Give your child a lovely surprise! ELISA CHIA & LYNN WEE suss out seven squeal-inducing toys this season.
Give your child a lovely surprise! ELISA CHIA & LYNN WEE suss out seven squeal-inducing toys this season.
Give your child a lovely surprise!
THE REAL DEAL
This is the Ultimate Lightning McQueen toy for fans of the animated racing star. The team at Sphero worked with Jay Ward, creative director from the Disney Pixar movie series, Cars, to bring the character to life.
We were blown away by its resemblance to the real thing – from the way it moves its extremely expressive eyes to how it talks. Yes, it comes loaded with 300 phrases, voiced by actor Owen Wilson, just like in the movie.
As we attempted to race our review set and it banged into a wall, it yelled: “Watch where you’re going!” Don’t worry, you can control the voice volume. It performs drifts with ease and can reach a maximum speed of 9.6kmh.
You’ll need to pair it with the app on your iOS or Android device and use the on-screen joystick. It’s recommended for kids from age eight, but your preschooler will cope just fine with your supervision – and you’d want to do that on account of its hefty price tag of $469.
WAY TO GLOW
Even if your little one hasn’t caught a single episode of Hanazuki. Full of Treasures on Youtube – the first season launched in January – it’s easy for her to fall in love with its merchandise.
The hottest toy from the range has to be the Hanazuki Moodgleam Wearable Band. Your child can snap on cute collectible characters, known as Hemkas in the animation, which give the bracelet a pretty glow.
If you allow your child to download the Hanazuki app onto your iOS or Android device, she can scan the code from each Hemka character to unlock more fun in the app. The bracelet set is recommended for kids from age six and priced at $29.90. Get it from www.toysrus.com.sg and major department stores.
ALL DRESSED UP
My Little Pony: The Movie is slated for release next month. If your little one can’t wait, keep her happy and busy with the new My Little Pony Snap-On Fashion series from Hasbro.
She will love playing dress-up with her pony figure, which comes with outfits and accessories. Collect the other characters for more mix-andmatch fun. Ideal for kids from age three, each set costs $29.90 from www.toysrus.com.sg and major department stores.
The classic Uno game comes with a fun twist for the young emoji-loving generation. When you play a Wild Emoji Card, the next player has to make an emoji face and hold the expression until his turn comes around again. Otherwise, he has to draw four cards.
Your kids will have great fun battling against each other. The Hot Wheels Rebound Raceway has two launchers – now they won’t be arguing over who should go first. The fastest car that races through the loop and hits all the targets, wins.
While most kitchen toys are made from plastic, this sturdy Krooom Saffron Chef playset is created mostly using cardboard.
Your little masterchef will enjoy hours of pretend play – from putting her bakes into the oven to cooking porridge on the stove and washing the dishes in the sink.
Four hours and 346 steps – that’s how long it took us to assemble the Lego Ninjago Fire Mech set, but it’s well worth the aching shoulders and strained eyes. This 36cm-tall fighting machine is one of 14 limited-edition building sets launched in conjunction with The Lego Ninjago Movie’s release.
Made up of 944 pieces, it boasts shoulder disc shooters and moving joints, allowing your child to reenact the battle scenes from the animated film. It comes with six mini flgures with assorted weapons, as well.
