Hasta La Gadget!

What kid wouldn’t love to get this under the tree? Hammacher Schlemmer, the company you only hear about once a year in funny expensive-Christmas-toy stories like this one, is selling a motorized skateboard that can travel at up to 19 miles per hour.

Get ready to move, because the skateboard is powered by a 36-volt battery, and its 600-watt motor reaches top speed in only four seconds. It even has enough horsepower to propel you uphill (although I suspect it would be chugging kind of slowly if I were on it). The rider controls acceleration and braking with a wireless trigger remote. Power it with a rechargeable battery with a 10 mile range.

The skateboard weighs 40 pounds and can handle riders up to 225 pounds. Get it at Hammacher Schlemmer for $599.95.

You may have seen commercials for Techno Source USA’s Printies (ages 6 and up)—a combination software-and-materials package that lets you design a stuffed animal, print the design onto a special fabric sheet, and then add stuffing to create a 3-D toy. I took the Printies Jungle Design Studio ($30) for a whirl with my precocious 6-year-old daughter, Shaina.

If you’re in a rush, here’s a very brief upshot: Printies works as advertised, but you should be aware that these stuffed animals are meant to be used as decorations, not toys. Because they’re printed via inkjet, the colors can run when exposed to moisture, and the ink may stain clothing, furniture, and little fingers if mishandled.

Up to this point, I had never let my two young children listen to music through headphones. Maybe it’s because their hard-of-hearing daddy is paying for all the hundreds of hours he spent rocking out with his Walkman and, later, iPod, cranked to 11.

But the Disney Princess Headphones Jr. for Kids ($19.95 list) actually softened me up to the idea. The headphones fit my 2-year-old daughter perfectly in both size and style—very pink, cushy, and comfy, with glamorous pictures of Cinderella, Belle, and Aurora on each side (what more could a toddler girly girl want?). But the best part is the volume control; the loudest level is softer than even I would have sanctioned. And there’s a big instant-mute button, too. Very handy.

Post by Stephanie Chang

Roborover ($69.99 list), the newest toy robot from WowWee, is not quiet. But kids (recommended ages 6 and older) are sure to have a blast with it. With its tread wheels, flashing lights, and seemingly never-ending patter, Roborover will more than match the energy and imagination of any child. Adults, on the other hand, are going to want to keep the robot’s remote control handy, or at least know where the off-button is when all that activity goes into overdrive.

WowWee dubs the Roborover an “exploration buddy,” and it’s certainly tricked out to take on uncharted territory—even if that just means underneath the kitchen table. The robot is made of yellow hard plastic with black trim. Instead of feet, it has tread-based caterpillar tracks, and it’s equipped with headlights (turned on and off by the Headlight button on the remote). Roborover’s tread wheels allow it to drive over objects up to a 15-degree gradient, or about an inch high. If it falls forward about 45 degrees, Roborover can still continue moving on its treads and talk, but the remote doesn’t function in this position. There are two LED eyes and a mouth. The cap on Roborover’s head? Just there for decoration.