Because trouble comes in all sizes.
Vincent Daly 
Toys. What are toys really? An extension of our imagination? A catalyst for escape to a playful world where boundaries do not exist? The embodiment of child like wonder? I suspect they represent many of these ideas and more. But as a parent with young kids, toys can be a bridge from one generation to the next. Such is my experience lately when going to Toy Stores with my children.
Trying to introduce toddlers to multiplayer gameplay can be an exercise in futility. More times than not, a toddler will not fully grasp the concept of the game and instead decide to create their own fun to the frustration of other players. ThinkFun, an educational game maker, has decided to take on this challenge by debuting a game called Roll & Play designed specifically for toddlers. Since my children fell into the range of the game’s target demographics, I decided to test out Roll & Play in a real world environment, sibling rivalry and all.
Not many phrases rattle me these days. Perhaps it comes with age or maybe it’s the unique perspective one gains when taking care of young children. You learn to adapt and bounce back when challenges arise. To do otherwise would mean a systematic breakdown of the fragile foundation being built each day by a family. Yet when my wife utters the words “I have to go out of town a few days for work”, the chain reaction can be palpable. My inner voice screams “Run for your life! All is lost! Save yourself!” Yet on the outside, I remain composed. If it were not for the telltale signs of stress courtesy of gray hairs, you’d think I was channeling Spock from Star Trek. Besides, the little people can sense when Mommy or Daddy’s armor is cracking. Having a plan of action at the deep end of the pool will determine whether you sink or swim.
“The Avengers”, written and directed by Joss Whedon, kicks off what is shaping up to be the year of comic book hero movies. With The Amazing Spider-man and Batman (The Dark Knight Rises) slated for release in the next several months, the special effects artists will be showcasing a tour de force of visual wizardry. Make no mistake, story is important, but what really draws millions of moviegoers to the big screen are the eye-popping, ear exploding, thrill a minute action sequences. Having just attended a screening of “The Avengers” in 3D, I can confidently claim you will be witnessing one of the most entertaining visually compelling comic book movies ever made.
When the good folks at Monster Factory, makers of uniquely designed monster themed plush doll toys and clothing, told me they were adding a new fun plush doll to their lineup I was intrigued. Having reviewed Andy, one of their previous monster plush doll character releases, I knew at the very least, it would be a creative toy. I asked them to send me the this mystery plush doll for review even though I was not given the name of the character nor was any information available on their web site because he was so new. In addition, Monster Factory told me a lucky reader of this review will have the chance to win one to call their very own. Cool.
Becoming a parent can be an overwhelming experience filled with a range of emotions swinging wildly from sheer joy to deep depression. Fatherhood, in particular, often arrives unexpectedly even to those who have planned for it with their significant other. You may be asking “why the traumatic reaction to a predetermined choice?” I’d respond with the question “how can one prepare for an experience so uniquely personal in nature?”
Covering the 2012 New York International Auto Show brought into focus the glacial rate of change the auto industry has evolved over the last 20 years. I remember as a teenager I would dream about the automobiles of the 21st century. In my mind’s eye, they were highly futuristic flying machines with astounding technical wizardry. Fast forward to the present and what I discovered in 2012 were stylishly crafted machines which for the most part are still utilizing an iteration of the internal combustion engine created in the early 20th century.
I recently had the opportunity to cover the New York International Auto Show as a member of the press. As such, I was given advance access before the official opening of the show to the general public to view the latest and greatest the auto industry had to offer as well as a peek into the automotive industry future. What struck me as I gazed upon one exquisitely sculpted piece of machinery to the next was how automobiles are toys for grownups. You could just hear the inner child in my colleagues as they wandered about the convention center “Ooh, I want the green one!” or “I want the fast car!” or even “I can climb boulders in this!” and so on. But parents on the other hand choose to deny their fun first choice in favor of responsible family oriented transportation. The equivalent of getting a nice pair of socks instead of the cool action figure toy for your birthday. Sure your feet will be warm and dry but can you go on a deep space adventure to save the planet from imminent destruction? I think not. The bottom-line is parents need toys too.
According to the Webster dictionary science is defined as the intellectual and practical activity encompassing the systematic study of the structure and behavior of the physical and natural world through observation and experiment. Mad is defined as insane. Bring these two terms together and you have the potential for crazy experiments. Such is the case for author Ken Denmead’s new book “The Geek Dad Book for aspiring Mad Scientists”.