Toyology

Marshmallow Man wants your Money

He may look cute people but remember the havoc he caused, and of course the mess he made when Ghostbusted! Fans of the anti-ghoul brigade will melt at the sight of this 28cm figurine, a paranormal piggy bank you'll want to interact with oftenand therefore fill fairly quickly. Available on pre order for £17.99 at FIREBOX

Secret Santa goes Global

Fire, Wheel, sliced bread, Global Secret Santa - Yup, we're that impressed that such a head-slappingly simple idea was not ours or indeed has not been done before. So what if it is a commercial ruse to shift a ton of stock, the sheer joy of receiving something from a far flung land, or indeed closer to home,from a complete stranger has us all here at Toyology Towers trying to decide how many we'll send. The idea is simple, choose a product from Bungee Bird feeders to Chocolate Ants, flying monkeys to giant microbes, pen a few words to accompany your gift and its done  -All you have to do now is await your package from the postie,finding out who and where its from is almost as exciting as the gift itself. The cost of this potentialy record breaking activity, a paltry £9 - What are you waiting for the FIREBOX elves are waiting.

Classic Keyrings

 

 
We're always delighted when we find a childhood toy thats be remodelled into something a grown-up can put to use, whilst we barely remember actually playing with any of this trio from Fisher Price we know we did, or at least certainly recall observing someone else doing so. Each one of these shrunken replicas of toddler technology are fully working versions of their larger form, and even if your keyring collection has started to become a little excessive you should purchase these and use them as alternative Xmas tree decoration. £4.99 each at HAWKIN

Break Dance duo - No Lino needed

This pair of plastic performers will put on an impressive one handed and head spin display, all they ask for is a quick wind-up. Electro accompaniments on an oversized ghetto blaster or the wearing of Tacchini tracksuits is optional. The included booklet does offer some tips on how to bust some moves yourself should you so desire. £10.95 for the 11cm set at PEDLARS

Retailers association picks their Hot Dozen for this Yule

The TRA represents over 75% of the Uk Toy Industry and has a decent idea whats going to be flying off the shelves at any given season. Its Xmas picks for 209 comprise amixed bacg of stuff that all steps in at under £50, most we agree with, a couple we're at a loss to explain : 

Bakugan Battle Pack, Spin Master (£19.99)
Battle Strikers starter Set, Mega Brands (£9.99)
Ben 10 Alien Force Kevins DX Action Cruiser, Bandai (£29.99)
Bendaroos Mega Pack, Spin Master ( £19.99)

GO GO Pets Hamsters, Character Options (£9.99)
GX Racers Tightrope Terror, Flair  (£22.99)
Kidizoom Multimedia Digital Camera, V-Tech (£49.99)
Lego Games Minotaurus, Lego (£17.99)
Monopoly City, Hasbro (£24.99)
Princess Peppa’s Palace, Character Options (£39.99)

Wind-up-o-bots

Put your supersmart robots to one side with their multi-sensory abilities and Artificial Intelligence, give them a rest and make your batteries last a little longer and realsise how lucky you are to have such smart robots after a few minutes with this pair. This friction powered are perfect for a quick fix, just wind them up and let them rip across your desk, place/take bets on the outcome then get back to work. £6.99 the set from PLAY

Non Stop Top just keeps on spinning

Spinning tops have as yet been untouched by the retro revival so its exciting to see this new bree of spinning top on the block, The Non-Stop top has motors inside so when you take it for a spin you'll not just get ten or twenty seconds of whirly goodness, but if you so desire a whopping EIGHT hours. Whilst this is guaranteed to win you a bet versus more conventional tops this is a little unfair, just take joy in the fact your spinner is starting to gather the crowds as they delights at its LED light display....Another super stocking filler. £9.99 at IWOOT

Mini Curling Kit

Basking in the glow of Team GB's recent success we reckon it's time to look towards the 2010 Winter Olympics....by showcasing the most awesome of sports, Ice Curling. This miniature ice cube curling set comes complete with curling lane, mini brushes, ice cube tray and handles, in-fact everything you need for a cracking game - now all you have to do is work out your delivery over the hogline and you'll be curling for Team GB in no time! Available from www.gadgets.dk for around £10

Use Your Hands

Historical artists would be turning in their grave if they saw how easy it is to create your very own ‘statue in an instant’. It’s quite simple really – all you have to do is mix up the powder to a smooth liquid, pour it in the bucket provided, plunge your hand into the goo and leave there for around 7 minutes. Carefully remove your hand – you don’t want that seven minutes of your life to go to waste – and fill the hole with the plaster of paris, wait an hour, peel away the goo and wha-hey you have your very own amazingly detailed sculpture of your hand. Hand positions and gestures are entirely up to you.

Become a Superhero

Everybody loves the Power Rangers and Ben 10. Well who wouldn’t want to shout “It’s morphing time” followed by a battle with some of the coolest baddies to have hit our screens or have the ability to transform oneself into an alien with uniquely awesome powers? For pure fighting action take a look at this line-up of weaponry that will prepare you for any battle. The results won’t be the same but at least you have your imaginations.

Ben 10 Transforming Alien Arm – Amazon - £20.00

How cool would it be to be Ben Tennyson and have that kind of power? Wannabe’s, this is as close as you’ll get to the real thing with the new Ben 10 Transforming Alien Arm. Connect the three alien attachments and listen to real sound effects from the show.