MASTERMIND RELEASES 2010 SUMMER SURVIVAL TOY LIST

Fear not rainy days! We've selected five tried and true kid-tested toys, for those days when the sun won't shine! In our third in the series of Mastermind's summer survival toy list, we bring you rainy day fun toys! As with all our summer survival toys, these toys are priced under $60 and can be bought at any of our GTA stores or online at http://www.mastermindtoys.com/.

TOO COOL FOR SCHOOL! (or SAVE IT FOR A RAINY DAY)

1. Ecotronic Farm ($9.95) No-Battery Flashlights, Ages 6+
Eco-fun in the dark! These fun animal-themed, kid-powered flashlights don’t need any batteries, simply squeeze the handle to charge them and you’re all set!

The Hexbug Nano is the simplest, coolest and most amazing robo-bug ever invented! Flick the switch and it vibrates itself across smooth surfaces, past any obstacles you put in its way! Build mazes and try to stump the bugs… bet you can’t! They come with codes to unlock all kinds of cool online content!


3. Star Wars Mini Lightsaber Tech Lab ($14.95) Ages 6+
Discover the science behind Lightsaber technology as you choose from four different coloured crystals and customize your own miniature version of the Lightsaber used by Anakin Skywalker. Perfect for play or display, the Mini Lightsaber Tech Lab is the true test for aspiring Jedi Knights.

4. Aquasand Creation Kit ($29.95) Ages 4+ (available online soon.)
Magic sand that never gets wet! Aquasand is a cool kit that allows you to make your very own underwater creations. Pour, sculpt, wow - Aqua Sand dries instantly so you can use it again and again.

5. Antworks “Colours of Life” Colour-Changing Gel Ant Farm ($49.95) Ages 8+
The world’s coolest ant farm has arrived! In this gel-based ant farm, ants live and work, digging tunnels and eating the nutrient and supplement rich blue gel specifically designed for them. The LED display continuously shines different colours through the gel for an illuminating effect that can double as a fascinating night-light.

There are science toys and then there are Star Wars Science toys -- same learning but with the added benefit of taking you to an entire new galaxy! Mastermind carries a wide variety of Star Wars science toys made by science specialist toy manufacturer, Uncle Milton. Each of these science toys incorporate an aspect of Star Wars that fans of the series will appreciate. Most of the toys also involve assembly making it two toys in one.

Uncle Milton's Star Wars Force Trainer. Using your powers of concentration, you can make the ball in the tube rise. The more you concentrate the higher the ball rises. How cool is that??

Star Wars Optical Command Unit: A set of binoculars that you assemble before use. Once assembled you can use them as magnifying glasses to small objects in more detail, or use them as regular binoculars, and finally, to project holographic images of three Star Wars characters: Yoda, Obi Wan and Anakin.

Star Wars Mustafar Volcano Lab: Let's face it, everyone loves to watch explosions, and better yet, kids like to make their own explosions! This volcano kit replicates the firey world of Mustafar, where Anakin and Obi-Wan have a fierce battle! Erupting lava is made with simple household ingredients that you suppy (vinegar, baking soda, food colouring and dish soap).

Star Wars Darth Vader Robotic Arm: You build a robotic arm that snaps together with 45 pieces. Once it's built you learn how to operate it with the included guide. You can bend it at the elbow, and even move the fingers. Works without batteries.

Star Wars Jedi Telescope: View 3-D images from a galaxy far, far away through this telescope and view finder. Yoda describes each of the ten scenes included with this telescope. It also serves as a telescope and can be used at night to find stars and satelites in our own universe.

Hi Everyone,

Confession time: who's a nerd? *Ryan puts up his hand*

So I LOVE Star Wars Lego, because as far as I was concerned, putting together Lego and Star Wars was like combining pumpkin and pie. Well, I'm not sure that metaphor works exactly but pumpkin pie is amazing and so is Star Wars Lego. Working as a Toy Buyer at Mastermind Toys has been excellent, ESPECIALLY because I am the Lego buyer, and get sneak-peeks at all of the new Lego sets well before they come out! Now, I would love to share the exciting details with everyone (for example, I happen to know the entire lineup for 2010 Star Wars Lego already!), but with great power comes great responsibility... and for doing so I would probably be abruptly silenced by a Lego Darth Vader who would find my "lack of faith disturbing."

So what is a Lego Star Wars fan to do? I have the answer: there is a really cool site that I found as I was nerdily trolling the 'net for cool Lego minifigures (the term "grown man" applies to me in the loosest sense). It's called "From Bricks to Bothans" (www.fbtb.net) and it is devoted entirely to Star Wars Lego. These guys get early pics of all the new sets, run great contests, and generally have a lot of cool info overall on the topic. I highly recommend this site for anyone who knows what it is to buy multiples of a single set to build your Clone Trooper army!

So be sure to check them out, and check out all of the latest Fall 2009 Star Wars Lego that are available now at MastermindToys.com! My personal favourites:

The Battle of Endor Set 8038: lots of Lego Ewoks. Hilarious.

Echo Base 7749: Snow Troopers!

Venator-Class Republic Attack Cruiser 8039: This would be my daily-driver if I lived in a galaxy far, far away.

-- Toy Buyin' Ryan