Tag: toys

VTech Kidi Star Karaoke Machine™ Review

Last updated on April 27th, 2021 at 01:21 pm

I’ve never understood the deep discomfort that people have with karaoke, one of my favourite activities from my days before kids. Seal’s “Kiss From a Rose”. Montell Jordan’s “This Is How We Do It”. I used to rock on Magic Mics from the Philippines and shoot for a perfect score with every performance.

We worry too much about what others will think. That we might not sing the greatest or that we’ve forgotten a few of the words in a song. Karaoke is meant to be fun, yet societal pressure builds it up as more than what it is. And a lot of that comes from what we pick up as kids—whether the people around us bolstered our confidence or just broke it down. We need to give our kids the space to enjoy their lives, and I feel like I’m doing that with the VTech Kidi Star Karaoke Machine™.

CONTINUE READING to find out more about the VTech Kidi Star Karaoke Machine™! “VTech Kidi Star Karaoke Machine™ Review”
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LeapFrog LeapStart 3D & VTech Kidizoom Smartwatch DX2 Review

Last updated on November 11th, 2020 at 02:06 am

Back when I got ready for school after the summer break, it was flashcards and workbooks to get me back in the swing of things.

I’m about to sound like my Dad, but—these kids don’t know how good they have it!

While I didn’t need to walk miles uphill to and from school or forage through the woods with my bare hands for dinner, technology has come a long way in the last few decades!

There’s so much that can distract my kids now. With so much going on, it can be hard for them to learn the skills they should be learning, like reading, counting, and how to tell time on their own.

But just as the Kidibuzz gave my eldest a taste of what it’s like to have his own phone, VTech/Leapfrog came back with a few more tricks up their sleeves to get your little ones ready for September!

CONTINUE READING about learning tools from LeapFrog and VTech and what they can do for your child! “LeapFrog LeapStart 3D & VTech Kidizoom Smartwatch DX2 Review”

PLAYMOBIL Arctic Expedition Headquarters

Last updated on April 27th, 2021 at 01:16 pm

I think it’s time my four-year-old start reviewing his own toys.

I apologise to Swerve PR, but I’ve struggled to write a review of PLAYMOBIL’s Arctic Expedition Headquarters, an elaborate playset designed to get kids’ imaginations running wild. Struggling not because it’s a bad toy—trust me, it’s got more than enough facets and features to go around—but because I’m not the one playing with it!

See, I’m in the business of telling great stories, and stories work best when they’re about things you’ve experienced for yourself. I might acquire the toys—if needed, I’ll even assemble them—but the experience is the boys’ and the boys’ alone… so who better to tell you about it?

It was time to kick the authenticity up another notch.

Continue reading “PLAYMOBIL Arctic Expedition Headquarters”

The Casey Palmer, Canadian Dad Christmas Gift Guide… for Kids!

Last updated on March 10th, 2021 at 11:49 am

With Christmas ’round the corner, we’re finally at that point where influencers show you the hottest toys and what you should spend your money on this Christmas. You’ll see posts full of affiliate links galore as we sell our pound of flesh… but I don’t want to take that route.

Christmas is a strange time for my Christian family.

While we don’t want our kids to feel like outcasts in school when we choose Christ over Claus this December, we find it essential to make Christmas a time to spend with family, friends and our church community as we get ready for another year of challenges and celebrations ahead.

But you’d better believe we’re still going to get them some toys.

This Christmas marks the first year we can start moving from toddlers’ toys to ones I might want to play with, and I plan to take full advantage of it!

Despite Sarah’s qualms over the space in our home versus how much I review, I’ve been blessed to check out many of this season’s new toys up close and personal these past few months. From tech to STEM to collectables and more, I’ve hand-picked some toys that I think you’ll find dope for the little people in your life.

So let’s get to it!

(And don’t you worry—for those of us in a rush, I’ve created links to all the product below for easy access!)

Xbox One S Minecraft Limited Edition Bundle
The VTech Kidizoom Smartwatch DX2
VTech Touch & Learn Activity Desk Deluxe
The VTech Zoo Jamz Stompin’ Fun Drums
VTech 4-in-1 Stroll & Grow Tek Trike
#StikBot Farm Movie Bot
Tumblstix
Spin Circuits
The PAW Patrol Sea Patroller
The Etch A Sketch Freestyle & The Etch A Sketch Joystick
Hatchimals Glittering Garden
Mayka Toy Block Tape
Tangles
The Original Fidget Cube by Artsy Labs

CONTINUE READING about all the cool stuff you want to know about this Christmas! “The Casey Palmer, Canadian Dad Christmas Gift Guide… for Kids!”

PLAYMOBIL Take Along Sets

Last updated on April 25th, 2021 at 11:52 pm

Not many bloggers I know personally have kids as young as mine. It seems almost alien to have kids by 30 these days, something I see reflected in my peers and the opportunities coming my way. So when things do come in with a 3-year old and 1-year old in mind, I feel it gives a fairly unique opportunity to show things from the perspective of our young family—and that’s precisely the case with PLAYMOBIL!

Let me tell you—it pays to be a blogger’s kid!

Woe be unto you in Casa de Palmer if you come to the door and my eldest doesn’t know you—in his mind, couriers are the only other people to ring our doorbell, so you’d best not come empty-handed!

I do sometimes worry whether I’m spoiling these little guys, though. I didn’t think much of it at first, but recent events have sent me down other paths. Like when other Moms come over for playdates and mention how many toys we have. Or when the eldest puts two and two together, asking whether people “give me a lot of stuff.” Which in turn means that I need to do more with less, and make sure that the toys they do have are great ones.

That in mind, PLAYMOBIL sent along one of their PLAYMOBIL Take Along Sets for the boys, letting them discover the bits and pieces found within the PLAYMOBIL 1.2.3 Take Along Farm (MSRP $47.99)!

CONTINUE READING about PLAYMOBIL’s Take Along Sets and how you can win one! “PLAYMOBIL Take Along Sets”
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