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11/16/2007

11:26 AM

Page 7
Sunday, November 18, 2007

Holiday Toy Preview

Wyoming Tribune-Eagle C7

1. Smart Cycle

2. Crayola products

3. Tattoos

4. Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock

5. KNEX

6. Hannah Montana Singing Dolls and Pop Star Stage

7. Spotz

8. Glow in dark set of Lunastix performance juggling sticks

9. LEGOS

10. Last Word

11. TY Girlz

12. Beanie Babies
The Wyoming Tribune-Eagles

TOP 12 TOYS

lo, the majority of their time Several Cheyenne children 2, spenttesting at the Crayola table. during the put a bunch of new toys Their parents, Rich and Jennifer Trujillo liked the kid friendly aspect of the to the test, helping the Beginnings products and the Crayola smock that came with it. WTE select a dozen BEGINNINGS WASHABLE TRIANGLE deserving of the top spots. CRAYONS
LEGO TUB 221 pieces. Age Listing: Four and older Suggested retail price: $14.99.
10. Last Word (tie), by Buffalo Games

By Karen Cotton

kcotton@wyomingnews.com
he toys selected for testing for the Wyoming Tribune-Eagles top 12 holiday gifts came from a variety of toy companies contacted for input and product. We attempted to get all the toys from the Toy Wishes Magazine list, but some toys were unavailable. Hasbro opted to not participate in either talking about toys made in China or our children testing story. Those toys on the Toy Wishes Magazine list that we didnt receive include American Idol Talent Challenge; Aqua Dots Super Studio (the toy was recalled); Eye-Clops; Nerf N-Strike Disc Shot; Swypeout Online Battle Racing; and Transformers Arm Blasters and Transformers Movie Ultimate Bumblebee. Toys tested also come from primarily from Made in the U.S.A. companies as well as some companies located in Europe, Japan, and China. The top 12 were chosen by local children based on age-appropriate toys and with parents supervision and input. All product information can be found in our resource list on page in the Plains Life section. For all toy products: check the Consumer Product Safety Commissions Web site www.CPSC.gov Web site.
Age listing: 24 months and older. Suggested retail price: $2.99 to 4.99.
MODEL MAGIC FUSION Age Listing: Ages 5 and older Suggested retail price: $7.99. BEGINNINGS TADOODLES FIRST MARKS, TADOODLES ALL-IN-ONEPAINT AND FIRST MARKS BUV Age Listing: 18 months and older. Suggested retail price: $5.99$14.99. TADOODLES WASHABLE CRAYON BUDDIES Age Listing: 12 months and older Suggested retail price: $4.99. CREATIVITY CENTRAL Age Listing: 18 months and older Suggested retail price: $19.99. COLOR EXPLOSION GLOW BOARD Age Listing: six and older Suggested retail price: $19.99; additional markers $4.99 Toy maker: Crayola. They are considered a cosmetic and are made from non-toxic materials. The tattoos can be applied with a wet sponge. Our tattoos last anywhere for four to seven days, but it depends on your skin type, whether you have oil in your skin or if you use lotions, said Ian Cooper of Savvi. You just have to use baby oil or rubbing alcohol and they come right off. Owen Reese, 5, really liked the tattoos, so much in fact that he had his mother, Amiee Reese, put them all the way up his arm. (They were number one on his personal top dozen list). Age listing: 5-13 year old age group. Suggested retail price: 99 cents, $2.99 or $4.99. Toy Maker: Savvi.

GREGORY HOENIG /WTE

A game that is a race to have the final say. Connect subjects and letters with a timer. Example: Subject is Vegetables letter is C, players yell out Carrots! Cucumbers! Corn! Brittney McCormack, 10, said she liked playing Last Word. Along with Clara Reese, 8, the two said they enjoyed being able to play the game with other kids. Age Listing: 8 and up Suggested retail price: $27.99 Toy Maker: Buffalo Games
10. Barbie Girls MP3 player, by Fisher-Price/Mattel (tie)
Barbie, plus you can change her plastic Rebecca Trujillo, 2, tries out the Smart Cylce with encouragement from her father, Richard Trujillo, her brother Jeremy Trujillo, 4, and her mother, Jennifer Trujillo. clothes and add on accessories, just like coaster was his top toy on his personal dozen list. He liked the two KNEX Ferris wheels, especially the giant one. Toys tested: As seen on the cover, KNEX six-foot tall Giant Ferris wheel with motor. Age listing: 16 and older. Suggested retail price $499.99, (currently on sale at KNEX.com for $399.99 and only found on the Web site). KNEX DOUBLE FERRIS WHEEL MOTORIZED AND THREE FEET TALL Age listing: 8 and older Suggested retail price: $29.99. KNEX SERPENT SPIRAL COASTER Five feet tall. Moving cars, motorized, works like a roller coaster. Age Listing: Ages 9 and older Suggested retail price: $59.99. 400-PIECE VALUE TUB Lots of Knex. Age Listing: Ages 7 14. Suggested retail price: $19.99 KNEX 15TH ANNIVERSARY TUB 400 Original and micro KNEX plus genuine KNEX bricks. Age Listing: Ages 5 and older Suggested Retail Price: $19.99. own Spotz with the Spotz maker. Information according to Zizzle spokesperson, Scott Goldberg. Clara Reese said, Its fun to make Spotz. Im already begging for it. They were number one on her personal top dozen list. Age listing: six and up Approximate retail price: $29.99; additional kits, $4.99-$19.99 Toy Maker: Zizzle
An MP3 player that looks just like
This toy cycle is stationary and connects to your TV. It has educational video games that will keep your kids peddling and learning at the same time. I like it because Im getting circles, numbers and squares and riding the bike is fun, said Owen Reese, 5, who was showing other kids how to play in between his turns. Paige Lackey, 4 , saw the product on TV and she said she wants one for sure. At least one parent was eyeing the bike for the future. My son isnt tall enough and he doesnt have the concept down but I loved the concept and once hes three Im all over it, Melissa Gallant said about her son, two-year-old, Aaron Gallant, who tested it with her. Age Listing: Ages 3 to 6 Approximate retail price: Unit $99.99; Additional Programs $19.99 Toy Maker: Fisher-Price/Mattel A range of similar Crayola products were tested, including Beginnings washable triangle crayons, Model Magic Fusion, Beginnings TaDoodles First Marks, TaDoodles Washable Crayon Buddies, Creativity Central and Color Explosion Glow Board. Tina Lackey and Amiee Reese are artists and their kids have always liked art supplies. Tinas children are Taryn, 9, and Paige, 4 , Amiees children are Owen Reese, 5, and Clara Reese, 8. They spent a lot of time with the Crayola products. Jeremy Trujillo, 4, and Becca Trujil-

Try your hand at juggling like the pros with these easy to use Lunastix. The Lunastix juggling sticks entertained the kids for a while, which is hard to do, Tina Wood said about the Lunastix and her sons, Chris Wood, 8, and Nick Wood, 10. GLOW STIX MASTER SET Age Listing: 3 and up Suggested retail price: $20. You can buy an instructional VHS video or DVD for $2.50 or Stix play DVD for $8 or Advanced tricks DVD for $10 Toy Maker: Channel Craft A variety of LEGOS were tested, including SpongeBob Squarepants The Chum Bucket, a DUPLO tub, a Racers Night Crusher and two Bionicle figures. Both Chris Wood, 8 and Nick Wood, 10, have been to LEGOLAND in California and were able to see how LEGOs were made first hand their parents, Steve and Tina Wood said. Steve said, LEGOs are always going to be an American pastime. SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS: THE CHUM BUCKET Age Listing: 7-12 Suggested Retail Price: $34.99. DUPLO TUB 71 pieces. Age Listing: 1 - 5. Suggested Retail Price:
8. Glow in the dark master set of Lunastix performance juggling sticks
the real deal. You can also go online and chat in a secure and safe online environment (with parents permission and guidance). Taryn Lackey said that she wants a Barbie MP3 instead of an iPod. Her mother, Tina Lackey, likes that the Barbie MP3 is less expensive than an iPod. (iPod Shuffles are $79, other iPods are more expensive), according to www.apple.com. Age Listing: 6 and up Suggested retail price: $59.99; Fashion Pack, $9.99; Deco Pack: $9.99 Toy Maker: Mattel.
These glitzy glamour dolls are somewhat like Bratz but a bit more on the plush side. Lexie Jenkins, 4, liked the TY Girlz and was taking them everywhere during the toy testing. She liked the dolls because theyre colorful, flashy and moveable. Shes into dolls right now, her mother Stacy Jenkins said. Suggested retail price: $14 each Age Listing: 6 and up
For PlayStation 2 and 3, XBox 360, Nintendo Wii and PC. Rock out with some of the greatest rock songs with this virtual guitar playing video game. Brittney McCormack, 10, liked the Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock for the Nintendo Wii. I like the challenge, but its still fun, she said. It was her top toy on her personal top 12. Age Listing: 6 and up Suggested retail price: $99.99 Toy Maker: Red Octane. KNEX offers a variety of construction- and architecture-based toys, both with motors and without. Using roller coasters and Ferris wheels and other like fun rides, the toys give kids insight into how structures are made. Lexie Jenkins, 4, thought that KNEX was cool, but she lost interest after her mom, Stacy Jenkins, said shes not into putting stuff together. Chris Wood, 8, said the KNEX roller

6. Hannah Montana Singing Dolls and Pop Star Stage Its Disneys Hannah Montana
Actress and singer, Miley Cyrus, the daughter of country star Billy Ray Cyrus, is a triple threat right now, with her hit TV show, two number one CDs and tour that sold out in some places in less than four minutes. The doll sings songs from the show. The stage plays music and you can hook an MP3 player into the stage, too. Hannah McCormack, 7, liked the Hannah Montana doll and stage the best. Im a Hannah Montana fan and I watch it every time. Its really cool, the toy is, how it plays music. I have an MP3 player at home, too! Age Listing: 6 and up Suggested retail price: Stage $59.99; doll $19.99 Toy Maker: Play Along.
These plush, hand-held toys have been a favorite of kids and collectors for years. Jeremy and Becca (Trujillo), saw the Beanie Babies at first and then they saw the KNEX roller coaster, their mom, Jennifer Trujillo said. Jeremy and Becca spent quite a bit of time with the pile of TY Beanie Babies during the test. It was number three on their lists. DORA THE EXPLORER, BLUES CLUES, SPONGEBOB QUAREPANTS, HOLIDAY TY AND MORE Age Listing: Ages 3 and up for some, 6 and up for others. Check tags for specifics. Suggested retail price: $5 and up Toy Maker: Ty Inc

Runner up: Finga Zingas

$14.99.
Make your own personalized buttons with the Spotz maker. Trade them with your friends. Use the Internet to choose your image, upload it into the Spotz Design Studio, edit your image by adding color and test, save your image and print it out. Create your
RACERS NIGHT CRUSHER 265 pieces Age Listing: 7 to 12 $19.99 Bionicle Mahri TOA MATORO and Bionicle Mahri TOA HAHLI Age Listing: 7 to 16 Suggested retail price: $9.99
Twirl these plastic sticks through your fingers. You can put Finga Zinga glow sticks inside. Rich Trujillo said he and his kids were fans of the Finga Zinga because it is fun to twirl through your fingers and it glows in the dark. Age Listing: 3 and older Suggested retail price: $11.99; glow combo with glow sticks $12.50 Toy Maker: Finga Zinga
Meet the Wyoming Tribune-Eagles toy testers

AARON GALLANT

BECCA TRUJILLO

BRITTNEY MCCORMACK

CHRIS WOOD

CLARA REESE

NICK WOOD

HANNAH MCCORMACK

JEREMY TRUJILLO

LEXIE JENKINS

OWEN REESE
PAIGE LACKEY TARYN LACKEY