Big Bad Toy Store has the Dark Knight – Mister Potato Head style. The Dark Knight Spud, which is made under license by PPW in Los Angeles, has Mr. Potato Head putting on the cowl and cape and making his voice sound like a he just swallowed a frog. It comes with cowl and cape, batarang, utility belt, and the trademarked Dark Knight black suit and boots.

No other details are known about the Dark Spud – whether he’ll have a Tumbler or SpudPod, but you can imagine the kitchy play on words with it. We do know that it’s available on Preorder for $17.99 for a June 2012 delivery. And if you pony up another $2, you can get a “collector’s grade” edition. Whatever that means. Sounds like an opportunity to just get another few bucks from you for a special box worth a quarter.

I rather like these special Spuds, but I just wish they’d come up with just the pieces to add to it as the last thing I need is a closet full of potatohead torsos. Coruse, I remember when you used REAL potatoes for dressing up! Good times.

Hat Tip – TNI

In addition to seeing the new line of LEGO Friends toys, there will be opportunities for kids to play with them, giving them the chance to build a Lemonade stand. And for every stand built, Toys R Us will donate $1 to the Alex Lemonade Stand Foundation up to $10,000. This foundation raises needed funds for the ongoing fight against childhood cancer. And each kid will be able to take home their Lemonade Stand to enjoy.

Now for the rules – there’s always rules on these kind of things, aren’t there? Anyway, the rules are that the LEGO Friends event is for children, ages 5-up. Parental supervision is required at all times. And all event materials and giveaways available while supplies last and distributed to participating children only. Limit one per child. Quantities limited; no rain checks. Not available in states where prohibited by law. Yada yada yada.

But it should be a great opportunity for girls to see what all the hoopla is all about with the new LEGO Friends sets. Recently there was an uproar over the new Brick line because the figures look nothing like the standard LEGO Minifig and girls complain they don’t really need a girl centric LEGO set. So head on over and find out for yourself!

Hat Tip –

The Personal Pitching Coach takes the standard pitchback design and adds a few things that help hone your pitching form. In addition to the 9 sector strike zone, it also has a high tech radar system which measures pitch velocit (from 20-99mph), calls balls and strikes, and even pitch counts for up to two different pitchers over the course of an inning. The Personal Pitching Coach will also tally strikeouts, walks, and total pitches, and it can be adjusted to handle both Little League and Major league strike zones. It’ll even measure for fast pitch softball so the girls aren’t left out. Made from durable 16-gauge steel with stainless steel hardware, the PPC is foldable and is powered by four D batteries that provide up to 100 hours of power.

But at $400 (compared to the low tech $20 model), it’s a bit pricey. But it’s Hammacher and that’s just how they roll.

Hat Tip – The Ferret

Huge enough to play with anywhere and cuddly enough to fall asleep on, these Jumbo Pillow Pets are made of the softest plush fabric. That makes them great for kids who have a hard time going to sleep while traveling. And they also make for a familiar face when visiting family out of town. And because they are machine washable, they are easy to keep him clean and safe for kids. No “Velveteen Rabbit” syndrome here. Just toss into the washer and then into the the dryer. Nice and easy.

Jumbo Pillow Pets are a full 30 square inches and come as Jumbo Lady Bug, Jumbo Puppy, Jumbo Zebra, Jumbo Teddy Bear and Jumbo Panda. And I’m thinking if your kid is really into the Dreamworks picture Kung Fu Panda, this is a great way to play out the fantasy of having the Dragon Warrior with you on vacation! Course, for me, it would have to be the Teddy Bear. Is there anything better than the overnight friend who’s been chasing off the monster under the bed since 1908?

On sale at Amazon right now with a cost of around $50 with free shipping!

Hat Tip – Best Toy Guide

Let’s face it, the last thing you want is for your kid to go on a playdate, or visit grandma’s house and get caught drawing on the walls. By contrast though, you don’t want to discourage your child’s artistic talent either. So it’s always best to be prepared, and this Take Anywhere Chalkboard Cloth is idea for bringing with you everywhere your little artist goes.

Measuring larger than an square meter, it’s a bit bigger than your average chalk board. But that’s a good thing because it gives kids plenty of room to draw, or do their math work, or even for you to take the class outside and teach on a gorgeous day. Check out these features:

* Great rainy day activity
* Use indoor or outdoor
* Works with regular chalk
* Use on the floor, table or wall
* Fold away for compact storage
* Waterproof, durable surface
* Easy to clean just wipe with a damp cloth
* Use as a tablecloth for fun dinner parties
* Hang on the wall for shopping list/meal planner
* Easy to cut into any size
* Enough to make placemats as well
* Made from Oilcloth – easy to sew and hem or leave edges raw as Chalk Cloth doesn’t fray

And the best part is, the PVC used is phthalate free, meaning it’s perfectly safe for kids. Cost is about $40 AUS from Urban Baby.

Hat Tip – Babyology

LEGO Magazine has a new ad out for the Marvel Universe line of LEGO toys, and guess what … they’re coming just in time for my birthday! W00t!

According to From Bricks to Bothans, an April launch is a bit puzzling because we haven’t really seen any images (save the ones we posted from ComiCon here) or sets leaked. But if you look at the minifigs they’ve got in the ad, they’re pulling out the big guns right off the bat: Wolverine (with new steel claws replacing the typical LEGO U shaped hand), Captain America, a very oversized Hulk (seriously, he’s at least twice as large as the typical minifig), and then Tony Stark, aka IronMan.

The line of Marvel Heroes is part of the LEGO Super Heroes line, which was launched this month with DC Heroes (actually, they went on sale a few weeks early for Christmas last month). The opening salvo included SuperMan, Green Lantern, and Batman, with sets including Superman vs. Lex Luthor Exoskeleton. They’re all really super cool and is a perfect edition to the LEGO line. I can’t wait until LEGO comes out with the LEGO Super Hero Video game, with the same tongue and cheek fun as Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Harry Potter, and the like!

Growing up as a kid, I loved Viewmaster. It took you to places you probably would never go to and give you 3D memories so you could live vicariously. It was really cool (especially the NASA Apollo reels, they were the best). Every kid I knew had a Viewmaster and we would not only watch them, but we would also trade and borrow each others discs. It was a great toy for passive playtime. But as the world moved from analog to digital, Viewmaster was faced with it’s own extinction, and evolve or die was the watch word.

So, by partnering up with Spatial View, Fisher Price is going to evolve and offer Viewmaster Digital 3D, over a century stereoscopic images that can be viewed on your mobile devices and also through your 3D capable HDTV.

“The View-Master archive is a virtual treasure-trove of 3D imagery capturing over 100 years of history and culture,” said Peter Snajczuk, Vice President of Marketing for Fisher-Price. “We’re thrilled to be working with Spatial View to make these spectacular images available digitally for download from ViewMasterDigital3D.com to a variety of 3D mobile devices and Internet-connected 3D TVs.”

Beginning sometime in the first quarter of 2012, iPhone 4 users will be able to turn their device into a digital Viewmaster thanks to Spatial View’s innovative 3DeeSlide accessory which will then let them view the images in 3D without the need of glasses. Support for Android 3D smart phones, Windows PCs, and 3D TV platforms will soon follow. The 3D images, which will initiallyinclude a selection of titles consisting of national parks, travel, nature, and history, will be sold in the classic package of 18-21 images for $1.99 at the Viewmaster Digital 3D website.

For more information or to be notified when the View-Master 3D images will be available, please visit www.viewmasterdigital3d.com.

“Inspired by sci-fi, world history, mythology and everyday life, the LEGO minifigures collection continues with Series 6! Each unique and colorful character comes with special accessories, a display stand and a collector’s leaflet, and is packed inside a sealed “mystery” bag, so you never know which minifigure you’ll get. Collection includes: Roman Soldier, Highland Battler, Minotaur, Bandit, Classic Alien, Genie, Leprechaun, Intergalactic Girl, Butcher, Mechanic, Skater Girl, Surgeon, Sleepyhead, Clockwork Robot, Lady Liberty and Flamenco Dancer.”

Series 7 is right around the corner and will have the following: Punk Rocker, Aztec Warrior, Scottish Bag-Piper, Space Marine, Hippie, Black Knight, Little Red Riding Hood, Poseidon – god of the seas, Office Guy, Wedding Bride, Stunt Driver, Female Viking (cue Wagner, please). Tarzan Guy, Bunny-Suit Guy, Female Swimmer, and Tennis Player.

No word on when Series 7 is out yet, but for Series 6, if you’re looking to create a MiniFig movie on YouTube that pits scifi Little Green Men against a legion or Roman Centurions, now’s the time to get cracking on that minifigure code so you can collect enough Romans and Aliens to wage a cinematic battle!

As stores look to clear out their remaining stock of 2011 sets, and also those under performing sets like Prince of Persia, there’s going to be some serious clearance prices on LEGO toys come the 26th of December. I was at Toys R Us yesterday and they’ve got ALL LEGO sets for buy one, get one at 50% off. You can bet that’s going to get even better after Christmas.

But it’s not going to be easy as stores don’t have the same toys and some will put some sets on clearance while others won’t. But according to TheBrickBlogger, the best place to get a Brick deal is actually the LEGO Store. They will have discounts of up to 50% or more and they will also put limits on how many people can buy in one transaction, so there’s a good chance you won’t be going home empty handed. LEGO Shop@Home will also be having deep discounts on surplus bricks. So if you miss out at the mall, you can just log on and whip out the plastic. And don’t forget Amazon, which will also offer free supersaver shipping on all orders over $25.

But just remember that the early bird gets the worm, so if you’re planning on sleeping in the 26th, you may find nothin’ left by the time you get going.

For Girls:

1. Barbie – let’s face it, you can’t go wrong with Barbie. At 50 years old, she’s still hot and fashionable and with the new I Can Be a Computer Engineer Barbie, she’s putting forth a great message that girls can be anything they want.

2. Bizu Style Studio – With Bizu Studio, girls can make their own jewelry and accessories. Comes complete with beads, Beading Tool, 4 Character Templates and 2 Key-Chain/Backpack Attachments.

3. Fur Real Friends Electronic Pets - Nothing beats a puppy for Christmas. And with the realistic fur and interactive nature of the Fur Real Friends, kids can have that special friend without parents worrying over potty training! When you talk to her, she responds with a puppy babble. Give her a bone, she makes crunching sounds like she’s chewing it. And pet her back and she barks and wags her tail.

4. WowWee Paper Jamz Pro Mic Series – with Paper Jamz Pro Mic series, kids can live the rock star fantasy of their favorite stars. Features 2 built-in songs, auto mode that adjusts effects on the fly, Perfect pitch to keep you in tune, auto harmony sound, and a Chorus Multiply mode

5. Gift cards – When in doubt, the all purpose gift is a gift card. And if you give an iTunes gift card, you’re turning your coolness factor up to 11.

For Boys –

1. NERF – It’s NERF, or Nothin’. That’s the slogan and it’s true. Boys love the Nerf NStrike toys and the new disc shaped Vortex line is a must have for the holidays. Greater range, cooler designs, and disc shaped darts. But if you don’t want to risk getting something they already have, you can always just get accessories like more ammo or the cool bandoliers (you can’t have enough clips), or don’t worry about it, you can always use a second gun!

2. Hot Wheels Video Racers – With a video camera built into it, the Hot Wheels Video Racer gives a driver’s eye view of all the action. And every kid has the fantasy of racing on a Hot Wheels track. So this is a must. Just make sure you bring a track if your Nephew doesn’t have one. Or if he does, more track is always welcome.

3. LEGO – There’s no way you can go wrong with a LEGO building set. Because one, kids can always use more bricks and b) with sites like Rebrickable, the more sets you have, the more sets you can build you don’t have! And if you’re kid is into a certain line – like Ninjago, Star Wars, or especially the new DC Super Heroes line, they’ll certainly think you’re the coolest Uncle or Aunt on the planet with a new set under the tree!

4. Video games – What kid doesn’t like video games? And with new titles like SkyRim, Portal 2, and Little Big Planet 2, there’s a great game for all ages.

5. Gift Cards – Why a gift card? Well, kids love to choose their own toys and they’re likely to get more cards from other family members. Adding to the talley means they can get larger gifts or multiples. And if you’re the Uncle who gives the card that gets them over the top on a huge gift, he’ll remember you for it!