DaGeDar - a Review and Giveaway

Have you heard of this new toy - DaGeDar? I hadn't heard of it until a few weeks ago, when we were invited to check it out. "A game of speed, challenge, and above all racing, DaGeDar is unlike any toy you’ve ever seen before. Each DaGeDar is made from a weighted ball bearing, and has a character face and code."

The story behind DaGeDar and Dimension 33 was sort of interesting to read - I never new so many things were tied to the number 33.

When the box arrived and I told my son that I had a new game for him, he was excited to open everything. He had everything stacked and ready to open, as soon as we gave him the okay to open them after dinner. (My daughter, of course, wanted in on the fun too - "it's not fair" is one of her favorite expressions. Funny how she doesn't seem to find it unfair when she gets something and he doesn't.)

We assembled the High Speed Score Zone Raceway and some of the balls. You release the balls down the ramp, they do a loop and then jump from the track to the scoring zone. The technique and skill of the "Ballers" come into play as they adjust the ramp position. We soon learned that too steep or too flat weren't good options - once you found the right angle, the ball had the right speed to complete the inverted loop and to jump into the 100 point score box. At first, the unsupported ramp seemed a little awkward, but we soon positioned it against the couch in our basement. This way, it doesn't topple over between turns.

The kids seemed to really enjoy the High Speed Score Zone Raceway. Next, we opened the Rapid Fire Power Launcher, which can be played on it's own or hooked onto the Raceway in place of the ramp. I found that my kids had a little trouble releasing the ball with any force. I was able to do it, but for my 4 and 7 year old, they weren't getting the right pull and release to make it happen. We quickly returned to the ramp on our Raceway.

There are some features that I really like about the toy. First, NO BATTERIES! Second, I like that there are several series of DaGeDar balls, that the kids can collect and trade. They even sell carrying cases that will allow you to easily transport up to three balls. Third, I like to believe that playing with the ramp and seeing when the ball will and won't make the inverted loop and the way the speed impacts where the ball lands in the scoring zone will make physics touchable - certainly, I'm not suggesting that kids will fully understand the physics behind it, but much like the displays at the science center, the hands on experience still builds a seed in their brain that someday will make the Physics and Calculus seem more relatable.

Here is what my son has to say:

"I like DaGeDar because it is a good toy to play with when you are bored DaGeDar is fun too. I like how the DaGeDar balls can race to the finish! I like the dragon ball I want the skeleton horned fire ball and the mummy one too with another ball case as well. And two more tracks called stunt jump track and battle jump raceway."

I think that he was missing some punctuation and sentence structure, but it is summer and he is still only 7 (even if he does point out that he will be 8 soon).

I feel that DaGeDar is one of those toys that the kids will have interest in for a while, lose interest in and then find again. I have seen this happen with other toys - including a car track that my son got when he was much younger. So far, I have found that they will play with it for a little while and then be done - it won't fill an afternoon the way some toys will. I do wonder though, when my son's friends come over if it will have a renewed and extended interest. Sharing the track with his sister certainly isn't as much fun as competing against a buddy. Also, as his friends learn about DaGeDar and if they start to get their own Balls, I think that it will further heighten his interest in the toy.

The DaGeDar website features a whole section on how to play with the DaGeDar - including an elimination tournament for up to 15 friends. I think it could be fun to have a few of the tracks and have competitions to see who could master each one.

Giveaway!
One lucky A Busy Mom of Two reader will receive a DaGeDar basic ball set and a spinner or carrying case to enjoy with their family.

To enter: Leave a comment sharing who would get to play with the DaGeDar.

Additional Entries (please leave a separate comment for each entry):

Follow ABusyMomofTwo on Twitter.

Tweet about this giveaway. You may complete this entry once per day. (You may use the following or write your own: Enter to win a DaGeDar Basic Ball Set. @ABusyMomofTwo. Ends 8/11 http://bit.ly/qRMDHt)

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Share this giveaway with friends - on your blog, on Facebook or by posting it on a giveaway link-up. Leave me a comment letting me know how you shared or leave a link to the giveaway link-up. You may have one additional entry for each giveaway linky that you submit it on.

Leave a comment with a link to your blog where you have either my button or have a link to A Busy Mom of Two in your blog roll.

Giveaway will remain open until August 11th at 6 pm. Giveaway is open to residents of the US only. One winner will be selected using a random number generator. The winner will be contacted by e-mail (be sure to leave one!) and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be selected.

No compensation was received for this post. We received DaGeDar balls, raceway and accessories through MomSelect and BSM Media. The DaGeDar Basic Ball Set and Spinner or Carrying Case is being provided for the Giveaway. All opinions expressed are mine or those of my family.

FyrFlyz

Recently, we had the opportunity to check out a new toy called FyrFlyz.

When you look at the toy, sitting on the counter,

it doesn't seem like there is much to it. But, when you turn on the two LED lights and head into a darkened space, you can create quite a light show.

You can check out the cool light show my 8-year old did with one FyrFlyz:


Both of my kids have really enjoyed playing with these toys. I am sure there is a "technique" to create each of the many tricks that they share on the package and on their website, but we mostly just played with them and probably never did the same thing twice. That was okay with us, we had a great time just playing.

The toy is being released this summer and should retail for under $10. Select Toys'R Us are carrying them currently, but the toy is planned for national release in August.

No compensation was received for this post. We received two FlyrFlyz through MomSelect & BSM Media. In addition, my son will receive a gift card for submitting a video. All opinions expressed are my own or those of my family.

Boysterous Action Figures - Review and Giveaway

When I was younger, I remember my brother's playing with action figures. They had a variety of action figures. Action figures can be a great way for boys to play both with others and independently. They can create scenes and events for them and really use their imagination.

The new line of action figures called Boysterous from Manhattan Toys are no exception. The Boysterous line is a sports-minded series of action figures. There is one that plays football, soccer and hockey and ones that skateboard and snowboard. There is also an Extreme Sports Zone accessory available, that serves not only as a playing field for the various sports, but also is a convenient zipped storage case to allow for easy clean-up and transport of the action figures.

When we received a couple of the Boysterous action figures the other day, my kids were very excited. They could hardly wait for me to remove them from the package so that they could start to play.

It didn't take long for us to discover that magnets were used to allow them to interact with their props. We first realized it with the snowboarder, whose board is metal. Then, we discovered that the soccer player had magnets in his feet and a magnet in the ball too. My son discovered that if he held the soccer player about 1/2" from the ball and just above the playing field, that the magnet would "push" the soccer ball down the field.

Soon, they were playing soccer, my son using the soccer player and my daughter using the snowboarder. They really liked that they had a sports field on which to play soccer with their action figures. The sports zone can either be laid flat to be a soccer field or flipped over then could be zipped up part way to either form a half-pipe or if we inverted that, to become a hill for the snowboarder.

I asked my son what he thought after a few days and he asked if he could type his review, so here are my son's thoughts:

I like the Boysterous action figures because you can make them do really cool tricks that nobody on earth can do. I like how there is a magnet in the feet and the accessories. I like the case because it turns into a course on each side. I like how when you zip it half way it turns into a ramp for your skate boarder and snow boarder.

You can find Boysterous Action Figures at a Specialty Store near you and online at www.manhattantoy.com. You can see the action figures at play on the Manhattan Toy You Tube Channel.

Giveaway!

You have the chance to win one Boysterous Action Figure, courtesy of Manhattan Toy.

To enter: Visit Manhattan Toy and then leave a comment with another toy that you think your child (or nephew, neighbor, grandchild) would like.

Additional Entries (please be sure to leave a comment for each additional entry):
Like Manhattan Toy on Facebook
Follow Manhattan Toy on Twitter.
Follow A Busy Mom of Two on Twitter.
Tweet the following: Enter to win a #Boysterous Action Figure from @manhattantoy, ends 5/3, http://bit.ly/hf8Rgr #mamabzz (can be done once each day)
Share this giveaway on your blog.
Share this giveaway with your friends on Facebook.

Giveaway ends 5/3 at 6 pm and is open to US residents only. Winners will be selected using Random.org random number generator. The winners will be contacted by e-mail (Please make sure that your email address is either in your comment or clearly visible on your profile or blog) and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner may be selected.

No compensation was received for this post. We received two Boysterous Action Figures and an Extreme Sports Zone from Manhattan Toys through MamaBzz for the purpose of playing with them and sharing our feedback. Manhattan Toys also is providing the Boysterous Action Figure for the giveaway.