Angry Birds Star Wars Toy Review

Not that long ago, in a living room far, far away...

   The reviews are in. Angry Birds Star Wars toys, by Hasbro, are out in stores ready for play time. Any Star Wars nut out there will be thrilled to have any one of these toys in their home, at any age. See, I feel that any of us who still love the stories and lore of the galaxy far, far away would play with these new games from Angry Birds and Hasbro any day. So here's our take on some of the the new releases from The Cheeky House. 


ANGRY BIRDSTM STAR WARS® AT-ATTTM ATTACK BATTLE GAME
(Approximate retail price: $39.99; Ages: 5 & up. Available: Now) 

The various characters that the battle game comes with is half the fun. It takes some time and patience to set up the AT-AT, but I found I end up chatting or goofing with my young ones while we set up. The smile they get when they get a direct hit makes the set up worth it. I'll admit, it feels weird taking iconic characters like Darth Vader and R2-D2 and flinging them at an AT-AT made of plastic Tetris blocks. Seems irreverent or something. Either way, the game is fun, and after about 5 days of every day playing we're not at about every other day for about 15 minutes each. 



ANGRY BIRDSTM STAR WARS® MILLENNIUM FALCONTM BOUNCE GAME (Approximate retail price: $19.99; Ages: 8 & up; Players: 1-2; Available: Now) 

For some strange reason, I feel like I'm training my kids to be good at beer pong later in life. Their skill level is still lacking but the game play together is what makes it fun. I find that small parts are always tough to keep track of in a young home. Though, I do enjoy having anything Star Wars themed in my possession. The Angry Birds Millennium Falcon is on of those, and bouncing a Chewbacca Bird ping-pong ball at it is a load of fun.  

ANGRY BIRDSTM STAR WARS® FOAM FLYERSTM
(Approximate retail price: $9.99 ea.; Ages: 5 & up. Available: Now)

The foam flyer has been a hoot. It's not the center of any specific game, but it's been the hot potato, throw learning tool, stress ball, pre-bedtime chasing bad guy, baby chew toy, and I'm sure a few others. I picture these flying around dorm rooms or high school kid's bedrooms. They're pretty cool to have around the house.  

   Each of these are a fun diversion from the daily grind. They bring a group together, whether it's an adult party, or staying in touch with your kids. They'd make a great gift, as they're first two are just a little different than some of the games out there we're all used to. Thumbs up from The Cheeky Daddy. 

The games above were provided as a sample by a promotional company for review. All opinions are The Cheeky Daddy's. 

Board Games - Taking It Back A Few Years

“The most effective kind of education is that a child should play amongst lovely things.” - Plato

 

   Some time ago, we were gifted the board game set pictured above. The Wife and I have used it off and on since then, and it was at times a nice diversion to a young 'Lil Miss. These days, as you can see, it's being used in a more productive manner. The chutes 'n ladders game is the favorite, as the others are too complex. Checkers is next on the list. I think the point is that we're trying to take steps to encourage a WIDE variety of activities with our children. So in our home of electronics, it's been nice to take it back a few years with our array of board games.

   Our kids are already plugged in. They've been iLiving for several years now and have impressed our older generations with their tech savvy. I'm amazed how how many gaming messages are in the email outbox when my 'Lil Man is done with his turn on the iPad. I mean, how many friends does he really have to share that stuff with?

   When I watch my children play, I see how each activity can build an array of skills. Motor, social, strategy, competitive, etc. As a father, I love to see them play together. There are moments of revolution and words are had, but most of the time it's a serene environment. We usually put on some music and they play our kids friendly board games for any length of time. They play by the rules, break the rules, and make up their own rules.

   I love the diversity of what we have our little ones involved in. What sort of activities do your family partake in that we might try out? I'm "game" for anything.

 

J. 

Wooden Blocks - The Everytoy

 

 

"Paint from life, not a photograph. When you do, all the problems have been

solved FOR you. When you paint from life, YOU have to figure it all out."

- Sam Wilson, Professor at University of Utah

 

   In looking for a quote about what children play with, I remembered my old art professor saying the above. It made sense at the time, but also applies to what I'm experiencing with my children today. When I watch them play iGames, and even Mario Kart on our old Nintendo 64, I don't see them acquiring any new skills. Sure, there's some hand eye coordination. Though isn't that like calling Twinkies "food"?

 

   Now I'm the first to enjoy new technology, but when my first child came along and she was starting to play with toys, I had to make my move. As a youngster, I was playing with blocks for YEARS. Even into the electronic baseball days, I loved to make castles, forts, tall towers, etc. I felt that would be a great gift for my 'Lil Miss. The Wife went along with it, but wasn't sure it would be all that popular. It was a hit, for years, and has been passed on to my 'Lil Man (pictured above). The Wife has declared it to be the single greatest indoor toy for the past 5 years. THAT'S sayin' something!

 

 

   The one's we got happened to be from Toys R Us. Then there's the one's with the letters on them here. Either way, I see how my daughter benefited from the creativity, motor skills building, etc. Now I'm watching my son do the same. He's building 2-3 new castles a day. Each one has a new foundation, a different design, and so on. It's fun to watch. It's also fun to participate. So remember to give you kids some hands on stuff to do, away from the artificial screens. They can use both, and get a lot out of both. Have fun.

 

J. 



Indoor Hopscotch

"Do not, on a rainy day, ask your child what he feels like doing, because I assure you that what he feels like doing, you won't feel like watching." - Fran Lebowitz

   The whole family was sick late last week, and if your family is anything like ours, cabin fever sets in rather quickly. Our two little 'uns are SO active, that even in sickness they have a ton of energy. Going outside is a limited activity during days of the plague, so we find ourselves breaking out the indoor tent and couch cushions to make the ULTIMATE fort. Twenty minutes later, when that got old, I had the brilliant idea to bring the "black top" games from my childhood school years to the indoors.
   Hopscotch is what first came to mind. So I grabbed an old roll of masking tape and got to work. I had to look up the basic rules of hopscotch, but we got there in the end. 'Lil Miss was all over it and played well after I was done. Days later, she was outlining the squares on the back patio with colored chalk so she could play outside. It was great, 'cuz it's helped her to learn some rules, taking turns, tossing her marker with some accuracy, balance, etc. What's more, we kept the television off that much longer.
   Up next will be indoor four square and indoor kick ball (........ ouch! Should we do that indoors?)

J.
(p.s. Even old masking tape sticks pretty good to carpet. It DID come off, but I got worried for a minute there.)