We love pirates! For whatever mischief they did throughout the history, we all have this romantic image of a villain, wearing his eye patch and cool pirate hat, oftentimes with a wooden leg and, of course, the faithful talking parrot keeping an eye on the seas.

We grew up with the likes of Sea-Goin’ Sam, “the blood-thirstiest, shoot-’em-first-iest, doggone worst-iest buccaneer that ever sailed the Spanish main”, Jack Sparrow, and a whole bunch of other Hollywood pirates. As a kid, you cannot help but fall in love with these characters.

Catch phrases like “Ahoy Mates!”, “Shiver me timbers” or “Fifteen men on a dead man’s chest! Yo ho ho and a bottle of rum!” are classics. Merely hearing them once in a while sends you to a world of fantasy and unbelievable adventures.

For every one of these villains, one of the most prized possession, besides the huge treasure chest, is his ship.

Any pirate that wants to be taken seriously and be feared by the unsuspecting folks that he runs into has to own a huge, fearsome ship with a legendary name!

So, where can you get a wooden pirate ship for your child?

I’ve searched the web to find some of the most interesting such vessels and I’ve come across a couple of deals that are really worth taking a closer look.

One of the first ships that caught my attention was the Seven Seas Wood Pirate Ship sold by Magic Cabin.

While it is definitely not the most detailed piece of woodwork you’ve ever seen, it does come with a series of features that every young pirate will definitely enjoy playing with. If has some of these authentic features that make any make believe play so much more authentic.

These features are:

-a crow’s nest with a rope ladder

-an anchor

-two skull and crossbones flags

-a steering wheel that actually works

Of course, the ship has a working crew of four pirates, who handle two cannons, a lifeboat and a treasure chest.

To find out more, go take a look at the Seven Seas Wood Pirate Ship pageover at Magic Cabin.

Another pirate ship that caught my eye was Ryan’s Room Pirate Ship from Small World Toys.

This one is definitely one of the best looking ships I could find, but it seems to have some manufacturing defects. It kind of tends to fall apart. But if you make sure to glue it back whenever some parts fall out, your child should be fine playing with it for a long long time. To take a closer look, take a look at the Ryan’s Room Pirate Ship on Amazon.

Finally, there’s the Deluxe Pirate Ship Play Set from Melissa & Doug

Unlike other pirate ships, this one really looks like a not too frightening toy that kids would really enjoy. It might be a little to stylized, but it still cool. Find out more about it here.

Some of these pirate ship remind us of one of the most popular punishments the pirates used: walking the plank! I loved seing those scenes in the movies.

Since there are quite a lot of wooden pirate ships to choose from, you’ll find a nice selection of them in the box below. Enjoy!

But this time I’m terrified! They are now coming out ready for war and destruction. There are no longer some cute and cuddly plush toys, they’re frightening!

I’m talking, of course, about the new Angry Birds Knock On Wood Game

You didn’t expect them to stay safely inside your phone forever, right? After capturing the hearts of kids and adults everywhere, the highly temperamental birds are leaving the touch screen in yet another form, this time as a really entertaining game.

The new game set from Mattel includes three different birds and three pigs, a few wooden blocks and a number of other props to make the palace more interesting.

The set includes a slingshot to launch the furious birds against the fortress of the pigs. Just like the touch screen game, kids can calibrate the angle and the force of the jump in order to produce maximum damage… or to at least make the pigs fall from their outposts.

How will the kids play Angry Birds knock on game?

Pretty much like the virtual game.

One of the kids will pull a card with a simple structure drawn on it. He will have to build it using the blocks in the package and place the pigs as indicated.

The other player has to use the slingshot to launch the indicated birds against the pigs’ structure. He can control the trajectory as he thinks best so as to inflict as much damage as possible. Depending on the number of pigs killed and the wooden blocks destroyed, he earns a number of points.

Both kids take turns building the structures and bringing pain to the evil pigs. The first one to reach 1000 points wins the big pizza

Also, as the game advances, the missions get become more difficult, and they are worth more points.

How cool is it that kids can play their favorite phone app in real life? And not only kids! It is designed for 5 years old kids and up, but I can see myself playing this with my friends. It’s a lot of fun.

Truth be told, it takes a little more skill than the virtual game. But it is so much cooler!

It’s just as silly and childish as the mobile app and that makes it so addictive.

Totally worth it!

P.S. Go claim a set of the Angry Birds Knock  on Wood Game for your kid now. You’ll both love it!

But, oh my god! For the last month or so, I’ve been completely hooked by the Angry Birds Rio game! I got myself one of those smart phones and now, every time I get the chance, I can’t help destroying some stuff and killing some evil monkeys!

The angry birds are now for real!

It was all fun and cool to have those furious feathered animals at your disposal.. Whenever you felt like throwing something, they were right there.

Well guess what! The angry birds are now coming out from the virtual world and are ready to kick some ass! Are we all in danger??? What can we do?

Relax!

They’re only coming out as plush toys! Can you imagine what the world would look like if they were actually alive and ready for destruction? God, have mercy on us

So yeah, the Angry Birds plush toys are now available and every kid out there who was hooked by the video game can now do the same thing in the house. You know, things like knocking off fragile and expensive decorative you may have in the living room The physics work pretty much the same as in the video game

Ok, I was kidding… No child would try to do something like that…

I really believe that they’re really fantastic as plush toys. They’re characters that many kids and, well adults, have fallen in love with.

Here’s a video they’ve made. It’s super hilarious. I was laughing hysterically when I saw it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-eyig_V-_5o

And below you’ll find a selection of the Angry Birds plush toys you can find on Amazon. Have fun!

Simple system, worked for ages.

Now, babies love plush toys. A lot! They soft, just like mommy’s gentle touch. They’re colorful and simply lovable!

So, maybe it was somewhat inevitable for these two ideas to somehow be put together into something even more interesting. That’s how the Wabbanub infant pacifiers took shape.

You take the regular pacifier and attach a super cute plush animal to it and you get this unique toy.

The animals can be anything from puppies, kitties and little ducks to lions, giraffes and elephants.

On the paper, the idea is great, but does it really work?

Do the Wabbanub pacifiers do their job?

What’s the whole point of a pacifier? It’s to give something to the baby chew on, something that feels almost like mommy’s breast, so that she can exercise his gums and, maybe most importantly, keep quiet for a while. Right?

It’s been known that once they’re bored with their pacifiers, babies simply spit them out. Parents sometimes get frustrated by this. Do Wabbanub plush toys help the baby hold it for longer?

Parents report mixed results. Some swear that with the new toys, they’ve completely got rid of the old problem, while others say that on the contrary, their baby spits it more often because she doesn’t need to physically spit it… all she needs to do is to hit the toy and bam, it’s out.

One other problem that I noticed is the fact that with a classic pacifier, the baby can easily crawl and run around the house and still keep it in the mouth. It’s not uncomfortable.

That’s not gonna happen with the heavier Wabbanub toy attached to it. It’s gonna come out the second the baby leaves the start line.

So, is it worth it?

If you’re talking strictly about pacifiers, I honestly believe that a classic one is much more appropriate. A baby needs something light to chew on, and she doesn’t need to pull the weight of a plush toy every time she moves her mouth. And you actually have pretty colorful and attractive designs to choose from.

On the other hand, who can resist a cute plush toy? And there are parents who swear by their Wabbanub infant pacifiers, so you might want to give them a try.

Here are a few you could choose from.

The name itself means “great” or “big”, although I can’t say in what language

The firm has made a name for itself selling toy trucks made of metal. Metal! None of that girly plastic stuff. They really mean business. And with names like Mighty, Tough or Thoughest, you can’t get more suggestive than that!

The classic Tonka bulldozer

The Tonka bulldozer is one of their classics, having stood the test of time. The first version of the toy was launched decades ago and it is still selling strong.

The bulldozer and just about any other Tonka toy are perfect for boys from 3 years and up going through their heavy equipment phase.

I remember when I was a kid, I did get a huge truck and I was carrying everything with it: rocks, buckets of water, earth, puppies I could fit in there myself.

Now, if you decide to get a bulldozer for your kid, make sure to order the metal one. In the last few years I’ve seen that Tonka has gone a little soft and started selling plastic vehicles… Definitely a negative point for their image, but they still do manufacture the metal versions of their classics.

What’s a parent to do?

Without trying to add to the clutter, I’ve put together a short guide to help you get an idea of the types of toys recommended for babies in every development stage. I’ll cover toys for babies 0 to 6 months on this page.

If your little bambino just happened to grow a little older than that, I’ll post a guide for babies of 7 to 12 months in a couple of days.

Without further ado, let’s go into the fun stuff.

What does a baby of 0 to 6 months like to do?

Toys for this age are primarily designed to stimulate the infant’s senses. Esentially, they’re made for looking, listening, sucking and fingering.

Infants really like seeing:

• Simple designs
• Bright primary colors (red, green, blue, black and white)
• High contrast
• Clear lines and features
• Human faces and especially the eyes
• Something like a bull’s eye pattern

Babies 0 to 2 months don’t move all that much, so they enjoy seeing or hearing interesting things… like a beautiful bed time story.

Babies 2 to 6 months on the other hand are blasting with energy and they show a growing interest in touching, battling, shaking, turning, kicking, mouthing and tasting objects.

All infants enjoy variety and toys made for watching are so much more appealing if they also move and produce some sounds. Just not too sharp or too sudden.

So what toys do I recommend?

For infants of 0 to 2 months, there are a few classic toys that have stood the test of time.

• Soft hand puppets, held and manipulated by adults. They’re great, especially if you make that into a fun theater act.
• Stuffed toys, such as small plush animals, music box animals (operated and monitored for safety by adults)
• Grab-on soft toys
• Soft Squeeze balls and texture balls
• CD or otherwise music with gentle and regular rhythms.
• Books. Every baby loves hearing the parent’s voice, and telling a story is a great way to do it.

For infants of 2 to 4 months

• Simple baby rattles, in all shapes and colors. They make those sharp noises that immediately catch the attention, and with their bright contrasting colors, they easily make the baby focus.
• Teething toys
• Light, sturdy cloth toys
• Squeeze toys
• Toys that you can suspend above or to the side of the baby for batting or grasping. Careful, don’t use long strings which may pose a danger.

For babies 4 to 6 months

• Mirrors (large enough and unbreakable), fastened to the crib or playpen.
• Music boxes
• Soft blocks

A few safety points that you should consider

All toys must respect all the safety features recomended for babies, but mountable toys should especially have that. They all should have:

• No sharp points or edges
• No small parts that can be swallowed
• No glass
• No long strings

The main storyline in a few words

Well, this time, the story no longer takes place in Radiator Springs as in the first movie. The plot takes the characters all over the World, to Tokyo and the French Riviera where Lightning McQueen has to race, among others, the champion Francesco Bernoulli, an Italian formula one car played by John Turturro.

But get this! The story takes an unexpected twist and somehow, Mater, who turns out to be the main character in this movie, gets involved in deals that are in the realm on international espionage. Obviously, that happened thanks to his talent of being at the wrong place at the wrong time, running into the wrong people and falling in love with a beautiful spy

So he’s mistaken for a real spy and now has to prevent the bad guys from sabotaging McQueen’s race. And he has all the secret gadgets at his disposal.

Of course, there is some drama, with McQueen getting mad at Mater and not understanding him, but that’s all in the past in the end when the world is saved and all is good.

What are the new toys based on the Cars 2 movie ?

The first toys that we can find are those based on the main characters, like Lightning McQueen and Mater. The’ve been the kids’ favorite and they haven’t changed much from the first Cars movie.

But there are also the new characters in the mix, like Finn McMissle, a british intelligence officer who help Mater in achieving the secret mission he’s got involved in.  Another one is Holley Shiftwell, a purple beauty that Mater falls in love with.

The coolest of all, however, I believe is Siddeley the Spy Jet Transporter. This is the plane that takes Mater and the other spies throughout the world.

If you take a look below, you’ll find a box with all the Cars 2 toys on Amazon, with their prices.

Your kid will love them!

You’ll be hearing about it for weeks to come.

By definition, for every kid out there, cool movie equals loads of explosions and special effects. Sure enough, a great story does help!

What’s a parent to do about it?

Well, since it’s out of your hands, you’d better string along with it and help your child have a great time with it.

Playing in a fantasy world is what every child does instinctively. However, when you have a really cool universe to play with, the whole thing gets up a notch.

These movies have done a great job in outlining that universe and, given the diversity of toys and other merchandise that come with each of them, you’ve got all the ingredients for a awesome time.

So what are the top movies that made kids go berserk?

I’m sure that if I were to list all the flicks that made history with the younger demographic, this page would take hours to read.

Instead, here are some of the movies that I think were great and have an infinite range of toys  made after them. Let’s call this my top movie toys list!

Star Wars

One could not be talking about kick ass movie toys without mentioning the Star Wars series. George Lucas has made a fortune from toy licensing deals alone.

And oh boy, did he have a lot to license!

Thinking of all the characters, monsters, robots and spaceships, from all the six movies and side projects, you’ve got quite a mountain of toys to choose from. Find out more about Star Wars toys.

Lord of the Rings

I strongly believe that the LOTR trilogy is way better than George Lucas’s stuff. I just think it’s got a much more interesting story.

When it comes to toys though, Lord of the Rings comes in only second. Yes, there’s a whole bunch of awesome action figures and what not, but that’s just pebbles compared to the space saga.

You can read more about Lord of the Rings toys here.

Batman

Oh my God, Gotham City is in danger! Who could save this beautiful metropolis from the destruction that the villains are trying to bring upon it?

Is there a hero out there?

The batman universe has been a dear part of my childhood. Starting with the 1989 classic where Jack Nicholson was Joker, I’ve enjoyed every movie that’s come out…

Yes, even Batman Begins and Batman Forever!

I was 7! Stop bugging me about it

What can I say? It’s a classic character that kids loved and will continue to love for years to come.

The last two movies, Batman Begins and The Dark Knight are epic! See more about Batman Begins toys here.

Pirates of the Caribbean

Oh my God, I almost forgot to put it one the list! What’s wrong with me? This is another one of those adventure stories that you can’t wait to find out what happens next.

The Disney guys did an awesome job with the movie and, sure enough, they made sure to make more than plenty toys available for all kids. There are plenty of action figures to choose from, from Jack Sparrow himself, to all the monsters he meets in his drunken adventures.

Transformers

Many have said that these movies have absolutely no worthwhile story behind them, and they are nothing more than a excuse to put Meagan Fox and a whole bunch of special effects in the same package.

My answer to that is…

Who cares? If a kid can have an awesome time watching it, why hate?

The Transformers universe has been with us for decades. Characters like Optimus Prime, Bumblebee and Megatron have been familiar to kids well before today’s movies.

King Kong

Peter Jackson, after finishing the deal with The Lord of the Rings, turned his attention to a masterpiece from the beginnings of cinematography, King Kong.

In 2005 he released a remake of the classic picture and boy, did was it awesome.

You’ve got to love a huge gorilla on top of the Empire State Building!

Hear more about King Kong Toys here.

Madagascar

Is Chris Rock the best of what? Whenever I hear him cracking up jokes, he’s just awesome!

Him playing a zebra? That’s hilarious!

Well, the two Madagascar movies (and the third coming out next year) are definitely some of the best comedies ever made.  Sure enough, Madagascar toys are super amusing.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

The time of the ninja turtles has pretty much passed. Gone are the glory days of the late 80s and early 90s when everybody was mad about them. But they are still a classic and kids will love them forever. With comic books, four feature films and a 9 season TV series, they are definitely here to stay.

With the 2007 release of the TMNT movie, a whole new generation was introduces to their world and TMNT toys are now back in business.

Monsters Versus Aliens

I personally loved this 2009 animation and it did start a fever among kids for everything monsters and aliens related.

But I think it somehow fell off the radar as time went by. I haven’t heard anything about it in a while. Anyway, you can find out more about Monsters versus Aliens toys here.

I haven’t said anything about TV series … there’s just too many of them. I did talk about Jay Jay the Jet Plane toys a while ago, so you can check that out.

What’s next?

If you’ve enjoyed this list, then maybe your friends will like it too! Share it on Facebook or Twitter to spread the joy

And do let me know what are your top picks for great movie toys. This list is not definitive and I can always put one more item in it.

The first thing you’re kid will do will be to find all the games intalled on the computer and to make sure that all levels are competed. Whether that takes him a day or a month, that’s what he’ll do. Don’t expect anything else.

The good news for you as a parent is that this is probably the best way to learn how the computer works and it will all be an educational experience. Sure, a specialized computer course will help learn a thing or two, but best learning is done while playing.

The steps to take when choosing child computer games

The first thing to consider when choosing child computer games is the age. You must look for games designer specifically for your kid’s age group.

Generally, this specification can be found on the back of the CD or DVD. If you shop online, the age group should be mentioned somewhere on the page that list the particular child computer game.

For preschoolers you are going to buy simple games that do not involve much reading or other advanced skills. For older, advanced child computer games will be a good choice.

The second step is discovering your kid’s experience level with computers. If he’s never got in contact with a computer, giving him a difficult computer game would probably make him scared of computers for good.

On the other hand, if he’s quite good at handling computers, offering him a very simple game is pointless as he won’t ever play it.

Third step is finding out what your child’s preferences are. Is he more into the logical, educational computer games? Or he simply loves the action that a racing or shooter game gives him?

You can ask him this. Even though you are planning him a surprise, you can ask in a casual way. The surprise will be much better if you get exactly the computer game that you child wanted most.

In the fourth step, you should check for system compatibility. Many modern child computer games don’t run at full capacity or at all on older systems. But if you’ve followed my advice for choosing a computer for children article, you won’t have any problem with this.

And last but not the least, make sure the video game does not contain bad language or teaches other bad behaviors.

Now that you know what you are looking for, go get some computer games for your child. I trust you’ll make him a great surprise.

Starting with making sure the water temperature is no more and no less than just right, all the way to using an appropriate soap and actually bathing the baby.

I’m sure you know this, so what I want to talk about are baby bath toys.

Generally, babies don’t really enjoy the idea of sitting in water and having their mothers turn them left and right to clean them.

I’m sure you know how difficult it is for a mother when the baby doesn’t cooperate and starts throwing a tantrum.

What I’m suggesting is that if you take the time to make the bathing an enjoyable activity for your baby, your job of bathing him will become a lot easier, for ever.

Moreover, it will also be much more fun for you seeing your child so happy.

How can you make the bath more fun to your baby?

Bubbles.

Yes, you can buy one of the many bubble bath products available for babies and I guarantee that your child will love it.

Baby Bath Toys

Another way you can make it fun is to throw in a few baby bath toys. Small toy ducks, boats and other lively colored bath toys will create a childish atmosphere in which your baby will feel at home.

Choosing some bath toys for babies should not be a problem. You have a huge variety tof such toys at your disposal..

Combining these two ideas will be spectacular.

Play with your baby

Nevertheless, to really have so much fun, you will have to play with your child. Talk to him, laugh and have fun yourself.

This way, he will associate the water and bath with fun.

If you do the above, I guarantee you will never have any problems with your child not wanting to take a bath.

So don’t wait any longer. Look at this selection of baby bath toys and find one or more that will be appropriate for your baby.