This is The Greatest Thing We Have Even Done at DadDoes.Com!
That may sounds like a brash statement, but when you consider our normal day may consist of writing 1,000 words on the virtues of coconut water, we have set the bar low for us doing great things. Yes, we do like to joke around and have fun on this site, but we understand that some families will not be fortunate enough to spend their holidays playing with toys and having a good meal. Today, we announce our plan to help families in need have some food and fun this holiday season…
The Dad Does Giving For Good Food and Fun Giveaway
Over the last few weeks we have been hard at work creating our Top Toys for 2011 Holiday Guide. Many sites would be satisfied just creating a list of the best toys for the 2011 holiday season, but not us! No, we wanted to do more. We wanted to do something big, really big – so we came up with three possible ideas…
- Do a huge toy giveaway, where on one day we would give away 23 of the hottest holiday toys (over $1,000 in value) to our faithful readers.
- Giveaway the 23 hot holiday toys to a toy charity that helps families in need
- Donate $1,000 in cash to a local food bank so families in need could have a decent meal for the holidays.
So, Which Idea Did We End Up Going With?
All Three of Course!
On 12/7/11 We Will Giveaway Over $3,000 in Cash and Toys
Part I – Win The Best Toys of 2011
What is better than getting your kids a toy they will really love this holiday season? Getting that toy for free! Yep, on December 7th, 2011 at 2pm EST we will be giving away the 23 toys listed below to 23 randomly picked readers. In total we will be giving away over $1,000 in toys. Instructions on how to enter are at the end of this article, they are so simple even I could do it.
Part II – Every Toy in This Giveaway Will Also Be Given to a Family in Need
We are so thankful to the toy manufacturers for making this part possible. For every single toy we giveaway to a reader, we will also give the same toy to a toy charity. This means families in need will have great fun this year as they get to play with the hottest toys of 2011. In total we will giveaway 23 toys (over $1,000 in value) to the Today Show Toy Drive, a registered 501c3 non-profit organization that in 2008 was honored with a President’s Volunteer Service Award.
Part III – We Will Give Up To $1,000 to a Local Food Bank
Toys are fun, but food is a necessity. To do our part to help the hungry this year, we have pledged to give $1 to the Western Massachusetts food bank for every comment left on this article (up to a maximum of $1,000). That’s right, if you want to help a family eat, just leave a comment and we will donate our own money to the food bank. Every $1 donated to The Food Bank can be leveraged to provide $13 worth of food to a family in need.
Make us hurt on this one – the more people who comment, the more money we pull out of our pocket and send to the food bank! Oh, and your comment also increases your odds of winning a toy by 10 times! This is a classic Win-Win-Lose. You win, the food bank wins and we lose our own money.
Tell Them What They Can Win…
Enough talk, let’s jump right in and look at the incredible toys we are giving away (to you and families in need) on December 7th, 2011 at 2pm EST -
#1. Top Toy for Future Drone Pilots
Air Hogs RC Hawk Eye Blue Sky Video Camera Plane ($69.95 value)
What’s more fun than flying a remote controlled plane? Flying a remote controlled plane with a built in video camera! The new Air Hogs Hawk Eye Blue Sky R/C Video Camera Plane will be a huge hit for today’s generation of teenagers who believe if it wasn’t caught on video, it didn’t really happen. Pilot the plane, capture video and photos and then easily share online…Moms and Dads, we hope you are not trying to hide anything in your backyard!
Full Review (and video) of Air Hogs Hawk Eye Blue Sky R/C Plane
#2. Best Toy To Prove Your Smartphone Really is Smart
WiFli Interceptor Helicopter ($79.95 value)
Sometimes I look at my smartphone and say, “Who died and made you so smart?” (yes, I have technology issues). However, since playing with the Wi-Fli Interceptor Helicopter by Interactive Toy Concepts, I have had to change my tune. The WiFli helicopter is piloted by your smartphone and it is insanely fun to fly. Excellent stability, simple controls and durable body all make for one of the most impressive R/C helicopters we have tested this year!
Full Review (and video) of WiFli Interceptor Helicopter
#3. The Toy For Kids Who Can’t Decide Which They Like More, Flying or Shooting
Duck Hunter Launch and Load ($29.95 value)
Duck Hunter Launch and Load is one of those toys that is hard to classify. Yes, it has a toy duck that you charge and let fly…so it is flying toy? It also has an Infrared shotgun, that you use to shot down said duck…so it is a shooting toy? Who cares, because it is a fun toy! It takes three direct hits and then you get to watch the poor duck come sailing down to the ground…defeated.
Full Review (and video) of Duck Hunter Launch and Load
#4. Terrific Toy For Future Rescue Pilots
Air Hogs Fly Crane Helicopter ($39.95 value)
Just a few years ago, kids were impressed with any helicopter that you could actually get in the air and fly around the room for a few seconds. Today, R/C Helicopters have gotten so advanced that flying is just one of the things you can do with them. The Air Hogs Fly Crane Helicopter looks like your standard indoor helicopter, until you notice the hook on the bottom. Yes, this helicopter has a retractable grappling hook that you control with the remote control. Try to scoop up baskets and practice you skills for when you become a rescue pilot!
Full Review (and video) of Air Hogs Fly Crane Helicopter
#5. Best Toy For Kids Who Like to Shoot…And Catch!
Djubi – A New Twist on Catch ($25 value)
Djubi is hard to pronounce, but incredibly fun and easy to play. Djubi (pronounced joo-bee) comes with two racquets (pictured above) and a ball with a rubber band like loop on top of it. To play, you hook the ball on your racquet, pull it back and launch it over 100 feet for your friend to catch in the net of his/her racquet. Some will argue this is not a shooter, but the ball goes shooting off your racquet, so in our book – it is a shooter!
Full Review (and video) of Djubi Catch Game
#6. Top Toy For Kids Who Like Their Cars Small And Crazy Fast
Hot Wheels Nitro Speeders ($27.95 value)
I am not sure what is more impressive about the Hot Wheels Nitro Speeders. The fact that they shoved twin motors and RC controls into a car the size of my thumb or the fact that the Nitro Speeders can go 600 MPH (scale speed)? Anyway you look at it, these tiny RC cars are fast and fun. If you have kids who like fast remote controlled cars, they will love the super fast and tiny Hot Wheels Nitro Speeders.
Full Review (and video) of Hot Wheels Nitro Speeders
#7. Perfect Car For Future Reality TV Stars
Hot Wheels Video Racer ($60 value)
Those worker elves at Hot Wheels were busy in 2011! My guess is that one day one elf bet another elf – “I bet you can’t stuff a video camera, LCD screen, battery, microphone and USB jack into a standard sized Hot Wheels cars” In no time, the Hot Wheels Video Racer was born.
The Hot Wheels Video Racer allows you to record all your races, jumps and stunts and then edit and upload to video sharing sites. However, the Video Racer is more than just a car with a camera. Use the included case and the Video Racer becomes your own mini video recording machine – simply attach to your bike, helmet, dog…you get the idea.
Full Review (and video) of the Hot Wheels Video Racer
#8. Top Toy For Kids Who Love To Smash, Jump and Twist
Squeeler R/C Stunt Car ($79.95 Value)
Little cars like the Hot Wheels Video Racer and Nitro Speeders are fun, but if your kid wants to go old school and get a big old truck that can smash through anything, look no further than the Squeeler R/C Vehicle from Interactive Toy Concepts.
The Squeeler goes through dirt, snow, grass, mud – basically anything you can throw at it. In addition, the Squeeler does flips, jumps and most amazingly can fully twist. With giant inflatable wheels, the Squeeler is almost begging to be torture tested by your kids. Can the Squeeler drive off the bunk bed, do a twist in mid air and land safely on the ground? Do pigs like mud?
Full Review (and video) of the Squeeler R/C Stunt Car
#9. Perfect Pick for Pixar Loving Little People
Air Hogs Real Lightning McQueen R/C Car ($65 Value)
At first glance the Air Hogs Real Lightning McQueen R/C car looks like your standard RC car. Yes, it drives around like a standard remote controlled car, but this car has a spirit, a life, a voice and moving eyes! This Lightning McQueen features impulse projection technology to create eyes and a mouth that light up, move and are in sync with what Lightning is saying.
With the impressive animated eyes and mouth, it somehow feels like Lightning McQueen jumped off your Cars 2 DVD and came to life. Of course, Lightning McQueen is just a cartoon character…which makes the whole coming to life thing even more creepy.
Full Review (and video) of Air Hogs Real Lightning McQueen Car
#10. Best Bet for Budding Biologists
Magic School Bus Microscope Lab ($39.95 value)
You ever wonder what an ant looks like…I mean really looks like? Throw an ant under the microscope in the Magic School Bus Microscope Lab Kit and you will get your answer! If you have kids who love the Magic School bus series, this science kit is a great holiday gift.
Pick an experiment from the experiment cards or just make your own slides. Either way, the real working microscope with 100x, 300x and 600x magnification will allow your kids to see the world around them in a whole new way.
Full Review (and video) of the Magic School Bus Microscope Lab Kit
#11. Top Toy For SlimeBalls…We Mean for Making Slimeballs!
Magic School Bus Chemistry Lab ($39.95 Value)
The bus is back! Yes, those crafty folks at The Young Scientist Club created a second Magic School Bus themed science kit – the Magic School Bus Chemistry Lab. This kit comes with lots of cool ingredients to do over 50 different experiments. Our favorite – Experiment Card #35 – How to Make Slime into a Bouncy Ball!
Full Review (and video) of the Magic School Bus Chemistry Lab
#12. Terrific Trick Toy for Kids Who Don’t Like Science Toys
The Incredible Shrinky Dinks Maker ($34.95 value)
Science is all around us. In truth you don’t need a science kit to teach your kids about science, you just need to make the most of everyday “learning moments”. Things like why does fog form in the morning, why is the sky blue and why does my plastic drawing shrink down and get thick when I put it in the Incredible Shrinky Dinks Maker?
Fine, the Incredible Shrinky Dinks Maker is not a science kit. It is a Betty Crocker type oven for Shrinky Dinks. Still, all the kids who tested it loved it and we did have some discussions on how a 60 Watt bulb could take plastic and make it 1/3 the original size and 9 times as thick. Laugh all you want now, but when some kid wins the Nobel Prize for producing cold fusion energy using a Shrinky Dinks maker, we will have the last laugh!
Full Review (and video) of the Incredible Shrinky Dinks Maker
#13 and #14. Best Bet for Kids Who Connect More With Jim Henson Than Steve Jobs
Folkmanis Folk Monster Puppet – Blueper ($35 value)
Folkmanis Folk Monster Puppet – Twickety ($35 value)
I’m sorry, but if you don’t love Folkmanis Puppets you have a character flaw. Folkmanis has a number of new puppets for 2011 like their Folk Monsters. These two handed puppets are beautiful and just come to life when you slip them on your hand. Your kids may not be asking for a puppet, but if he/she finds one under the tree it will be one of those toys that he/she plays with for years.
Full Review (and video) of Folkmanis Puppets
#15. Top Toy For Kids Who Love Their Reality Blended, Not Stirred
Mechatars from iLoveRobots ($39.95 value)
Mechatars from iLoveRobots bring in the era of “blended reality” – toys that exist in both the real world and an online world. Do missions and battle friends with the remote controlled Mechatars robot. You can then hook your Mechatar up to your PC and continue the battle in an online world. Online battling is very similar to Pokemon type games, but the ability to battle robots in the real world will make this a popular toys with kids this season.
Full Review (and video) of Mechatars Battling Robots
#16. Great Gift for Giggles and Grammar
You’ve Been Sentenced! With All Add-On Decks ($65 Value)
I know what you are thinking – how can a game that is all about vocabulary, sentence structure and even grammar bring giggles??? You’ve Been Sentenced! by McNeal Designs is one of those games you need to play to appreciate.
Players are dealt cards with words and they then have to try to create sentences from the words they have. The fun part comes when players need to explain how their sentence makes sense. You will never believe how much you are laughing about made up sentences. This giveaway is for the original award winning You’ve Been Sentenced! game and all 6 additional add on decks.
Full Review (and video) of You’ve Been Sentenced! and NASA Terminology Add On Deck
#17. Best Toy To Soak An Older Sibling
Nerf Super Soaker Thunderstorm ($15 value)
When it comes to water gun fights, older kids have a big advantage. They have the strength needed to pump the Super Soaker guns and deliver a soaking stream of water. Now, younger kids can finally defend themselves with the the first battery powered Super Soaker – The Nerf Super Soaker Thunderstorm.
No pumping required on the Nerf Super Soaker Thunderstorm, just pull the trigger and a stream of water shoots 25 feet. Don’t fret when you go dry, just pop out the clip and snap in a full clip and you are ready for more soaking fun. Little brothers everywhere rejoice!
Full review (and video) on the Nerf Super Soaker Thunderstorm Water Gun
#18 and #19. Perfect Pre-Paintball Blaster
18. Xploderz XGround Pounders 2500 ($45 value)
19. Xploderz XRanger 2000 ($40 value)
Tired of picking up your ammo when you play with Nerf guns? Move up to the Xploderz Blasters line of guns! The Xploderz line of toy guns shoot little gel balls up to 100 feet. The gel balls break apart on contact and are biodegradable, so no need to clean up the yard after an Xploderz war!
The giveaway is for two top of the line blasters – The XGround Pounders 2500, with 100 foot range and the XRanger 2000 as shown above. Get ready to open fire!
Full Review (and video) of Xploderz Blaster Guns in Action
#20. Best Way to Have Fun Spinning
Golden Tee Golf TV Game by Jakks Pacific ($40 value)
If you like golf and have ever spent any time in a bar, then Golden Tee Golf by Jakks Pacific needs no introduction. Based on the incredibly popular Golden Tee arcade game, this home
version does an excellent job of recreating the original feel. Up to 4 people can play, so this makes a great family game. The all-in-one unit has a solid trackball and there is something just so right about spinning a trackball to swing your golf club! Win this plug and play unit for the kids, but you will be the one playing it on Christmas morning!
More Information on Golden Tee Golf by Jakks Pacific
#21. Most Fun You Can Have With Freezing Water
The Dippin Dots Frozen Dot Maker ($50.00 value)
First the bad news – no, the Dippin’ Dots Frozen Dots Maker from Big Time Toys – does not make the Dippin Dot ice cream that your kids are probably addicted to. It makes frozen liquid dots, like mini-flavored ice balls. However, once you get past the strange name, you realize that making frozen liquid dots is both fun and yummy. Kids love mixing up potions and when you can turn said potions into tiny frozen, edible balls – you have a toy that kids will enjoy!
Read More About the Dippin’ Dots Maker from Big Time Toys
#22. Best Bet for Kids Who Like Checkers and Skittles
Skippity by Mindware ($19 Value)
Skippity from Mindware is one of those games that is so colorful it looks like it should be edible! While you can NOT eat Skippity, up to 4 players can play this fun jumping and stacking game. It may look like colorful checkers, but it has a whole new strategy and scoring system. Any player can move any piece and the goal is to jump, capture and stack pieces – but you need to make sure you have one of each color to get points for a set. I know, it sounds complicated, but once you play it, it makes perfect sense. I do suggest you have a bag of Skittles on hand in case you get hungry.
Full Review (and video) of Skippity from Mindware
#23. Best Toy To Prove That Marbles Rule!
Q-BA-MAZE 2.0 by Mindware ($25 Value)
As parents we all know that marbles rule…but sometimes it can be hard to convince the kids of the incredible play value of little silver balls. Now the Q-Ba-Maze 2.0 system from Mindware will have a whole new generation understanding how fun marbles can be!
These interlocking cubes allow children to build marble maze sculptures in the form of animals, geometric shapes or any other design. In addition to having fun, kids will also be learning about probability and physics, Long live the marble!
Learn More About Q-BA-MAZE 2.0 from Mindware
That is over $1,000 in gifts given out to 23 Lucky Winners on 12/7/11 at 2pm EST. In addition, we will donate another set of these 23 incredible toys to the Today Show Toy Drive for families in need. Finally, for every comment left below, we will donate $1 to feed the hungry (up to $1,000).
Do I Have to Give Up My First Born to Enter?
Not only do you not need to give up your first born to enter, you can even keep your 2nd and 3rd born as well! We tried to make this as easy as possible, so here is the 3 Step Process…
Step 1 – Join Us (Mandatory)
If you clicked that nice little Join Us button in the past – you’ve already got a ticket in the Giving For Good Lotto! Any member of Dad Does is automatically entered into any giveaway we do. Not a member yet? No problem, all you have to do is Join Us – requires just your email, 100% free and takes about 6 seconds. So, just Join Us once and you are automatically entered in any giveaway we ever do – simple – right?
Step 2 – Leave a Comment Below And Increase Your Odds of Winning by 10x and Feed The Hungry (Optional)
Don’t think your words have power? Think again! By simply leaving a comment below you will get 10 additional entries into the giveaway. In addition, your comment will force us to donate $1 to the Food Bank to feed the hungry. How cool is that?
Step 3 – If You Are A Winner Respond to Our Email by 6pm EST on 12/8/11
This step is so easy, it really should not be called a step at all. We want to make sure winners can get their gifts by Christmas, so we will email all winners by 2:30 pm EST, 12/7/11. You need to respond to our email, saying you want the gift and where to ship it, by 6pm EST on 12/8/11.
To recap, you Join Us, that gets you 1 entry. Already a member? You already have your first entry. If you want, leave a comment below, that gets you 10 more entries (giving 11 entries as the maximum anyone can get). In addition, we will donate $1 to the Food Bank for every person who leaves a comment. Pretty darn easy, no?
We will randomly pick winners on Wednesday December 7th, 2011.
In addition, all of the above toys will be donated to the Today Today Drive on 12/8/11.
Let’s Say Thanks To The Sponsors For Not Making You Jump Through Hoops!
In most contests, the companies giving away prizes make you follow them on Twitter, Like them on Facebook, name your next child after them and on and on. A huge Thank You to all the companies in this giveaway for not making you jump through these hoops.
Also, each one of these companies agreed to supply two of each toy – one for you and one for the toy charity. How awesome is that? These companies are truly committed to doing good and we think you should all show them some love for being great corporate citizens. Check out their web sites, like their FaceBook pages, tell them you support companies that do good!
#1. Air Hogs Hawk Eye Blue Sky Plane
#2. Wi-Fli Helicopter from Interactive Toy Concepts
#3. Duck Hunter Launch and Load from Interactive Toy Concepts
#4. Air Hogs Fly Crane Helicopter
#5. Djubi – A New Twist on Catch
#8. Squeeler Stunt Car by Interactive Toy Concepts
#9. Air Hogs Real Lightning McQueen R/C Car
#10. Magic School Bus Microscope Lab Kit
#11. Magic School Bus Chemistry Lab Kit
#12. Shrinky Dinks Maker from Big Time Toys
#13. Folkmanis Puppets – Folk Monster Blueper
#14. Folkmanis Puppets – Folk Monster Twickety
#15. Mechatars from iLove Robots
#16. You’ve Been Sentenced by McNeil Designs for Brighter Minds
#17. Nerf Super Soaker Thunderstorm by Hasbro
#18. Xploderz XGround Pounders 2500 by Maya Group
#19. Xploderz XRanger 2000 by Maya Group
#20. Golden Tee Golf by Jakks Pacific
#21. Shrinky Dinks Maker from Big Time Toys
#22. Skippity by Mindware
#23. Q-BA-MAZE 2.0 by Mindware
Take a look at all the above companies, if you want – Like and Follow them – not required, but they all do provide some nice updates, coupons and information to their followers.
Let The Fun Begin!
Join Us – takes about 6 seconds and gets you an entry in this contest and all other contests we ever do. If you want to increase your odds, just leave one comment below – that gets you 10 more entries (maximum of 11 entries per person). Say anything you like in the comments, but whatever you say we will donate $1 for each comment made (up to $1,000 maximum) to the Western Massachusetts Food Bank. You have the power to make a difference with your words!
Leave A Comment Below and Check Back Often, More Giveaways Are Coming!
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