WWE Mattel Toys Not Just For Boys

I was given the opportunity to review and keep two new toys from Mattel. One is the World Heavyweight Championship belt and the other is a Wrestle Mania Heritage Series action figure. The action figure is the Undertaker. The belt is for ages 8+ and the figure is for ages 6+.

My son had no interest in these. That wasn’t a surprise. Most toys that he likes are centered around his favorite movies. My daughter, on the other hand, loves them both. Don’t let anyone tell you that these are only for boys. As my daughter has proved, girls like them too.

In my opinion, the action figure is well made and closely resembles the real Under Taker. The tattoos are impressive, as is the range of motion of the body parts. The flexibility of the arms is my favorite feature. When I was a kid, (I know. That was a while ago) they didn’t make action figures like this. Even my husband was impressed.

My daughter loves the belt. She puts it on and belly bumps anyone in her path. I think that they could have done a better job with the belt. It comes with Velcro attached to one side, and the other one has to be placed in the spot that gives your child a perfect fit. The problem is, you can’t adjust it. Maybe Mattel thought that kids would lose interest in the belt, before outgrowing it. Given my daughter’s age, I don’t think this will be correct in her case. I think that the belt should have been made adjustable. Not only to allow for a child’s growth, but also to allow for different children to play with. As is, it would be difficult for cousins and friends to play with her belt, unless they hap

pened to be her size.

The WWE action figures and Championship belts are available in stores now. You can also purchase other items to go with them, like Ring and Kickin’ Matt.

Roller Skating Fun and Being Normal

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of taking my kids to a birthday party at the roller skate rink. It was great. My husband and I took turns with the kids. Neither one of them knows how to skate. I would walk beside one and my husband would walk beside the other.

My daughter picked up fast on what to do. It’s been a year since she was last on skates, but she is young and learns fast. My son hasn’t been on skates for over a year, too. He had forgotten what he had learned. I had to teach him what to do, again.

It was interesting to watch my husband and son together. My husband let our son clutch onto his arm and be pulled by him. My husband took our son out on the floor first, and I took our daughter. I told him that he was doing it wrong. I told him that he needed to let our son move his legs. This led to us switching kids.

It didn’t take long before I another parent told me that I could have them tighten the wheels on his skates. Normally, they wouldn’t do this, but she said that they made an exception for her son (who is also autistic). I took my son off the floor and went and asked for the wheels on his skates to be tighten.

After that, things got a lot easier and fun. My son was able to control his legs and feet better. I was able to get him to skate with only a little assistance from me. Most of all, I was able to be with my son and enjoy him having fun.

During my turn with my son on the skate floor, I noticed something that was amazing. The mothers and grandmothers that were on the sideline would encourage my son and say how great he was doing. No one looked at my son like he was different. No questioned me about him. These were complete strangers and they looked at me and my son like we were a normal mom and dad.

They didn’t know that my son was autistic. They didn’t know that teaching him how to skate was extremely difficult. All they saw was a mom teaching her child how to skate for the first time. Of course, it wasn’t our first time, but I didn’t volunteer that information. I took the praise and smiled. I continued to go around the floor with my son. No one thought my son was rude because he didn’t answer back. I’m sure they probably figured he was too busy concentrating on not falling. I knew it was because he is nonverbal. To everyone else, except those there for the party, he was normal.

I have to say, though, that the best part of the day was watching my son sit down for the cake and hotdog. He was so happy. The smile on his face was wonderful. I know that the best part of the day for him was each time dad and mom would pull him on the floor. Yes, I did treat my son for his hard work by periodically pulling him across the floor. Every time I looked at my son and husband on the floor, hubby dearest was pulling our son. We all had fun and I am so happy that I have this memory.

Nintendo DS Game Review for Shorts

I was sent the Nintendo DS game Shorts to review and keep. This game is based on the movie, Shorts and I have to admit that I have not seen the movie. This is a good thing, though. The last time I bought a game that was based on a movie, I was disappointed. It was the Wii game for Iron Man and it did not live up to the movie. I had an expectation of what I thought the game should be about, and it wasn’t.

Shorts is a delightful game that the whole family can take turns playing. The graphics are child friendly, which is a plus in my book. As an added benefit, since I didn’t see the movie, the enemy creatures in each level were a surprise. There are the boogers in level one, gators and snakes in level two, and each level after that has different creatures. The game is about navigating through a big building, defeating the creatures in each level and finding objects you need to move forward in the game.

I have not finished the game. As you go up a level, the difficulty increases. I have also noticed that there is a reason that you see more kids playing the Nintendo DS than adults. It’s because the buttons you push on the Nintendo DS are small and easier for kids to use. My adult fingers keep hitting on two keys at the same time. This can really mess up your progress in the game.

After spending time playing this game, I now understand better the attraction these games have for children. If you pick out the right games for your child to play, they can be educational and therapeutic. Playing the game Shorts can help improve eye-hand coordination, memorization, and problem solving.

Each level requires you to make jumps that have to be timed just right. You also have to remember where you have been and how to get back there. There are some doors that you need to have a key to get into. You go to one area to get the key, and then you have to back track to get to the door. If you go in the wrong direction, you may find yourself in the wrong place. There are also switches you have to activate to open up sliding doors that are blocking your way. This game is rated E (for everyone), ages 10 and up and can be purchased on Amazon for $19.99.

Learning with The Price is Right for the Nintendo DS

My son loves The Price is Right. He has been watching the show since he was a toddler. As he got older, he started noticing the games in the stores. He discovered the television game, the computer game and the Wii game. He would insist that I buy each one until he had a complete collection of The Price is Right game types.

He would try to play them, but they would be too difficult for him to pick up quickly. When I bought him the Nintendo DS to use for his TapToTalk, he kept trying to get me to buy the Nintendo DS version of The Price is Right. I made him wait until after Christmas.

As luck would have it, he was given two of The Price is Right games. They are two different versions, 2008 and 2010. I was relieved. Buying for my son at Christmas is difficult. When family members asked me what he wanted, I always included this game on the list. Because of this, he ended up with one from my husband’s side of the family and one from my side of the family.

I am pleased to announce that he can play it on the Nintendo DS. Both my husband and I take turns sitting with him and teaching him how to play the game. In a day and a half, he has picked up on lot. He prefers the newer version better. The pricing games are a little easier for him to do.

I am extremely proud of my son. It requires a lot of skills to play this game on the Nintendo DS. It works on his eye-hand coordination and fine motor skills. Improving his skills with the stylus and selecting pictures on the little screen will help improve his communication skills when using the TapToTalk on his Nintendo DS. It is also great to watch him having so much fun doing.