‘Toy Story 3’ toys from re:creation
Review by Sarah Cooper
This summer is sure to be a ‘Toy Story 3’ themed one as tons of kids flock to the cinema to see the blockbuster movie. How about indulging them with ‘Toy Story 3’toys that keep their minds and bodies active?
Here is our rundown on the best Toy Story 3 toys available from recreation Plc:
Toy Story Phlat Ball Jr.: Throw a disc and catch a ball. That line basically sums up Phlat Ball. You squeeze down to push the ball in to a disc, throw as a disc and then the ball pops at random. This Phlat Ball is ‘junior’ size, which means it is smaller than the original Phlat ball and so makes it easier for one hand catching and flinging. This is a ‘Toy Story’ themed Phlat Ball so you have Buzz Lightyear’s face gracing the top and Buzz and Woody's names emblazoned around the side, alongside the ‘Toy Story’ logo. This is about the third Phlat Ball my son owns, he loves them so much he is now slowly building a collection. This particular Phlat Ball was a great talking point among the neighbourhood children. As they tossed the ball around there was conversations about how good the latest film was.
I think Phlat Ball is one of those toys that will gradually become a ‘classic toy.’ Children never bore with playing it as any form of ball games always amuses children. This costs £5.99 and is very good value for the amount of play that the children will get out of it over the summer.
There are two game ideas on the pack. ‘Phlat Potato’ being one with the objective being to be the last player in the game. The disc is tossed from player to player and the player who first touches Phlat Ball after it ‘pops’ in to a ball is out. ‘Phunky Monkey’ being the other. The objective with this game being to keep the Phlat Ball away from the “monkey”. This game is basically ‘Piggy in the middle.’
Corey, age 7 says: I love the design on this Phlat Ball. Toy Story is one of my favourite films so it’s great to have a Phlat Ball that has my favourite characters on it. My younger friends enjoy playing with the Phlat Ball Jr. version as it is easier for them to catch and throw. So we have had lots of fun over the last few weeks with this. I love the suspense of throwing the ball and not knowing when it’s going to pop. It’s also been great fun to use when we are in the paddling pool as it doesn’t matter if you get this wet unlike some other balls. We had great games of volleyball with it. I’d really recommend this to other children.
Toy Story Zeebeez : Zeebeez is another toy that my son has now quite a collection of. Zeebeez are little rubber domes which you turn inside out and drop. They pop and jump up to 6ft as they snap back in to shape. They are one of those toys that have a simple design idea behind them that works really effectively and please children no end. I think the fact that they are relatively cheap for a toy these days priced at £3.99 and accompanied with the fact that they provide an immediate thrill for children is a sure winner. They are small enough to fit in children’s pockets and so they can be easily transported on trips to the park etc. Children love collecting and this is going to be one of those toys that they are really going to want to collect.
Corey age 7 says: I LOVE Zeebeez! Lots of my friends collect Zeebeez and so it is something that we can all play and enjoy together. It’s great to collect the latest designs. I really want to get a GoGo Crazy Bones one next. They are great for taking to the park and then we all play with our Zeebeez; just popping them or seeing who can get them to jump the furthest. It’s a little toy that is GREAT fun!
Buzz Lightyear Sky Board: This toy has become a very popular toy with my son and his friends. It’s basically a foam skyboard (looks very much like a foam skateboard to me), with Buzz Lightyear perched on top. The board has a built in slingshot so you pull your finger through an elastic loop and set Buzz skating through the air, soaring high and floating gently down to the ground. It’s great to aim at distant objects and for playing in groups. He then floats down ready to be fired by the next player.
Anything with a catapult is always popular with children thanks to Dennis the Menace. So setting Buzz Lightyear sailing in to the sky through use of a catapult is very appealing for kids. Even more so when the Buzz Lightyear Sky Board can reach heights of 50ft.
Corey age 7 says: I loved the Sky board because it was such an unusual toy. All my friends have kites and Frisbees but no one had seen a toy like this before. All my friends thought it was great because of the great heights the Sky Board could get to. We even devised a game to play with this Sky board which basically involved setting a target and seeing who could get the sky board to land the nearest to it. My only advice to other children is not to pull the elastic too hard or it will break. Priced at £7.99 means that it is cheaper than most kites etc and so children will be able to afford this out of their pocket money! A great flying toy!
Toy Story Buzz Lightyear Air Twist Flying Toy: It costs £7.99 and is a great flying toy for taking to a big field. It’s a foam rocket with a weighted cockpit. You can throw the Air Twist Flying Toy over great distances and because of the cleverly designed cockpit, no matter how you throw it, it will always land cockpit down. So it looks like Buzz is safely landing the rocket. However you throw it, front or tail first, it turns in mid air to always land cockpit first. Amazingly versatile, the Air Twist can also be punched back allowing lots of trick shots and multi-player games. Easy to throw and catch one-handed with friends, then punching it and catching it. Also fun to play solo.
Corey age 7 says: This toy was great fun, being able to throw it up any shape or way and it still coming down to rest on the cockpit seemed almost magical. It made me think how clever the designers of this toy were to invent it in such a way. Again, this is a toy that can be used in many different games, so it is not just a case of throwing it and getting bored quickly. We placed cardboard on the floor with various numbers on. The aim being to get the Air Twist to land on the highest numbers; player with the highest total won. This is a very versatile outdoor flying toy. I love it!
What about when it starts raining?? The ‘Disney Games on the Go’ range is fantastic for rainy day fun! All games are based on Toy Story 3 which is even better.
All of these games were great. They all come in packs which are about the size of two small matchboxes put together, so for that reason alone these games are great for long car journeys etc. Pack them in a bag and they take absolutely minimum amount of space. The containers they come in are really sturdy and attractive, so they look great and will last a long time. If you purchase the value packs of Disney games you can even get miniature ‘bookends’ to keep all your games in order and they will look super cute on your shelves. Each of the games are really quick to set up which is always an advantage with kids and even better is the fact that each game is easy to understand which makes it quick get in to. The games are not long winded, they have a simple objective and the games don’t last for periods in which the child starts to get bored. These games average at around 15 minutes each before they are over – which for me and my son is the perfect length of time. Because they last for just the right amount of time, this leaves my son always eager to play another game of them. These games remind me of my fun childhood where instead of playing computer games, we brought out the board games and played as a family. I really can’t say enough good things about these games.
Toy Story 3 Disney Winks Game: This is Tiddly winks with a twist. You take your aim with the special flicker provided and use your character Tiddly Wink for an extra turn. The whole game is made that much more appealing for kids by the friendly faces of Buzz, Woody, Ham and Rex gracing the character Tiddly Winks. 2-4 players can play this game and it has such a simple objective no one has trouble understanding the rules. It’s great fun for even the adults and as I mentioned soon has you reminiscing.
Toy Story 3 Dominoes Game: This is Dominoes with a fun twist. In this game you have to connect the dominoes by matching the characters and by placing the dominoes in a square formation. It’s quick to learn and great fun to play! The dominoes then all fit neatly in to the slide container box. It’s brilliant!
Toy Story 3 Escape from Sunnyside Game: With a magnetic flip out game board, magnetic pieces and an inbuilt spinner this game is fantastic and because everything is magnetic and in built there’s no chance of the pieces getting lost. It’s really quick to set up and the objective of the game is to escape from the Sunnyside Daycare centre, collect your escape items by spinning the spinner and not getting caught by spinning a Lotso Bear sign. This game was a really enjoyable game and a very original game design.
Corey age 7 says: I love playing these games and at £4.99 each I am able to buy them out of my pocket money. Sometimes with games I get fed up half way through but not with these games. They are really interesting to play and of course I love that my favourite characters from Toy Story 3 feature on them. I am really looking forward to taking these on my holidays with me, as I will be able to fit all three of them in my bag with ease. I can’t wait to collect the rest of the games in this collection.
All available from Toys 'R Us