New Games and Toys

Lots of new fun around here lately. Last week, while Barb was away I made the executive decision that we would buy a new board game each month for the kids and us to play together. We've become a bit worn out on Chicken Cha Cha Cha and we needed something fresh.

So, we drove up to the best game store in SE Michigan (RIW Hobbies in Livonia) and bought a copy of Gulo Gulo, which I'd been reading about quite a bit on the geek and was fairly well assured that it would be a hit with Simon.

It is a totally different game from Chicken Cha Cha Cha, but the two have in common the characteristic of being naturally easier for kids than for adults. CCCC did this by being a memory game, Gulo Gulo does this by rewarding you for having very small, nimble fingers.

In Gulo Gulo you are journeying along a swampy path, trying to find a baby Gulo (Gulo=Wolverine) who's been lost. However, along the way you are constantly distracted by a lovely vulture's nest filled with colored eggs about the size of peanut M&M's. The path of octagonal shapes you are traveling on are face down originally, but are one of 4 different colors when they're turned face up. In order to move from one space to the next you have to successfully steal that colored egg from the nest.

What's tricky is that the nest (which is a nice wooden bowl filled with these eggs) has an alarm system. The alarm system is a 5" long thin stick with a weighted knob at the top. The stick is inserted into the nest so that the weight of the eggs keeps it from falling out. But as eggs are removed the stick becomes more precariously balanced. If you remove an egg without having the stick fall out, you get to move forward, otherwise you're stuck where you are.

I've never realized how thick and sausage-like my fingers are. An egg has to be right out on top for me to be able to get it. Simon, however, can jam two fingers into the bowl and, quick as a snake, pull out any damned egg he wants. Very cool fun!

Along with that, my mother, who was visiting last week, bought me two amazing toys for my birthday. They are a radio controlled airplane and also a radio controlled helicopter. We had seen another dad and his two kids playing with a small RC plane at the park one day and it looked like great fun.

Our first two attempts at flying a plane weren't very impressive. Both crashed and broke on their very first flight and we returned them immediately. This was annoying, but it was very instructive in guiding my final purchase. I learned that RC airplanes come made of different types of foam. Some of these foams snap on impact and require replacement, and others types bend considerably without breaking. The location of the propellers is also fairly critical. They need to be set up and back in relation to the nose of the plane so that they never hit and break when the plane crashes (and it will crash).

So, after trying two fairly expensive planes with no success, we found a very small, inexpensive plane at the local mega-toy store. It was on sale for only $12.00, was made of the most durable Styrofoam I'd ever seen, and the propellers were located up and back from the nose. You can see the store's ad for the plane here.

This is one tough little plane. It's so durable and inexpensive that I don't mind at all if Simon flies it, which he does quite successfully. I'm pleased that he can keep it in the air for almost a minute at a time. I was afraid to let him use the more expensive planes, but this one rocks for kids.

(NOTE: In this picture the propeller on the nose of the plane is non functional. The two at the back of the top wing are those that drive the plane.)

It is hard to control, and we haven't been able to keep it aloft for more than a couple of minutes before it crashes, but we're both getting better with practice. At only $12.00 each, I highly recommend it for fun at the park with kids.

My other gift was a small RC helicopter which is meant to be flown indoors. In fact, the slightest breeze will push it into the neighbors yard, so flying it outdoors is not likely to work well at all. But, indoors it flies like a dream (with some practice) and we've been having more fun with it than the airplane. The battery lasts about 20 minutes, and it takes about an hour to recharge, so the fun is periodic, but Simon, Gwen and I are all enjoying this one a lot.

After three days I'm just getting the hang of getting it to hover and slowly circle the room, and also the technique associated with making a nice, gentle landing. And, I have to say this thing is also made very durable. I've been letting Simon fly it and, between the two of us we've crashed it against walls, furniture and have let it drop from about 7 feet without causing any irreparable damage. It comes with 4 extra prop blades, but I haven't had to use them yet. I have had to tape the existing blades back together as we crack or chip them, but happens less often as we get more practice with it.

So, over all we've been having a very fun time this week.