
This right here is one of the most popular education-based toy around. And it's a video game system.
If I were pressed to defend the educational value of video games, I probably couldn’t do much other than say they can teach reading, math, problem solving, community interaction, cause and effect, and hand-eye coordination skills, so really I’d have an uphill battle talking about their benefits (wink). However, there are a handful of very popular toys being sold this very second to parents wishing to give their kids a little boost in the learning aspect of playing while still making sure the toy is fun (gotta love parents). But just what are some of the most popular educational and learning toys right now?
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I wish I'd been the one to think up this image first, but I'm not.
Happy Saturday everyone! February is ending in the next day or so and that means the beginning of the newest feature here at Toy-TMA: The Too Much Awesome Podcast!
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Are the new Dark Knight Toys too dark for kids? That’s the drama being kicked up in Australia, where a leading family advocacy group is shunning the Batman toys. Why? The toys are given away with a burger and fries at a popular fast food chain known as Hungry Jacks.
The Australian Family Association does have a point: the toys may be sending mixed messages to parents that the newest Batman movie is suitable for watching by children. I saw this movie last weekend, and it is admittedly not something I would take my nine year old to. Too scary!
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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.
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June 27 marked the opening of the first annual Singapore Toy Convention: three days of toys, comics, animation, design, licensing and cosplay (costume play). The convention was a visual feast for fans of toys and anime, and the convention center experienced an unanticipatedly high number of attendees. The convention was sponsored by the Singapore Tourism Board and brought exhibitors from around the world, bringing the styles of the East and the West together harmoniously.
The event, which promised to be a pop culture trend-setter for years to come, featured autograph signings, workshops with artists and designers, as well as showcases of the best new toys, comics and designs. But the highlight of the convention was the premier of a new Batman animated short, Batman: Gotham Knight. The short film was one of a series of six that takes place between Batman Begins and The Dark Knight.
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