Staff Toy Reviews

I had a lot of fun making these little candy soaps. The Creativity for Kids Petite Sweet Soaps Kit is unique, because it comes with six different colors of soap clay. The soap clay is softer and easier to manipulate than Sculpey clay and it washed off my hands very nicely—because it’s soap! I’d describe the smell as sort of flowery and old fashioned. You’ll be able to smell it as soon as you open the box.

There was more than enough clay to fill the candy box with treats and I even had some left over to make a big ball of glittery soap for the bathroom. And you don’t have to do any chemical operations or cooking because the soap clay is ready to go right out of the box.

The kit is recommended for ages five and up. But I’ve worked on art projects with many five year olds and in general they tend to rush through things, so I’d recommend this for ages seven and up. As usual, Creativity for Kids has included very helpful instructions and techniques to help kids make a finished craft that they’ll love.

I think the Petite Sweet Soaps Kit would make a very fun Christmas present. Order today through Sunday, December 12 and this (and any items on our site!) ship for just $3.95!

No better time than the hottest weeks of summer so far to test the 6-in-1 Educational Solar Kit! One of our more popular gifts this summer, I’ve had my eye on it for a while.

Just like all Elenco Toys, the kit has everything you need for many hours of learning and fun. The directions are very clear of which parts you need for each of the six different solar models: Windmill, Revolving Plane, Airboat, Plane, Car and even a Puppy! Make on at a time; all are powered by the same solar module.

Let me frankly say that the module is a little tricky to put together! I’ll blame our adult-sized hands and guess that kids 10 and up would have an easier time inserting the white and green wires where they needed to go. You get the hang of it though.

As it says on the package, the parts all snap together and you don’t necessarily need any tools. They suggest using a diagonal cutter and we found one helpful for the initial removal of the plastic pieces out of the box.

You and your kids can decide what your favorite of the six is; ours was a tie between the Car and Revolving Plane. On a sunny day you really have to keep an eye on the car, because it moves quickly! Here too is a video of the Revolving Plane – you can see how fast it gets going in the sun!

No sun? No problem, really. While perhaps not quite as fun, you can put the solar panel near a halogen light bulb to get the motors moving. Note it only works for halogen lights, not fluorescent!

One more note, this kit proves that good things DO come in small packages! It’s all packed into a box that’s just 8″ x 7″ x 2″. But at just $24.99, the 6-in-1 Educational Solar Kit is a perfect multi-purpose kit for older kids. All will be amazed that the light we’re surrounded by every day can power these toys!

No surprise – we love playing with toys around here. See more staff toy reviews!

I have always enjoyed the Outdoor Toys department here at Growing Tree Toys, and whenever there is a new twist on a toy you throw I must try it for myself. Last year I was hooked on the Djubi, and this year when I saw the Zartz Darts – I knew I had to try it.

To play you need two players – and each player places one of the hand targets on their hand. Then you can throw the darts back and forth and try to catch the Zartz Dart on your target.

First of all, let’s start with the Zartz Dart.

The Zartz Dart is made of what I would say is a sturdy foam material – perfectly safe for children who may not catch the Zartz Dart and have it hit them on the arm, leg or even head! And while it is foam, it is also very sturdy, as our dog stole the Zartz Dart while we were playing and the dart showed not signs of damage! The dart is also great because it is weighted on one end, so no matter how you throw it, the dart lands with the suction end facing down – just like you need it to make a great catch!

Now as for catching, you use the two included target paddles. There is an elastic band on each paddle and you wear it just like a baseball glove. The great part about the target paddles is that all you need to do is get your paddle in front of the dart and it sticks – it is that easy! This makes the game really easy for kids of various ages and skill levels. We played this game with an 8 year old boy and 4 year old girl. The 8 year old loved it because it was catching (he is really into baseball), but with a different twist that made it unique. And while the toy is recommended for ages 6 years and older, the 4 year old could not let her brother have all the fun – so she wanted to give it a try. What was nice is that with a little parental supervision she could stick her hand out and make a catch – just like her older brother! And of course, as adults we had a good time launching the Zartz Dart to one another. I must say, it is amazing how well it sticks to the paddles – very rewarding for young children learning to catch – they feel like a pro! Heck, even I felt good about myself!

In addition to catch, the Zartz Dart has one more cool feature – it sticks to almost anything – especially windows and doors. So for some extra fun, we threw the Zartz Dart at our door to see who could get it closest to the center, the top of the door or whatever someone thought of next. Of course, anytime you get to throw something at a door – it is a good time for all! So as you can imagine, with the ability to stick to anything it is easy for children to create different games and activities with the Zartz Dart. Although kids, please ask your parents before you throw at any doors!

The Zartz Fun Pack comes with one “Zartz Dart”, two paddles and a carrying case – and for the price, you really can’t be it! So I highly recommend the Zartz Dart game for children and adults!

I knew immediately which new toy I wanted to review after I heard a combination of 2 things:

• How much fun my bosses had with it at Toy Fair

• Its creator (John Hunter) is responsible for Super High Altitude Research Program, otherwise known as the world’s largest gas gun

Sporting a bright orange and green finish, the Zyclone Zing Ring Blaster is nothing short of eye catching. The package contains one gun, one ring and brief instructions. I neglected to look at the instructions before my first shot, which became evident quickly, as the ring quickly hooked to the left immediately after shooting it. I suggest avoiding my mistake by taking a quick look at the instructions, or just look at this image!

On my way home for the day, it became increasingly difficult to resist shooting the Zyclone into every open field I saw. I knew that it was could fly long and straight indoors, but outdoors is what truly matters! I eventually gave in and picked a field close to my apartment and began shooting around.

I came back later that day to test out the Zyclone with a few of my friends. After a few tries, they were all able to have excellent control of where the ring would fly to. We all had fun shooting it, but all agreed another gun and ring are almost a requirement for playing with more than one person! Jealousy overcame the bystanders quickly, everyone wanted a turn to try it out.

The following video is my friends first attempt at shooting the Zyclone, he missed his target (the pole!), but not bad for a first try!

2 weeks and over 100 shots later, the Zyclone still hasn’t begun to show signs of wear. The ring still flies as far as ever and straight on every shot. The Zyclone is undoubtedly one of the best new toys of the year and I would recommend it to anyone with children ages 6 and up!

This year, as always, I filled up two Easter baskets for my nephews with a ton of toys from Growing Tree Toys! I typically grab a few small items and then one special gift. Brady is in love with his Automoblox minis collection, so I knew what to get him. But I struggled for a while with Mason. The kid has almost everything! I remembered how he had recently become obsessed with jumping over things, and figured he might enjoy a Junior Stomp Rocket. In the hustle and bustle of the holiday, we didn’t get to test it out until our family dinner at my Uncle’s.

Set up was so easy; the legs just slide together and then the launch tube is attached with the included nut and bolt. I didn’t even need tools! Mason then took his first go at it. He didn’t jump directly on the launch pad, so the rocket only flew a few feet into the air, but he thought it was hilarious and wanted to do it again. After a few more jumps, some of my other cousins took notice of what was going on in the front lawn and wanted their turn. Before I knew it, I was in charge of making sure 8 kids each got their turn! I don’t know what they had more fun doing…jumping on the launch pad or trying to catch the rockets. Because they are made out of soft foam, this was perfectly safe and easy for them to do.

After about half an hour (and a ton of pictures) they were all exhausted, sweaty and ready for their egg hunt. As we were heading out back, both Brady’s mom and my aunt mentioned to me how the Junior Stomp Rocket would be wonderful gift ideas for upcoming birthdays. Needless to say, I’ll be purchasing my third rocket next week!

What I really enjoyed about the rocket is how easy it was. There is very little assembly required and clean-up is a snap. There isn’t a long winded instruction guide on how to use the product, simple instructions are printed clearly on the box. And, there is no exaggeration; the rockets do fly up to 100 feet! Because of this, I highly recommend purchasing the Junior Stomp Rocket Refills (we lost one in my uncle’s gutter). The Junior Stomp Rocket is a perfect gift for any kid that has a ton of energy and loves to be outdoors. They may not even want to come in once the sun goes down. After all, the rockets do glow in the dark!!

Ever since, well, the beginning, humans have looked at the world around them and contemplated how it could be innovated. Better yet, people have always looked for new ways to have fun! One the great educational toys we carry, the Ball of Whacks, is a product of just that kind of forward thinking.

The Ball of Whacks was invented and created by Dr. Roger van Oech. I think the specifics of this unique toy are best described by van Oech himself:

Each individual piece of the Ball of Whacks is a “golden ratio” rhombic pyramid. Held in place by 180 rare earth magnets, these design blocks fit together to form a perfect 30-sided rhombic triacontahedron – geometry’s most beautiful shape.

Very funny picture from van Oech's website!

The result? A colorful, rather magnetic building toy that’s a lot more than your standard brain teaser! Speaking of colors, it comes in solid red, solid blue and multi-colored, as well as the rarer all black one I am reviewing. The contrast of colors is quite neat, but no matter what you have you can build (and destroy!) your creations just the same.

The perfectly giftable Ball of Whacks also comes with a 96-page book not only full of shapes to put together, but also general inspiration for creative, open-ended thinking.

I cannot speak for kids on this one, but as a 27-year old sitting in front of a computer more often than not, I can say that lounging on the couch with the Ball of Whacks in hand is one great way to relax. It’s easy to lose track of time as you “click, click, click” all the magnetic pyramids together! In their product description it is referred to as a “mental freshener” and there’s no better way to put it.

Many toys then take on alternative uses as well! We recently found out about the Slinky’s use around the home and the Ball of Whacks is also more than “just a toy.” A great example comes straight from van Oech’s blog. A school social worker noted how the Ball of Whacks is a great tool for helping students with ADHD, partly as an outlet for stress and anxiousness. All kids (and really all of us) can find quite the satisfaction of taking something apart as well as putting it together. And as noted in the letter, the Ball of Whacks is a “great visual of how we can fix things with a little support.”

A post about a toy with strong magnets like this cannot go without a quick disclaimer. It says all over the packaging to keep the Ball of Whacks away from pacemakers, and that’s a given. On top of that, though, I’d recommend keeping it away from your computer, cell phone and electronics, as well as your wallet, just to be safe you do not lose any data on your devices or cards. As in my home, I’d say a nice place to keep it is right on your coffee table or bookshelf; it’s quite the conversation piece!

For an equally unique and also magnetic creation by Dr. van Oech, check out the X-Ball! See more perspective on the fun toys we work with every day – check out our staff toy reviews!