All this week Canada AM will be featuring the hottest new items from Mastermind Toys. Check out our photogallery for photos and info of the featured products, of check back here for a list of all the items on the show. All are available through mastermindtoys.com.
DAY ONE: GIFTS THAT GO! PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES
Chuggington Wooden Railway System
Welcome to Koko, Wilson, Brewster, and all of their friends from the hit TV show! This brand new system of wooden railway features new and exciting sets like a two-story roundhouse, a clock tower figure-eight set, and tons of fun new chunky characters for zippy railway play!
Ages 3+ / Prices VARY: $12.95-$149.95
Hand-Crank-POWERED Slot Cars
Slot-car racing using kid power! Just like classic slot cars, this set lets you race your rides around the track as the cars stick to the slots. The difference is that YOU are the power source! Turn the hand crank faster and slower to increase and decrease your speed to skid through the corners, avoid crashing, and win the race!
Ages 5+ / $39.95/$49.95
Lite Hawk RC Helicopter
The world's BEST remote-control helicopter! The Lite Hawk has a special stabilizing system and precise controls for addictive, up-in-the-air, easy-to-fly fun!
Ages 8+ / $49.95
Trunki "Luggage for Little People"
Junior jetsetters will love traveling this holiday when they pack their funky Trunki, the lightweight luggage for little people! Featuring a fun and colourful design, this ride-on luggage is filled with kid-friendly features like chunky wheels and a tow-strap for easy travel, internal straps, secret compartments and more!
Ages 3+ / $49.95
Giant Mac Truck Bruder
This giant Mac truck toy is super-realistic, and features a real working crane that goes over four feet high! Bruder makes the VERY best truck toys!
Ages 4+ / $129.95
Radio Flyer Classic Bumper Car Ride-On
Your walls are safe again! This classic, cool red bumper car comes with fun sounds including a honking horn and features a soft foam bumper for safe ride-on and furniture-friendly play!
Ages 1+ / $79.95
Stocking Stuffers:
Gunther elastic plane
Wind up this little airplane by turning the propeller, aim the airplane in the direction you want it to fly, then launch it with your hands into the air! Watch it soar and fly!
Ages 6+ / $9.95
Whacky Whirlers
The Wacky Whirler is great for aerial shenanigans! These colourful flying propellers come in assorted colours and are perfect for loot bags! Just pop the propeller onto the straw and give the straw a quick spin with your hands to make your Wacky Whirler fly up into the air. You'll have a whirl of a time!
Ages 5+ / $0.99
Hot Rocket Finger Flingers
Have a blast inside or outside with these soft yet durable finger-blasting rockets! They're lots of fun and easy to use: just put your finger in the elastic loop, pull the rocket back and let it go - it flies up to 100 feet!
Ages 4+ / $1.95
Toys in Background:
Air Hogs Hawk Eye
The Hawk Eye allows you to capture up to 5 minutes of video or 100's of pictures while flying up in the sky! Easily download your images or video onto your computer to instantly view or share your creations. No additional software is required. The Hawk Eye features 4-way flight control and our revolutionary Tail Lock technology for easy, stable flying.
Ages 12+ / $79.95
Master Pogo Stick
A foam-covered metal pogo stick that will last for years of fun! There's nothing better than a pogo stick for lots of good, healthy fun and exercise.
AGES 9+ / $49.95
Fire Truck
Kids will love pedaling this vintage-looking beauty around town to put out the imaginary fires! This truck features two wooden ladders on either side, as well as loads of shiny chrome details, including steering wheel, grill, pretend lights and odometers and, of course, a big bell on top of the hood!
Ages 3+ / $249.95
Zipfy
Inspired by the Olympic sport of luge and coal shovel racing, this unique plastic snow sled is safe, easy to learn and a very exhilarating downhill sport! The Zipfy is compact, lightweight, very maneuverable in turns, and handles all types of terrain.
Ages 7+ / $39.95
Baby Sled
This beautiful traditional wooden sleigh is just what you need to take your baby out for a wintertime stroll in the snow. This sled is sturdy and includes padding for a safe, comfortable ride. Just add blankets and baby!
AGES 1+/ $139.95
DAY TWO: GLEEFUL GIFTS FOR KIDS
Featured Items
Giant Six-Foot Piano Mat
Remember the movie Big? This roll-out playmat is also a keyboard that really plays music! You can press the demo button, or record your own music. This keyboard playmat has 24 keys and has volume control. With 4 play modes and 8 musical instruments to select, this touch-sensitive playmat will bring music into your home!
AGES 3+ / $49.95
Pint-Sized Baby Grand Piano
This beautifully handcrafted piano is made from hardwood and hardboard, and is painted black with a high-gloss lacquer finish. Schoenhut toy pianos are unsurpassed in quality and pitch, and are built to endure enthusiastic play by children.
AGES 3+/ $149.95
Super-Star Stage Microphone
A star is born! The Super Star Microphone comes with a stand and cool sound effects like applause. The best part is you can sing along to your favourite tunes since it includes an MP3 jack as well! AGES 4+/ $39.95
Zube-Tube Magic Sound Effects Maker
It's the ultimate cosmic sound machine! Shake it! Shout into it! Pluck the acoustic coil! Shake it at just the right speed and discover eerie pulses of sound. Create some of the most awesome sounds in the universe with the one and only Zube Tube!
AGES 8+ /$9.95
Chimalong XR
This Chimalong has 11 precision-tuned tubes. The XR stands for eXtended Range. Chimalong's sounds are lively and fun. Kids stand and play, just like a professional musician. The Chimalong XR is tuned to a diatonic scale starting on the note G, one octave and a fifth above middle C on the piano.
AGES 3+ / $169.95
Stocking Stuffers
Harmonica
Hohner Blues Band Harmonica delivers a big blues sound. Hohner Blues Band Harmonica is a good quality classic easy to play instrument.
Ages 4+ / $5.95
Jingle Bands
Kids love these wearable jingle bell bands, the best available. Each Jingle Band has four bells riveted onto a strap with a kid-friendly Velcro fastener. Make music as you move!
Ages 3+ / $6.95
Maracas
Children will love these Maracas! Listen to the rhythms as they play with these unique and great sounding instruments.
Ages 3+ / $3.95
Other Display items…
Guitar
A beautiful, high-gloss, natural wood finish classical style guitar that's sized just right to be a kid's first guitar. It looks just like Mom and Dad's full size guitar, only sized down for smaller hands!
Ages 6+/$69.95
Puppet Theater
This "stage" for your child's creativity will provide endless hours of fun for the whole family! Comes complete with puppets and a story card to spark your child's imagination.
Ages 3+ /$39.95
Fraggle Rock Puppets
These Puppets are identical to the characters from the beloved children's show by Jim Henson! There are three to choose from: Gobo, Red and Wembley!
Ages 3+ / $21.95 ea
Folkmanis Puppet
Beautiful, lifelike puppets from Folkmanis, are soft and fun to play with! Many different styles to choose from – Monkey, Owl, Dog, and many more!
Ages 3+ / $27.95
Construct a Sax-o-Flute Building Toy
It's both a construction toy and a musical instrument that really plays! The Quercetti Transparent Saxoflute is a set of 16 clear plastic pieces in pink, blue, orange and yellow, that can be put together in any combination you choose! Make a trumpet, flute, pipe, saxophone...the only limit is your creativity!
AGES 2+ / $14.95
V-Tech 3 in 1 Guitar
The 3 in 1 Musical Band lets your child play 3 different ways - quickly transforming from a piano to a drum or guitar! When playing the piano, an IR sensor detects the child's hand motions and creates cool drum effects. With built-in songs, volume control, 3 musical styles (Jazz, Hip-Hop and Rock) and the ability to record your own songs!
Ages 3+ /$34.95
DAY THREE: COOL BABY GIFT GEAR
Featured Items
CROCO-BLOC0 GIANT CONNECTABLE CROCODILE
CrocoBloco is a sweet plush crocodile whose length is up to you! Attach all 4 blocks to make him long, or just the head and tail piece to have a baby Croco! The 4 detachable blocks between CrocoBloco's head and tail offer multiple learning activities, designed to stimulate baby's early development!
AGES 6 MONTHS+/$59.95
GIANT PINK DRAGON BALL CENTRE
This pink dragon is waiting for your baby to give her a big hug! Lady has approximately 60 balls contained within her, just zip her open and put your baby in! There's hours of fun and games to be had with this dragon, and tons to explore!
AGES 6 MONTHS+/ $89.95
BEEP BEEP TODDLER'S FIRST ROADWAY SYSTEM
Mastermind Exclusive! This new line of car-play toys for little ones is perfectly designed! The track snaps together easily like a puzzle, and the cars start and stop with a simple pat to their roof! Other toys in the line include a fun parking garage and ramp racer set.
AGES 18 MONTHS+/ VARIOUS PRICES
PLAY HOUSE GYM LAMAZE
This gym grows with baby! It starts as a classic playmat with archway, covered in fun activities. As baby grows it can transform into an activity mat and finally a play dollhouse. This three-in-one gym was created for three different stages of development!
AGES BIRTH AND UP/ $99.95
HAPE WALKER
The Wonder Walker encourages independent walking and balancing while providing lots of fun activities. To a creative little one the possibilities are endless: it can be anything from a grocery cart to a toy wagon.
AGES 9 MONTHS + /$99.95
Stocking Stuffers
TEETHER BALL
Made from soft washable vinyl, this yellow ball teether can be squeezed and makes a squeaking sound. It is designed for easy grip, and is very soft and washable. It even has a sweet vanilla smell to it!
AGES BIRTH+ /$5.95
LAMAZE SQUEAK AND SHAKE RATTLE
This irresistible Panda Bend and Squeak is a fun and adorable squeaker that will bring a smile to a baby's face! This squeaker also features a super soft plush head, crinkle-effect arms, and high-contrast patterning to stimulate baby's senses of sight, hearing and touch!
AGES BIRTH+/$7.95
O BALL RATTLE
The Mini Oball Rattle consists of a collection of loops, fused together to form a soft, rubbery frame ball with round, finger-friendly openings. This particular Oball has a rattle installed into the loops and filled with colourful beads. Little ones will love how easy it is to grasp this mini version of the original toy!
AGES BIRTH+/ $9.95
Other Display items…
EDUSHAPE MAT
Brightly coloured puzzle shapes pop-out of the 12" x 12" interlocking tile squares that feature a variety of textures and help insulate baby from cold floors. Play mat also features a baby safe peek-a-boo mirror, musical flower, and wavy edge and corner pieces.
AGES BIRTH+ / $22.95
PLAN WALKERS
This Baby Walker from Plan Toys is a wonderful wooden cart that looks like a smiling car and is filled with 24 coloured and natural wood blocks. The handle can be adjusted to fit a child's height. Parents can use this toy to help their children in the development of gross motor skills and balance as they walk and push it about.
AGES 10 MONTHS+ /$89.95
ZEBRA WALKER
The VTech 3 in 1 Zebra Scooter converts easily from push walker to ride-on scooter. Kids can discover their wild side as they move with the zebra and explore new territory with the scooter's walkie-talkie, compass and flashlight!
AGES 18 MONTHS+ /$59.95
G BABY
Baby friendly magnet toys with a sea theme! Little ones love how these chunky blocks attract and repel one another. Mix and match different sea creature pieces together!
AGES 9 MONTHS+/ $34.95
DAY FOUR: THINKING GIFTS FOR THE BRAINIAC
Featured Items
INTELLIGLOBE INTERACTIVE GLOBE
The most advanced interactive globe on the market with a multitude of features utilizing digital geographic technology. It is an educational and entertaining globe that contains geography and general information that is truly interesting, useful, and thought provoking.
AGES 6+ / $149.95
4D CityScape PUZZLE Playsets
Your favourite cities, including Toronto, in a cool 700-piece puzzle format! Assemble the puzzle to form the base, complete with glow-in-the dark streets and street names, and then add the major building landmark pieces to complete your cool cityscape model!
Ages 10+/ $29.95
FANTASMA LEGENDS OF MAGIC
The Deluxe Legends of Magic Set comes equipped with over 250 tricks that can be performed. You can magically produce silk scarves, make balls penetrate through solid cups, make a playing deck change to the selected card, escape from chains, and produce, vanish, or transform your favourite items with the help of the Magic Table, that is included in the set.
AGES 8+ / $69.95
Totally Gross Game
A dose of gross helps makes science fun! This board game for kids features icky experiments and activities in a fast-paced game that camouflages learning with fun!
Ages 8+ / $24.95
Squishy Brain Kit
It sees! It hears! It feels! But wait, there's more - It's squishy! Ready to build a brain, then pick it apart? Heads Up! This kit will blow your mind as you discover all the parts of your brain that matter.
Ages 8+ / $29.95
T-Rex Robotic Walking Dinosaur
It's robotime dinosaur-style! Build your own walking, easy to assemble robotic dinosaur! Comes with the pre-cut wooden shapes and no glue or tools needed. Once he's built, clap your hands and the sensor will activate from the sound - he'll roar and walk forward!
Ages 6+ / $19.95
Stocking Stuffer
Brain Puzzles (Bamboo)
Exercise your mind with these challenging, 3-D Puzzles! The goal is simple: disassemble and then reassemble them! Made of eco-friendly bamboo. Ages 6+ / $4.95-5.95
Gravi-Goop
Can you really pour a liquid and make it flow uphill? With Gravity Goo you can. Watch as you pour Gravity Goo from one cup to another and it remarkably flows against gravity. Great for teaching little ones about molecular chains and polymers!
Ages 4+ / $4.95
Rainbow Tube
A great crystal growing kit that will also teach little ones the science behind colour mixing and learn about the primary colours!
Ages 4+ / $4.95
Other Display items…
Flix (2 players)
Flixx Action Game is a strategical action game for 2 players who can stay cool! It's a game of top speed and dexterity, with action and strategy, for both young and old!
Ages 8+/ $49.95
Morphology (4+ players)
This game is a little like Pictionary but instead of drawings, you use objects. Draw a word from the deck, flip the timer and use your creativity to build the word as your teammates try to guess. Now imagine building with your eyes closed or using just the string! A fantastic game for the whole family!
Ages 13+ / $29.95
Big Marble (2-4 Players)
Get your marble moving with your finger and let the games begin! The specially corrugated track surface slows the marbles down and makes them stop in specific positions. Various obstacles and traps can be inserted along the way. Not only a fun and dynamic game, BIG stimulates interesting observations and discoveries of basic physical principals!
Ages 4+ / $34.95
Yamslam (1-4 players)
Calculated risk and smart strategy will place the odds in your favour! Roll the dice and choose those that will get you the best results. Each combination has a different point value but only 4 corresponding chips, so get the best ones before they run out! Race your friends to the special bonuses and keep the suspense rolling until the end with Yamslam!
Ages 8+ / $19.95
Word on the Street (2-8 players)
This Game is a hilarious tug of words! On each turn, one team flips over a category card. Team members frantically brainstorm words that fit the category while the opposition tries to sidetrack them. The team must agree on a word and pull each letter of that word one lane closer to their side of the street, all before the time runs out.
Ages 12+/ $29.95
SOLAR POWERED BULLET TRAIN MODEL KIT
Build your own solar bullet train! Be an engineer and build an environmentally sound train in your own home. Get your thinking cap on, and practice becoming a world class engineer!
AGES 10+ / $11.95
DAY FIVE: GIFTS THAT GO WOW
Featured Items
Fun Explorers Pirate Ship Playset
Ahoy young swashbucklers! This giant pirate ship play set comes with all the fixings…er…riggings! Pirate figures, cannons, sharks and more hide in and amongst this giant ship, which also folds open for interactive interior play!
Ages 3+ / $129.95
Groovy Doll house
This Super Groovy Dollhouse is sure to make any young one smile! It's made with a smart, open-concept design and sturdy wooden construction, including a moulded staircase that connects the second floor to the third and a movable doll elevator!
Ages 3+ / $199.95
GOURMET KITCHEN PLAYSET
This bright and colourful deluxe kitchen is loaded with fun details, including an innovative, space-saving corner design and an entire set of metal accessories! Playing with this Bright Grand Gourmet Corner Kitchen will make any kid feel like a world-class chef!
AGES 3+ / $249.95
My Backyard BBQ Set
Who says you can't get grilling in winter? This sizzling giant wooden BBQ play set is realistic-looking with an opening hood, temperature dials, and even a collapsible side table, just like the real thing!
Ages 3+/ $119.95
Giant Foam Building Sets, 2 in 1 Rocket AND Boat/2 in 1 Racecar AND Aircraft
These brand new foam building sets are perfect for the playroom! Each comes with colourful and durable foam pieces that assemble to make two large models for play, and there are two different models to build! Build a giant race car then turn it into a plane, or build a rocket and convert it into a boat!
Ages 4+ / $79.95
Stocking Stuffers
Minifigures
Each minifigure has its own special accessories, display plate and collector's leaflet. This collection includes: Pharaoh, Explorer, Karate Master, Maraca Man, Mime, Pop Star, Ringmaster, Skier, Surfer, Traffic Cop, Vampire, Weightlifter, Witch, Lifeguard, Disco Dude and Spartan Warrior.
Ages 3+ / $2.99
Ty Lil ones
Each Ty Lil one comes with her own accessory and a cute little outfit! Perfect friend to tuck in our backpack and bring with you wherever you go!
Ages 4+/ $4.95
Yumbots Robot Cupcake Molds
Yumbots are robot-shaped cupcake molds. Each box contains 4 molds in four colors, red, blue, green and yellow with robotic heads that actually swivel.
Ages 5+ / $17.95
Crazerasers
These cute puzzle erasers come in MANY different styles like "School Daze" and Breakfast food! Fun to collect, but are also working erasers!
Ages 3+/ $2.95
Enchanted Fairy kaleidoscope
Experience the world of fairies with this Enchanted Fairy Liquid Motion Kaleidoscope! Colourful bursts of light, fairy magic and shimmering glitter flutter and swirl before your eyes in this magical toy.
Ages 6+ / $12.95
Other Display items
Melissa & Doug Easel
The versatile design and tasteful, colourful, high-quality construction of this child's easel makes it a great easel to use. Generously sized, offering a dry erase board on one side, a chalkboard on the other...an easy-loading holder for easel board paper and a paper cutter.
Ages 4+ / $79.95
Corolle Stroller
This carriage features a collapsible bonnet and a mesh storage basket underneath. The best part is, this carriage is easy to take along with you on a trip to the park because the whole carriage is collapsible and flattens neatly for easy trunk or back seat storage. This carriage also features a lift-out baby carrier for added play value.
Ages 3+/$89.95
Foosball Table
This Foosball table is exactly like the classic version, but this one you can play on ANY table! It is easy to play, but can also be packed up and stored away!
Ages 5+ / $49.95
Comfort Embrace Wagon
Specially designed to grow with your family, this wagon features a cradling infant seat with 5-point safety harness that can be removed as your child grows. Also includes precision non-tip steering and foot-action safety brakes as well as 2 adjustable and removable canopies with UV protection!
Ages 6 months+ / $299.95
Quadrilla twist and Rail
This awesome 99-piece wooden set contains everything you need to construct the ultimate marble run! It's especially fun if you let a lot of marbles run through your Quadrilla marble run at the same time. Watch them race against each other through the many different paths of your design!
Ages 4+ / $149.95
Hansa Animals (Assorted)
Superb quality soft plush animal toys from around the world. There is something for everyone in this exciting plush soft toy collection. Meticulously manufactured from the finest soft plush materials, craftsmen have faithfully reproduced the key features of each animal to give an extremely lifelike and realistic appearance to each Hansa plush toy.
Toy Trouble #1: These kids have everything. They don't need any more toys.
Suggestion: ROYLCO CRAFT KIT; something they can ‘do' rather than ‘play'; packed with over 50 different craft projects and suppliers needed to do these; tremendous value and hours of creative play. MSRP $24.99
Toy Trouble #2: What do you buy for infants? We want something really special to give our first grandchild who isn't even a year old?
Suggestion: SWEETPEA MP3 PLAYER; believe it or not, babies and infants love these; for all ages including newborns; multiple play lists so you can slip from ‘play time' music to ‘sleepy time' music; auto shut-off; stand up to kid-handling; easy to work by kids themselves as they get older. MSRP $69.99
Donna's grandchild loves this!
Also a great selection when choosing for a third or 4th child in a family and there is already a sizeable selection of toys in the home. A more personal gift with regard to how the playlists can be customized.
Toy Trouble #3: Boys 7, 8, 9 years of age are really bright but it's hard to get them away from their video games.
Suggestion: SMART GAMES; including North Pole Camouflage, Safari Hide and Seek, Pirates Hide and Seek; all the appeal of the DS without being electronic; individual-player, logical-thinking games that exercise the brain with numerous challenges and different levels of difficulty.
Parents and grandparents are often looking for alternatives to electronic games for pre-teen boys and girls.
Another great product for boys is this age group is Snap Circuits, a kit for building electronic projects. To add a WOW factor to the segment Donna will demo a Snap Circuits project by just adding in the last 2 pieces to make it work.
Toy Trouble #4: We have a very small house. We want to get our 5 year old year old daughter something that will encourage hours of imaginative play without taking up much space.
Suggestion: CALICO CRITTERS COZY COTTAGE STARTER SET A perfect, compact starter dollhouse for pretend play with the friendly & fuzzy Calico Critters. Comes fully furnished including a wee rabbit critter. MSRP $59.99
Toy Trouble #5: We no longer want to buy plastic toys for our children. What alternatives can you recommend?
Suggestion: PLAN TOYS OF THAILAND is one of the Toy Industry leaders in eco friendly products. All toys made from renewable rubber tree wood. Baby toys, toddler toys, train and city sets and dollhouses.
Toy Trouble #6: What can we buy for a niece and nephew who are around 8 years old and consider themselves too old for toys?
Suggestion: BIG BAG OF SCIENCE; a laboratory of wacky science experiments from the gooey to the gross; over 60 ‘experiments' in one big bag containing all the necessary test tubes and laboratory equipment. MSRP $49.99
Toy Trouble #7: What can I buy a 4 to 6 years year old child who likes to build things; who is past the building block stage; who needs something more challenging, but is frustrated with Lego-like products because of their small pieces?
Suggestion: STRAWS & CONNECTORS; simple to use for endless hours of imaginative play; build a fort, rocket, boat, tower, tunnel or bridge; design your own scientific model or create a unique contraption; the straws fit snuggly into the connectors, but are flexible so you can build arches and tubes. 400 pieces. MSRP 24.99/$44.99 (two sizes)
Toy Trouble #8: We made a decision not to buy any more toys that require batteries. But we have a 4 year old boy and he wants a toy ‘that goes'. We want to give him something that he will enjoy just as much as a battery operated toy. What's available in no battery ‘go' toys?
Suggestion: AUTOMOBLOX MINIS 3-PACK Mix and rebuild these modular, modern take on the classic wooden car. Funky and collectable. MSRP $35.99
