Dad Blogs - Useful Parenting Tips for Dads » Eric Cooper

Review: Arc-a-teks

Eric Cooper — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 02:59:15 +0000

Bulky. That was the first word that popped into my mind when I thought about Arc-a-teks. Now, I know that has negative connotations, but bulky is a parent’s best friend when it comes to toys. It means that pieces are easily grasped by small hands. Bulky – think of it in a different light from [...]

Review: Kimochis

Eric Cooper — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 15:18:06 +0000

I had gotten an email about reviewing a toy called a Kimochi (kim-mo-chi) – I had to look the word up, because it sounded vaguely familiar. It turns out it is Japanese for “emotion” and my years upon years of watching anime meant I had come across the word before, probably several hundred times. Of [...]

Gay Dads – New Frontier?

Eric Cooper — Sat, 30 Oct 2010 15:16:23 +0000

Well, I guess that depends on how you define “new” – gay men have been having children with women since the beginning of time (that’s a figure of speech before someone flips out and goes all crazy in the comment section). As far as two men fostering and adopting children go, that’s not necessarily a [...]

Review: Mega Blocks (80 pieces)

Eric Cooper — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 14:17:20 +0000

I hated making the comparison, as Lego has had a problem with Mega Blocks for awhile now (including lawsuits based on the design). ... These are WAY too big to be considered a choking hazard (but with all toys, please monitor your children for safety purposes – an ounce of prevention is worth a pound in cure). ... I have yet to step on one (and you know, the smaller something is, the more it's going to hurt. ... It's not often you can find a good quality building toy for one year olds, but Mega Blocks has done just that. ... For more reading about Mega Brand and Lego, here is the link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mega_Brands GreatDad.com Review Policy: The featured product for this review was provided to us, at no cost, by the manufacturer or representing PR agency for the sole purpose of product testing.

HABA: Large Basic Pack Vehicles

Eric Cooper — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 14:14:23 +0000

Then again, as you all know, I'm a sucker for open-ended toys – ones where you must use your imagination in order to play with them; there is no script, there is only the limits of what you think you can do. In the sturdy box with a handle (even the box reeks of quality), the Haba Large Basic Pack of Vehicles contains 12 building block clamps, 8 wheel clamps, 3 building block clutches and 26 building blocks. And according to the website: “For unlimited building and vehicle fun, the building blocks are great for combining with all HABA building blocks of the 4th basic size and all HABA play systems, such as building blocks and the ball track set.” ... Entertaining – you wouldn't think in this day and age kids would respond to playing with blocks of wood, but they do. ... I have HABA products that I've reviewed and ones I've bought on my own, because of the superior quality and because kids really love playing with them.

Review: Dinosaur Train All Aboard Game

Eric Cooper — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 14:08:54 +0000

We're a board game family. There, I admit it. In an age of family Wii games and the internet, there is something soothing about turning off the electrical hum that surrounds most of the day and playing a game (one with physical pieces, no less!). With more and more games coming out geared toward younger people, you have to separate the “just for fun” games from the “fun and educational” games. I prefer the latter with a smattering of the former for good measure. Sure, a game should be fun, but when it comes to youngsters, you might as well incorporate some learning time while you're at it. If more adults played games like Trivial Pursuit and less Act Like an Idiot (I'm so creating this game; it'll be a hit!), the average person may actually know who the current Speaker of the House is (this stems from a video I saw shot on the UMN campus where people couldn't name a myriad of people that run the country. I mean, really!).

Playmobil: My Take Along Puppet Theater

Eric Cooper — Fri, 24 Sep 2010 02:06:51 +0000

Ok, so you're going to see some of the snark that I mentioned earlier pop on out (later on in the post). I actually got the

My Take Along Puppet Theater before I got the Dragon Castle. There are a lot of wonderful things about this toy and at least one not-so-great ones.
Firstly, I think the toy overall is great. As a lot of you know, I really like open-ended play. It makes the child think and interact with the objects in front of them. The parent(s) can also throw different scenarios at them or create "problems" that the child has to solve. I love doing that. There's nothing better than telling your child "Oh no, the poor man fell down a broke his leg! Now how is he going to get over to the other side?" and then having them figure it out.
Now, hear me out before you make your mind up about the toy. If nothing else, I love to give you the full spectrum of a toy before I build it up or knock it down too much.

Review: Playmobil Dragon’s Land: Great Dragon Castle

Eric Cooper — Fri, 24 Sep 2010 01:47:27 +0000

I'm back – which means I've got a lot of reviews in me and, boy, has the snark really built up. Just kidding...kind of. I'm starting out with a few good products, hoping they will ease the sleeping snark-dragon back into hibernation. Speaking of dragons...

I got a few products from Playmobil. On the box, their products look like the standard Lego-esque type of toys. Having been disappointed by cheap-looking toys lately, I opened the box with only minor enthusiasm. Well, it turns out, Playmobil products are way better than they look on the box.

The
Great Dragon Castle was like the toys of yesteryear – built solid, great detail, and with a lot of “extras” built right in. My kids really enjoy the Playmobil line and the older one went crazy over the castle.

Review: Play-Doh Poppin’ Movie Snacks

Eric Cooper — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 02:28:20 +0000

The smell of Play-Doh brings me back to when I was about 7 – playing at the table…making sure to make precise cuts with a plastic knife…listening to “Don’t mix the colors – we’ll wind up with nothing but brown!” The joys of childhood in clay form. Of course, Play-Doh has really reinvented themselves since [...]

Review: Penbo

Eric Cooper — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 02:22:52 +0000

Once in a blue moon, I get a toy to review that is out of this world. I mean, most toys are fantastic because they fulfill a need: learning, mindless entertainment, or a few minutes of distraction to help mommy and daddy take a breather. Penbo is the aforementioned: it is simply fantastic. First, let’s [...]