The New @StarlinkGame Now Available at @BestBuy #StarlinkGame #ad

December 22, 2018 by 14 Comments

My son is really into video games, like so many kids his age.The new Starlink Game, Starlink: Battle for Atlas brings toys into gaming by giving kids a buildable space ship toy as their controller, and other toys as interactive game pieces.

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In a similar fashion of “Toys to Life”  games such as Skylanders, Lego Dimensions, and Disney Infinity which were very popular but no longer produce much product (if any),  Starlink: Battle For Atlas breathes new life into the genre. It combines space exploration and toy space ships which kids will not be able to resist. Fun side note for New Jersey residents- all the humans in the game hail from the Garden state. Get outta here indeed!

Starlink: Battle for Atlas is an open-world space saga that features modular toy technology that allows players to assemble and customize real-world physical starships, link the starships to their game controller, and launch into an epic adventure across the Atlas star system, either in single player or with a friend in two-player split-screen local co-op. Each modular component and pilot attached to the starship appears instantly in-game, allowing players to directly affect the course of their battle in a meaningful way.

This game and set is available on Nintendo Switch, the PlayStation®4 and Xbox One.

There are a ton of extras- toys, figures, ships, weapons, and more- that are available for purchasable as well.  Lots of add ons for extra fun, we’ve gotten a few for the kiddo and he’s really enjoying himself.

There are several Weapons Kits available, my son has the Starlink Battle For Atlas Weapons Pack Crusher + Shredder, which right now is on sale for $4.99. They give you more ways to fight your enemies and save Atlas.  He also got (one of many available) Pilot kits and Starship packs, which let give you different messages and more ways to play. All of these are on sale now, and will keep your kids busy over winter break. 

Priceless.

Some basic information

The Starlink: Battle for Atlas starter pack is the main set and is required to play with Starship, Pilot, and Weapons packs. All Starlink modular toys only work with Starlink: Battle for Atlas video game and controller mount on PS4, Nintendo Switch and Xbox One. These innovative modular toys allow you to build unique starships which can be customized on the fly for a new way to play as you adapt to overcome any challenge you encounter in this epic open world adventure. You can connect your modular toys to your controller mount and see them come to life in real time in the game. Your child can craft his or her own starship loadout from their arsenal of wings, hulls, weapons, and pilots. Adapt to any challenges you face in real time and have fun doing it.

From 12/16-12/22: Save $25 on Starter Packs. Plus, save 30% on Starlink toys. Check it out now! Here is my son and his thoughts on the game.

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Lucid Audio HearMuffs

June 6, 2018 by 4 Comments

Parents will do anything within their powers to protect their children from harm. Right? Right! So, if we protect our children from  … say for instance … mosquitoes or harmful UV rays … shouldn’t we also protect their precious hearing? Of course, that is why I was happy to let my one-year-old nephew try out the Lucid Audio’s HearMuffs.

Growing ears of babies and toddlers are susceptible to damage. Providing hearing protection, especially at a young age, helps to ensure optimal hearing as your child grows. HearMuffs is a protective devise that is tauted as being the most advanced hearing preservation for infants and toddlers! Sounds great, but does it work?

I used the HearMuffs at a recent Track-n-Field event where there is historically a large amount of screaming by parents who are trying to encourage their competing children … and not to mention the sudden pop of the starter’s pistol at various times. Unexpected sounds or aggressive voices startles my youngster … which leads to a crying … which leads to crankiness .. which leads to the me leaving earlier thank expected from an event. By his reactions, it is clear loud noises hurt.

To gauge if the HearMuffs really worked, I closely watched my tiny human as the environment seemed to explode around him. Not a budge … nor flinch … only cute toddler smiles and drool. It’s a keeper folks!

HearMuffs compress sounds and has the unique ability to let in outside voices to comfort a child. The unit can even play soothing sounds. Options include Protect only, Soothe Mode allows voices to be heard while compressing potentially harmful noises to comfortable levels and Sounds Mode where the child can enjoy four soothing sounds — Lullaby, White Noise, Creek, and Heartbeat.

We were at the track meet for a few hours and my nephew stayed the entire time and did not have a tantrum. I really believe it was due to the HearMuffs.

Possible Hearing Hazards for Children

  • Loud toys
  • Television volume
  • Events such as festivals, sports events, concerts
  • Firework displays
  • Household appliances (vacuum, hair dryer, blender)

Rating: 4/5 stars

Donna Andrews

Super aunt of a 1 year old boy

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The BIRTHDAYKINS and The HUGGALOONS from Digiplush

August 21, 2015 by 7 Comments

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My son likes toys that he can play with on his tablet- while I don’t think there needs to be an app for every toy, a few here and there are cute.  This one celebrates your birthday with you, which is adorable.  For his birthday month, he tried out a BirthdayKins and Hugaloons toy, which he can cuddle as well as use to unlock premium parts and features in an otherwise free app.  My son’s favorite part of the game is making birthday cakes and knocking down pinatas- he also likes that it remembers when his birthday is.  It’s cute.

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The first brand launching under the new Digiplush venture is “BirthdayLand.” Everyone celebrates a birthday, and yet this unique special day has never been supported by characters or a mythology similar to other major holidays.  Until now.  Each time a child blows out a candle, their wish drifts up to BirthdayLand, the place where their wishes comes true.  According to the BirthdayLand legend, everything that makes a birthday celebration special comes from BirthdayLand, from the candles on a cake to the paper wrapped around birthday presents.  The adorable characters of BirthdayLand, the Birthdaykins and the Huggaloons, will be the first physical products to market.  They are currently available at Toys”R”Us.

pic5The Birthdaykins are delightful birthday-themed plush toys that retail for $12.99.  They are the cute characters in BirthdayLand, the place where birthday wishes come true.  The Birthdaykins are also featured in the BirthdayLand app, which is filled with fun-tastic birthday-related games and activities.  The purchase any of the Birthdaykins includes a code that unlocks premium features inside the BirthdayLand app.  The app is a free download in the iTunes store, Google Play and Amazon Apps.

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The Huggaloons are soft, lovable plush toys that resemble balloon animals that retail for $16.99. They are the special guides in BirthdayLand, the place where birthday wishes come true.  The Huggaloons are also featured in the BirthdayLand app, which is filled with fun-tastic birthday-related games and activities.  The purchase any of the Huggaloons includes a code that unlocks premium features inside the BirthdayLand app.  The app is a free download in the iTunes store, Google Play and Amazon Apps.

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The BirthdayLand app is a free download and features two free activities.  Additional free games and activities within the app can be unlocked using a code displayed on signage in Toys”R”Us stores.  The Birthdayland plush toys, The Birthdaykins and the Huggaloons, also feature secret codes that unlock two additional games within the app. The free download includes:

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  • “Balloon Pop” – spell words by finding letters inside floating balloons and placing them correctly in the word below.
  • “Birthday Countdown Clock” – countdown birthdays for up to 5 different family members, friends or pets — whoever has a birthday to remember and celebrate.

The remaining games and activities are unlocked by using the special code that comes with the purchase of a BirthdayLand toy, or by entering the special code printed on the in-store BirthdayLand display, both available at Toys”R”Us locations.

The app is appropriate for children ages 3-7.   www.birthdayland.com

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School Zone Little Scholar Tablet

August 14, 2014 by 5 Comments

Disclosure- I received the below in order to facilitate my reviews. All opinions are my own and honest.

A tablet entering the market has to do two difficult things, one is to be unique and two is to do something no one else does. If it doesn’t do these two things, there is a good chance of failure and a valueless product. Thankfully the new School Zone Little Scholar does just this, with the help of a ton of educational apps and Google Android 4.2.2. These apps are used to boost math, reading, spelling, and other skills in a creative playful way.

pic5School Zone may sound familiar to many parents as an educational product company of over 35 years. Products include workbooks, flashcards, and software. With this much experience under their belt, a tablet made by School Zone features just what you would hope it would- many education apps to help school aged scholars. The apps included feature the complete Start to Read! eBook series, music, songs, Charlie and Company video series and many more premium educational apps. Besides the ability of your children to use the app for education purposes. Parents can also track their progress using A+ Report, which lets parents know how much progress has been made in individual topics and curriculum. The total value of the apps included with the tablet is over $400 all of which can be chosen using the App Management Tool to properly tailor the tablet for you little one.

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Portable North Pole – Fun App for Kids

December 17, 2013 by 4 Comments

Disclosure: I am a Portable North Pole Christmas Magic Ambassador. I received compensation and complementary Portable North Pole products in exchange for this post. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The clock is ticking on Christmas and its time to brign it up a notch with Portable North Pole.  But instead of the full Portable North Pole site, we are looking at the portable versions of Christmas fun.  Portable North Pole have bucked the tradition this year and released not one but two Christmas themed apps this year.  PNP Santa Sprint and PNP Portable North Pole 2013.

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First we will look at PNP Santa Sprint.  This is a game where the player moves a young Elf around various North Pole themed settings to collect items and restore Santa’s workshop.  After each level the big man himself, Santa tells a video story. The game is optimized for iPod 5th gen, iPhone 4S, iPad 2 and all higher versions.  The game retails for $2.99 as is available now on iTunes.

The Portable North Pole 2013 app is the mobile gateway to all things Portable North Pole, for parents and for kids.  Parents are able to create personalized personal video messages from Santa, personal phone call from Santa, and access to their PNP account.  Kids on the other hand have access to a whole other side os the app.  This includes a digital Advent calender, acess to your child’s personal video, a Christmas sleep countdown to the big day, and Christmas Radar to show you where Santa’s village is located.  The app retails on iTunes for $3.99.
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Ematic Funtab Pro

November 7, 2013 by 1 Comment

 

Disclosure: The below was provided to me to help facilitate my review. All opinions are my own and honest. I am disclosing this in accordance to FTC Guidelines. Please see “Disclose” tab for more information.

Tablets can be great fun, if you know how to use them.  Kids are now exposed to a plethora of technology which previous generations could barely dream of and the best way to get them into the swing of things is by letting them use them.   The issue being most tablets are sensitive pieces of electronics.  So what is a parent to do?

tablet for kids

Well Ematic has an idea, a kid friendly tablet made just for kids with parents in mind called the Funtab Pro.

The Funtab has tons of features to help ease you into letting your kids use a tablet for learning or play.  Some of these features are the award winning Zoodles for Kids interface which keeps kids safe and parent traceable online and off while still giving them the freedom and ability to use their new tablet.  Not only is Zoodles an option but also a fully unlocked tablet is accessible for parents or kids if you so wish.
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