Since I started here at Head Office back in January, I've been able to test some PRETTY cool toys (all in a hard day's work I suppose). THEN at the end of May when we were preparing for Canada AM and I got the task of putting together a working Ant Farm...Now, I'm not the squimish type, but I have to say, I was a little unnerved by this task. However, I mailed away for the Ants and they arrived to me in a little vial all squirming about inside. So, as quickly as I could I dumped the ants into the Colours of Life Ant Farm ($49.95) plopped on the lid and left it alone.

The next morning, I came into the office, and I have to say, I was utterly intrigued. The little ants had started burrowing their way through the gel and creating their own little universe! It was actually quite stunning (as you can see below):



Now, the really cool thing about this kit is that the Gel acts not only as a substance for the ants to tunnel through BUT also as nutrients - this means once the ants are in the habitat, all you have to do is watch them go, no feeding necessary! The other cool feature of this set is the LED base that, when plugged in, changes all sorts of beautiful colours that really make the tunnels pop!

This makes a perfect first go at having a pet because maintenance is VERY minimal, but still has a LOT of cool factor! Not only that, but it can also double as a night light for the bedroom, thanks to the different coloured LED lights!

Hope you enjoy as much as I did!

--Lisa the Toy Whiz

Remember when you were a kid, and you wanted to create a place that was all your own? So, you'd set up the bed, chair and dresser accordingly, put a sheet on top and viola, you had your own space! Then you'd crawl underneath, sit down and the whole thing would crash around you, and no matter which way you pinned down the corners with heavy objects it always managed to fall!?

The Fortamajig ($49.95, 3+) will definitely change all that! What it is, is a large (8 feet X 8 feet), square-shaped, piece of fabric that has many stretchy Velcro tabs all around it. To use, hook the tabs to anything, anywhere you want and create a really cool, tent-fort! Made of a very durable, water-resistant material, the Fortamajig can be used inside OR outside, and it is completely washable!

It's great to hook up over-top of the bed, between chairs, between trees and comes in an awesome LIME GREEN colour! Not only that, there is also a mesh panel for those inside the tent to scope out the area and survey any visitors! It also includes a cool tote bag so you can bring it with you everywhere you go!

This toy is great for sparking the imagination and encouraging creative play while removing the frustration of a sheet that just won't stay put! AND by using only Velcro loops, there are no hard pieces to break or loose! Get a couple and you can make a whole tent city! Don't be surprised if you want to join in on the fun!

--Lisa the Toy Whiz

This week, I wanted to keep with the theme of "Awesome Outdoor Toys" because (for the most part) we have been having FANTASTIC weather, and who doesn't want an really cool toy to play with outside on a beautiful day?!

SO, the Cool Toy Pick of the Week this week is the Djubi (pronounced joo-bee)! We found the Djubi ($29.95, ages 8 & up) at the New York Toy Fair this year and LOVED it because it is totally unique in nature (think of it as a combination of lacrosse and a fling toy)! What it is, is a system of 2 oblong racquets with a hook on the top and 2 foam balls with elastic loops.

To use, one player hooks the elastic loop on the hook on the racquet, pulls back and lets go to FLING the ball! The other player has to try and catch this fast ball with their racquet (lined with a very durable mesh) which isn't as easy as it may sound. When flung, the Djubi Ball can EASILY fly over 100 feet (so you MIGHT need a little bit of room to play with it). Then it is that players turn to FLING the ball.

I know what you're thinking...so don't worry, if you've flung both of the balls into infinity and beyond, we also have replacement Djubi Balls ($6.95 for a 3 Pack)!

The great thing about Djubi is that the racquet is made out of a very durable plastic and has an easy-grip handle so that you can get the best possible FLING from your racquet. Also, the Djubi balls are a nice soft foam which means Djubi is also an AWESOME WATER TOY!

Djubi is so much fun to play with, and is perfect for the summer time because it is so versatile! Whether you're at the beach, at the cottage, in the pool or even in your own backyard, you can play with it anywhere! PLUS you can play with as many people as you'd like!

Djubi is a MUST for Summer 2010!

--Lisa the Toy Whiz

Now, the Cool Toy Pick of the Week for this week, was a favorite of mine when I was working in our Markham Store over 5 years ago. However, this is a toy I consider to be an Oldie, but a Goodie (much like, Sophie the Giraffe who has been around since 1961!).


The Marky Sparky Blast Pad Stomp Rocket ($29.95) is an absolute BLAST (no pun intended) to play with, and perfect for kids 8 & up! It comes with a telescoping missile launcher that can extend up to 3 FEET and the great thing about this telescoping tube is that it will not kink, so air flow won't be restricted. Even better, the Blast Pad comes with a carrying case that holds 6 missiles. Did I mention that the missiles have a nice, soft foam tip to avoid disaster AND are resistant to breakage?

To use this cool toy, the missile launcher must be set up in a vertical position for maximum air flow. To launch a Missile, all you have to do is STOMP on the Blast Pad which will send your missile FLYING! What I really like about this toy, is that kids can experiment with pressure on the blast pad to see which action will get the BEST launch (Ninja Kick Stomp anyone?). Then, after a launch, you can try to run and catch the missiles before they hit the ground!

The great thing about the missiles themselves are that they are BRIGHT and Colourful so they are easy to find after launching. However, if you should loose one or two, you can also get a Refill Pack with FIVE more missiles for launching (only $7.95)!!

This Blast Pad System is a perfect outdoor toy that can be played with just about anywhere! It's great to take the the park but is also great for front yard play! A definite hit at any birthday party!

--Lisa the Toy Whiz

As all of you know, there are SO many cool toys out there, it is nearly impossible to keep track! So, to give you, our loyal readers, a heads up on some of our cool toys, either myself, Lisa the Toy Whiz or Toy Buyin Ryan will write a post every Monday to highlight the toys we are really loving and call it our Cool Toy Pick of the Week!

This week, my Cool Toy Pick of the Week is a really great craft from Creativity for Kids!

This kit (and a favorite craft of mine right now) is the Wind-Up Robot Workshop ($16.95)! One of the reasons I LOVE this craft kit (perfect for kids age 7 and up) is that it is great for girls, but is also great for boys, which is hard to find in most crafts! This kit comes with 5 Wind-Up Robot Mechanisms, Cut-outs to cover the mechanisms plus TONS of stickers and punch out Robot Parts.

The neat thing about this kit is that there is NO glue required, meaning there is MINIMAL mess. Each side of the robot covering has peel and stick sides so you aren't fiddling around with the glue and waiting until it dries!


THEN you have different parts of the robot that are punch out and fastened with little, colourful butterfly clips. Before you attach them, you can colour them in anyway you like with the markers included in the kit!

Now, as I'm sure many of you have experienced, most of the time, markers that come in craft kits run out of ink before you've even coloured in a whole area. These markers work amazingly and produce bright, intense colours, even after the first use!

When you are done building the body of the robot, you can bring it to life with all sorts of colour-in stickers, glitter stickers and googley eyes (which are also peel and stick)! When you're done, simply wind 'im up and watch them go!

This is an amazing kit for kids 7 years old and up, and not only is it a great craft, but produces a long lasting toy after all is said and done! Also, at only $16.95, it's a great birthday present, a fantastic birthday activity OR just something to do on a rainy afternoon!

--Lisa the Toy Whiz :)