Modern Toy and Game: Bakugan

Modern Toys and Game: Bakugan
By; SmartWeb

Bakugan Battle Brawlers and also known shortly as Bakugan is a Japanese anime television series produced by TMS Entertainment and Japan Vistec under the direction of Mitsuo Hashimoto. At its root called as Bakugan Batoru Burōrāzu. The story centers on the lives of creatures called Bakugan and the battle brawlers who possess them.

In an alternate dimension of Earth known as Vestroia a community of creatures known as Bakugan live in relative harmony. However, as the series opens, an evil Bakugan, Naga, decides to take a power relic, known as the Silent Core, from the rest of society and assimilate the core into himself to make him stronger and a ruler over the Bakugans. The negative energy of the Silent Core is too much for Naga to handle and it explodes. This explosion causes the Infinity Core to be shot into earth. These Silent and Infinite Cores must be found and brought back together in order to restore balance to Vestroia and allow the Bakugan to live in peace.
Many people in the human world began to find random metallic cards falling from the sky. The cards showed a Bakugan, the Bakugans traits and their environment. Children throughout the world began playing games with these cards which would spawn real events in the Vestroia dimension.
The series protagonist, Dan Kuso, became quite skilled in the game of Bakugan. Dan along with his friends Shun, Runo, Marucho, Julie, and Alice form a group called the Bakugan Battle Brawlers. Together they use and learn about the Bakugan including the alternate dimension of reality they come from, Vestroia, and many of the Bakugan's individual abilities.
This soon leads the group to help in the fight to save Vestroia against the antagonists Masquerade, Hal-G, and the Bakugan Naga. Ultimately the Bakugan Battle Brawlers are in a race against these antagonists to get the Silent and Infinite Cores, and reunite them to bring balance back to Vestroia.
As the original 52 episodes come towards an end Naga and Hal-G launch a massive assault on the Battle Brawlers home city to find and locate Wavern, the Bakugan in possession of the Infinity Core. In the end, a powerful and good Bakugan. Drago, distories Wavern to make sure that the Infinity Core does not fall into the hands of Naga. Drago then absorbs the Infinity Core and becomes the ultimate Bakugan with no attribute limits. He and Dan battle Hal-G and Naga in a final battle, but Drago is injured in an attack from Naga's defensive Bakugan.
The other Battle Brawlers soon join in the fight with their own Bakugan to help Drago finish off the defensive Bakugan and ultimately Naga. In the end, Naga is destroyed, and the Silent Core is absorbed by Drago. As this happens all of the Bakugan in the human dimension must return to Vestroia. The series ends with Dan taking Runo on a date a couple of months after the final battle. As he is walking he looks to the sky and sees an image of Drago which tells him,"I'll never forget you, my friend"
In February 2009 Digital Blue announced a new line of Bakugan branded electronics for the 7-11 age group. Products include branded digital cameras, alarm clocks and other electronics.
The story of the Bakugan could inspire a hero spirit, ambitious, curious, work hard. Although, parents have to guide their kids while playing or watching Bakugan.

Baby and Educational Toys

Baby and Educational Toys
By: Michelle W

The days of the Lincoln Log and the Slinky have gone by the wayside. Move over Radio Flyer Wagons and butt out Easy-Bake Oven. Now children are building with 100 piece block sets and talking on toy cell-phones. They are driving around in pedal cars and cooking pretend food in full scale dream kitchens. Times have changed and most parents are embracing that change. Children are being entertained at a higher level than ever before. But, finding the right toy to stimulate the child isn’t always easy. Don’t fret; there are several different types of toy to buy your child.

Children are attending pre-schools as young as three years old. It is no surprise that one of the top toy markets is the educational toy market. While most parents tend to think of toys as entertainment, purchasing an educational toy can be both fun and beneficial to the child. From infant to toddler, the educational niche has it all. There are play centers, some of which sell for as little as $15, designed to help with memory and hand-eye coordination. Toys will often light up and have the child press or pull different buttons and levers. Some will give the child a foundation in music and mathematics, all the while entertaining and educating.

Toy purchases often have to fit in with a budget. There are several types of toys that can fit both the budget and the entertainment category. Many toy companies will manufacture toys such as push toys and mobiles for as little as $8.00. Plastic toys are now being manufactured to fit a parent’s budget. Talking cell-phones can be picked up for as little as $11.00 and the entertainment they will provide the child will be unmatched. Some of the old standards, however, still reign supreme. Plush toys of the children’s favorite characters are still as popular as ever. These toys, varying in size, can be picked up for a relatively cheap cost. Depending on size, the plush toys can range from $15 to over $100.

Infant and toddler toys come in a variety of forms. Infant toys are generally geared toward developing motor skills and hand-eye coordination. A popular infant toy usually has three factors: color, shape, and sound. Infant toys, for the most part, have different colors to help entertain the child. They often feature different faces. Some toys have levers to pull in order to make another lever carry out its function. Some of the infant toys feature sounds. For instance, animals will often make sounds and the child will have to pick the right animal. Some vanities even talk to your children to say how beautiful they look. Also, blocks are still popular among infants.

Toddler toys tend to veer towards imitation. Mega kitchens and microwaves, along with plastic food, are quite popular with toddlers. Children are entertained by imitating what they see mom and dad do. Picking out the right toy can be difficult. Is the child into imitating mom and dad or does he like to build? There are tons of different styles of blocks and puzzles to help ease his building needs. Pedal cars are popular. Priced around $100, pedal cars are perfect for the driveway or backyard. For children with flourishing imaginations there are many toys on the market. Puppet theatres for creating masterpiece theatre are reasonably priced and provide an outlet for the imagination. Children’s tool sets are also popular. Children will be able to imagine building the racecar of their dreams. There is no limit to the imagination and these toys only contribute to a child’s creativity.

Best Characteristic of Educational Toys

10 Things You Should Know Before Buying Educational Toys
By Michelle Andrews

Your young child's playtime is his first real learning experience, and toys can act as catalysts in your child's growth. The benefits of educational toys are many and varied, and by choosing the right toys, you create an environment that is fun and conducive to learning vital skills.

But currently it is hard to find what you need if you do not know what you are looking for. With a million toys on the market today, it is tough to pick out the best combinations of fun and learning. However, every beneficial toy should be fun, safe, and help the child develop and exercise some skill. When faced with so many choices, asking yourself some simple questions about your child's development can help you make the best selection.

The following is a list of characteristics you should look for in a good, educational toy:

1. Sensory attraction: How many senses will the toy occupy? Does it respond to and with lights, sounds, or movement? Is it colorful? Does it have a smell or a texture?

2. Activation method: Will the toy provide a challenge without frustrating your child? Will it be a fun and rewarding experience?

3. Self-expression: Will the toy allow your child to express himself, be creative, and make choices?

4. Success potential: How many "correct" ways are there to play with the toy? Can play be open-ended with no right or wrong responses? Will the toy adapt to your child's ability and style?

5. Ways of use: Can the toy be used in many different positions? Can it be used in different kinds of play?

6. Popularity: Is it a popular toy? Can it be tied-in with other media such as storybooks, television or movies?

7. Flexibility: Does it have adjustable volume, speed, and level of difficulty?

8. Opportunities for interaction: Does the toy provide a chance for you or other children to be involved? Will it build social skills?

9. Individuality and growth: Will the toy engage your child in activities that indicate the child's developmental age and growth? Does it reflect the child's interests?

10. Safety and durability: Is the toy durable, considering your child's age and strength? Is it safe?

So, giving your child the right toys will be benefit for all. Your child's play time is not only a time of fun and development for them, but can also be a great way for you to relax and enjoy your child's company. With educational toys, you can follow, supervise and direct your child's development, and find great thrill and amusement in their playtime activities.

Selects Top 10 Toys for Holiday Gift-Giving

It is a wise to select toys that fit kid;s need. Any toys for holydays, and baybe the others for birthday gift . SmarterKids.com offers almost 6,000 teacher-reviewed toys, games, books, software, music, and videos from leading brands. One of the most personalized online shopping sites, SmarterKids.com provides a variety of browsing and shopping options making it easy for gift-givers to find the perfect present for any child. Shoppers can browse the entire site and search for products by category, theme, brand, character, or keyword. Products are also organized in grade- and age-specific aisles and are accompanied by detailed product ratings and reviews to help guide a shopper's choices.
From scooters to video games, there are certain items that will be on every child's wish list this holiday season. But with fads coming and going and kids growing up so quickly, these items may be yesterday's news before you know it. For those who are looking to find gifts that will grow along with a child and be enjoyed at many ages and stages, SmarterKids.com, the leading online educational toy store and resource for parents, is the perfect solution.
SmarterKids.com's top 10 toys are sure to score high marks with kids and parents alike.
Elmo's Music Maker -- Kids can create their own music or play along with five different classical songs by adding fun sounds. Budding musicians can listen to the music or use the keyboard to play tunes note by note. Two drum pads make a fun beat and the tempo control changes the tune's speed. (Fisher-Price, Ages: 2-5 years)
Fisher-Price Medical Kit -- This pretend medical kit is loaded with instruments, a write-and-wipe clipboard to keep track of the examination, and a working stethoscope to listen to patients' hearts. All pieces can be stored in the handy medical case. (Fisher-Price, Ages: 3-5 years)
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire -- In the fourth book of this series, young Harry Potter turns 14 and is well on his way to graduating from Hogwarts. You won't want to miss this suspenseful sequel. (Scholastic, Ages: 9 years-Adult)
Jammin' Draw -- This fun drawing toy lets kids create music and encourages art skills. Kids can choose settings for five favorite music styles and six different instruments. Every drawing creates a whole new song. Drawing faster or slower changes the tempo of the music, and pressing "replay" lets kids hear their completed masterpiece. (Fisher-Price, Ages: 5-8 years)
Kick Start Busy Crib Center -- A baby's natural kicking movements activate soothing music, silly sounds, blinking lights, and spinning motion. (Playskool, Ages: Birth-18 months)
Language Littles -- These soft-bodied sixteen-inch dolls are the perfect way to introduce a foreign language to your child. Clearly stating and translating phrases in Chinese, French, Italian, or Spanish, these dolls are sure to be great companions to any child interested in learning a new language. Includes a brief translation booklet. (Language Littles, Ages: 4-9 years)
Monopoly Deluxe Edition -- The deluxe version of the world's most popular board game includes durable wooden houses and hotels, gold-tone tokens, a Title Deed carousel, and other special touches. (Parker Brothers, Ages: 8 years-Adult)
Rescue Heroes -- Based on the popular television show, these interactive male and female, voice chip activated action figures come complete with accessories. (Fisher-Price, Ages: 3-6 years)
ThinkBlot -- From the makers of Pictionary comes this new game that encourages players to use their creative and persuasive skills as they reveal images to players. The object of the game is to find unique images in each ThinkBlot. (Mattel, Ages: 10 years-Adult)
Who Wants To Be A Millionaire -- Each player gets to act as the host while the other players try to win money by answering entertaining and amusing questions using their hand-held card consoles. (Pressman, Ages: 12 years-Adult)
About SmarterKids.com, Inc.
SmarterKids.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:SKDS), the leading online education store and resource, is dedicated to helping parents help their children learn, discover, and grow. The site offers one of the most personalized shopping experiences, matching a child's learning style and needs with teacher-reviewed toys, games, books, software, music, and videos. The Company features specialty centers for special needs and gifted children, the Grade Expectations! guide to education standards, state-specific test information and product recommendations in the State Test Prep Center, and thousands of educational products and services for children ages infant through 15. SmarterKids.com's many partnerships with respected educational leaders such as Homeroom.com, a division of The Princeton Review, NCS Pearson, and Riverdeep enables the Company to offer leading educational resources and exceptional online tutoring services to parents and educators. SmarterKids.com was rated the #1 educational toy site according to Gomez Advisors and was found by Forrester's PowerRankings(TM) to be the easiest-to-use site in the Toys and Games category. SmarterKids.com is headquartered in Needham, Mass. More information on the Company can be found at www.smarterkids.com.
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COPYRIGHT 2008 Gale, Cengage Learning

Retired man handcrafts toys of wood

Young kids trapped on the rough side of life - the abused, the neglected, the poor - will get something magical on Christmas morning from Ovie Ortiz. Call them gifts of understanding.

Shaped by the hands of a man who has known want and need and poverty, the gifts from Ortiz come in various shapes and sizes of warm wood. They might be trick banks that explode when a coin hits a mousetrap inside. They could be World War I biplanes with a flying ace in the cockpit and a free-spinning propeller. They might be ducks that quack when you pull them along the floor with a string. Or they might be bears, cows, jeeps or bouquets of tulips.

All the toys are crafted in a makeshift shop in the garage of Ortiz's home near Palmer Park. He molds them from castoff wood and carefully coats them with colorful, water-based paint. Twice a year - in July and just before Christmas - he delivers the toys to groups that help poor, abused or homeless children.

He reckons that since his retirement in 1995, he has donated 1,200 of his handcrafted toys to such groups as Court Appointed Special Advocates, the Salvation Army and Hunt Elementary School. But he's not quite sure because he always carries a few in the cab of his truck to give to kids he sees on the street who look like they need a little joy in their lives.

The 70-year-old retiree is quiet and self-effacing, not given to explaining his motivation or casting himself as one of Santa's helpers. He says he just likes kids and enjoys seeing their faces when they get one of his toys.

He still gets a kick out of the reaction of one neighborhood kid:

"He was one of these streetwise kids, and I asked him if he wanted a plane for his room," Ortiz said. "He looked at it and said, 'Cool, man, I owe you one.' I loved that - I owe you one."

Ortiz may be loathe to analyze why he spends hours and hours each year in his shop - his wife, Rosemarie, calls herself a "garage widow" - but a piece of heartbreaking artwork hanging in the garage may hint at his bond with kids.

Mounted in a frame is a weathered canvas strap, four inches wide, with hooks on both ends. Underneath the strap are two tufts of field cotton, parts of the stem still attached. Between the strap and the cotton are the chilling words that greeted Jews as they were marched into the Dachau concentration camp: "Arbeit Macht Frei" - Work Brings Freedom.

The strap is the same one Ortiz used to tug 40-pound bags of cotton around Texas fields from the age of 5 until he was 15. His family - his parents, brother and two sisters - were migrant workers who moved from cotton field to potato field, from Texas to Oklahoma, living in old barns and barracks.

"It wasn't anything," Ortiz said quietly when asked about his childhood.

When Ortiz was 15, his father found a job in Austin, Texas. On his first day in school, Ortiz was placed in third grade, which he figures put him ahead of most of those he knew.

"In those days in Texas, there were always three schools - one for the blacks, one for the browns and one for the whites. Very few of us in the brown schools even made it to third grade."

A series of tests revealed the young man had a quick mind, and he eventually was moved up to ninth grade. Ortiz never looked back. He was not going into the cotton fields again.

"I told my dad, 'Hey, this is not for me.' He couldn't understand."

After getting his high school diploma - the first in his family to do so - Ortiz joined the Army in the 1950s. Stationed in Germany, he often had to transport U.S. soldiers to a stockade set up in the former Dachau prison camp.

He remembers the mocking greeting that hung over the camp and years later used it in the artwork he plans to give to his brother, who continued to work in the fields for much of his life.

"We were like the concentration camp people," he said. "We were working - working but getting nowhere."

While in the military, Ortiz began taking college courses. It took him 10 years, but he earned a bachelor's degree. He doesn't think his father understood this second high-water mark in his life either.

"If you set a goal, come hell or high water you have to meet it," he said. "You don't want to go back to the cotton fields."

When Ortiz retired from the Army in 1974, after attaining the rank of master sergeant, he turned to a career that always fascinated him: education. For the next 20 years, he taught in District 11 schools, 17 of them as the graphic arts instructor at Coronado High School. He loved every minute of it.

"You're shaping, or at least touching, kids' lives," he said. "And that's really nice."

Ortiz is reluctant to make too much of his toy-making. He didn't call the newspaper. He has never asked for money, even for the supplies and tools he needs. He said it just keeps him busy and out of trouble.

But the former migrant worker remembers being so poor he had to make his own toys.

He knows what it's like to be cold and hungry, an outsider. And maybe those memories somehow are transmitted into the wood he shapes late into the night, wood that soon will be grasped by small hands.