The Smart Ass game is perfect for either adults only, or family fun, and is pretty fast paced. And this is what appeals to us all, sometimes you just want to have fun and play for half an hour or so, and the cheap Smart Ass board game is absolutely perfect for this.

Click to buy Smart Ass

How To Play Smart Ass

The rules are pretty simple actually. You may need to tone it down a little for the very young, or at least give them a little bit of a helping hand. At its simplest this is a trivia game with 490 questions. Don’t worry there are extra packs for more questions that you can buy if need be.

We set up the board with each player picking a character. Then a card is chosen from the 4 categories, who, what, where, am I? Each card has 10 clues on it which are read out in turn. The idea being to guess correctly from the clues given, and move on around the board.

Holding Your Tongue

This is at the heart of the game, and why it is so much fun.

Once the clues are read out in turn you are going to be dying to yell out an answer. But it must be right. If you get it wrong then you are out of the round. So you have to try not to blurt out what you THINK is right, only to find you were on totally the wrong track altogether. The clues are very vague to start with, but the temptation is still there to try to guess, it really is tough not to at least try to win early on.

It is a lot easier said than done, believe me. I have lost many a game

Is Smart Ass For Kids?

In all honesty this does make an excellent game for adults. And I would be a liar if I didn’t say that with a few glasses of wine it does get kind of hysterical.

But it is perfectly suitable for the children, and we actually play it with ours, who are very young. It is just best to have the adults helping out the children. We like to work in teams so that the adults can maybe whisper an extra clue into the ear of the child. If they think they know the answer that is.

I have often got it totally wrong, only to get a very disapproving look from my Daughter.

But it is great family fun, and we can always bend the rules a little if we want to.

Fast Paced

The main thing about the Smart Ass game for sale very cheaply via my link above is that no-one will get bored. The questions are rapid, everyone is trying either not to laugh or blurt out the wrong answer, and games are usually done in 30 minutes or a lot less.

Any bad Points?

To be honest there are no bad things to say about this game really. For a board game that holds everyone’s interest I have yet to find anything better. And for entertainment value it is about as good as it gets. And don’t forget that this is also an educational game too. Everyone will learn something by playing this game. Even if it is jsut to keep your mouth shut on occasion! If I was being picky then I would say it would be great if you had more questions with the game, but the price of a pack of new ones is minimal so it is a minor issue really.

Cheers

Taylor

The fun factor is definitely high, and the color options are great too. Plus we have Santa singamajigs, a snowman, and even Valentines day options, but all of them perform best when in a group, as I will talk about later in this article. If you just want to buy sing a ma jigs, then here is the link.

Pick your sing a ma jig here

Just looking at the prices to provide the link I also see that there are some new options available. Most notably the sing a ma jigs duets, which look like a great answer to the usual need to buy at least 2, so that you get to hear the toys singing in harmony. So, what are they and why do kids seem to absolutely love them?

What Are Sing A Ma Jigs

Even though they have been out for some time now the range does seem to keep getting updated. And this is a sure sign of real popularity. These are actually relatively small soft toys of ten inches high. Winners of the Toy of the Year awards 2011, they remain one of the most wished for toys by young children.

What They Do

Each one has the ability to be switched between 3 modes. A chatter option, a singing mode, or, if you have some of their friends then they can sing together in harmony.

It is pretty clever how they do this, and I still don’t know how they manage to get it perfect every time, but they do. The only thing that you are going to find is that they are really rather high pitched in many cases. And I mean it! Kids love it, the noisier the better right? Me? I am not so fussed

BUT, they are probably one of the best value toys I have reviewed here at Taylor Toys, prices are extremely low.

Their Chatter

If you press their hands you can change the modes easily. The youngsters will have no problems with this. Then you press their bellies and they will chatter away in their own personal language. It appeals to the children like nothing else I have seen.

The Singing

Each one has its own song sung in its own unique style. You don’t get lots of different options, but the children don’t seem to mind.

The Harmonies

This is where it gets clever. When you put them together and put them in singing mode they each sing in perfect harmony. Some have a high pitch, others low, and with their mouths opening and closing it is very realistic, in a weird, soft little toy way, of course.

Sing A Ma Jigs Duets

I have not seen these personally as the children already have a few of the original models. But it does actually seem like a good way to save money. Rather than buying two separate toys to get the harmonies we can buy a Duets option. You get one larger toy and then a little pal for it too. And just like with the originals you press their bellies and they both sign in harmony.

And you can, of course, buy more to get even more harmonies if you wish.

Do I recommend Them

For the money they are a fantastic buy.

Kids really love them and that is the most important thing. They love that their mouths open and close and the mad chatter that comes out of them. Plus they are not so large as to be a hindrance if the children want to carry them around.

The Down Side

The noise!

Seriously, you do kind of get used to it, but they are rather high pitched in some cases. I won’t say it is annoying as such, it just seems to penetrate into your brain.

I found myself singing the songs they sing even when alone. It really gets into your head! Just like when you hear something on the radio and spend the rest of the day singing it, even though you don’t really like the song!

But overall they are a real winner of a toy, and one I have yet to see a child not love. Enjoy the fun.

Here is a video of them in action.

Cheers

Taylor

Shall we go and turn magical Cornie into a pillow?

It works, and I am forever grateful to the Lavender Unicorn pillow pet for all the peace it has given me!

These soft and fluffy toys are certainly worth the small price to pay for getting the children to bed happily and snuggly. The range is massive, with large and small options available in so many different character types that I wouldn’t even dream of listing them all here.

Click to pick your character

Pillow Pets Plush Toys

As far as I am aware they all work just like Cornie does. OK, Unicorn to you and me!

They are a lovely soft toy for the kids that also turns into a pillow with a simply unfastening of the velcro on the bellies. So, our children get to have a great pal that can be taken with them anywhere. And when they are sleepy they simply unfasten them and have the softest pillow imaginable. You will actually be quite jealous, they are soooooooooooo soft

Price

Pretty much the same for all the characters. The Pillow Pets are cheap, but they are not built cheaply. You can put them in the washing machine, and they can stand up to a fair amount of abuse actually.

Young or old you are going to love the feel of them, in fact, I do know a few adults that sneak a little sleep on them when no-one else is looking (ahem)!

And for travel with the kids they are the perfect companion. We all know that children can get somewhat grumpy in the car on long journeys, but with their magical pillow they get to cuddle up when tired and it really does make a huge difference to the enjoyment of the trip for everyone.

Any Drawbacks?

None that I can think of really.

I mean, c’mon. It is a soft cuddly toy that children love, and then they get to go to bed with it too. It is a win win situation. For me they are the perfect gift. And as there are so many different characters to choose from we can basically be sure that our child will love them. We should be able to find a character that we know they will all love. All children seem to have some kind of favorite animal that they would love as a new best friend.

Cheers

Taylor

Any youngsters reading this will probably not be surprised at the outcome. The winners by a mile are the range of Beyblade metal fusion toys, battle tops, super vortex battle sets and other similar sets in the range.

Click here to take your pick

What Beyblade Toys To Buy

I would say that for a pretty much guaranteed winner of a toy then the Beyblade metal fusion battle sets are the best option. Along with a few of the cheap Beyblade metal fusion battle tops, optional as the sets do come with a few tops already. The vortex set is extremely popular in our household, and I have been “informed” that this is the best thing since, well, something else Beyblade related probably!

This set comes with a stadium and some battle tops and the all important launchers.

But be warned, there are an awful lot of things to collect if your child shows an interest in these toys. So get ready to put a limit on what you are going to be buying.

It is a very complex world that has all manner of techniques that can be quite hard to master. Each battle top has its own way of working and its own strengths and weaknesses too, so it may well be best to listen in to see what preferences your child has when it comes to buying extra packs.

But to start with the Beyblade metal fusion super vortex battle set is a great place to begin.

How They Work

The tops are set spinning from the launcher, and they will spin in either a left or right hand direction. Kids need to think about strategy and who to put into the arena, depending on who they are facing and what their strengths are. They then battle to win, spinning like crazy in the arena to see who comes out as the champion.

Confusing?

You bet it is!

I can’t keep up. I get regaled with all manner of information about the different characters, their strengths and weaknesses. The direction they spin in, and then add to this the fact that they can also be customized to better stand a chance against their opponents. I have a hard job oven remembering the names if I am being honest!

But at the end of the day these toys are a lot more educational than they at first appear. You think they are a relatively simple item but this is not the case at all. There is a lot of strategy involved, a lot to learn about each battle top, and we also have different techniques for launching to try to win the battles.

With the set we get rules and a tournament tablet as well, so some real challenges are going to be ahead.

The Drawbacks

My lack of understanding!

Seriously, the only drawback really is that there are so many metal tops to collect. Just don’t get carried away, it is easily done. Trust me, I know!

Cheers

Taylor

Where To Buy

There is honestly no point trawling the Internet for hours on end trying to find the best prices. It is what I am here for Amazon have the best prices, stock the whole range, and are my favored choice whenever possible.

Click to pick your Snap Circuits

What To Buy

Before you do buy it is going to best to get a better understanding of what is on offer, and what the best snap circuits to buy really is. So, let’s have a look at the most popular options currently available.

Snap Circuits SC-300

The snap circuits sc-300 price has made it the most popular option of all, and this is the standard option that a lot of people decide on.

With the tagline

Have fun learning about electronics

We could be forgiven for thinking this is a gift that children really won’t be that interested in. Nothing could be further from the truth.

In this set the children get the chance to build 300 different projects. And they get walked through the whole process from start to finish. The 60 parts can be snapped together in a variety of ways to make a vast array of different circuits. The manual goes through the whole thing, and in no time you will be hearing the ding of a doorbell, the radio or even a burglar alarm.

These are educational toys at their very best.

All pieces are color coded and numbered so that children can follow the manuals and piece together the various parts to make the completed circuit.

Snap Circuits SC-300 Manual

In case you lose the manual then here is a link for it in pdf format to keep on your computer or print out. Snap circuits sc-300 manual.

This option, as well as the Jr can be upgraded once all the various projects have been completed, which is a great touch. Looking through the manual you will see that these toys are set out extremely well. The children begin with simple things to build and as they begin to get used to the way snap circuits works then the projects begin to get a little harder.

Snap Circuits Jr. SC-100

The Snap circuits junior SC-100 model is cheaper than the sc300 and is basically a more simplified version. We get fewer projects and 30 pieces instead of 60. The same approach is given as with the sc300. The children start out at the beginning of the manual and follow the steps until they are able to broach completing the tougher projects.

SC300 vs SC100

Personally for the small difference in the price I would buy the sc300. You get more projects and more pieces, so more fun!

You can buy upgrades for both of these options too, but starting out with something fairly substantial seems like the best approach for me personally.

Snap Circuits SC-100 Manual

Again, just so you always have a back-up copy here is a link for the manual. Snap Circuits SC-100 manual.

Snap Circuits Green

The green alternative energy kit is a much newer release and one that I have not had the chance to see close up and personal. So I can’t give my opinion on it from that point of view. But just reading a little about it it does seem like it has a lot of promise.

Especially as a teaching aid. It is more important than ever before to teach our children about a more eco-friendly approach to life, and this could be a great way to talk about it while they still get to play and have fun. With 125 projects to complete there will certainly be plenty to talk about too!

In fact I think this may even be the best option to buy now, come to think about it.

The children still get to build circuits just as they can with the other options, but they are based more around sustainability. Wind up radios, windmills and solar being the focus. I think that if I didn’t have any of the sets yet then this one may well be the one I would buy.

Thanks for reading. I hope that you found this overview of the different options for sale interesting. You can buy all of them via the link at the top of this review page. I would read the comments from those that have bought the different models before you make a final decision.

Cheers

Taylor

Click for the toy Winkel options

Winkel Activity Toy By Manhattan Toy

At its heart this is a simple toy, albeit in a few different variations. It is a colorful maze type toy of interlinked loops and various embedded objects that keeps young children entertained. The toy itself  is soft to the touch, and soft on the month. And this is where the youngsters seem to like putting it the most. My friends child seems to love to spend a fair amount of her day gumming the toy Winkel, and it can certainly be the perfect little companion for when they are teething.

Popping In The Freezer

For best effect the Winkel can be put in the freezer to cool down. It then really does ease the sore gums the little one will be experiencing.

Great Sounds

With a rattle noise too it seems that this colorful ball of hoops is a delight to the very young. For such a simple toy I was surprised at how long it held the attention of my friends child.

Main Benefits

The tubes themselves are nice and slim so the while thing is easy to grasp. It can be turned any which way and it makes no difference. So there is no right or wrong way to hold it. The slimness makes it perfect for all babies and they won’t drop it as often as they do toys that are somewhat harder to grasp.

The rattle is relatively quiet so although it entertains the child it won’t be driving parents to despair! Always a good bonus in my book

Price

The Manhattan toy winkel price is around about what we would expect for such a device. Relatively cheap and the fact that it is so durable makes it excellent value for money. As far as I can tell they are pretty much indestructible for a young child.

With a few different options we also get to choose what we think will be best suited to our child too.

So overall this is one of the best small toys for babies that I have seen to date. Simple, colorful and with a little bit of noise thrown in for good luck. Plus it is mouth friendly, and this is of prime importance when buying for the very young.

Cheers

Taylor

Click for all options at a great price

Melissa and Doug Trunki Sale

I have found a great price and there is currently a sale on at Amazon, the store that I usually find has the best prices. With a huge discount they really are well worth snapping up. But let’s take a look at why I love these suitcases.

Melissa And Doug Trunki Ride On Suitcases

The Trunki by Melissa and Doug first and foremost is a great storage idea. It can be used for travel, so the kids get to feel a little important, having their own suitcase does make them feel a little more grown up.

But it can just as easily be used as their “special” case at home to store their most cherished toys in. It makes cleaning up at the end of the day a lot easier if the children have something special to put their toys in. Trust me on this one

Main Features

Let’s see what we are buying then:

1. Choice of colors and designs
2. Suitcase with wheels
3. Has a simple carry handle
4. Can be sat on and rolled along
5. Parents can pull the children along as well
6. Excellent storage idea

For travel it is an excellent choice. The children have something to do, and it certainly makes the long waits a little more bearable.

Drawbacks

I don’t know how long something like this is going to last. Although the case itself is very sturdy it does seem like the wheels are a little on the small side. I guess you wouldn’t want to put a child on it that is much over 6 or so really. Although I could be wrong about this.

The handles on the top are where the children sit, although they are soft enough to not really be an issue it does seem a little strange. But I can’t think of an alternative really, and I guess that the makers came to the same conclusion.

Value For Money

The price is certainly low enough for the Trunki by Melissa and Doug Wheeled Carry-On Kids Luggage, that is for sure. I actually think it would cost more to buy them a normal piece of luggage,  o there are certainly no complaints there.

Video

Here it is in action.

All I would say is that with things like this you need to be realistic about your expectations. It may take a bit of a battering but I don’t know how well it will hold up over the long term. I guess that will come down to how much it is actually played with. And I think that you will find it will be quite a lot.

It may not be a Wiggle Car, but it is still an awful lot of fun.

Cheers

Taylor

For the best deals for the Barbie vacation house you can buy online and save quite a large sum, so this is what I recommend.

Click for the best price I could find

Barbie Vacation House Price

If you want to get the best price for the Barbie glam vacation house then Amazon is where we are going to find ourselves yet again. Use my link for the best price online, I honestly don’t buy much from anywhere else now. Other toy stores simply can’t seem able to compete. This is one of the cheapest houses for Barbie currently available, so let’s take a look at it and see if it really lives up to expectations, often these type of things don’t.

Barbie Glam Vacation House Review

Firstly, I have to say, that there is no point comparing this to the Barbie dream townhouse. There is no comparison. The large 3 story townhouse stands over 3 feet tool and it amazing. But the price tag reflect this.

This is a small play house for the girls, and they do love it. But it doesn’t draw the attention like the large house does.

But the benefit of the cheap barbie glam vacation house, apart form the fact that it is a let less costly for us to buy, is the fact that it is so portable.

It can be moved as a carry case. It all folds up and has a little handle. This makes it the toy of choice whenever we are traveling to visit friends or relatives. The girls still have their Barbie and her house to play with wherever they go.

Other Good Features

There are plenty of different rooms for the girls to play to their hearts content. The make up all kinds of different stories, often based around what they have done that day. And the different rooms means that they can play out scenarios based on rooms they are currently in, or even telling Barbie when it is bed-time. And this is a feature I really like.

With plenty of furniture and clip-on accessories like lights it allows the to mix and match the decor and change it if Barbie is in interior designer mode(which she often is apparently!).

The Not So Good

My main complaint about this is the fact that it is relatively flimsy. If you want something solid this is not the thing to buy. The Barbie 3 story dream townhouse is the one you want. But as mentioned earlier it comes with a much higher price tag.

The walls of this are cardboard so don’t expect it to last a lifetime. But it is portable, and the girls do like that, and take it with them a lot. It is still up and working, although I can’t see it staying pristine for years upon end.

Summary

To be fair this is a rather cheap item, and you do get what you pay for. For some fun for the children it is good value, but it is not a heavy duty doll-house, it is for imaginary play and for the ability to play with it anywhere that makes it an interesting option. I would pick this if the large house is out of your budget range, but if I had the money, and the children knew it was a very special, and main present, then I would go for the large dream townhouse if you want something a little more rugged in terms of build quality.

Cheers

Taylor

Click to buy a cheap Moshi toy

Moshi Monsters Moshling Toys

Let’s take a look at the toys and then at what the fuss is actually all about. Firstly I will say that if your children are interested in these characters then they are certainly not alone. What started out as a digital phenomenon has spread to the toy world, where my interests lie. But the online games have attracted millions and millions of children so far and it seems to be getting bigger all the time.

The toys are known as Moshi Monsters Moshlings toys and come in a nice wide range. Too wide if you ask the main who has to pull out his wallet!

What Are We Buying?

The toys are actually very simple really. Just a little character from the huge series of characters that is now over 50 million online. Don’t worry there are not that many toys to buy. We can buy these in single packs or packs of 2, 3 or 5. Plus there are specials in Gold tins and all manner of other options. Plus Plush toys, trading cards, pretty much everything you can think of from a franchise.

But it is the simple little toys themselves that the kids seem to really want. Probably because they remind them of the online world so much. In many packs you get a special code that can be used online to give your character something extra, it is all a little over my head if I am honest.

Moshi Monsters Toys Video

As you can see, these are pretty basic toys really, they aren’t really going to win any awards, but they are cute and fuin for the kids.

Moshi Monsters Toys Price

This is the real saving grace, they are very cheap to buy. They are actually the cheapest toys of its type I have come across. A 3 pack with a code for online shenanigans is well under the ten dollar mark, well under, so they are a good cheap buy as long as you stick to just a purchase or two.

Worth The Money Though?

To be honest they are very simple little things. But the kids love characters from their favorite cartoons, movies and Online games to for that reason alone they love them. If they were expensive I would not recommend them, but for a few bucks you can’t really go wrong.

What Are Moshi Monsters

Well, this is where I get a little confused myself. It is all based around an online virtual world where they kids get to make their own monsters. And then the children are able to take on all kinds of challenges within the Moshi Monsters world called Monstro City, where they earn “Rox” which is the virtual currency. The kids can go on all kinds of weird missions, take part in educational puzzles and more.

Parents can read more about it at the Moshi Monsters Website. The good thing about this world is that it seems to be very heavily policed and parents can find more information on child safety and the guidelines on the Mishi website.

I can’t really get into these virtual games, but it seems very safe, actually quite educational, and it is certainly something that is not going to go away any time soon. Millions upn millions of children now play this game, and interact with their virtual Moshi’s daily, so a toy or two for a few dollars is fine by me. Just don’t get carried away and buy too many, there are an awful lot of things that you could end up buying.

Cheers

Taylor

One thing I am still sure about though, Squinkies toys are the best value for money toy I have ever bought the kids. Scrap that, I have never bought them. They did some chores, got rewarded, and paid for them themselves. Even if Daddy did have to order them online for the little ones. I was going to link to just the original bubble packs but it is best to allow you to make up your own minds about what is best to buy.

A great deal for Squinkies awaits, whatever you do decide to finally buy.

Click for the whole range (massively updated!)

Zoobles Or Squinkies

These are somewhat like the Zoobles in that they are very collectible. But to be honest the Squnkies are going to offer you better value for money unless the kids have explicitly shown more of an interest in Zoobles. Both options are nice small toys, but you do get more toys for your money with the squishy Squinkies.

The Fun

One thing I am in no doubt about, and even less since realizing just how many new ranges there are, is that these are tremendous value for money. My kids love them, play with them all the time, and simply adore having imaginary games and all manner of scenarios with them. They spark the imagination and are so small that they can take them everywhere with them, and they often do.

List Of All Squinkies

This may not even be a comprehensive list any more, they seem to be producing them at break-neck speed. But here is what is available at the time of writing.

Squinkies For Boys

Squinkies boys bubble packs

Skull Cavern Dispenser

Marvel Universe Bubble Packs

Hot Wheels Bubble Packs

Hot Wheels Shark Attack Tank Dispenser

Cars Bubble Packs

Cars Globie Dispenser

Cars Rolling Ramp Packs

Marvel Universe Spider Man Dispenser

Rides Extreme Ride and Rides Low Ride

Squinkies Xtreme Ride

Crazy Crane Dispenser

and Toy Story bubble packs

This is insane. I am amazed just how quickly these little Squinkies toys have move on to encompass so many different brands. But it is certainly going to make for some fun times for the boys.

Let’s see what the girls options are:

Squinkies For Girls

Cupcake Surprize Bake shop

Gumball Surprize Playhouse or Playset

Tea Time Surprize Playset

Surprize Bracelets

Palace Surprize

Jewel Case Surprize

Original Bubble Packs Series

Squinkie Doos! My new favorite, wicked hair on these ones!

Squinkie Doo! Salon and Spa Playset Dispenser

Wedding Castle Surprize Playhouse Dispenser

Squinkies Disney Princess Cinderella Bubble Pack

Squinkies Disney Princess Ariel Bubble Pack

Squinkies Disney Princess Belle Bubble Pack

Disney Princess Snow White Bubble Pack

plus Share N Wear options too!

God when will it end!!! (Not an option, just me feeling tired finding all this out!)

Disney Princess Light Up Rings

Puppy Carrier Surprize! Sparkle Case

Kitty Bed Surprize! Sparkle Case

Squnkies Toons Series

Cubes and Spheres

Barbie Squinkies Bubble Packs

Hello Kitty Squinkies Bubble Pack Series

Hello Kitty Squinkies Dispenser

Rock Star Stage Playset

Ice Cream Cafe Playset

Barbie Squinkies Dream Car Playset

Aqua Surprize Playhouse!

Beach Camper Playset

Wedding Gazebo & Carriage Playset

Adventure Mall Surprize!

Barbie Dream House Squinkies Dispenser

Doos Beauty Center

Squinkies Zinkies

OK, I am officially exhausted. What a selection. I had absolutely no idea the range was so massive. And I am sure it will get even bigger.

Just don’t try to buy them all! You would have to sell the house. The may be cheap but this could easily get out of hand. Control yourself and only pick a few items that you know the boys or girls will absolutely love.

Problems With Squinkies

The only downside to these little critters is one I have just come across. And that is the sheer volume of choice. It is incredible and I have no idea if it plans on ending. My advice? Just be careful out there!

Things like this can turn into an obsession for the children so I would make sure that you don’t go overboard, it could, quite frankly, take over the entire house!

Cheers

Taylor