Dave’s Cool Toys Blog

Recalled Mini Stars Building Sets

Edushape, in cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, has issued a voluntary recall of their Mini Stars Building Sets due to a potential choking hazard. Plastic knobs can break from the center of the stars posing a choking hazard to young children.

There are two reports of the stars breaking off, but no injuries have been reported.

This recall affects about 18,000 sets. Additional sets were recalled in September 2010 of the Giant Starbuilders sets for the same issues.

Consumers should immediately take the sets away from children and contact Edushape for a free replacement set, or credit towards another product of equal or lesser value. Edushape’s phone number is 800-404-4744, or visit their website at www.edushape.com.

I love Rube Goldberg devices, and I’ve posted videos of some of them on this blog in the past. I came across this video on Gizmodo this morning, and they blasted it for being slow and boring. At first I disagreed because I thought the shadow portion was innovative and very cool. But I have to say that everything after that was painful. This is the 1st installment of 5 episodes. Let’s hope the others are better.

Via Gizmodo

Yesterday, June 5, 2011, a heavy gust of wind suddenly picked up three inflatable bounce houses at a soccer event at the Oceanside United Soccer Club in Long Island, NY. There were children inside at the time and 13 people were injured, none seriously.

One bouncy house was lifted completely off the ground and became airborne. That one (shown in the video) seems to be a slide and not a house, so there probably weren’t any kids on it when it lifted off, although they were probably thrown off when the gust hit. Some people on the ground were struck by the floating, rolling houses.

There were no criminal charges filed.

It seems to me that if these houses had been properly anchored, this incident wouldn’t have happened.

Check out the video of the incident, then scroll down for some bounce house safety information.

If you or your organization is planning on having bounce houses at your event, following are some safety tips from the Safe Inflatable Operators Training Organization that you will want to follow.

Before signing a contract for bounce houses ask the following questions:

• Are they insured? Get a copy of their insurance certificate.
• Are they trained and how much experience do they have with inflatable rides?
• What safety measures do they provide?

Once they arrive and as they are setting up check for the following to be sure it is done properly:

• A tarp should be placed on the ground to protect the bottom of the house from rocks and sharp objects so it won’t deflate while children are playing on it.
• The house should be staked down or heavily weighted with weights or sandbags.
• Once inflated, check for rips or holes and general wear-and-tear. Has the house been patched many times?
• Make sure the house is fully inflated and not sagging anywhere.
• Be sure the operator goes over all operating and safety procedures verbally and leaves a printed copy. Ask questions if you don’t understand anything.

Once the operator has set up the unit and leaves be sure to:

• Have someone attending the house at all times.
• Children ages 3 and under should not be allowed on the ride.
• Group children according to size. Big kids should not bounce with 5-year-olds.
• Do not exceed the maximum ride capacity.
• Perform safety checks frequently.
• Turn the unit off during inclement weather or high winds.
• Seek medical attention for any injuries that do occur.
• Follow all rules left by the ride operator.

Parents at events and amusement parks should follow these safety tips:

• Make sure you child only rides with other children of his/her size.
• Be sure there aren’t already too many children on the ride. Get your child out if it becomes too crowded.
• Always watch your child while on the ride. Accidents can happen in a split second.
• Get your child off the ride if they seem to be getting tired. Sitting children are much more at risk of being jumped on by another child.
• Be aware of all the safety rules.
• Make sure someone is always supervising the bounce house and watching the activities inside.
• If a bounce house does collapse, remove all the children immediately.

CNN Via Gizmodo

PLAY IT SAFE THIS 4TH OF JULY

Fireworks originated in China during the Sung dynasty, from 960 to 1279, when a cook discovered that a mixture of sulphur, saltpetre, and charcoal was highly flammable (I bet that was an interesting mealtime). Today’s fireworks are made colorful by combining potassium chlorate and various metallic salts which produce may colors. Strontium burns red, copper blue, barium glows green, and sodium produces yellow. Magnesium, aluminium, and titanium give off white sparkles or a flash.

As the Fourth of July holiday comes closer, most families will go to big community fireworks displays, which are performed by professionals that take many precautions to assure safety.

Some families will have their own backyard festivities with store-bought fireworks. Unfortunately, many will not take the safety precautions that the pros do.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission estimates that in 2004 (latest figures available) about 9,600 people were treated in hospital emergency rooms for fireworks injuries. Over half were burns and most involved the hands, eyes, and head. About half of the victims were under 15 years of age.

Small children are especially vulnerable because they are attracted to the bright colors of fireworks, but don’t understand the danger. This includes “safe” fireworks such as sparklers, which burn at between 1832º – 3632º Fahrenheit. Yikes!

In 2005 fireworks caused an estimated 1,800 structure fires and 700 vehicle fires.

Following are some fireworks safety tips to keep kids safe this holiday and all summer

• Only adults should handle fireworks. Tell children that they should leave the area immediately if their friends are using fireworks.
• Sparklers, generally considered safe for the young, burn at very high temperatures and can easily ignite clothing.
• Older children should only be permitted to use fireworks under close adult supervision. Do not allow any running or horseplay.
• Discuss safety procedures with your children. Teach children "stop, drop and roll" if their clothes catch fire. Make sure they know how to call 9-1-1. Show them how to put out fireworks by using water or a fire extinguisher.
• Read labels and carefully follow directions. All fireworks must carry a warning label describing necessary safety precautions. If they don’t have the label, don’t use them.
• Never use fireworks indoors.
• Be sure spectators are out of range before lighting fireworks.
• Never aim or throw fireworks at another person.
• Never place your face or any other body part over fireworks (eye protection is recommended).
• Never try to re-ignite fireworks that malfunction. Throw them away.
• Keep a bucket of water nearby for emergencies and for pouring on fireworks that don’t go off.
• Never carry fireworks in your pocket.
• Only light fireworks on a smooth, flat surface away from the house, dry leaves, and flammable materials.
• Check for drought conditions in your area. During those times, fireworks are usually banned completely.
• Keep unused fireworks away from firing areas.
• Store fireworks in a dry, cool place. Check instructions for special storage directions.
• Observe local laws.
• Don’t experiment with homemade fireworks.
• Be considerate of your neighbors and stop your celebrations by 10:00 p.m.
• Clean up all the sticks, wires, tubes, etc. that are left around after your fireworks. Put them in a bucket of water and let them soak overnight to be sure they are out.
• Many pets are terrorized by fireworks. Be sure your dogs and cats are in an area they feel secure in. Don’t take them to community fireworks displays.
• Use common sense.
• Even by following these tips, fireworks can still be quite dangerous. Use safe alternatives to fireworks such as Cap bombs, Sparklers, Party Poppers, Snappers, or Big-Bang Cannons (shameless plug).

Big Bang Cannons are the only safe substitute for fireworks. They were originally created because the inventor was concerned about the large amounts of injuries from fireworks.
Big Bang Cannons create a loud "bang" by imploding, Once the gas in the cannon ignites, it draws air back into the cannon, creating a noise as loud as fireworks. This makes them very safe because you cannot place anything in the barrel and expel it (that would only inhibit the combustion). They also do not use gunpowder or matches, instead using Bangsite as fuel. Bangsite is not combustible and cannot be ignited by fire or concussion (you can see why they are so safe). Because of these safety features, Big Bang Cannons can be fired by older children with adult supervision (follow all safety precautions). They are also quite loud and are certainly a great substitute for fireworks. Perfect for your 4th of July celebration!

This article is available for re-print here

A few Ugly’s

One of our favorite toys is the Uglydolls. We’ve sold Uglydolls at Dave’s Cool Toys since they first came out, I believe. At that time there was Wage, Babo, Cinko, Target, Tray, and Jeero, followed soon after by Icebat, Wedgehead, and Ox.

In the years since, Uglydolls has grown into an enormous franchise. In addition to lots more regular Uglydolls, they’ve has added Little Ugly’s, keychains, giant Ugly’s, comic books, vinyl, note pads, watches, cookie jars, t-shirts, games, mugs, watches, tote bags, tin toys, pillows, and even Swarovski Crystal iPad cases.

We’ve seen them on Good Morning America, in the movie Zathura (Icebat gets destroyed by a meteor), and one was spotted hitching a ride on Sasha Obama’s backpack on the first day of school.

Now we’ve gotten news from Uglydoll that they will have their own movie!

Illumination Entertainment, who have made the films Despicable Me and Hop, have acquired the rights to turn the Uglydolls into an animated feature. They will develop the film with Universal Pictures. Uglydolls creators David Horvath and Sun-Min Kim will be executive producers. They plan on starting with a feature film and branching into wider media opportunities after that.

Illumination’s first feature release, Despicable Me, is being turned into a Universal theme park attraction. They are currently developing a stop-motion film based on the original Addams Familycharacters from the comic created by Charles Addams, directed by none other than Tim Burton. They are also working on The Lorax based on the Dr. Seuss book as well as a computer animated film based on Ricky Gervais’ book series Flanimals (which I’m sorry to say I’m not familiar with).

It’s still a little early for any further information on the Uglydolls movie, but we’ll post it here as soon as we hear anything more.

“Escaped” tiger lounging in a field

Police in Hampshire, England were mobilized when a member of the public spotted a tiger in a field through a his camera’s telephoto lens. The tiger didn’t seem too upset. He was just lying in a field.

Police investigated and contacted a local zoo for advice on how to handle the situation. After advising the officers, the zoo prepared a team of staff members trained for just such a situation, armed them with tranquilizer darts, and got ready to travel to the scene.

The nearby Country Golf Club was cleared of golfers and a local cricket game was suspended while police boarded a helicopter and flew to the scene to assess the situation.

But when they flew over the area, the tiger was blown over by the helicopter downdraft.

	Hanging with police after the incident

It turns out it was just a plush toy. Police are now treating the incident as missing property and are investigating whether it was a hoax or just a lost toy.

The tiger looks to me to be the Melissa & Doug White Tiger Plush, which lists for $79.99. In fact, it’s almost a perfect match, down to the stripes on his tail. Not the kind of thing most people would accidentally leave lying around, which would lead me to believe it was probably a hoax.

I suppose it’s a testament to the realism of the plush tiger. It fooled police for about 1/2 hour.

Via BBC

This video is too funny. The kids in it are great too.

Via Gizmodo

It’s a bird. It’s a plane. It’s a flying radio-controlled superhero.

And it’s genius!

Check out this video.

If you’d like your own flying superhero, you can buy the plans or a kit from rcsuperhero.com. They have plans in two sizes, 57 inches, and 75 inches.

It’s worrisome when toys are recalled due to safety issues. And in the past few years there have been more recalls than there should be.

Did you ever wonder what happens to all the batteries that were on those toys when they are pulled off the shelves and out of warehouses? They can’t be sold as new because they were in the toys.

The good news is that all those battereis are are pulled out of the toys and sold as surplus at a somewhat reduced rate.

American Science & Surplus is offering AA Duracell batteries for $3.25 for a package of 8.

via Gizmodo

Radio Flyer Grow "N" Go Bike

Right now Amazon has savings of up to 45% on select Radio Flyer ride-on vehicles.

While the sale says "up to 45%", savings I saw ranged between 20% to 51%. The bike shown here is 42% off.

It’s not a huge selection, and the classic red wagon
is not included in this sale, but it’s the perfect time of year for this type of item and there are some great savings.

In addition, the items ship with FREE Super Saver Shipping and Prime Shipping (check the Details at Amazon).

Google is celebrating Roger Hargreaves and Mr Men and Little Misses books
with an assortment of Google logos today to celebrate his birthday.

I’m sorry to say I’m not familiar with Roger Hargreaves, so I’ll have to check out his books the next time I’m at the Library. They seem to have been very popular in Britain, so I’m not certain how widespread they are in the U.S. There have been four animated TV series of his stories in Britain in 2008 and 2009.

He first drew the characters when his Son, Adam asked him what a tickle looked like. After Mr. Hargreaves death in 1988, his son continued writing and drawing the books until his wife sold the rights to Chorion entertainment group.

An animated move is in the works for release in 2014.

To see all the versions of the logo, go to Google and hit refresh to get a new version.

One of my favorite sites is "1 Sale A Day". I’ve purchased more than a few items from them.

Today’s deal is a 6-in-1 Solar Kit for only $4.99 plus S&H! They claim that it’s a 92% saving off the $59.99 list price, although I’ve seen it online for $10-$20. Shipping & handling is $4.99, which is reasonable.

Here is the description from their site:

"Learn the benefits of solar energy while having fun. With the Ace 6-in-1 Solar Educational Kit, you can see how solar energy is used.

Build six different working models including an airboat, car, windmill, puppy, and two different airplanes. With no tools or batteries required, this set is sure to provide endless hours of educational value and amusement for children and adults."

The way 1 Sale a Day works is that you have exactly one day to make your purchase. Tomorrow there will be a new deal and you will miss out. So if you’re interested, act fast. If you’re reading this after 5/3/11 this deal will be gone. 1 Sale a Day’s shipping isn’t always as fast as I’d like, but everything I’ve received is as-advertised, I’ve never had a problem with an order, and they’ve got the best deals on the web.

I can’t tell you too much about the 6 in 1 Solar Kit, but I’ll write a review when I receive mine and had time to play with it. Yes I ordered one.

It’s Easter! And that leads us to wonder what happens when you place a Cadbury Creme Egg
in a vacuum? Check out this video for the answer to that burning question and more.

Via Gizmodo

I Can Has Coinage

When I was young, my cousin had a “Thing” bank . It had an Addams Family tie-in (basically the outer box). When you put your coin down, "Thing" would reach out and grab it and take it away for safe keeping. Although for some reason, Thing was green.

Today’s cool toy is the “Itazura Stealing Coin Cat Brown Chatora Kitty Coin Bank” . Whew!

Just place your coin on the little plate and the little kitten will come out and grab it and take it to some secret cat hiding place.

Before long he’ll have thousands of dollars of cat toys and you’ll need some cat handcuffs.

I’m guessing the "Chatora" part is a tie-in to Japanese Manga just the way the Thing Bank was a tie-in of a previous product to the Addams Family.

The Itazura Stealing Coin Kitty Bank is about $20.00.

Check out this amazing video of a xylophone constructed in the woods to promote the Touch Wood cell phone.

It’s supposedly entirely real with no tricks. I would think the timing would be better if it was done with any kind of CGI. But there may be a few camera cuts.

Anyway, it’s amazing to watch. Enjoy!