F4F REVIEWS: TOYS 4 BOYS (OF ALL AGES) FROM SPINMASTER

"Let's really put this to the test..."

I won't lie, next to being able to talk about my favorite subject each and every day, my daughter, the best part about being a dad blogger is getting the opportunity to test out free toys. And, as the father of a 2-year-old daughter, I've seen my fair share of dollies, and tea sets and tiaras, so I was really excited to get the call from Spin Master to test out some of their toys for boys. And, when I say these toys are cool, I mean COOL.

For starters, who doesn't like die-cast cars? And what little boy (or girl) doesn't like to live out his Days of Thunder fantasy by rolling with some of the biggest names in NASCAR today? Ever wanted to race Tony Stewart vs. Kevin Harvick in your living room? Well you can with NASCAR AUTHENTICS: perfect miniatures of the cars made famous by these two titans of stock car racing. The detail on these cars is amazing, right down the tires, the interior and the advertisements. If you've got a kid who likes car racing (or you are one yourself) these are must haves. (Ages 3+)

Small cars don't do it for you? Need something with a little more power? You need to try out the Air Hogs R/C remote control replica cars. Me, I felt the need, "the need for speed" while taking Dale Earnhardt's #88 Chevy (1:24th scale) through its paces on the driveway. The full function control remote was awesome. I was spinning out and crashing in to the wall (not recommended) just like I would on a real track. This indoor/outdoor speedster kept me busy for hours at a time as I ran circles around the competition (the dogs, the baby, my wife) and relived my childhood. Again, the detail was amazing... it even held up after all the crashing. (Ages 5+)

Sorry, no trains this time, but there was a plane to test out... a really awesome (and I mean AWESOME) plane. You want to have some fun, get yourself an Air Hogs R/C Adrenaline Series Hawk Eye Blue Sky Video Camera Plane. That's right, a remote control plane...with a built-in camera. This one's for the big boys (12+).

I took this one to the park to get the full value of its 100ft remote control range. True, I almost had to walk back home because I forgot to charge it (USB in to your home computer/laptop), but then I remembered I could also charge it through the remote itself. Once charged, it was one running lift off and we were air borne... for about ten seconds before we crashed (too much throttle). But you could crash a million times with this toy and its soft foam construction. Hell, I crashed it in to the ground, a car across the street, and a tree...and I got it all on film, because this plane takes pictures and VIDEO (4+ minutes worth). Sure, I got it to fly, and it was a beautiful sight to behold, but I had as much fun watching the video of myself having to figure out how to get it down from the top of a tree... twice (pictures and video download to your computer in seconds). 

Was I a pro when it came to flying this amazing 1:24th scale stealth bomber? Not at all. But a bunch of kids in the park took it for a spin and had it doing some stunning maneuvers. Me, I really enjoyed the fact that I could capture the moment. I don't think I've gotten so much out of one toy in my life.

All in all, what do I have to say about this great line up of toys from Spin Master: only good things. Sure, it was a nice change of pace not to have to try out a preschooler's doll house, but it was really nice to play with well-constructed toys for boys that survived everything I put them through; toys that lived up to their promise and more.

I give Spin Master a High Five, our highest award, for putting out some great f'ing toys.

Disclaimer: Fodder 4 Fathers is a non-compensated endorser for the products listed above. These products were provided to Fodder 4 Fathers free of charge for review purposes only.