The hell that was 'The golden coin maker' haunts me still, what to avoid this year?

[zanz1bar]

If any of you got conned into 'The golden coin maker' my sympathies.
What do you suggest is best avoided (amongst the general tat I will probably get)to keep my sanity in tact

Another vote for Mousetrap. Took months to put together and then as two of the bits were slightly bent, did not work. I tried to unbend the bent bits...they snapped...I got out the superglue...and stuck all my fingers together. FFS.

We also had the sweetshop - that was pants.

Barbie candy glam is also utter rubbish.

I felt like meanest mummy last year as I wouldn't waste my money on it and MIL got it for DD. She was so excited (had really coveted it), explored what it did, turned to me and said "Is that all it does?".

It is REALLY pants.

Love this amazon review of the coin maker...

"I gave this 5 stars for educational value, on the basis that it teaches children a valuable lesson about advertising, and not expecting things to be what they are describe"

My DC are older so thankfully avoid the plastic tat now. I do remember an absolutely awful Ready Steady Cook Slushy maker - ever tried crushing ice by hand with a flimsy plastic blade?

We had the coin maker 2 years ago and it was AWFUL. Refused to melt the chocolate so thought it was broken. Took it back for another and; it was the same. Just didn't melt it.

that was my fav review as well clarice

Why on earth would you need a cupcake maker? I have this amazing thing called a mixing bowl. I use it with a wooden spoon and hey presto! Ds is a dab hand at cracking eggs now . I have an ice cream maker. A real grown up one, way better than a kids one and they still gett o watch it go round and round and freeze. Unlike the kiddy versions they get actual ice cream to eat at the end of it.

I will of course find myself eating my words one day as ds is only 2.10 and has not yet mastered the art of Christmas begging

Science Museum "starscape" thing is rubbish. Cardboard dome of the constellations which goes over the top of a revolving bulb. It looked all lovely and educational. I had visions of DD having a miniature Planetarium in her bedroom, and of lying back on her bed with her and pointing out stars.

What happened was that I spent ages putting pinpricks in card and sticking fiddly little flaps together to create something vaguely dome-like which sort-of projects a few feeble lights which could be anything.

Crap, crap, crap. Avoid!!

here it is

Ten quid for a pile o'shite.

Our 11 year old is on about Call of Duty Modern Warfare - released today! It is an 18 rating! The answer has been NO. I'm sure this is likely to be the most regrettable present yet if someone gives in. But what do you do when all the friends are buying it today and they are the same age? Are these parents mad or do they just think rating are a waste of time? Surely there are better things for the kids to do then kill everyone off and use all that language!

I bought ds2 that, Unquietdad.
You're right, it's utter pants.
I cocked up the northern hemisphere, so can only have the southern, the cardboard constantly fell off, and you couldn't see any constellations either.
Mind you, the little battery powered light has proved quite handy for camping

Wheresmum-cod 6....we are in the same position..previously they have been 15 cert...but now an 18...DP (the biggest kid of them all) has his copy so he is going to see whats new and worse about it before we decide on getting it for the boys. I wish they would make one that isn't so bad for the younger children. EA..are you hearing us???

Elefun is fab- my children adore it!!!

We bought DD the new Baby Annabell change unit-with the hanging rail and pink drawers for her birthday. It is a really good buy, it's really sturdy and stong, looks lovely and really great for keeping all the Baby Annabell stuff together in one place. Just incase anybody was thinking of buying one.

Oooh useful heads up re swimming puppy thing - both my DDs have been going on about that!

The 'Thomas Jet Engine' was a waste of money. About £25.00 for an engine that when you switched it on, slowly chugged along the wooden train track for about 5 seconds then stopped, unlike the exciting scenes that DS1 was expecting as per the episode.

Still have it for DS2 and 3, but they have to push it around the track, which still makes it much faster than it was before

I avoided cries of 'please, please' a few years ago when DS1 asked for that coin maker, based on many critical posts on MN.

It's interesting that these toys are the ones that need TV advertising to sell. I have never seen an advert for a good-quality toy (eg Duplo, Brio, toy farm, tea set etc) because it's just not necessary- they will sell anyway.

We have a malfunctioning Interactive Talking Rupert Bear upstairs. It's enormous, and it doesn't interract!! Still, it provided a very useful lesson on the power of advertising vs the reality, so I'm not complaining!

have read the hamster review, thanks Ingles2
Might have to rethink on that one then
Sounds better than most of the other stuff dd wanted!! maybe I can suggest it as an option for the in-laws.

We have the Elefun and the Chocolate Coin Maker and although we dont use them much I quite like them both - in fact its made me think I might get the chocolate coin maker out this afternoon! I think its perfect - you dont want them to make loads of chocolate coins really easily and then just scoff the lot - it needs to take hours ....

Glad I am not alone on the Crap Science Museum Product!

Those dinosaur "bones" buried in a block of plaster are just AAAAAAAAAAGH!!!! as well. After 30 minutes of scraping and brushing you have a pile of dust as big as Noel Gallagher's annual cocaine allowance, and you can TASTE the vile stuff too - and all you have to show for it is one spindly corner of one dinosaur "bone". I don't think ours has been touched for about a year.

I always wanted mousetrap when i was a child and was never bought it!

at Ingles cocking up the Northern Hemisphere That is all powerful and very impressive

BonjourIvresse - you didn't miss much - you put the contraption together as you go round the board, which is fiddly but fun enough, then spend 3 hours going round in a circle waiting for a mouse to land on the cheese square and a mouse to land on the trap square at the same time. Which takes FOREVER. Hate it when DD2 wants to play it. I give up and let whoever gets to the end first win, then she can set the trap off to her heart's content.

I believe it is "all new Mousetrap" now, don't know if it has improved?

DD's eyes glaze over lustfully every time the advert for the Lets Cook Ice Cream Parlour comes on tv. I have to quickly change channels and remind her that things look a lot better on tv than they do in real life. Seems to have worked as she hasn't mentioned it for at least 24 hours.

haven't read the thread but Elefun must be on here

shittest game ever

that ALIEN thing - with goo = crap.

also the lego games look shit

The make your own snow domes. They turn out really crap and unimpressive.