Archive for December, 2009

When I was a kid, I used to imagine that the reason trains went so fast was because they were racing! Yes, I pictured train workers rushing around to load cargo as quick as lightening and then drive at top speeds (300 mph in my mind) to fight for first place. While my imagination soared with excitement as the train blew past my house, it always fizzled when the train left my sight. Luckily for new generations of train lovers, the Chugga Choo Choo Game will take kids for a ride on the imagination express long after the “real” train has gone past!

What’s to like?
I’ll admit I didn’t think an interactive train game would be as great as the “real thing,” but I was happily mistaken the first time I played the Chugga Choo Choo Game from Ravensburger! A game of quick thinking and even quicker reflexes, this colorful train game (aside from invigorating imaginative play possibilities) promotes color identification, eye-hand coordination and counting. Are you ready to play yet?

As the train trudges around the circular Chugga Choo Choo track, the top of each colorful hopper car lifts as it passes in front of the corresponding color chute so that kids can send their cargo balls down the chute to load their hopper. The first player to load his or her hopper car and flip the on/off lever from green to red wins! What I love about this game is that whether you’re young, or young at heart, you need a little luck and a little more skill to earn a victory – everyone has an equal opportunity to win!

And, I can’t forget to mention what happens if you miss your hopper! When I first played, my opponents and I spent more time chasing our balls across the floor, sweeping them from under cabinets, and figuring out which ball belonged to which player than actually filling our hoppers! We had more fun missing our targets than when our aim was perfect.

What I love most about the Chugga Choo Choo Game is that it’s a great ice breaker as well as a themed play set! There will be plenty of laughs along the way as you make new friends and make memories with old buddies!

At the end of the day
Priced at a reasonable $29.95, the Chugga Choo Choo Game, for ages 4 years and up, will have the imaginative engines revving for the next race on the track!

This staff review was brought to you by me, Kendra, a Copywriter at Growing Tree Toys. Here’s a little more info (in my own words) about my time with the company:
I have worked at Growing Tree Toys for 3 years as a copywriter for our store’s website, where I get to play with demo toys to learn the “in’s” and “out’s” of all our products. Since I can’t really justify buying endless amounts of toys for myself, my family and friends are pretty much guaranteed to get presents from Growing Tree Toys – and no one is happier about that than my little 9-year-old sister! When I’m not tinkering with toys, I read every book I can find – and currently I own approximately 200 books!

It’s hard, it’s cold, it’s beautiful – how else would you describe ice? Well, perhaps you could also say that ice is sparkling, mesmerizing, and unique!

Whether a winter wonderland is your favorite way to enjoy the holiday season – or the cold has you wearing six layers of clothing to beat the frostbite, there is one cold weather past time that we can all enjoy – fanciful, frozen ice sculptures!

I’m not a fan of cold weather, but even I will brave the bone numbing cold to get a first hand view of some truly amazing works of art. I’ve always been impressed with the world of the ice artist because they spend so much time creating a temporary work of art that is completely amazing and totally “cool!”

Without further ado – ice as you’ve never seen it before:

Hmm, which one is the real Eiffel Tower? Ok, so it’s an obvious question, but even from a distance you can see where the intricate details of the tower were carved into the ice. I’m impressed.

Cinderella may be my favorite Disney movie, but if I could choose my ride to the royal ball, I would definitely pick the ice carriage! I love the intricate details of the carriage wall, which adds a stylish pizzazz that Disney animation just couldn’t perfect.

And, last but certainly not least …

Alright, I was not entirely sure what this arrangement of buildings and fun fare was supposed to be at first, but I quickly recognized Big Ben and the London Eye because of their magnificent detail and design!

Whether it is an artistic centerpiece, an ode to a favorite fairy tale, or simply a display of clever craftsmanship, I’ve given you a tiny glimpse into the world of fantastic ice sculptures; but, in our hometown of State College, Pa, we have our fair share of talent. As part of our First Night New Year’s celebration each year, we invite artists to create and display their ice art on the streets of downtown – we even have a great sculpture at the doorway of Growing Tree Toys! Here is a sampling of the sculptures showcased in years past:

I admit it – my grandparents lived to spoil their grandchildren. They created the basement of every child’s dreams, making it one of my favorite places to visit and play with my siblings and my cousins. In addition to the wonderfully retro 8-Track player to provide a nostalgic soundtrack for playtime, their basement featured a long “shuffleboard” game table, a table-sized air hockey game, a fusbol table, a full-size pin ball machine, and even a slot machine (for which I always spent my allotted dimes, every visit, without fail)! Forget Chuck E. Cheese – my grandparent’s basement was the place to be!

But, in addition to all of these exciting, big-time games, they had a number of toys and games with which we played all the time – one of which is the classic Rock em Sock em Robots Game! And, every time I see the blue and red robots of this action packed game in our store or at the warehouse, it really takes me back to all those fond memories of playing in that basement.

Even though we had plenty to play with, the Rock ‘em Sock ‘em Robots Game got lots of action! This classic game gave us kids a way to fight and compete in a safe manner – safe except for those poor blue and red robot heads! I can still hear that loud clicking noise of those heads shooting upwards after a particularly menacing punch. Almost reminds you of the Batman “Ka-Pow!”

Although this game has been around since 1964, I am sure our version was from the late 1970’s or early 1980’s. To fill your head with knowledge about this head-busting game, here is a brief history from Wikipedia:

       Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots is a two-player game/toy designed by Marvin Glass and Associates and released by Marx toys in 1964. Marx later was acquired by Tyco Toys, which was acquired in 1997 by Mattel, Inc. It is currently marketed by Mattel.

       Each player takes control of either the red robot (the “Red Rocker”) or the blue robot (the “Blue Bomber”), both of which are standing on a platform reminiscent of a boxing ring. By pushing buttons on a pair of joysticks at the base of the platform, players make their robot punch at their opponent’s robot. If a robot’s head gets hit with the sufficient force at a suitable angle, its head will pop up, signifying that the other player has won. Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots has enjoyed far-ranging success in the United States, selling in the hundreds of thousands and becoming something of a minor pop-culture phenomenon.

Nothing tells the fighting glory of this exciting game like an old-school commercial. Fighters – to your corners and prepare to fight!

60’s Commercial:

70’s Commercial:

Best of all, Mattel has gone back to a retro packaging for this classic toy – a real testament to the idea of “take me back!” For someone who has no interest in boxing, I love to work on my left and right uppercuts with the Rock ‘em Sock ‘em Robots Game!

Source Citation:
“Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots.” Wikipedia. November 4, 2009. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rock_’Em_Sock_’Em_Robots

Christmas Eve has finally arrived and the elves of Growing Tree Toys want only one thing: to hang up their pointed elf shoes for a night of relaxation! After all, it was a very busy season.

As we scatter across the country to enjoy the holidays with our families, we (the busy elves of Growing Tree Toys) wanted to share some of our Christmas Eve traditions that have made our holidays extra special as we grew up, as well as those traditions that we enjoy today.

“When I was younger, Santa would stop by our house early, while we were at Church, and deliver brand new Christmas pajamas. Then, before bed, my mom would read The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg to my brothers and me.”      Kim – Managing Partner

“My sister and I would always exchange gifts on Christmas Eve after we hung our stockings. We also put out cookies for Santa before we went to sleep!”     Jon – Managing Partner

“My whole family goes to my Aunt’s house, after church, for some delicious food, outrageous laughs, and some holiday beverages.”     Sarah – Warehouse Manager

“Every year, my mom and I bake some fresh gingerbread cookies for Santa before we settled in for the night to watch 24 hours of A Christmas Story.”     Kendra – Copywriter

Who knows toys better than the young ones who play with them? We couldn’t think of anyone! After a few weeks of in-depth, tough toy testing, here’s what one little girl and her family had to say about the Sugar Plum Fairy Musical Skirt from Acting Out.

Ease of Use (Rank 1-10): 10
     This toy is very simple to use right out of the box. The music player does require 2 AA batteries and then you are ready to go. My 3 year old daughter found it very easy to put on and take off, and turn the music on/off. Other than the material being a little scratchy, she was of and dancing like a prima ballerina!!!!

Educational (Rank 1-10): 8
     The Sugar Plum Fairy Musical Skirt helps my 3 year old work on her gross motor skills as she dances around the house with spins, leaps and pirouettes. The best part of this toy is how she uses her imagination to pretend she is a real ballerina. I see her dancing all over and then bowing at the end of her pretend performances. My daughter really enjoys the music from the Nutcracker Suite and is familiar with it music from her dance class. I have seen her working on what she did in class while wearing the skirt, since the music is the same.

Longevity (Rank 1-10):6
     The Sugar Plum Fairy Musical Skirt is a great toy for my daughter while she’s involved in dance. However, if my daughter’s interest in dance wanes, the skirt might end up at the bottom of the dress-up box. Currently, it seems to be a toy that peaks her interest for a few days and then she’s off to play with something else. The music box of this skirt can be taken out (I’ve found it several times on the floor or under the couch) is can be an issue because she says she doesn’t use the skirt because “I can’t find the music and I don’t want to use it without It.” On the flipside, she’s commented that the box is a little uncomfortable on her back, so I think that might be why I find it in strange places – she is 3 after all.

Fun (Rank 1-10): 7
     As stated in the previous section this toy seems to be very popular when my 3 year old decides she wants to dance. At the beginning when we received the skirt, she loved the fact that it played music for her. She did not possess any other skirts such as this one and she wore it all the time. After a bit, the music box was either uncomfortable or came out and she did not show a huge interest. I don’t think it had as much to do with the toy, but with her interests changing and the attention span of a 3 year old. As a parent I like the fact that it can or cannot play music so that she can make that choice. It does come out easily, so having a place to keep it might help in keeping track of the box.

Overall (Rank 1-10): 7 -8
     Overall this is a very cute toy. I think it goes beyond just being another dress up skirt. We like the color, the shape and the fullness of the skirt. My daughter really feels like she is a real ballerina when she plays with it, especially since she can dance to the music all over the house! We will keep the toy as long as it holds up and it fits. Is it something she plays with everyday? No, but she does enjoy it and I think it is a good investment for parents with dancers.

I had never tried to “Gnip” or to “Gnop,” but recently I was introduced to the classic game when a friend coaxed me into playing it with her on the floor of a small antique toy store. I was instantly hooked on the random action of the enclosed ping pong balls and the unpredictable outcome of every single game. After all, when all you need to win is a fast finger, persistence, and a little luck, chaos is the name of the game!

A game that shares a common ground with ping pong, Gnip Gnop is the ultra extreme version with 6 colored balls that fly at the same time (none of the one-ball-at-a-time sissy stuff) and 3 holes, which served as a “net,” where you need to “aim” your balls. However, in my case there was no “aiming.” Sporadically pressing buttons to propel your colored balls at your opponent is not the same as aiming – we call that living on a prayer! Check out how the game is played with this classic Gnip Gnop commercial:

Thankfully the awesome chaos that comes from playing Gnip Gnop was not lost as it was reinvented after its unfortunate disappearance from the game scene at the end of the 70’s. But, I was disappointed that my first real introduction to the game deprived me of the very 70’s fluorescent colors and flamboyant packaging.

I have to admit, that when I first played this classic game, I spent a lot of time trying to figure out how Parker Brothers chose such a unique name (you know what’s coming) – it hit me roughly three sentences into this post that Gnip Gnop is ping pong spelled backwards!