2017 All Things Geek Spring Gift Guide

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IT’S SPRING AGAIN! So that means it’s time to do some holiday shopping and spend time outdoors with friends & family! I’ve previewed toys, games, books and apparel from a variety of manufactures so every Geek young and young at heart will find something they love!

Plasmart toys

PL-UG Ultimate Fort Kit:

My daughter LOVES to build little forts and dens. She will simply take a blanket and some chairs and disappear with a favorite book or her laptop which is great for her imaginative play and independence.

When she got her hands on the PL-UG Ultimate Fort Kit she was beside herself with joy! PL-UG is an incredibly clever concept that allows children to build almost any den they imagine. All PL-UG components are designed to connect together, totally interchangeable and can be attached to different objects around the house or garden such as tables, chairs and trees. Once you have a structure, all you then need to do is secure a sheet over the top and put your ‘keep out’ sign on the door!

The set we reviewed came with a variety of pieces that easily fit together and with a little experimentation, my second grader was designing and building her first of many forts!

So what’s in the box? Includes: x8 Rods, x4 Discs, x2 Clamps, x2 Hooks, x2 Suckers, x2 Pegs, x4 Grips, x1 Sheet, x1 Sign

The included modular pieces will allow you and your child to build any style of tent you can think up! Pl-ug Kits comprise lightweight tubes with a choice of connector discs, rods, suction cups, clamps, pegs and hooks which can be simply and securely attached to a multitude of different objects without causing marks and damage!

You can connect and attach to different objects around the house and even windows without damage. It’s as simple as discovering objects and mixing and matching the correct combo of PL-UG pieces for the build. She incorporated her own sheets and It encourages experimentation, planing and critical thinking. This is her new favorite from Plasmart, her brother and her reviewed the Watermelon Ball in my ToyFair guide. She’s already requested we order more PL-UG kits. All the kits pieces are interchangeable so she will be building bigger and more elaborate forts for the foreseeable future.

Parents will need to assist younger builders as their is a learning curve in figuring out how to best utilize the PL-UG pieces. And, the poles are sturdy but they are only plastic and need to be handled carefully, however the packaging has many examples of Forts you can attempt at first and through trial and error you can get more creative. That’s the beauty of this product. There is no “right” way to build a fort. Which is a great lesson in itself!

You can use the Amazon Prime link included.

Age 5 – 14 years

Price : $70.06

Digits in a Box:

Digits in a box is a puzzle game that utilizes ten Three Dimensional multicolored digits 0-9 that fit together in a small box. It’s a new take on that “fit the pieces back in the box” motif that is fun but can be a bit frustrating. There are supposedly 4,000 combinations but we were happy to get one! There is a trick to it I won’t give away and this is a puzzle what encourages patience, spatial relations and thinking INSIDE the box!

It’s recommend for 8 and up but adults will find themselves puzzled with this challenging puzzle activity. Not for the easily frustrated but once you get it the sense of accomplishment is euphoric! If you’re totally stumped there are on line solutions and even an on line community that exchanges solutions you might be drawn in! And the price point of $9.99 is a real value for such an entertaining family activity!

You can order from Plasmart or use the Amazon Prime link included

Age 8+

Price $9.99

MESSMATZ

MEZZMATZ is a 24 x 18 non-toxic food grade silicone creativity mat. This was one of the kids (and my) favorites! It is a thick, durable, liquid proof playarea a kid can use to paint, draw, write or eat within and not mar or stain the surface underneath. It has a1 1/2 inch lip that contains spills. Super easy to clean and store as it rolls to a 2 inch diameter. This is my go to. My boy who is an avid gamer unrolls the Mezzmat on an ottoman and has his snacks while playing his favorite games. Simlply brilliant!

Age – 0+

Price -$29.99

You can order from Plasmart

Travel Bingo:

Long Car rides can be dull, screen time cuts kids off from each other (and data isn’t cheap) so I found these Travel Bingo cards a great diversion for my twins school age kids! Bring back the glory days of childhood games with a rousing round of new-school bingo-on your next roadtrip. It keeps kids occupied by interacting with the scenery. Spot various items such as a barn, truck, stop sign, etc. Slide the “finger tip” shutter cards to mark the space. The first to get 5 in a row wins.

Age 4+

Price $9.99

You can order from Plasmart

CATCH AND LEARN: RETRACTABLE MAGNETIC FISHING GAME:

This was a fun activity we used for math facts. You can up multiple fish with the push of a button. Great for parent or teacher to test children’s knowledge and make learning fun. You can play unlimited educational games with the dry-erase fish cards. Pull the string and press the trigger to auto-retract back up. It includes Retractable Magnetic Fishing Tool 10 Dry-Erase Fish Cards Dry Erase Marker Instructions And Game Manual. This is ideal for younger kids I’d say 4-6. My 7 & 9 year old lost interest quickly but there are definite benefits for younger learners!

Age 4+

Price:$14.99

You can order from Plasmart

Zing

THUMB CHUCKS:

Thumb Chucks was one of the hottest toys introduced at the 2017 Toy Fair last month.

Think part skill toy, part fidget toy. . .all in the spirit of playground crazes line the YoYo or Hacky Sack. Two plastic “Chucks” (balls) with built-in pulse LED lights are connected by a “belt.” Wrap them around your fingers and start performing tricks!

Late last year, toy maker Zing spotted an underground happening where kids were playing with the classic Greek skill toy, Begleri (pronounced Beg-lary), performing tricks, then posting videos of them playing online. Zing is now riding that trend with the introduction of Thumb Chucks. You can also download the free Thumb Chucks app to learn cool tricks or check them out on YouTube; there is also recording feature with built-in special effects to enhance and personalize Thumb Chucks videos that kids can upload to #ThumbChucks. My boy is a fan of these and if you’re my age you remember “Cabangers”. Well thankfully THUMB CHUCKS are much more forgiving and fun to use! Take a look at the YouTube channel!

The new free Thumb Chucks app, available on iOS and Android includes over 20+ tutorials that teach users a variety of mind-blowing tricks. The app also includes an easy-to-use recording feature with built-in special effects to enhance and personalize Thumb Chucks videos. information on Thumb Chucks check out the Thumb Chucks YouTube Channel: Thumb Chucks Official or log onto ThumbChucks.Toys. Order using the Amazon link below.

Age:5+

Price:$7.99 + free app

LOOTCRATE

LOOTWEAR:

Lootcrates Mission is “To unite and inspire the world through the shared celebration of fandom.” Loot Wear delivers fun & geeky inspired apparel & accessories from your favorite movies, TV shows & games. This is my daughters favorite mystery subscription box because she’s guaranteed to have something for her typically a cookbook Geek girl accessory like her Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Purse or her Fantastic Beasts Gold Foil Scarf. There are five awesome apparel subscriptions: socks, undies, tees, wearables & for her. NEW FRANCHISE INSPIRED DESIGNS EVERY MONTH! Plus, if you see something in past crates that you like you can always acquire it while supplies last!

GETTING YOUR CRATE IS AS EASY AS 1-2-3

Lootcrate is a monthly subscription & community that delivers crates of epic gear to geeks & gamers The Original Fan-Powered Subscription Founded in 2012, Loot Crate™, Inc. is the worldwide leader in fan subscription boxes. Loot Crate partners with industry leaders in entertainment, gaming, sports, and pop culture to deliver monthly themed crates, produce interactive experiences and digital content, and film original video productions. In its first five years, Loot Crate has delivered over 14 million crates to fans in 35 territories across the globe.

STEP ONE: PICK YOUR CRATE Subscribe to just one or as many as you’d like! Cancel Anytime

STEP TWO: THEY CURATE EPIC ITEMS Lootcrate partners with great brands to deliver an epic experience every month!

STEP THREE: YOU GET THE LOOT Unbox your crate and share your experience with the Looter Community. Hit the link below to get started!

DOWNTOWN BOOKWORKS

PBS KIDS LOOK AND LEARN:BIRDS

What do Blue Jays love to eat? How are Crows and Ravens different? What is so special about Woodpecker toes? If your little Ornothologist didn’t know these things before they will once they explore nature up close with the PBS KIDS LOOK AND LEARN ! This bird watching primer has all you need to conduct a bird watching expedition in your back yard or on a nature walk! Tips for spotting and identifying common birds using size, shape, color and behavior to tell birds apart. The kit includes a 64-page book with “look and learn” boxes with factoids that spotlight bird traits in the wild, binoculars, a bird ID card and activity poster. My little nature lovers used the enclosed binoculars and laminated bird ID list card in the backyard. This was another hit from the folks at Downtown Bookworks!

You can order directly from Downtown Bookworks here

Age – 4+

Price $19.99

PBS KIDS SIMPLE CRAFTS:STICKS AND STONES

This encourages creativity, enhances counting and number sense and practice for following multistep directions! Transform acorns into adorable babies, rocks into cool creatures, and twigs into faire furniture! Each super simple project comes with step by step directions and encourages kids to go outdoors gather found materials to assemble and adorn. This was literal hours of independent creative entertainment for my girl! It includes a 48 page book with 50+ projects, 6 sheets orb felt nontoxic craft glue, googly eyes, paint & brushes.

You can order directly from Downtown Bookworks here

Age – 4+

Price – $19.99

THE OFFICIAL DC SUPER HERO JOKE BOOK

My boy LOVES this book! Fully illustrated with familiar Silver Age renderings of all his favorite Justice Leauge heroes and dastardly villains telling jokes, puns, riddles and gags enderaringly appropriate for my 9 year old! He can’t get enough of them! 

Age 6 +

Price: $12.99

You can order directly from Downtown Bookworks here

So there you have it! I’ll keep my eyes peeled for more of my favorite Pop Culture Geek wear and products in the cooking weeks as more of the ToyFair 2017 season rolls out for the summer months! Stay tuned Geek Nation!

All ART- Author/Manufacturer

video – Erik Johnson