Lego

We've just had our latest range of Lego in. Below is a selection:

Star Wars Elite Clone Trooper & Commando Battle Pack - $22.99

The Separatists have sent a new droid enemy to attack the forces of the Republic, but the clone army's elite troopers have a new weapon of their own: the powerful Republic artillery cannon! With elevating turret and flick missile, those clankers will be running for cover! Includes 4 minifigures: ARC trooper, ARF trooper and 2 new enemy Commando Droids.
Released 30 Jan 2012


Lego Alien Conquest - UFO Abduction - $49.95

Stop the alien abduction in the LEGO Alien Conquest UFO Abduction (7052)! The alien defense unit soldier is on a mission to stop the UFO as it tries to abduct the poor farmer! Watch out, the UFO's illuminated tractor beam is fired up to capture him! Fire the flick missile before the alien brings the frightened farmer on board and spins his ship into space. If the UFO lands on the farmer, he'll be trapped inside!

Contains:
3 minifigures: alien defense unit soldier, farmer with pitchfork and alien trooper
UFO features an illuminated tractor beam
Includes LEGO bricks to build roadblocks
Land on minifigures to take them prisoner in the UFO with the abduction function!
Contains 211 pieces


Lego City Off-Road Fire Engine & Fireboat

A small boat is burning in the harbour! Use the quad bike to spot fires, then drive the big off-road fire truck to the shore and unload the fire boat. Speed quickly out to the scene using the fire boat?s powerful twin motors!









Lego Racers Crazy Demon - $15.99

Behind the wheel of his powerful red Crazy Demon monster truck, Devon Daredevil is ready to prove that he's more than a match for anyone in the Monster Truck Arena. See Devon get ejected out of his monster truck whenever he crashes into obstacles and other vehicles! Set includes Devon Daredevil minifigure.





Lego Racer Nitro Predator - $15.99

Monster truck driver and action maniac, Nitro Nick, is ready to crash his super-fast green Nitro Predator monster truck into any obstacle in the monster truck arena. Send him flying through the air as he gets ejected from the crashes! Set includes Nitro Nick minifigure.
Includes Nitro Nick minifigure
Features giant wheels and eject function
Turn minifigure’s head to reveal different facial expressions!
Eject the minifigure when you crash!
Measures over 4” (12cm) long, 3” (9cm) high and 3” (10cm) wide






Lego Creator Mini Digger - $9.95

Move dirt with the bucket that raises and lowers, steer with the articulated body and check out the detailed engine in back of the mini digger! Rebuilds into a cool off-roader or tow truck. Comes in a handy reusable storage can. The LEGO Creator Mini Digger features:Unique articulated steering action Raising/lowering bucket Detailed engine 3 models in 1: Rebuilds into an off-roader or tow truck Comes in a handy reusable storage can 57 PC





Lego Creator Mini Plane - $9.95

Be king of the skies with the super-agile mini plane with spinning propellers! Rebuilds into an ultra-light airplane or sleek speedboat. Comes in a handy reusable storage can.










Lego Creator Mini Fire Engine - $9.99

Save the day! Answer the call to be a hero with the Mini Fire Truck, complete with moveable ladder and yellow water hose! Rebuild it into a fire chief’s off-road vehicle or a fire rescue helicopter. Comes in a handy reusable storage can.

3 models in 1: rebuilds into a fire chief’s off-road vehicle or a fire rescue helicopter
Includes a reusable storage can
Lift and rotate the ladder!
Measures over 7cm (2") long




Lego Hero Factory JawBlade - $15.99

Warning! JAWBLADE has broken out of the Hero Factory and has escaped to water planet Scylla. With crushing jaws, razor fins and magma blades, he’s really in his element. You can cuff him and return that overgrown tadpole to the Hero Factory! Good luck!
Features power jaw, razor fins and magma blades
Highly flexible and poseable design
Operate the crushing jaws!
Includes unique code worth 200 game points for LEGO Hero Factory BREAKOUT game
Battle with hero 6293 FURNO!
Combine with 6293 FURNO for an even bigger model!
Over 11” (30cm) long



Lego Hero Factory SplitFace - $19.99

Heroes, we hope you’re receiving this message! SPLITFACE has escaped and is trying to disrupt Hero Factory communications. Equip yourselves with anything you need to combat his vicious shredding claw, plasma gun, precision laser and split personality and stop him before it’s too late. Failure is not an option!
Features shredding claw, plasma gun with shooter, precision laser and dual-face mask
Highly flexible and poseable design
Fire the plasma gun shooter!
Includes unique code worth 300 game points for LEGO Hero Factory BREAKOUT game
Battle with the hero 6217 SURGE!
Combine with 6217 SURGE for an even bigger model!
Stands over 7” (18cm) tall!

New for 2012

For our first post of the year, I thought I'd show you a selection of some of the new things that have just arrived.

Firstly, there's the Baby Zoo night light.

Teaching kids to get to sleep at night can be tough – often it’s an issue with the dark and not wanting to be alone in the dark! This night light is the perfect bedtime companion.
‘Gus’ the turtle is safe to cuddle in bed as it does not get warm and it automatically shuts off after 10, 20 or 30 minutes. There are two brightness settings so the light can offer a soft or bright glow. Comes in purple and green.

Next we have these Meccano Robots (from $24.95).

These are great for boys 8+, come in two different sizes and in their own little tin. Get one and build your own robot from the instructions or collect them all, and freestyle your own customised mega-robot. Great value at $24.95 for the small robot.





We've also got Zoobs (from $24.95). These have been flying off the shelves in the past week so look like being one of the hot toys for Brisbane kids in 2012.

ZOOB pieces snap, click, and pop together 20 different ways, so there's no limit to what kids can build. And because ZOOB pieces can move, kids can play with their creations, instead of just looking at them.
ZOOB is great for boys and for girls, and its open-ended building encourages kids to learn, explore, and create using the most important tool of all: their imaginations.

ZOOB pieces are intuitive, easy-to-use, and packed with educational value, a factor that is becoming increasingly important to parents as they select, or approve, toys for their children. For while kids are playing with ZOOB, they improve their abilities with spatial relationships, modeling, motor skills, creative visualization, and problem-solving.

In fact, ZOOB pieces have an educational birthright: their design is based on a living and natural system—the nucleotides found in DNA that are the building blocks of life—and their mobility mirrors the natural movement of people, animals, and machines. This mobility also enhances ZOOB’s educational value, by allowing children to see an assembly as it moves, and by demonstrating the movement of biological, anatomical, and mechanical parts.

ZOOB pieces are easy enough for 6 year-olds to play with, and academically robust enough for educators to use them to model items such as DNA double helixes, anatomic parts, and architectural or mechanical designs.

You can get a zoobmobile racer set or a mini 4 wheeler or just get the basic connector set and create whatever you want.

Check out their video on youtube:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=gadpr6N9r7g











HackySacks - $11.95

You can use these little footballs for skills training by yourself or for playing keepy-uppy with friends. The classic hacky sack circle consists of two or more players that keep the footbag off the ground without using their hands. Some common tricks include stalls, bag daggers, lifts, loops, ham spalts, and milk tosses.
The idea of the game is similar to traditional South East Asian games, such as Sepak Takraw and Sipa - we saw some middle aged guys play this in Thailand last year - they were having a ball.

However, they weren't as good as this guy:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-8tatHXJHw

Build an Electric Air Trike/Chopper - $21.95 (ages 8-12)

If you’ve got brainy kids, they’re guaranteed to love Technokits! Technokits are fun, easy-to-follow science projects that will keep your mini-geniuses occupied for hours on end. Who knows – maybe you’re encouraging the next Albert Einstein?

In no time at all, a futuristic, propeller-powered Air Trike will be whizzing around your kitchen floor. All you need is this Build an Electric Air Trike Technokit, a couple of batteries…and, of course, a brainy kid…

Craft

We have some new craft things in. Make your own puzzles, peg dolls, finger puppets, fairy masks - from $0.30






Albert's Insomnia Card Game

A great new game designed by a dad who wanted to make math fun. He did a great job.
The game is very simple: Deal a collective set of cards for every player to use. Taking turns, the group has to count from 1 to as high as you can go in numerical order by adding, subtracting, multiplying or dividing the numbers on the cards in any combination. The game can be simple for kids just learning math or more complex for older kids. It’s even great for parents who rely on calculators way too much.

It’s got many great game attributes:

Easy to learn
Fast paced
Multiple levels of difficulty
Great for small or large groups.
Holds attention span
FUN


There is an instructional video on youtube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=hg-OdH_5SqE#!



Mould & Paint your own Cupcakes - $19.95 Ages 5+ (with adult supervision)

This crafty kit allows your artistic side to shine! Mix the plaster, molds it into 6 fanciful cupcakes. Now decorate them with the lovely assortment of paints provided. While the paint is drying, you can plan which will be the refrigerator magnet and which ones will be lovely brooches. And you did it yourself!








Usborne Books - Improve your Spelling ($12.95)

Full of clear and simple explanations, this series helps to unravel the rules and regulations of the English language
Bright and lively illustrations make learning enjoyable for anyone trying to improve their English language skills
Useful to children and adults alike, these books tackle those tricky language problems such as hyphens and apostrophes
Puzzles, quizzes and Internet links enable readers to test their skills and check their progress



Create-a-Craft Wooden Race Car ($15.95) Ages 4+

Create a one-of-a-kind keepsake with the Melissa and Doug Create-A-Craft Wooden Race Car Kit! This fun craft kit includes everything you need to easily assemble a race car model. Use the included paint, paintbrush, and stickers to create a unique and colorful toy! The Create-A-Craft Kit makes a perfect party or rainy day activity.





Miaou Matou - $21.95 (Ages 3-6)

Miaou Matou is a modern version of the traditional game of Snap. Like all Djeco toys and games Miaou Matou is extremely colourful and fun to play. The aim of the game is to match the kittens to the cats in the fastest time. The winner of each round wins a mouse token and the game ends when one of the players has 5 mouse tokens. The kitten cards are placed face up and the cats are placed face down. Each player chooses 2 of the large cats and must find the kittens related to that pair. For example if you have a red and a blue cat you need to catch the kittens with red and blue body parts. The player who collects 3 kittens first calls out "Miaou" and the round stops. If the kittens correctly match the cats that player wins a mouse token.

Check out the video here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4kNVkfd1sPc


Hi Han - $29.95 (Ages 4-8)

No kids party is complete without a game of pin the tail on the donkey! this gorgeous version from french toy company, djeco, features a beautifully illustrated donkey poster, a fabric blind-fold and 16 card donkey tails - everything that you'll need for hours of entertainment and laughter.



details:
- colourful donkey poster
- fabric blind-fold
- 16 donkey tails
- sticky dots
- cardboard storage envelope




Wikki Stix

Wikki Stix are made of hand-knitting yarn enhanced with a microcrystalline food-grade, non-toxic wax, the kind used in bubble gum and lipstick. They do not contain latex, gluten, nor peanut or other nut oils or byproducts which makes them an ideal creative activity toy for children with allergies.

How do they work?? - they stick! No glue, no paste, no mess. Just press them down with light fingertip pressure and they will adhere to almost any smooth surface. They are also easy to peel up and reposition so “mistakes” virtually disappear, which helps build self-confidence. There is no preparation, no clean-up, no mess. Press ‘em down, peel ‘em off… it’s that simple!

Wikki Stix appeal equally to boys and girls, and span a wide range of ages, from 3 to 103! They are perfect for quiet, independent play, or interaction with others. They help enhance learning through hands-on kinesthetic involvement. They stimulate the imagination and creativity in everyone! And.. there is no right or wrong way to play!

See the video here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Fi5OxMs1yo

More Christmas Ideas Part 3 (aka things we couldn't cram into the catalogue)

Here is a selection of some of the best Christmas gifts that Crackerjack has in store but never made it to the catalogue



Chimp and Zee Makeover Friends Girls Ages 4+
$22.95

Chimp and Zee makeover friends craft kit includes 3 craft dolls, 3 plastic bases, rug wool/ribbon/beads/stickers, box play scene with with double-sided display panel, 5 coloring sheets, dowel and instructions (crayons not included). Use your imagination in designing clothes, hairstyles, even a very cute rug. Strong chunky pieces mean this make-and-play set will endure lots of use. Best of all the box becomes the perfect place to display your rose cottage friends. If you want, play right away (one side of each piece is pre-decorated).


Schylling Tin Musical Box Boys and Girls Ages 3-4
$11.95

Another classic traditional toy that could have come straight from the Toys Maker’s workshop in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Turn the handle on this traditional tin toy to hear the tune. Children will love the brightly coloured illustrations and easy turn handle on this quality toy which has been safety tested in Germany.








Captain William Lubber’s Pirateology Handbook Boys
$23.95

A cabin boy's course in pirate hunting. Take heed, cabin boys, for you are the pirate hunters of tomorrow. Disclosed inside is my complete course in pireateology for all cabin boys who are eager to track down villainous pirates on the high seas. It will take you through a series of seafaring lessons, allowing you to progress through the ranks until you are qualified to become the captain of your own pirate-hunting vessel. Mark well my words, and together we will destroy the scourge of piracy once and for all! Captail William Lubber.



Bitty Blossoms Bobble Dolls Ages 6+
$34.95

With paint, markers and a few Asian inspired accents, you can create a trio of beautiful bobbles. Add personality to your dolls with dimensional accessories, including: paper flowers, bows, a fan, pompoms and an umbrella.








3D Solar System Mobile Making kit Age: Boys Age 7 +

Solar System Mobile Kit. An inspirational science craft for the whole family. Build your very own designed solar system mobile which revolves and glows in the dark.
Mobile is 75cm x 75xm when built. It's amazing! Contains full set of snap to build, no glue needed solar system plastic planets, full set of easy-to-assemble hanging structure and hanging Lines, 2 paint strips, glow paint, paint brush, bonus wall chart with fun facts of solar system (size:42cm x 60cm), painting and assembling instruction sheet.












1001 Bugs to Spot Boys and Girls Ages 4-8
$19.95

Crawling with bugs to find, count and talk about, this fascinating Usborne picture book provides hours of puzzle-solving fun. Spot beetles scurrying across desert dunes, butterflies flitting through the jungle, caterpillars munching on leaves, and many, many more bugs! Perfect introduction for the younger readers

Solar System Mobile Kit. An inspirational science craft for the whole family. Build your very own designed solar system mobile which revolves and glows in the dark.
Mobile is 75cm x 75xm when built. It's amazing! Contains full set of snap to build, no glue needed solar system plastic planets, full set of easy-to-assemble hanging structure and hanging Lines, 2 paint strips, glow paint, paint brush, bonus wall chart with fun facts of solar system (size:42cm x 60cm), painting and assembling instruction sheet.



Hot Wheels Race Case Boys 3+
$29.95

The best way to carry around and store you Hotwheels

















Rory’s Story Cubes Boys and Girls 8+ (BEST SELLER)
$19.95

Our daughter (aged 7 ¾) loves these!! Rory's Story Cubes is a pocket-sized creative story generator, providing hours of imaginative play for all ages. There are infinite ways to play with Rory's Story Cubes - Try them as a party game or ice-breaker, for literacy development, speaking and listening skills, creative inspiration, a mental workout or problem solving. Anyone can become a great storyteller and there are no wrong answers. Simply roll the cubes and let the pictures spark your imagination.





Freckled Frog Cubby
$59.95

The Playhouse encourages imaginative play for children aged 1 and up. Great for indoors and out, The Playhouse is made to fit over a standard card table, making it is easy to fold away for convenient storage when not in use. Machine washable.





Discoveroo Market Stall Ages 3+
$79.95

A beautiful little stand complete with 6 wooden baskets and 6 mini chalk boards. The stand is 50cm tall and wide. Made of Plantation Bass Wood.











Rock+Paper+Scissors Scented Pens
$4.95

Why use your average everyday pen . . . when you can have these amazing Snifty Scented Pens! The scent is embedded in the tip and clip. Available in eight delicious scents: Bubblegum, Strawberry, Cupcake, Donut, Choc Chip Cookie, Raspberry & Blueberry.






Rock+Paper+Scissors Stapleless Stapler
$7.95

You’ll never need to rummage around to refill your stapler again!
We love this compact and cute staple-free stapler cleverly punches and folds a small oval, locking the pages together. No metal involved, so recycling’s a breeze.





Pin Art
$12.95

Retro 3d sculpting fun for Kids and Dads. Possibly the best value toy in the shop,













Mudpuppy Piggy Bank
$24.95

Money Box decorated with robots and split into three sections for savings, spending and sharing
What could me more fun than shaking your piggy bank to hear the change rattle around! And with these banks, you’ll have funds to share, to spend, and to save.
This Robots bank is what cyborgs use to save up for crankcase oil and new bearings.
These heavy laminated paper on board banks have a metal clasp, colorful padlock and keys, and best of all, a hinged lid so they don’t have to be smashed to make a withdrawal!
The money box is divided into three sections, “spend”, “save” and “share”. The box is made of at least 70% recycled content and is printed with non-toxic soy based inks.









Iron Robot rubber Ages 5+
$1.95

One of the cheapest things in the shop! I wish I had one of these when I was a kid.












Secret Agent Write & Wipe Activity Kit Ages 7-10
$29.95

Secret Agent things are very popular this year and this kit is no exception.
It's an undercover world of secrets and espionage - and great games to keep any detective busy for hours!
Each carry-along tote (9" x 8 12/") is 17 spiral-bound pages of fun activities for 1 or 2 players - Hangman, Code Breakers, Mazes, NIM, Story Fill-ins, and more. Tote is constructed of heavy laminated board and comes with 2 write & wipe pens and clean up cloth.

Our Best Sellers this Christmas

In reverse order, here are our best sellers this year (none of which will break the bank):


15 Ever Earth Interchangeable Car Ages 36 months-3 years
$24.95

Ever Earth is one of our favourite brands at the moment. Stylish, fun, environmentally friendly and fair-trade!!
This EverEarth Interchangeable car can be a Racing Car, Bulldozer or a Dump Truck. 3 cars in one!
Kids can use their imagination to create whichever car type they want.
EverEarth Interchangeable Vehicles help develop fine motor skills and are a great toy to introduce children to building.
The set includes 8 pieces.
Everearth uses renewable rubberwood and wood certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)
and only uses water based paint that is safer for kids and cleaner for the environment than traditional oil based paint.
EverEarth uses environmentally friendly soy bean ink on product packaging and assembly instruction and 70% of all packaging for toys is recycled paperboard.
The company also complies with ISO 14001 Environmental Management and adheres to the highest socially responsible practices for its workers.


14 Puppy Sticker Kits Ages 4+
$9.95

A fun little kit for making your own sturdy paper-doll puppies by yourself or with friends! With three stand-up puppies, 3D dog houses, cosy dog beds and 69 glittery stickers, there's plenty of fun for everyone. Create these cute little puppies and then watch imaginations take flight!






13. Zingo Ages 4-8
$35.00

This creative wonder is sure to entertain kids for hours. Players try to fill their Zingo! cards with matching tiles from the Zingo Zinger. The first player to fill his/her card wins! Rules can be adjusted to favor more or less competition among players, and to vary length of time that each game takes to play. Zingo teaches shape and pattern recognition, as well as observation, and short-term memory.




12 Confetti Harmonica Age 3+
$8.95

A Lovely addition to your musical instrument box and always a favourite with children, this cute and fun Harmonica from Janod perfectly compliments the rest of the Confetti Musical Range.
Gorgeous design and quality you expect from Janod, it makes a delightful gift on its own or teamed with the Confetti design Rain-stick, Xylophone or Music Set.
Perfect to enhance the development of musical awareness through play.
All Janod toys are designed in France and manufactured to strict quality and safety standards, meeting both European and Australian requirements.



11. Ks Kids Pull Back Cars Ages 9 months+
$10.95

We thought these would be a solid and steady seller but they are flying out of the door as fast as we can re-stock them. Each vehicle features pull back and go action for hours of fun. Kids never tire of pushing and pulling these colourful cars, and is a great way to share their joy and wonder with their friends while playing. The plastic base is detachable, and each soft vehicle is machine washable.
Parenting Magazine (US) Toy of the Year

Here is the top 10... exciting isn't it?

10 Anamalz Ages 3-6
From $9.95

Designed in Australia, Anamalz are an award winning poseable hand-painted animal range made from sustainable maple and textiles. The range has just launched in the US and is one of the top selling toys over there this Christmas. Their catalogue is attached to an earlier post of ours - just check out the archives. They have an excellent website:
http://www.anamalz.com/




9. Bionic Putty Ages 4+
$9.95

After years of restless research, here is a putty formula that not only has the properties of a solid, but also a liquid and even more bizarrely - a ball!
That right, you can sculpt it and snap it like a solid, stretch it and watch it melt like ice cream or you can roll it into a ball and watch it bounce to incredible heights!
Bionic Putty has a multitude of other uses and it's not just for the kids. Great at work to ease the stress of office life or as a fun, inexpensive alternative to Silly Putty
http://www.bionicputty.tv/



8. Foxtail Sonic Balls Age 3+
$17.95

A Foxtail® that breaks the sound barrier every time you throw it. Whistles lodged in the leather-covered soft sponge ball shriek as it whizzes through the air.






7= Nano Blocks Ages 8+
From $14.95

Only available in a handful of places outside of Japan, these cool alternatives to Lego are being snapped up for Dads more than for the kids (they look great on the office computer). Space Shuttle, Guitar and Drum Kit are the big three this year. They come in three different skill levels and take between 30 minutes – 1 hour to assemble. Children as young as 7/8, who are good with their hands, can work with a parent (especially on the easy ones such as the Eiffel Tower) but to do solo, this probably suits a 12+.A nice little touch is that each pack comes with spare pieces. We also have Easter Island, Eiffel Tower, Koala, Panda and Meerkat.




7=. Kaleidoscopes Ages 2+
$12.95

Classic toys are in this year and everyone loves these













6. Roos Dress Your Doll Ages 7+
$39.95

Making dolls’ fashion is now childs play!
Roos is a unique and brand-new concept, developed by European fashion designers with a great deal of love and enthusiasm for children who want to learn how to make (dolls’) clothes themselves.
The DressYourDoll collection consists of a number of different silhouettes in
an ascending degree of difficulty ranging from 1 to 3 pairs of scissors.
With a bit of help, a seven-year-old child is able to start at the lowest
level, i.e. 1 pair of scissors.
It is sufficient to be able to cut nicely and sew a straight short line!
All silhouettes are in different prints and combinable.

http://www.dressyourdoll.be/en/home





5. Sylvanian Families Ages 4+
From $8.95

These ultra cute collectibles are loved by boys and girls and we’ve got one of the best ranges of Sylvanian Families in Australia.















4 Mudpuppy Magnetic figures Ages 5-10
$29.95

This series of Magnetic figures comes in ranges for boys (pirates) and girls (fairies). The fairy one has two fairy figures with an assortment of wings, hairstyles, dresses, and accessories to make them your own. Background scenes include a flowering landscape under the crescent moon, a flowering garden with fairy dust, a cityscape of tall buildings at twilight under sparkling stars, and a frame of vines and flowers to make the perfect fairy bower. Comes in a nice tin which makes it perfect for travel.


And now for the top three biggest sellers at Crackerjack this Christmas


3. Magical Mermaids Girls Age 4+
$19.95

These have been selling like hot-cakes since we got them in two weeks ago. A blast in the bath and cool in the pool! Place the mermaid in your pool or tub and watch them randomly spin, flip and glide through the water. Features patented random-direction motion. Requires one AA battery (not included). ASTM safety tested.



2. Spy Gear Range
From $4.95

Spy Watch, Spy Glasses, Voice Scrambler, Secret Code Kit, Lie Detetctor Kit, secret Marker Kit Everything in this range is proving a big hit this year. Great value, loads of fun!











And this years number one is...











1. Space Hoppers Ages 6+
$24.95

Another classic retro toy that’s all the rage. Perfect for the back yard. I reckon a few Mums and Dads will be showing the kids how its done after a few drinks on Christmas day.








Other best-sellers this year include: Classic Jack in the Box, Janod DIY cart, Janod Kitchen, ProGlobe illustrated Globe, Automoblox, Zoobas, Rory’s Story Cubes.


Happy Christmas!!