Toys | Reviews | Wood Toys | Toy Dolls

With the recent release of Batman: The Dark Knight breaking the record for opening weekend box office sales, it’s no surprise that the movie’s toys and collectibles are flying off of shelves across the country. The official toys are coming from Mattel, who has released a line of action figures, role-playing toys, vehicles, and playsets.

Some of the most popular toys are the Wayne Tech Mega Cape Accessory, a cape with a five foot wingspan that retracts into a back harness. The Shift Attack Sports Coupe comes with both Batman and Bruce Wayne figures, and the coupe turns into a missile-firing attack vehicle. And the Rapid Fire Utility Belt has a motorized blaster of foam missiles and also comes with a cape.

Collectors, however, are flocking to the Joker toys. Heath Leger’s renowned performance and untimely death have made the toys all the more appealing. The Japanese toy company Medicom has also released some hip designer vinyl toys.

Rudi Hoffman died yesterday at the age of 83. Many English-speakers gamers don’t know Hoffman’s name, but they probably know his work: he designed top European games such as Café International, Maestro, Tally Ho!, Crocodile Pool Party, and Up the Creek.

Hoffman’s designs have been copycatted so many times in the last thirty years that is hard to appreciate the subtle and innovative tricks of his trade. But his legacy can be seen in the timelessness of his creations. For instance, the innovative Crocodile Pool Party was first designed in 1968 and can still be found on shelves all over the world.

What makes Hoffman’s legacy even more amazing is that he did not even begin designing commercial board games until his mid 40s. He will be missed!

It’s often tough to resist giving in to your children’s demands for the latest, flashiest toy advertised on TV, there are plenty of alternatives out there. Wood toys are a great way to provide your children with entertainment and education without shelling out a fortune on the newest talking, light-up plastic toys.

Wooden toys have been around for millennia, and some of the first toys in history were probably made from wood. But there are plenty of reasons why they’re just as popular today as they were back then. Kids still love to play with toys made of wood. Because they rely on imagination and creativity, their appeal lasts much longer than plastic toys. Parents often tell me that their kids lose interest in those big fancy toys within a few days, but that they’ll play with toys like blocks and construction sets for years. I think this is because when kids play with wooden toys, they’re really playing, as opposed to just being entertained or distracted. Wood toys also play well with others—with a little imagination, they’re easily combined with other toys.

the Flori Teether by HABA

Their aesthetically pleasing designs, often making use of bright colors and geometric shapes, engage a child’s senses immediately. Wood toys for babies and younger children stimulate a children’s sense of sight, touch, and sound (and maybe taste!), while wooden toys for slightly older children provide challenges and encourage problem-solving. This is part of what makes wooden toys so wonderfully educational. They’re a great way for young children to hone their hand-eye coordination and motor skills, and wood toys help kids develop creativity and foster their artistic abilities.

And as a parent you can rest easy knowing that your children’s wood toys are safe and environmentally friendly. If your child chews on his or her toys (like many do), then wood toys with natural, non-toxic paint or dye will cause no harm, whereas many toys today are loaded with plastic, chemicals, and PVC. Most wood toys use much less wasteful packaging. They also need no batteries, which can harm children and end up in landfills.

Plus there’s the simple aesthetic appeal that owning a well-made wood toy can bring. Not only are they a pleasure to have around the house; they will often last for years, if not generations. After all—do you really think your kids will be passing down that plastic robot action figure with all the bells and whistles?

For more information on wood toys, check out our Wood Toy Resource And Buying Guide, and our page on HABA toys, a premier maker of fine wood toys.

The Toy Industry Association, together with consumers, government, manufacturers, and retailers, have now unveiled plans for a new toy safety certification program in an attempt to enhance toy safety and restore consumer confidence. After last year’s record number of toy recalls, this new program would implement a comprehensive system or accreditation to ensure that toys sold in the United States adhere to federal and international safety standards.

The certification program would combine three main elements. First, all new toy designs would have to undergo a risk analysis to identify potential safety concerns as early as possible. Secondly, all toy manufacturers would have to undergo reviews of their factories to ensure good manufacturing practices. Lastly, samples of all toys would be taken to make sure that the toys meet industry and government standards for safety.

The program would apply to all toys sold in the United States, regardless of their place of manufacture. After being certified safe by the American national Standards Institute, the toys would be given a toy safety mark. This mark would assure that the product has undergone all the checks required by the certification program.

The program, however, will not be in place until Christmas 2008, and manufacturers are looking for ways to increase consumer confidence in the meantime, especially for this holiday season. Disney has begun testing samples of its toys, both those already on shelves and those scheduled for release. Toys R Us has begun spot checking the toys in its stores and is now increasing the number of these checks on every manufacturer.

Testing is not currently required for toys sold in the United States, though a mark of certification is mandatory in Europe. The Toy Industry Association believes that this program will allow parents to have confidence in the products they buy for their children.

Hello Kitty, born in 1974, was created by the Sanrio company in Tokyo. Since then, this adorable character has been featured on thousands of different products, from t-shirts to lunchboxes and much, much more.

Celebrities have been spotted everywhere with Hello Kitty gear, whether young up-and-comers like Miley Cyrus and Raven Symoné to an older generation of celebrities like Cameron Diaz and Mariah Carey.

Hello Kitty has been featured in several animated series since the mid 80s, featured on both Japanese and American television. This year Sanrio will release Hello Kitty’s first 3D DVD, The Adventures of Hello Kitty & Friends. The company is also beta testing a Hello Kitty online role playing game, in which users will be able to create a character, socialize with other users, and fight monsters.

The Hello Kitty character also represents one of the most successful licensing and branding campaigns in toy history. Hello Kitty has her own Fender guitar, laptop computers, and even antivirus and firewall software, in addition to the classic purses and school supplies. Japan is even using Hello Kitty to promote itself to Chinese tourists.