Spring, and Cute Little Ornithopters, Are In The Air

Remote controlled airplanes for younger kids present a difficult prospect. Since they operate in three dimensions, complexity of control increases dramatically. Even seemingly simple operations like tossing a foam plane in to the air while juggling a two-hand controller challenges small hands' nascent manual dexterity.

Enter the Wowwee Butterfly, the little sister of last year's excellent Wowwee Dragonfly. Targeted to younger kids, the plane charges on and takes off from a hand-held launcher, creating a simple way to get the plane airborne. Notice I said launcher, not controller. The Butterfly flies on autopilot the moment it takes off, thanks to a rudder fixed permanently to the left. Basically, the Butterfly shoots off the launcher and flutters in a circle.

I took the kids outside and let them play with it. Jack (2.5) and Rosie (almost 4) found it sufficient to run around screaming excitedly as the Butterfly fluttered around. Eileen, 12, was more interested in maximizing flight time by launching while standing on a chair or by letting it charge an extra long time. The biggest challenge for all three was finessing the launcher's trigger -- pull halfway to charge, pull all the way to release the spring that hurls the Butterfly into the air. For a giddy kid with a new toy, fine motor control tends to suffer a bit.

Users expecting a more robust flying experience may find the Butterfly's limitations irksome, but they're missing the point. This baby isn't for HobbyZone Super Cub flyers, or even for Dragonfly owners. Think of the Butterfly as training wheels for the 4- to 7-year-old set (Wowwee suggests 6+) who simply aren't ready for the real deal. Easy to charge and launch, and durable enough to withstand multiple hard landings, the Butterfly is a great toy for little kids.

The Butterfly can be purchased at Wal-Mart stores, and "mosquito" and "moth" variants are scheduled.

Geeky Toys Do Well at TOTY Awards

Congrats to all the winners of the 2008 TOTY awards, which salute the best toys of the year. 2007's winners were fairly mundane -- TMX Elmo but no LEGO? Srsly? But 2008's recipients possess mad geeky cred. Here are some of the winners:

Toy of the Year: Spinmaster Air Hogs Havoc Heli. Remote control dueling choppers!

Activity Toy of the Year: LEGO City. Reviewed here in the past, City fulfills the LEGO's vast potential as perfectly as any series they've put out. Richly deserved!

Game of the Year: Techno Source Rubik's Revolution. An electronic game with the classic Rubik's Cube form factor.

Specialty Toy of the Year: Elenco Snap Circuits. Learn electronic theory with snap-together circuits! It warms my heart that the DIY craze has extended so far that a kit like this could win an award.