For the Kids: August 2009 Archives

It seems like a large portion of the world is crazy about the Twilight books and movies, and I certainly don't want to upset that many people. I'll be honest - I have not read any of the books, have not seen Twilight, and am not anxiously awaiting the sequel. I'm not here to make fun of those; I'm making fun of an umbrella that costs $79.99 because it features characters from the movie. That is so expensive for an umbrella!

If you want a Twilight Umbrella but don't want to pay that much, check out the $19.95 version. To browse some umbrellas that aren't part of a teen vampire craze, visit Vat19.com. They are auto-open and auto-close, which is a way cooler feature than a vampire picture.

Who doesn't love finding little surprises every once in a while? You reach into your coat pocket to put away your keys and - what is this? - a $20 bill you totally forgot about. Sweet!

The Wonderball from Channel Craft has a whole lot of these little surprises wrapped up in an unassuming ball of yarn. As you unwind it, little "trinkets of the past" like charms, jacks, and jewels are revealed. You never know what you're gonna get - how fun is that? Once you're done unwinding, you can play Cat's Cradle games or make friendship bracelets based on the instructions included with the toy. Nothing like All-American, wholesome goodtimes.

This shark-shaped tent is really neat for kids. It isn't scary looking and also isn't too cute.

How fun would it be for kids to camp out (even if it is only in the backyard) in one of these? You could bring a portable DVD player along and watch Shark Week DVDs inside the Shark Tent!

It would be neat if you could watch an amazing fireworks display at any given moment, but there simply is no substitute for the real thing! Kids might think the Fireworks Projector is fun to play with, but it would be an incredibly distracting nightlight!

Seeing images of colorful fireworks on a screen or wall cannot even compare to seeing them light up the sky. I need the entire package when I'm watching fireworks - the bright colors, the loud explosion, and the smell that lingers.

The video below is in Japanese, but at least you can see how the Fireworks Projector works and what it sounds like. For really awesome product videos in English, visit Vat19's YouTube channel.