Gifted Originals

Do you remember holding a glass to the wall in a vain attempt to listen in on the neighbour’s conversation? Or have I just revealed a secret? Anyway, we all know the frustration at only hearing snippets of a juicy, gossip-fest, coversation, where only the “Oooohh, ahhh” gasps can be heard and everything else is in hushed tones.

While we don’t wish to encourage earwigging, we do believe in setting children’s imaginations alight, and the Sonic Explorer is just the tool. Simply point the handset and dish at your target, using the 2x monocular to aim, then, using the frequency adjustment dial focus on your target, and Bob’s your uncle, ‘Operation Listen-In’ has just begun.

This scientific gadget will spark their imaginations by magnifying sounds such as birds, wind and trees. We all know the amazement of seeing objects magnified, so unleash the natural world (or juicy gossip) to their hearing sensory receptors and feed their inquisitive appetite. Who knows, this could be the beginning for a future Inspector Morse, Charles Darwin, or Edna Sharples.

Just in case they get too carried away, the Sonic Explorer, £21.99, comes with a built-in volume limiter for safety as well as having its own headphones.

For more information, follow the links sonic explorer science and nature kits

You’ve got to hand it to the Americans, they really do know how to market what is essentially an easy to create snack into an ingenious, ‘can’t-believe-we-lived-without-it’ must-have for celeb mums. Called Mighty Mom Mix, the label alone promises a rejuvenation that will rival Clark Kent’s transformation into Superman.

But what is in this magical product? Well, it’s by a food delivery service in the States that provides healthy, taste(less)-y, food to celebrity “moms” to busy to cook, and for the cost of a small mortgage, will deliver daily food supplies to make sure they stay trim for those waiting paps. Oh yes, the product. Mighty Mom Mix, the jargon says, ‘provides a healthy source of energy, specifically created for women. And who can resist the delicious combo of dark chocolate, roasted soy nuts, sundried cranberries and raisins?’

But that’s not it – all this delicious goodness, but yet only 160 calories! My, how do they do it?

Here at Gifted Originals HQ, we think you could create a similar snack for a fraction of the cost by nipping down to the supermarket, buying all the above ingredients, smashing them all together, and voila, your very own Magnificent Mum’s Mixture. But if that seems like too much hard work, grab a flapjack and spread some jam on it, and you have a YMCA, aka, Yummy Mummy’s Creative Amalgamation.

Okay, we know brushing our teeth is more of a ‘must-do’ than ‘want-to-do’, where we give them a quick tickle, grab a pack of chewing gum and hope for the best. But for children, brushing their teeth doesn’t even get a look in on the ‘to-do’ list. If chasing them with a toothbrush in one hand and Aquafresh in the other is a daily event, then why not make introduce some fun into the battle and make sure they do a proper job?

The Frog Toothbrush Timer is a great way to ensure your child doesn’t fall into the clutches of cavities and plaque. With a smiling face and outstretched arms, it’s inviting rather than scolding, encouraging the usual brush-evader to brush until the time’s up.

With children in the North-West having the worse teeth in the country, we think this simple but effective gadget is the ideal tool to appease the dentist and costly dental bills in the future. Bad teeth are no longer acceptable, or for that matter affordable.

Reduced from £2.75 to £1.99, the Frog Toothbrush Timer is a cheap and fun way to entice the little ones (and the adults) to brush that little longer.

For more information, follow the link ‘frog toothbrush timer’ or pocket money toys

After 65 years on the Island of Sodor, Thomas the Tank Engine is finally leaving. The forthcoming feature-length movie, Misty Island Rescue, will see four new characters appearing alongside Thomas and Friends. What’s more, Misty Island is set to become the backdrop to “Thomas’ greatest adventure to date”, with new places such as Shake Shake Bridge and the Logging Center.

Don’t be surprised though if you notice familiar brands featured in the 60-minute film; the film is apparently going “unveil an impressive array of tie-in products across all key categories”. Product placement, eh? I wonder if we’re going to see Thomas going through a McDonald’s Drive-Thru?

Created by by an Anglican clergyman, the Reverend Wilbert Awdry, as a way of entertaining his young son Christopher as he recovered, in isolation, from scarlet fever, Thomas and Friends fills us all with a warm fuzziness, don’t you think? Maybe it’s escapism and nostalgia, I don’t know, but how product placement will affect this remains to be seen. Either way, it’s great this thoroughly British institution is continuing to steam along when so many others have fallen off the tracks.

For a sneak peep, click on the link. Set for release in October.

Misty Island Rescue

You might also like a look at this rather swish Thomas the Tank engine pedal car

Not a summer goes by that I can’t remember pestering my parents for a treehouse, despite having a tree that backed onto the main road. If you’re faced with similar logistics, and are already anticipating the unrelenting of “Please, please, please…PLEASE!”, then we may just have the solution.

The rope ladder is the quintessential childhood tool when one is preparing to mount Back Garden Tree to the summit of the Third Branch. While there may not be a treehouse waiting to shelter the young Sir Ranulph Fiennes, the Rope Ladder will provide easy access and a sharp exit if conditions should worsen. Far from being banished to the outdoors, the sturdy and easy to attach Rope Ladder can also be used indoors.

Reduced from £10.99 to £9.99, this nostalgic piece of childhood will provide the gateway to all your child’s dreams and ignite their imagination, regardless of whether they’re lucky enough to have a treehouse. Oh, did we mention they can also swing from it?

For more information, click rope ladders outdoor toys

The Descent

The words ‘organic’ and ‘hoodies’ are not usually mentioned in the same sentence, but that’s about to change. Baby clothes makers, Kicky Pants, have come up with the ‘Kicky Pants Hoody’, that are apparently the only thing eco-conscious celebrity mums are dressing their offspring in. Made of 100% certified bamboo knit, the organic hoodies are available in a range of colors, from natural to bark, and fit sizes newborn-4T.

The growth in organic baby clothes comes hot off the heels of eco-friendly adult clothes, where ponchos are out and utility and fashion are in. Sensing the rising quest to clad your baby in as much eco-friendly fibres as possible, ‘The Eco-nomical Baby Guide’ by Joy Hatch and Rebecca Kelley is set to become a bible to all the budding Gwyneth Paltrows-to-be. Offering money-saving advice and environment-friendly tips, the “safety and happiness of one’s baby top Hatch and Kelley’s agenda” as they offer tips on shopping for new and used green goods, including toys.

“But I have a fashion-conscious teenager” I hear you shout. Despair no more because Harry Potter’s Emma Watson has teamed up with People Tree and ‘weaved magic’ to create create a range for teenagers that appealed to their consciences as well as their sense of cool.

For more information on all the products featured visit:

http://peopletree.co.uk/

http://www.kickypants.com/

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Eco-nomical-Baby-Guide-Down-Earth/dp/1584798319

Babies in Da'Hood

Educational Toys from Gifted Originals

The 107th annual American International Toy Fair in New York, or the ‘Toy Oscars’, was held in New York on last Tuesday. With more than 21,000 toy retailers attending, the convention’s ‘Toy Oscars’ are the most anticipated event in the toy maker’s calendar.

With 12 categories and 80 finalists, the Toy of the Year Gala presented honors to those toys that are recognised outstanding toys that inspires creative play. The hotly contested Toy of the Year Award was handed to Zhu Zhu Pets by Cepia, an apparent sensation in the States that wiped the floor with all its rivals. But did the judges get it right? Have a look at Zhu Zhu Pets’ ad for Spring 2010 and judge for yourself!

However, if you want your child’s toy to serve a purpose and to also entertain you, then the judges awarded Mindstorms NXT 2.0 Mindstorms NXT 2.0 by LEGO Systems as the most educational toy. Said to “merge high technology with imagination”, the £199 LEGO robot has proved to be a huge hit with adults and children alike as fans can grapple with the high-tech features that are powered through your PC!

Ahh, do you remember when LEGO was all about building square houses with brightly coloured bricks?

Zhu Zhu Pets

Also don’t forget to have a look at the toys available at gifted originals