Reviews for Sports related
If you’re thinking about getting your young grandchild a tricycle or small bicycle with training wheels, you may want to consider this Balance Bike, or training bike, as an alternative. Balance bikes have been popular in Europe for many years and have recently become popular in the U.S. They’re a really smart and safe way for children to learn to ride bikes, balancing themselves as they would on real two-wheelers, scooting around without pedals and chains getting in their way, and using their feet as guides. You can find balance bikes in different styles and price-ranges. This one by Kettler is a nice quality bike, yet more moderately priced than other brands and models. It has some nice features, such as a lengthened, padded, adjustable seat, Euro-style wheel and spoke covers (so shoelaces don’t get snagged), front and rear mud guards, and a patented “limited turning radius,” to avoid tipping. Great for children ages 2-6.
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Finally, a video game system that promotes physical as well as mental exercise! Yes, there’s the Wii system for older children, but the Smart Cycle by Fisher-Price is specifically designed for 3-6 year-olds — an age group that really needs to expend energy, regardless of the weather outside. The Smart Cycle “physical learning arcade system” plugs right into the TV, where your grandchildren can ride their onscreen car through virtual environments by pedaling (to keep the car moving) and steering (with the cycle’s handlebars), making sharp turns and negotiating other obstacles, while “catching” letters of the alphabet along the way. The Smart Cycle also has a console with buttons and joysticks (both sized and positioned appropriately for this age group) to play other games. It comes with a few games (on one cartridge), including “Math Mountain,” which reviews numbers, and “Shape Lake,” which introduces different shapes. Also included are a car racing game that allows 2 children to play at the same time, and a “creative journal” in which your grandchildren can create pictures of their travels. Of course, there are other game cartridges available for purchase, including Dora the Explorer, SpongeBob SquarePants and other common characters. Regardless, there are plenty of essential skills that can be learned from these games, and along with the indoor exercise it offers, the Smart Cycle is an overall plus. It should be a big hit with your grandchildren, and Parenting Magazine agrees, having chosen it as one of their Best Toys of 2007.
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What an incredible way to get kids (ages 7-10) to challenge themselves both physically and mentally! We’re not surprised that Wild Planet’s Hyper Dash has won several awards, including an iParenting “outstanding product” award. Kids set up five different colored targets wherever they want (as far apart as they want), inside or outside. Then they hold an electronic “tagger” that calls out which targets you need to hit, while also playing energizing music to encourage them to go as fast as they can through their “course.” There are four different skill levels, with the first calling out certain colored targets to be tagged, up to level four where they need to solve an addition or subtraction problem in order to know how many targets to hit. There are also other play modes, such as “micro dash,” a memory game, and multi-player mode, promoting teamwork — although the game is equally as fun being played solo or head-to-head. Loads of fast-paced fun!
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The revolutionary features of this new ride by Prince Lionheart are its multi-directional casters and its padded seat. Why hasn’t this been done before? The caster wheels enable toddlers (ages 1-3) to go forward, backward, sideways, and around in circles — no more getting jammed up by domestic obstacles! The soft seat (love it!) is filled with non-compressible foam and padded with a layer of soft sponge, then coated with non toxic polyurethane so that it can be wiped clean. It’s also nice to know that the plywood base is made from renewable timber. This ladybug is one of the small Wheely Bug models for toddlers (also see the bumblebee or cow), and a larger version (for 3-5 year olds) is also available. The Wheely Bug’s quiet ride is ideal for smooth level floors but can be used outdoors as well. It was researched and developed in childcare centers and designed for “industrial use.” So it can withstand whatever your little explorer has in store!
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This is a great “active” toy for girls and boys that encourages physical activity either inside or out. It builds leg strength and balancing skills, and is just the right size for little feet (ages 3-6). The wooden board is solid and sturdy with no weight limit, and is adorned with an adorable monkey. Perfect activity for a rainy day, and equally as fun outside.
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We always wanted one of these sets! And if your grandchildren (ages 3 and older) are so lucky as to receive this present, they’ll understand that some of the simplest things — such as small wooden dominoes — can also be some of the most exciting. Using this domino set, they can design and build dozens of imaginative knock-down chain reactions. The colorful set includes 250 wooden dominoes and 21 accessories, such as: stairways, a chime, ball, gutter, pinwheel and finishing bell!
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This is just the right addition for a basement or large playroom — for boys and girls ages 8 and older. Three beloved indoor games (ping-pong, air hockey, and pool) all combined in one table! The play surfaces slide in and out of place in seconds. The pool game includes balls, two cues, a triangle and chalk. Air hockey includes 2 pucks and pushers, and ping-pong includes 2 paddles, balls, and a net. The table is reasonably sized but not too big, measuring 36″ x 20″ x 9″. This will definitely keep the grandkids busy on a rainy day, and for this gift, you will instantly be named a “champion!”
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Waterproof Case for 2nd Generation iPod Nano$15.00 at Amazon.com |
Remember making sure your kids and grandkids were dressed appropriately for all kinds of weather? Now you can still offer that same protection — for their iPods. Chances are their iPod is their prized possession, and many of you may have purchased it for them. We bet you’ve already vowed not to buy another if it gets damaged… so why not protect it with this waterproof case. In addition to protection from water damage, it also protects the delicate equipment from falls, dust, dirt and sand. The belt clip helps manage headphone wires.
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Wii is the ultimate gaming system according to our young experts (both boys and girls) in the field — even though it’s not nearly the most expensive. It’s different from the others because it uses a handheld device called the “Wii Remote” that you move around, sometimes a lot, meaning that kids are active and not just moving a few fingers or flicking a wrist. The Wii Remote motivates you to move your whole body! For example, one of the games that comes with the system is tennis (it also includes golf which is completely addictive for us older folks). To swing the tennis racket, you simply swing the cordless Wii Remote and the tennis racket on the screen swings along with you. It’s quite brilliant and unique among game systems. Perfect for the entire family, even young children who love to create avatars (if you don’t know what these are, we suggest that you ask your grandchild). So if you have a gamer in your life that is in need of some new challenges and exercise, this could be it.
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Do you have a young sports fan or two in your brood? This is true sports coverage that focuses on the admirable achievements of both professional, and some amateur athletes. And it’s age-appropriate (for 8 and above), so there’s no fear of kids reading any unsavory stories of athletes gone-astray. Instead, the magazine focuses on the thrill of the sports themselves, often highlighting the human aspect of each story. There’s also lots of fun stuff in each issue, including collectible cards, comics and a trivia challenge. And, of course, it’s always a plus to promote reading — all-in-all, we say that’s a home run gift!
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