicle

Here’s a fantastic monster truck to give your son an improved outdoor playing experience. It may not be the fastest RC drift car for sale, but it’s quite affordable. Most importantly, your kid will love it!

8. Nanoblocks Space Shuttle

These are just tiny construction blocks of 4mm. If your child is more than eight years old, he can remodel different things, for instance, the Taj Mahal or the Statue of Liberty. However, he’ll have to follow the instructions carefully.

9. Fabric Sun Photo Kit

Here is one of the magical toys that you’re likely to come across. It boosts your child’s creativity as he draws on a sheet made from plastic using a particular kind of pencil. He should then put the plastic on some unique fabric allowing him to add things such as leaves, feather and paper shapes. Lastly, he needs to cover this using another plastic sheet and leave it to the sun to dry. In a world full of endless screens and beeping toys, this is a tasty and refreshing project for your smart boy.

10. Roboraptor Toy

My son loves Dinosaurs and the movie Godzilla is one of his favorites. So, last Christmas I got him the Roboraptor. It’s a gadget that is fully assembled and ready to conquer the earth. Imagine controlling your own dinosaur?

Surprise your son with any of these toys and light up his world. Remember that with the growth of technology, video and computer games have taken our children captive. So, we must do all that we can to get them playing outside with other kids their age!

Going Reviews

Going Reviews: Down To Earth Toys – Eco-Friendly Toys for Kids of All Ages

08/02/2014 R.C. Liley Leave a comment

Having a baby certainly opens your eyes to so many things never considered before; at least not for me. Sure, I’ve looked into safe plastics for heating and storing food, but never thought twice about the hidden dangers in plastic toys. And now with Avery’s teething in high gear, she’ll try to chew on ANYTHING!

Even if the toys are touting a “BPA Free” label, chances are they come from China (seems like everything does) and even if they have since stopped using lead paint as was an issue before, I don’t have a lot of trust left. Plus, if Avery is going to chew on something, I’d rather it be something natural and free of chemicals.

Enter Down To Earth Toys; a family-owned and operated business making earth-friendly toys from the USA and Europe. You won’t find chemical-laden toys from this eco-conscious business who strive to be as “Green” as possible by recycling and re-using whenever possible.

Needless to say, I was excited to find Down To Earth Toys in my search for safe, economical and non-plastic toys for Avery. To add to the excitement, I was thrilled when Carrin from Down To Earth Toys agreed to send their wooden Cherry Clutch Rattle with a heart!

The rattle is as smooth as the finest silk and handmade craftsmanship is of the highest quality.

Immediately upon receipt, I took the rattle from its thoughtful packaging and handed it to Avery for the official first review.

Although it’s called a rattle, it doesn’t sound like what you’d hear in a typical plastic rattle with the raspy sound. Since this is wood, it’s more of a very soft clunky noise that won’t annoy you after a minute of shaking. Plus, who has time to shake when your baby fangs need soothing?

Avery took to her new wooden toy with glee as I took her plastic toys away. She didn’t seem too upset…

We now play with/chew on the rattle every day and I’m grateful to have something made in the USA from a well-deserving family owned business like Down To Earth Toys.

Since Avery’s first birthday is fast approaching (so it seems), I think we’ll be perusing other toys they sell soon. They also make great gifts!

Be sure to check out and “Like” Down To Earth Toys on Facebook to keep up to date on new toy arrivals and specials.

Thank you, Carrin, for allowing me the opportunity to review one of your many awesome children’s toys!

Life, Parenting

I Hope She Likes Ninja Turtles and Forts

07/01/2014 R.C. Liley 9 Comments

Did you know the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles originated in a comic book? They were created as a way to parody 4 popular comics of the 1980’s. Just your interesting fact of the day; you’re welcome.

If you’ve been reading my blog or following any of my social media outlets recently, you know Avery has “turned in” her rolling skills in exchange for crawling. Yes, this means more work for Going Mom and me, but it’s also exciting since it means more playtime during the day!!

We still can’t wrestle or run around the house as I chase her down with the “tickle birds”, but her crawling means that time is coming soon!

Turtles are a big thing in our family, hence Avery’s newborn pic in a turtle crochet as my blog header, and our home has several turtle toys, blankets, and stuffed animals spread throughout. If she grows up hating them, I’ll know we went overboard, but hopefully that’s not the case. Hey, her first encounter with our pet box turtle, Tash, went well, so I’d say things are going in the right direction so far.

As a kid growing up in the late 80’s and early 90’s, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles were (I think they still are) awesome! Somehow, Nickelodeon has managed to take over the TMNT franchise and have butchered the way they look and act which really pisses me off. Despite this, I stand true to being a Ninja Turtle fan, and hope to impart my “turtle love” on to Avery.

Even as Kelley is trying to sound out “momma” and “papa” for Avery’s first words, I’ll throw in “turtle” for an impartial first word. If she says “turtle” first, there’s no animosity for her saying “mom” or “dad” first; win-win!

I don’t even know what to say…..

Man, if only I kept those original Ninja Turtle action figures from my childhood; the ones in stores now just aren’t the same. Please tell me I’m not alone here. Any other original TMNT fans who are disgusted with what they are now?

Sorry, had to rant a little, back being a parent……kinda.

Another thing I’m looking forward to is building forts with Avery. Another childhood (and parenthood!) must is having a fort to let the imagination run free. When you build a fort, it can be King Arthur’s castle or a space station from the future; both cool things, by the way.

Yesterday I figured I’d try and combine my two hopeful desires by quickly making a fort with her new playpen and a big box along with a Ninja Turtle blanket for the door.

I know, this is the Nickelodeon version; I work with what I have!!

Not much to look at, but it’s perfect for her first fort encounter. Or so I thought….

I sat her down, proud of my turtle themed structure, and watched in anticipation for her to crawl into the fort. And then I waited, and waited a little more; nothing.

“Oh, duh.” I thought, “She doesn’t realize she can crawl through the blanket yet, I’ll just put her in there myself.”

She wasn’t impressed.

I helped her out of the enclosure and continued watching her in hopes that she’d come around and heed my efforts, but her fussing simply increased with each passing moment.

#fortfail

It was right around naptime, so I’m telling myself that’s the only reason for Avery not immediately taking a liking to awesomeness that is what I’m deeming the “Cowabunga Fort”. My efforts shall not be thwarted, and you can rest assured I’ll continue trying. Just like our baby-led weaning experience, I’m sure she’ll catch on and “take a bite” after several attempts.

Kelley is not totally signed on to Avery playing with Ninja Turtles, not because they’re labeled as a boy toy, but because she just doesn’t like them herself. Fine with me, now I have two girls to convince Ninja Turtles are totally tubular, dude!

We both believe toys should not be gender specific, and try hard to surround Avery in a variety of things colored more than just the typical pink. If we had a boy, I’d like to think I would be perfectly fine with him playing with a doll. After all, playing with dolls is not about being a girl, it’s about taking care of another person, about developing social skills, learning body parts, and so much more.

Read more about how beneficial it is for both boys and girls to play with dolls here. I found this link in another blog from the guest poster, Torsten Klaus. The blog is FromaDaddy, and I suggest you check it out as he shares great stories about his life with two children and one wife.

What’s your opinion on gender specific toys?

Were you raised to only play with toys geared towards your gender?

How do you feel about the Ninja Turtles operated under Nickelodeon vs. the orginal?