News

31 January

All the fun from the fair

We took a trip to the UK’s London Toy Fair to check out some of the toy trends set to hit the shelves this year. Rachael and Matt try and make it look like a hard days work, but this pair of big kids are having far too much …

30 January

Winter sales well under way – doors slam shut tomorrow

Footballing fans will be hoping their boards are digging deep and splashing out on new talent for the final push toward the seasons end. Tomorrow evening at 11pm all the buying and selling of players, for silly money in some cases, must be done. Those 10% men must have their …

26 January

They have the hump at this Saudi Camel beauty parade

They’re looking for natural beauty at the annual Alaibil Festival, long necks, broad cheeks, shapely humps and droopy lips – not too droopy though. At least 12 contestants have been disqualified from this, Saudi Arabia’s annual camel beauty contest, because the owners injected their camels lips with Botox. With millions at stake …

20 January

Penguin Awareness Day – We’re celebrating in many ways

Whether you prefer Happy Feet over Mr Poppers Penguins, Feathers McGraw and the part he played in The Wrong Trousers or the part they played in Madagascar we’re certain you’ll agree these animals are well worth a day of celebration. Today it is Penguins Awareness Day, a celebration of the 18 …

18 January

Batman Batmobile brings battle action everywhere

Take your RC play to another level, this Ultimate Justice League Batmobile had us uttering elated expletives when we saw it in action recently. This 1/12 scale vehicle is equipped with a camera that transmits the drivers POV back to a smart phone for a front seat ride. Back …

18 January

Cardboard box comes of age with the Nintendo Labo kit

Extending the success of the Switch is never going to be easy, the fastest selling console of all time has shipped over 10mn units in just nine months. What innovation could maintain and even extend its popularity into new demographics? Infuse it with AI? add high tech accessories? Nope, create …

17 January

Hasbro tell us what we already knew and offer a social media solution

Hasbro tell us what we already knew and offer a social media solution Research from Hasbro has revealed that almost half of Monopoly players have participated in some form of cheating during a game. These behaviours ranged from stealing cash from the bank, making up fake rules and moving tokens …

12 January

Pooch plaything is an absolute treat

First to grace this new section of Toyology is the P.L.A.Y. Wobble Ball Toy, it uses food as its primary motivator to play and that we reckon is plenty to keep your pooch entertained. If you’re up for a box-set but your dog is insisting on “walkies” then load up …

12 January

Big Kids Aisle should help counter that looming Blue Monday feeling

The Kidult market is worth over £300mn in the UK, that over 1 in ten adults buying toys for themselves (or pretending it is for a friend). The folk at Barclaycard have teamed up with Smyths Toys and are opening up a ‘Big Kids Aisle’ at their London Staples …

9 January

New Disney animation hits UK screens this weekend – we’re loco about Coco

We’re looking forward to going to see Disney’s latest animation this weekend. From the folk behind Toy Story and Inside Out this Pixar adventure looks mighty fine. As one may expect, the toy line isn’t too shabby, the entire Disney line can be seen HERE

9 January

Once you pop you can’t stop – We’re loving multi-coloured sphere firing Unicorns

Stick a sphere in the Unicorns mouth and with a decent squeeze of the belly you’ll easily be able to launch up to 15 feet, give it some real gusto and 20 feet is achievable – Not bad for a sub-tenner toy? We’re of course fans of the fabled creature …

8 January

Rodent themed fairground ride disappears

One of the most bonkers rides ever has gone, the Wild Mouse in Blackpool was utter bonkers, we used to stand and stare up at it in awe and marvel at the faces of the riders getting thrown around as they tried to tame the rodent ride. The CEO of …

6 January

Choo Choo tune into Channel 4

Back in the Victorian era they tried to build a rail link from Inverness to Fort William, it was an ambitious project to dissect the highlands but the cost, practicalities and in-fighting meant it never happened – Until now. A bunch of toy train enthusiasts and Love Productions (the makers …

4 January

Playmobil farm set for the early years gets three cheers

My grandparents and my boy Billy’s great grandparents are farmers. They have a dog, a cat, some geese and hens, one or two cows and other bits and bobs you’d expect to find on a classic farm, old feeding troughs, manual rusty farming implements and lots and lots of “muck”. …

3 January

Supermodel steps into Harrods

Celebrating the time that Gigi Hadid ruled the runway and became the global brand ambassador for Tommy Hilfiger womenswear TommyXGigi Barbie has arrived on shelf. Exclusive to Harrods (online and in store at Toy Kingdom) this stylish shrunken nod to the supermodel is £89.95 and available now.