Child's
Play
BY SUSAN
WICKSTROM
BLAST OFF
Kids love rockets, but parents usually discourage the
use of fire and explosives that make those rockets go. Here's
a rocket launcher that uses more gentle means to get that
projectile aloft. AirHogs Hydro Rockets'
Air Pressure
Water Rocket ($40, The Discovery Channel Store, 700
SW 5th Ave., 222-0015) is their highest-flying water rocket
ever, shooting plastic rockets 150 feet in the air. The
device has an auto-fill water-loading system and a safety
feature that restricts rockets from flying anywhere but
straight up. NASA should be so lucky.
GUYS AND DOLLS
Sesame Street's Monsterpiece
Theater recently presented the classic musical Guys
and Dolls and Girls and Trucks. The moral of the story
is, toys don't have to be gender-specific. Little girls
and boys alike will enjoy playing with a Wooden A-Frame
Doll House ($99, Child's Play, 907 NW 23rd Ave., 224-5586).
This spacious two-story home, built by Plan, is sturdy
enough to withstand practically anything a kid has to
throw at it (except maybe a little sibling). The company
also makes furniture and accessories to fill all the rooms.
The high-quality hardwood and movable parts are enough
to spark domestic creativity in anyone and prepares every
kid for a future as a homemaker. If a boy balks, just
call it an "action-figure house."
FELINE GROOVY
Both generations on either side of the almighty boomers
know Felix
the Cat, the wonderful, wonderful cat. But most kids
today can't tell Felix from Garfield, Heathcliff or even
Sylvester. (They do know that coy Hello Kitty, bien
sur.) Introduce kiddies to the sleek, squeaky feline
with a Felix the Cat Backpack ($37, The Cat's Meow,
3538 SE Hawthorne Blvd., 231-1341). Your kid will never
have a problem finding this backpack in a pile. At first,
she might act like she doesn't like the foreign object,
but it will help establish the notion that it's cool to
be different. Soon, her girlfriends will be ditching Sanrio
as they discover the sheen of vintage character.
PLASTIC FAMILY VALUES
Now that Barbie's
40, she'd better push out some tots, and pronto. She's
certainly got the pad for a shiny, towheaded family. The
luxurious Barbie Family House ($44.99, Toys R Us,
935 Lloyd Center, 335-5955) includes such modern updates
as a ringing telephone and beeping microwave. A cool rotating
island creates different rooms and a huge playing area.
The painted-on pets never have accidents; the plates on
the breakfast nook table can't be smashed in anger. Instill
a sense of Stepford domesticity in your favorite preteen
(don't worry, she'll grow out of it eventually) with this
perfectly plastic abode that folds up for easy portability.
Polymer au pair not included.
WALK AND ROLL
Ask any 1-year-old what he wants
for Christmas, and if he could talk, he would tell you
he wants to walk. Give that aspiring toddler the gift
of perambulation with a Radio Flyer Walker Wagon
($49.95, Kids at Heart, 3435 SE Hawthorne Blvd.). The
principle is the same as Grandma's walker: A bar helps
the baby to remain upright, wheels allow him to move forward.
The sturdy wagon has a solid natural wood body and sides,
a tubular steel pushbar and a pullrope. After the tot
has mastered the toddle, lose the pushbar and his little
pals will be none the wiser. The walker wagon becomes
a plain old hauling vehicle--the perfect tool for teaching
kids to pick up after themselves.
SLAM DANCING
So your teenager wants to box, but
they kicked his fight club out of the park. Let him work
out his aggressions via the Roboxing Fighters ($35,
The Sharper Image, 700 SW 5th Ave., 228-4110). This updated
version of the classic Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots pits two
10-inch-tall plastic robots against each other. Players
control their arms and legs with wired remotes. The robots
can employ hooks, jabs, crosses and uppercuts combined
with fancy footwork. A solid hit to the knockout button
in the center of the robot's chest cuts off the power,
leaving the droid a little more than punch drunk. Solo
boxer-wannabes can practice on a freestanding punching
bag. Playing with these crafty pugilists may not be as
intoxicating as a genuine, under-the-bleachers, after-school
boxing match, but parents will probably save big on dental
bills.
LIFE'S UPS AND DOWNS
Super parents are always searching
for the perfect toy for the super baby. This is it. The
Original Roller Coaster ($45, Finnegan's Toys &
Gifts, 922 SW Yamhill St., 221-0306) is an award-winning
toy that is now a classic. Tots push painted wooden beads
along brightly colored wire tracks that curve crazily
around each other. This cool imagination kick-starter
develops hand-to-eye coordination, fine and gross motor
skills, dexterity, counting skills, and color and shape
recognition. Parents will have as much fun playing with
it as the tyke. And when super baby grows up, she can
put this beautiful piece of art in the waiting room of
her brain-surgery practice.
KIDS AT WORK
Driving in Portland these days feels
like traveling from one construction war zone to another.
Well, if you can't beat 'em, buy your favorite kid the
Little Construction Zone ($43.95, Thinker Toys,
7882 SW Capitol Highway, 245-3936). This incredible kit
for kids 4 and older can transform any area into a make-believe
ODOT work site--just what you always wanted in your living
room. You can always give it to your brother's kids. The
authentic set comes with an adjustable hardhat, an orange
safety vest made from 3M Scotchlite reflective material,
a working flashlight, a reversible SLOW/STOP sign and
traffic cones. It's just the ticket for your next driveway
project, or to get the neighborhood bicyclists to slow
down.
