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

The bubble kit I mean has no batteries. Just a wand thingy that is dipped in a bucket of fairy liquid /baking soda solution.
It makes bubbles effortlessly about 3 metres tall. So simple and has amused dozens of children.Puts every bubble maker to shame.

link malung link!

To those harking back to simple Hots Wheels stuff try the Toys R Us version - cheaper, sturdier, no batteries and no gimmicks. DS, DD, DH and the kittens love it

Thanks for heads-up on all sorts of tat and for making me laugh A LOT

It is made by a company called Klutz. www.klutz.com. I am only a happy customer. Probably the best £10.00 ever spent on by DC.

my

Is the giant bubble thing this?

or this?

oh no stealth... hours of fun for you ds coming up shortly then

Elefun was on of our best buys - half price in Sainsbury's and played with constantly. Our only recent worst buy is that my son doesn't like the new brown Tomy Thomas road and rail. Neither of them have ever played with the one doll we own!
PS We LOVE marble runs too

Stealth, no that is not it (though it does look fun).
Have looked at the klutz website again. It is a book with a wand thing, complete with simple instructions about bubble solution.
Easy to use, makes GIANT bubbles, requires no batteries or expertize. Just the best and most fun thing ever.

Ingles - I know - to anyone who actually asked me, I did point out that we still had unopened 'kits' of various sorts from last birthday - but none of his classmate's parents did ask. They have all been incredibly generous (money wise) and have landed me with ~25 assorted kits. There are a couple of robot-building ones which look really fun, so if anyone is going to tell me that they are rubbish too I don't want to know [stern look].

..and we still have Christmas to go [sigh]. We haven't even started on Thank you letters for this ludicrous heap yet.

I think blanket time Igglepiggle was probably the most disappointing toy here. The sensor for the blanket only ever worked once with each new set of batteries! Ds was constantly confused as to why Igglepiggle wanted him to look for the blanket he'd just given him!

Yes, that's it. (2nd suggestion) Hope you find it as much fun and I did. (and my Dc too)

Mousetrap's not shit

The Polly Pocket Aeroplane is definitely shit though - £50 worth of pink plastic crappola that broke as soon as we looked at it

scattykitty - Agree ELC buublemachine is a load of rubbish and not worth any amount of money. I brought it for my 18 month old in August and I don't think we managed to use it more than 3 times before it packed up

We (ages 5,2 and 1) loved the bubble maker. It has always been my stand-by ice breaker when kids come to visit. Put it on in the corner of the garden, big kids and little kids run around like loonies chasing the bubbles. Just add strategic juice stops to prevent dehydration - and voila to hosting a crowd!

Also like the elc garage now. Thought it was rubbish when I saw how easy it was to pull to pieces, but now Ds2 has become utterly fascinated with the lift.

Hocuspontas, the mystery UFO must be avoided at all costs (and mine cost £12, not £9.99!!! thanks Hamleys). My 5 yr old was NOT interested when he realised it wasn't magic making it stay up. I managed to keep breaking the "strong" fine thread and get that blu-tack type stuff firmly caught up in the fine downy hairs at the nape of my neck when I tried to make it work.

Oh, and Buckaroo. You have to practically karate chop its back to get it to finally buck.

Apparently puzzibits are shit.

Anyone got any of the Eino science kits?

Or what about the power tech bubble machine maker

Don't buy fruit factory, DD used it once it was shite

My friend's DD got the coin maker last year - my DD has been bugging me for the last three years for it. Problem solved: my friend hates it and is getting her DD to give it to my DD for Christmas! I think we're the only family who loves Mousetrap. Brilliant game, and we all fall about laughing when one of us accidentally sets off a trap.

Best easy-to-set-up game? The 3D Snakes and Ladders that we bought in Woolies last year. It all clicks together and NEVER COMES APART AGAIN. And it all fits back in the box. Genius.

monster guess who only £3 now.

don't buy Rainbow Art .
You don't get lovely rainbow effects, just a grey sludge....

Regarding batteries goto Argos buy their timed battery recharger and a limited supply of batteries. My children haven't seemed to notice that some toys batterys' have been "waiting to be recharged " for a year!