by RAF KATIGBAK

Paper tennis and bobble head hockey

Cranking tennis, anyone? The Hand-Cranked Tennis Game ($4.95) is a paper tennis contraption from the brilliant mind of British paper wizard Peter Markey. Remember paper dolls? Well, Markey is on some nexnex with these marvellous mechanical paper toys. Each kit has two sheets of paper parts with clear and simple instructions for cutting and gluing the pieces yourself. Little else is needed but scissors, an exacto blade, a bit of tape and some glue. Other sets in the series include a mechanical rower, a mechanical bird-watching cat and even a miniature golf game (featuring a “putting tiger” paper character). Available at Le Valet du Coeur (4408 St-Denis).

For any true sports fan, there is no doubt that the 1972 Summit Series remains the most influential moment in Canadian hockey history. This year’s 30th anniversary celebration of the “September to Remember” saw countless tributes to this amazing team, and their induction as the “Greatest Team of the 20th Century” into the Hockey Hall Of Fame. With the praise and adoration of an entire nation and a permanent place in the echelons of Canadian sports history, the question must be asked, “Could a greater honour possibly exist for these heroes of Hockey? “ Global Promotions have the answer and it’s four words: Summit Series Bobble Heads ($14.99). Get your limited edition hand painted Bobby Clarke, Yvan Cournoyer, Ken Dryden, Phil Esposito, Paul Henderson, Dennis Hull, Frank Mahovlich, Peter Mahovlich, Brad Park, and Serge Savard now.

Lil’ DJs in the house!

Hey parents! Why half-step this season? Don’t you have the 411 already? Every parent should be hip to today’s flavours and realize that any kid who gets a guitar for Christmas will surely be wiggedy, wiggedy wack! If you want to ensure that your kid gets some big-time props, you’d best dial up a bling-blinging One Man Jam DJ Mixer ($19.98 U.S., available on amazon.com) from MGA Entertainment. Complete with two turntables (for mixing and scratching), 24 different tracks in two musical styles (rock and hip hop), built-in microphone (for testing your MC skills), cassette deck (for mixing up your favourite jimmy-jams), adjustable light (for jammin’ in the dark), tempo control (to pump it up or down), built-in speaker (to bring da noize) and volume control (to control the, uh, volume), this biatch has so many features, it’ll be hard not to get get jiggy with it!

And for family-size fun, there’s nothing like a board game. According to the promo sheet, the People Magazine board game ($35 U.S., available on www.patch-store.com) brings home “elements of the magazine you know and love.” Unfortunately that doesn’t include an in depth 7-page exposé about your estranged uncle Murray’s “Dramatic Battle with Haemorrhoids,” nor does it cover the “Hot New Rhinestone, Gold Lamé and Fur-Patch Sweater Look” that seems to be de rigueur with your overly perfumed aunt Edna. What it does include, however, is a board game where players take turns in the spotlight while their teammates try to guess the identity of the famous person they’re portraying. With the roll of the die, players may need to Impersonate, Charade, Draw or Associate the famous person listed on a card. Each game card shows five names of famous individuals in each of five categories: Song, Tube, Screen, Where Are They Now? and Scoop.

Pets from the future

Straight from the imaginary volcanic island of Micronesia, (like their predecessors, Furby and Tamagotchi), MicroPets by Tomy ($14.99), available at Toys R Us (7125 Newman; among others), represent the latest line in the new breed of “interactive pets.” These futuristic little critters are currently blowing up in toy circles (not literally of course). While small in stature (about two inches high), the robotic pets walk, zigzag and turn on their own while also “obeying” 18 different commands. After some rigorous testing, the scientists at the Mirror Amusement Research Facility came up with several interesting discoveries: a) greater results achieved by yelling the commands in an angry Japanese accent b) it’s more fun when you have more than one c) they are even more fun when you ram into them with a miniature radio controlled car.

While the paranoid Internet conspiracy community continues to grow at a geometric rate, the world can be a confusing place for kids. Now they’ll know if someone’s telling the truth or not with this Truth Detector and Spy Watch ($20.99) from Spy Gear. It’s an electronic watch with a fingertip sensor that works by reacting to a person’s skin chemistry while an electronic bar graph shows if a person’s response is honest or dishonest. Its spy functions are the digital message coder and the world time display. The watch features an industrial, cool-styled adjustable band and includes a pocket card about how to detect lies. The most revealing toy since mood rings! Available at Franc Jeu (4152 St-Denis). :