You could buy your kid a whole bunch of Hot Wheels cars and track sets, only to step on them late at night and break your leg… Or you could simplify things and buy this inexpensive kit that lets you turn just about anything into a track.

Sound awesome? It is. No, it really isn’t. The “My First Autobahn” Tape Kit doesn’t actually keep your cars’ wheels on the track, but it’s still a cool way to make roads wherever you want. The tape won’t damage floors, and can be easily removed from most surfaces.

I bet there are many geeks out there who played with Silly Putty as a kid. You remember the stuff you could stretch it, tear it, bounce it and more. Vat19 has a new kind of putty called Magnetic Thinking Putty.

This stuff is very similar to Silly Putty in that you can shape it and bounce it. The big difference is that the Magnetic Thinking Putty has millions of tiny magnets inside the putty and you can make the putty stretch and dance using a powerful cube magnet that is included.

If I were loaded and could stand to be in the 650-degree Texas summer heat longer than it takes to sprint from the house to my car, I would totally buy the Jetlev Flyer. The thing is a combination of a jet ski and a jetpack.

You strap into the pack, which has twin nozzles behind the pilot and a pair of handles that control the thrust allowing control over altitude. The long yellow hose you see in the picture here attaches to a motor on a boat that trolls along behind the Jetlev Flyer.

I’ve never heard of ‘Bitosan Ke’ either, don’t feel bad. Apparently he’s a little character that has just a few strands of hair on his head and a few strands sticking out from his nose. The hairs are made of static carbon fiber and when touched, they signal him to talk.

We aren’t sure what he actually says, but our guess is he isn’t too happy with having his nose hairs played with. Bitsoan Ke and five other characters will say different things. They’re powered by a LR-44 button cell and I’m not sure they qualify as cute. Just weird.

Your little one deserves a quality ATV right? Why not buy your little rugrats the Kettquad from Kettler? The German company recently unveiled this four wheeler that features pneumatic tires for off-road terrain and even a protected enclosed chain drive. Looks like a ton of fun.

Expect it to hit the US sometime this year, with your kid hitting a tree soon after. It will retail for between $800 and $1000. It’s for kids 5 to 12 years of age, so don’t let your toddler ride this thing.

If you read SlipperyBrick much you know we are suckers for cool RC toys and robots. When you combine both into one tiny package, you really grab my attention. A company called Senario has unveiled a tiny RC robot called Zibits.

The little bot can be had in 12 different designs to appeal to all tastes. Each of the little bots is a bit more than 2-inches in size and has a remote to control the robot.

I don’t think Mario has ever actually done this in a game, but this is exactly how to kick Bowser’s ass. You ride around in a large Mech version of yourself. The Mech Mario was designed by custom toymaker Donald Kennedy aka KodyKiala, who obviously loves Nintendo and is a great artist.

Yep, that’s a little Super Mario controlling a Big Super Mario. I call that awesome even if it is wacky and absurd. I just love all the detail.

Well parents, here’s something else you can step on and hurt your foot. Mattel’s ‘Stealth Rides’ are the latest from the Hot Wheels brand. These are real RC cars that fold down to a credit card sized package that’s about as thick as a cellphone, which makes them very convenient to carry in your pocket.

Look for them to be available in August for about $25 each. There are 5 different models, which include cars, some tanks and the Tumbler from Batman. Apparently these cars will run for 30 minutes, before they need a recharge.

It’s always nice when our old gadgets and toys get some modern upgrades, but some things just should not be changed. The Etch-A-Sketch Freestyle gets rid of the traditional 2 controller knob design in favor of a single knob that can swivel 360 degrees.

I don’t know about you, but somehow this design feels like cheating. Half the fun of the classic version is that it requires some skill to use it. This is no Etch A Sketch.

Put the video games down and play some Portable Air Hockey instead. This is a portable version that comes with an integrated fan within the puck, allowing it to float across a table or flat surface easily. All you need to figure out is how wall off the sides of your table so you aren’t breaking things.

Portable Air Hockey will cost you $14.99. For that price you get a puck, paddles and a set of nets. Sounds like a lot of fun.

[red ferret]

Zombies are constantly in the news these days. Or they would be, if it wasn’t a conspiracy run by the media. Anyhow, with so many zombies on the loose, you have to practice and keep your aim sharp. After all, if you fail to get a headshot, you may get bitten and become one yourself.

Video games are good practice. So is this Zombie Shooting Gallery. Keep it in the office and unleash your fury on tons of undead while killing time as well. You have to kill the zombie that pops out or it eats a human hostage. The zombies will pop in and out faster as it continues.

Race in a Case! Race in a Case! Race in a Case! Race in a Case will race your face. There’s an entire Formula One racetrack in this case. No setup needed. The faster you crank your hand controller, the faster your car goes. Eliminate your opponent with crank ‘em and spank ‘em action.

No electricity required. For $60 you get the set with two 1:59 scale slot cars, cool racing environment and lap counters to help you keep track of who’s cranking faster. The case is only about 18 inches square.

Watch in amazement as your kids say, “Who?” And, “Dad, I don’t get it. Why is this cool?” Kids today may not know who Evel Knievel is, but that isn’t stopping the manufacturer of this kid’s chopper.

It’s the limited-edition replica of the street cruiser ridden by Robert Craig “Evel” Knievel. And if you didn’t know, he set the world record by jumping over 19 cars and a bunch of other stuff, when he wasn’t laying in the hospital moaning.

Alright all you eggheads who can solve a Rubik’s Cube in like ten seconds. Here’s a harder challenge. Meet Bram’s Cube, created by the creator of BitTorrent, Bram Cohen. It offers more of a challenge by incorporating gears into the design.

It’s a two by two Rubik’s Cube, which seems like an easy puzzle to beat, but the gears add another layer of difficulty that is sure to be frustrating. I wouldn’t even know where to start with this thing. Sure you can align the blocks, but then the gears are all out of whack.

Kid’s gadgets are getting more and more interesting each holiday season. I know school just started back for most of the country, but manufacturers are already gearing up for holiday sales with the full shopping season only a few months away.

Jakks Pacific has some of the coolest gadgets for kids around. The company offers the EyeClops Mini Projector that connects to a TV to project games and other images on the wall or ceiling. The coolest gadget is the EyeClops Night Vision Goggles.