Introducing Sonny the Seal: Ring-toss fun for the family

In my family, we've joked for many years about owning a monkey because, well, haven't you always wanted a monkey? I've purchased stuffed monkeys for each family member; even Mac got one of the leftovers from the bunch purchased long before he was born.

We're all set on monkeys. And now, thanks to a new game from Goliath, we can have our fill of seals. One seal, in fact. A seal named Sonny.

Sonny the Seal is an interactive, electronic ring-toss game for ages three and up. As my regular toy reviewers—Bubby and Mac—weren't on hand when Sonny arrived at my door, I enlisted game players at a recent barbecue with friends. No, we didn't take turns tossing rings as we tossed back beers, there were actually youngsters in attendance. Youngsters the perfect age for playing Sonny the Seal.

My little guest game players, whom I'll call K and R, since they're not my children and I don't want to reveal their real names here, loved Sonny. It didn't take K, at five years old, long to figure out not only the rules—which are pretty simple: toss the ring around Sonny's neck, get a fish for each successful toss, the winner is the one and the end of the game with the most fish.

It also didn't take her long to become a pro. Form is everything, and K had form in spades.

It's harder than it sounds, as Sonny bobs and weaves erratically so you don't always know exactly how to succeed in tossing. Believe me, I'm not a successful tosser. K, though, was quite the tosser, regularly getting rings to land where they should and slide down over Sonny's tail again and again. Each time she had a successful toss, Sonny clapped his flippers and barked in joy. Then she got to take a fish. And win the game. (I must admit: I never got Sonny to bark and I never earned a fish. But I'm working on it.)

K's two-year-old brother, R, was quite enchanted by Sonny. So K took the time to teach him, and let him give ring tossing a try for himself. Being a two-year-old playing a game intended for those three and older meant R got a bit of a handicap. Meaning, he was allowed to sit right at Sonny and plop the ring on his head. Sonny was just as cheerful each time R succeeded from his starting spot as he was when K made it from hers.

While the claps and barks from Sonny are reward in themselves, K said her favorite thing about the game was the little orange fish she collected for each successful toss.

My favorite thing? The opportunity to try the game by myself, once K wasn't around to show me up and nab all the fishies. Made no difference, though, as I still couldn't manage a successful ring toss. I'm planning on using R's method next time—starting my tosses right next to Sonny. Grandmas should be allowed a handicap now and then, too, I say. At least when it comes to tossing rings onto a seal's head.

Sonny the Seal—for 1-6 players, ages 3 and up—has a suggested retail price of $29.99 and can be found at Toys R Us and other toy stores.

Disclosure: I received this game free for review. Opinions are my own, with input from my fellow reviewers.

Review: Orb Factory craft kits

When I visit with my grandsons, I try to have a craft activity planned for each day we're together. Mac isn't quite ready for crafts, but Bubby, at four years old, certainly is.

Not long before their most recent visit, I received free for review a My First Sticky Mosaics kit from the Orb Factory. It's suggested for ages three and up so it was ideal for Bubby. It even seemed easy enough for Mac to take a stab at it, with me nearby, of course.

The kit we received was the Team Rescue kit, with four different rescue vehicles to decorate with the included pre-cut sticky foam pieces and and jewels. The pieces were big enough to be fairly easy for Bubby to pull away from the backing on his own (most times) and apply where indicated on his chosen first project, the fire truck. The jewels were his favorite pieces, though, and I had to stop him a couple times from covering the entire fire truck with jewels (even in the spots indicated for gray squares or black triangles) so he'd have enough to put on the other projects—the helicopter, ambulance, and police car.

Bubby was a good brother and shared with Mac, giving him the helicopter to cover with the pieces. Mac just recently turned one year old so I had no illusions about his ability to actually finish the project or do it as he was supposed to. But he enjoyed trying to keep up with his brother.

What we loved about the project: Like I said, Bubby loved the jewels most of all. I loved the fact all the pieces were cut and sticky, so no scissors or glue were required, making for a very non-messy activity. Also, it was great each precut project (the helicopter, etc) were clearly marked so kids can see what shape and color goes where to complete the project and use the included plastic hanger for displaying.

What we didn't love so much: With 600 pieces in the kit, even when divided among the four projects, that makes for a lot of pieces per project for a preschooler. Bubby lost interest before his fire truck was done and planned to finish it later. The good thing about all those pieces, though, is that it did provide him projects for later, which I'm sure he'll enjoy doing until all the projects are done and hanging on his wall for Mommy and Daddy to ooh and aah over.

The Sticky Mosaics Team Rescue craft kit retails for $9.99 and is just one of the many craft kits available from Orb Factory designed to help kids of all ages master hand-eye coordination, pattern recognition and more.

Disclosure: I received this product free for review. Opinions are my own.

Review: 'Woody' child costume

Bubby loves the Toy Story movies. So when I was offered the opportunity to review for free any costume of my choosing from CostumeSuperCenter.com, of course I chose their "Woody Quality Child Toddler Costume" ($24.97) for Bubby to try out.

I included the free Woody costume with a couple other costume pieces (a fireman hat and a policeman hat) in the big-brother gift I presented Bubby when recently visiting him and his brand-new baby brother. I think the photos tell you better than I could what he thought of the selection from the online costume store's Toy Story Costumes offerings:

He likes it, he really likes it!

Of course, Gramma, PawDad, Mom and his aunties thought he was absolutely adorable. (It's not that Preston disagreed; he just wasn't there when Bubby first tried it on.)

What I love about the Woody costume: The soft, one-piece costume fit Bubby comfortably and wasn't too hot for the desert climate in which he lives. The colors were vibrant and the replication of the Woody character's outfit was accurate. It went perfectly with Bubby's stick horse (as would any of the other cowboy costumes available).

What I didn't love so much: Cowboys run and ride horses and sling guns like a master, all of which require extensive movement that caused Bubby's cowboy hat to fall off again and again. I commented that a string on it would have been helpful, but as Megan pointed out, that would likely be considered a choking hazard on a child's costume. Maybe a way to tighten the hat to fit a child's head would be preferable. Whatever the solution, a way to keep one's hat on would have been appreciated by the wee cowboy.

Bottom line: Bubby enjoyed the costume, regardless of the hat issue. Not only would it be an awesome Halloween costume, it's a great addition to a dress-up-and-pretend collection.