Christmas is coming and we hope Santa brings the Disney Leap Frog Zippity Learning System to our house.   Think of a child’s version of the Nintendo Wii, with a game mat and some education mixed in with the fun.  We had the opportunity to review the Zippity Learning System this weekend, and had a blast!  Like all Leap Frog products, there is an educational component to the Zippity, coupled with a variety of games that the kids can have a lot of fun with.  After a lot of playing, here are our impressions:  Read the rest of the story...

I like to move it move it! And now, you and all of your favorite characters from Madagascar can move it in fun little go-kartz through the wild world of Madagascar in Madagascar Kartz from Dreamworks and Activision. You can choose to drive as Alex, Marty, Gloria, Melman, King Julian or the Penguins through 21 different tracks including the New York City Zoo, Shark Beach, the Plane Crash Site, and lots of others. Each of the kart drivers have their own “special” skills and powers that they use to navigate the zany single player and mulitplayer modes including a Championship race series format where you progress through tracks and unlock new tracks and characters. There is also a Quick Race mode where you can race on any track you have unlocked, a Time Trial mode where it’s just you against the clock, a fun Move It! Move It! mode where you try to steal King Julian’s Disco Ball and move it along the track in a crazy race, and a checkpoint race. The multi-player mode allows up to four players to play together in a very smooth split-screen mode. Throughout all of the races (except the Time Trial) you and other players can crash open crates to collect power ups that either give your kart driver enhanced powers or disable your opponents with whacky “weapons” like beehives, Chimpsplosives, flaming coconuts and of course slippery bananas.  Read the rest of the story...

Buckle up your boots and strap into your snowboard, it’s time to hit the slopes with Shaun White and his friends! Ubisoft has released Shaun White Snowboarding: World Stage and it’s a flat out fun game for the whole family to enjoy.  Focused on intense competition that captures Shaun‟s riding style, personality and spirit, Shaun White Snowboarding: World Stage allows players to feel the thrill of the ride and experience the life of a professional snowboarder participating in the highest levels of competitions around the world.  From a half pipe in the middle of New York‟s Times Square to the most prestigious competitions in France, Canada, Japan and more, players can explore extraordinary mountains and iconic locations all over the world in 75 fun and unique challenges. With a ton of new events to compete in and seamless co-op multiplayer options, players can rise to the top of the world rankings with friends too.  Read the rest of the story...

If you’re like me, you’ve already been hit with catalogs and internet lists of the hot toys for kids this year. But I have two dancing Elmos packed away in the basement that tell me that just because it’s “hot” doesn’t mean the kids will like it. To counter the popular new toy lists, the Five Hens have been working on a list of toys that day after day, year after year, our kids keep coming back to. These ideas will help get you ready for Black Friday.  Read the rest of the story...