Month: July 2010

Top Camouflage Baby Bedding & Army Bedding For Kids

If your child has conned you into some camouflage bedding then you will need to know the best sets out there to ensure you spend your money wisely.

As such here are our top picks of the kids camo bedding sets available as well as those for babies.

InStyle Boys Camo Bedding Set

This brown and green camouflage bed in a bag is made of a cotton and polyster mix, which can be washed, tumble dried and ironed as detailed in the directions. The traditional print covers the entire comforter and one of the pillowcases. The other pillowcase, bedskirt and sheets have a criss cross pattern.

This InStyle range also includes window drapes and a valance as well as a jet plane rug in the same design to complete the army themed bedroom look.

The comforter is not the heaviest and the sheets are not the softest but they are still very comfortable. Being lightweight it can be used all year round. Overall the whole set works nicely in any boy’s room. The design also matches the pink camo set so your son’s and daughter’s bedrooms can be happily matching. The quality is good, the color lasts after washing and for what you get the set is good value for money.

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InStyle Pink Camouflage Bedding Set

This is the matching set to the brown/green version above but just in pink so girls can have fun with it too. The bedding comes in a variety of pink shades but is brighter and prettier than other pink camo sets on the market.

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Boutique Baby 10 Piece Blue Camouflage Bedding Set For Cribs

Why not start your kids off at a young age with this great camouflage crib bedding set. This design is quite unusual for baby bedding, so will make a bold but cute statement in your nursery. It is a good value for money complete nursery set which includes 10 accessories being a crib quilt, bumper, sheet, skirt, diaper stacker, two window valances, toy bag, baby pillow and bib. It will fit all baby cribs and even toddler beds.

The bedding in this set is extremely soft and smooth, perfect for your little one. The design is attractive and very original. Also buying it as a complete set is very economical. Before you buy it though just note that the colors that look white/light cream in the picture are actually tan.

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JoJo Designs 9 Piece Pink Camo Bedding Set For Cribs

If you have or are expecting a baby girl and want to decorate their nursery with something just a little bit different, why not go for this nine piece pink and khaki camo baby bedding set. The nine pieces you get are a comforter, crib bumper, fitted sheet, skirt, two window valances, diaper stacker, toy bag and throw pillow. The modern but cute design is a bold camouflage print predominantly colored in pink, cream and khaki combined with wide pink borders. It is soft, non allergenic and machine washable being made of 100% cotton and you can buy other items in the range to match.

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Best Toy Guns For Kids

The shelves are stocked with all types of various weapons: shotguns, handguns, rifles, and submachine guns.

Have you entered the exhibit hall of the local NRA convention?

No. You’re strolling down the aisles of a toy store searching for the perfect birthday gift for your son.

Buying toy army guns for kids is completely natural for millions of American parents. Playing cops-and-robbers or other “shoot the bad guy” games is viewed as imaginative, innocent fun and serves as a rite of passage for little boys all over the world. It’s certainly part of the American representation of what it means to be a man: successful aggression is equated with heroics, making men appear tough.

Please click for prices on the full range of Toy Army Guns

Most of American history, particularly stories about the Wild, Wild West, is rife with mythology about gunfights and gunslingers. Thanks to films and television, most of us grew up with larger-than-life visions of famous gun-toting lawmen like Wyatt Earp and thrilling villains like Billy the Kid. Today, enemies tend to take on the characteristics of a space alien rather than a cowboy, but the idea is basically the same. The weapon of destruction may be more sophisticated than the old six-shooter, but the rules really haven’t changed that much. The objective is always, “Bang! Bang! You’re dead!”

Most army toy guns for kids are fairly inexpensive, costing under $25. However, for the true aficionado, there are toy weapons on the market that can cost you up to $200. And, these kids army guns have not diminished in popularity over the years. Available in any toy store or online, toy guns and their much-coveted accessories, including grenades, knives and various types of kids army gear, are even more lifelike now than ever before.

Here are our top picks if you are looking for an affordable option:

12″ Toy Machine Gun

This “Dual Spear Ranger Toy Machine Gun,” is equipped with realistic firing sounds, flashing red and blue lights, a red laser and ammunition clip. And, the barrel of the gun even rotates back and forth to give the full effect of a “real” weapon. This 12” machine gun with electronic sounds and LED lights looks and sounds just like the real deal.

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26″ M16 Toy Machine Gun

The “M16 Lights & Sounds Machine Gun” is a realistic-looking replica of a real M16, complete with flashing lights and sounds. This 26” battery-operated toy army gun is BIG and will provide hours of entertainment for “war” games. This is a must-have for any army wanna-be.

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22″ Toy Sub Machine Gun

The “Army Force Battery Operated Sub Machine Gun Scatter Rifle With Rotating Bullets And Sounds” allows kids to pull the trigger and watch the bullets rotate around. Complete with flashing lights and machine gun sounds, the 22” Sub Machine Gun includes a pretend scope and bipod legs for a realistic adventure.

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If you have some cash to splash here is a more expensive option:

1/32 Anti Tank Army Toy Gun

This realistic 1/32 scale model will add real style to any collection.

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Don’t forget no army role play is complete with just a toy gun. Accessories such as grenades, helmets and vests will all be needed so check out this affordable combat set:

Army Combat Set

The “Ultimate Kids Toy Army Combat Set” is an all-in-one set that includes a 24” camouflage machine gun with lights, realistic vibration and firing sounds; two kid-sized military vests and helmets; one 8” pistol; two 4” grenades; one military flashlight; and one 4” military binocular.

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Gun Collection

For children that like choice, it can be best to buy a set with a collection of different guns. The “20+ Military Police Army Gun Set” is an all-inclusive set that features two 24” black M16 toy army machine guns; two grenades; two 10” toy knives; two replica kids walkie talkies; two sets of hand cuffs with keys; two fake watches; two 9” pistols with soft darts; and two badges.

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Toy Army Guns Safety

Toy weaponry has been around since the dawn of time. And, it’s a known fact that little boys can make a weapon out of anything they happen to have on hand, even a tree branch. However, with the many different varieties of toy weaponry today, most of it looking so much like the real thing, certain countries have even banned toy army guns because they’re so often used to commit crimes.

Toy army guns in and of themselves don’t necessarily encourage violence among growing, impressionable young children. However, many experts argue that allowing children to role-play with toy guns is a recipe for disaster. If you are going to allow toy guns in your home, here are a few safety tips:

  • Be sure that part or all of the gun is brightly colored so it’s not mistaken for a real gun.
  • Keep gun play inside the house. Caution your child not to bring toy guns to school or to play with them outdoors.
  • Teach your child not to pretend to shoot people in the real world. Guns, even toy ones, should never be pointed at people.
  • Take the time to talk to your child about gun safety. They’re never too young to learn that certain things could kill them and aren’t just for fun.

The Range Of Camouglage Bedding For Boys, Girls And Babies

The camouflage design has become popular with both child and adult army fans and those with loved ones in the military.

It has progressed in civilian life from only being found in kids army costumes to a range of bedroom accessories as well. As such you can now kit out yours or your child’s bedroom with camouflage bedding for boys AND girls, curtains, and more to create the perfect military themed look.

Both the patterns and colors of camouflage bedding available are immense and you can find everything from camo crib bedding sets to those for younger boys and girls (with pink camo bedding) and even adults. The number of colors available means that you are sure to be able to find something to match your existing color scheme.

For more details of what you can get in each color please click on the images below:

Green Pink Blue
Green Camo Bedding

Although most kids camo bedding is available in the classic green or olive colors, there are other options for you to consider. Blue camo bedding adds an interesting and cool look to a bedroom. It is also very popular for new born baby boys. Crib bedding in this color is masculine but also very cute. Pink camouflage bedding is ideal for girls and there is lots of it available to buy so your daughter needn’t be left out of any army bedroom makeovers. The ‘no particular shape’ type effect of camo bedding sets makes even gray an interesting option.

The camouflage design is quite a bold decorating statement, and as such you may not want to go overly mad on accessories unless your room is quite large. You want the camouflage to be the accent, not for your room to look like an army camp. If you decide on one color rather than any other, make sure you keep to that color with other accessories such as curtains. Mixing camo colors would be going a bit too far.

 

What to look for in army camouflage bedding sets

Due to the large range of colors and styles on the market, it is best to buy all of your bedding in one go as an ensemble rather than decide a few months later that you wanted a bed skirt after all. It could be hard at that stage to find something that matches.

It is also worth considering whether you will want accessories such as curtains to tie your room’s theme together so you can buy them all at once.

Sets are also likely to be cheaper than buying individual items and postage costs for one delivery will also be less so save yourself some money by planning ahead. Most sets include a mixture of comforter, bed skirt, fitted sheet, flat sheet and pillow cases. Just read the fine print to make sure you know what you’re buying.

 

Camo bed set costs

Most camo bed sets cost between $25-$100. For details of what you can get for different prices please follow the links below:

 

Top army bedding for kids & camouflage baby bedding

If your child has conned you into some camouflage bedding then you will need to know the best sets out there to ensure you spend your money wisely.

As such here are our top picks of the kids camo bedding sets available as well as those for babies.

 

InStyle Boys Camo Bedding Set

This brown and green camouflage bed in a bag is made of a cotton and polyster mix, which can be washed, tumble dried and ironed as detailed in the directions. The traditional print covers the entire comforter and one of the pillowcases. The other pillowcase, bedskirt and sheets have a criss cross pattern.

This InStyle range also includes window drapes and a valance as well as a jet plane rug in the same design to complete the army themed bedroom look.

The comforter is not the heaviest and the sheets are not the softest but they are still very comfortable. Being lightweight it can be used all year round. Overall the whole set works nicely in any boy’s room. The design also matches the pink camo set so your son’s and daughter’s bedrooms can be happily matching. The quality is good, the color lasts after washing and for what you get the set is good value for money.

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JoJo Designs Khaki & Pink Camouflage Bedding Set

This 3 piece twin sheet set looks beautiful whilst adding a touch of camo to any girl’s bedroom. It includes a flat sheet, fitted sheet and pillow case made from 100% cotton. The khaki and pink design can be accessorized with a window valance, lamp shades and more.

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Boutique Baby 10 Piece Blue Camouflage Bedding Set For Cribs

Why not start your kids off at a young age with this great camouflage crib bedding set. This design is quite unusual for baby bedding, so will make a bold but cute statement in your nursery. It is a good value for money complete nursery set which includes 10 accessories being a crib quilt, bumper, sheet, skirt, diaper stacker, two window valances, toy bag, baby pillow and bib. It will fit all baby cribs and even toddler beds.

The bedding in this set is extremely soft and smooth, perfect for your little one. The design is attractive and very original. Also buying it as a complete set is very economical. Before you buy it though just note that the colors that look white/light cream in the picture are actually tan.

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JoJo Designs 9 Piece Pink Camo Bedding Set For Cribs

If you have or are expecting a baby girl and want to decorate their nursery with something just a little bit different, why not go for this nine piece pink and khaki camo baby bedding set. The nine pieces you get are a comforter, crib bumper, fitted sheet, skirt, two window valances, diaper stacker, toy bag and throw pillow. The modern but cute design is a bold camouflage print predominantly colored in pink, cream and khaki combined with wide pink borders. It is soft, non allergenic and machine washable being made of 100% cotton and you can buy other items in the range to match.

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Camouflage bedroom theme

If your child wants the complete army look in their bedroom, then as the bed is the focal point, boys camo bedding is an ideal place to start. If you are after the cheapest change possible, bedding should be your first choice as the bold design could easily be enough.

If you are going to paint the room first choose cream or beige to best blend and emphasize your camo accessories. If you want to decorate further, you can find camo curtains and valances for your windows and wall stickers of tanks, jeeps and aircraft for the walls. More soft furnishings can be found in cushions or lamp shades and you can even get army styled light bulbs and switches.

For more details of what you can get in each range please click on the images below:

Camo Curtains Army Wall Stickers Camo Lights

Ultimate Soldier Action Figures: Large Army Men Toys

21st Century Toys has been making their Ultimate Soldier action figures and vehicles since 1997. Their figures are either scaled as 1:6, 1:18 or 1:32 although the 1:6 or 12″ figures were the most popular until they stopped being made in 2002. These Ultimate Soldier figures cost between $20-$30.

To accompany the plastic army men, they make sets of Ultimate Soldier weapons and uniforms that can be swapped and used to make more complete and interesting role play scenarios. The uniforms cover the following wars: WWII, Vietnam, Korea, as well as Operation Desert Storm. The uniform sets costs between $10-$30.

The Ultimate Soldier toys are in direct competition with the GI Joe range, although their USP has been their more detailed accessories. Depending on the figure, it will either have 15 or 27 articulated joints and will be made with flexible plastic. Those with the extra joints can be posed in more positions than a human body! They are also made of tough materials that will hold up under the fire your little ones might dish out during play.

The best selling 12″ figures include:

WWII US Tank Commander

Start your Ultimate Soldier action figure collection with this authentic US Tank Commander. He comes with tanker’s coveralls and a waist jacket. He looks tough and can be kitted with a large number of accessories, including a cigar! He has a helmet, removable goggles and binoculars, a belt for his ammo packs, a holster for his sidearm and a scabbard for his knife. He is weapons ready with a grease gun machine pistol and don’t forget his working jerry can.

Russian Spetznaz Soldier

This highly detailed Russian soldier comes with a lot of accessories for hours of role play fun.

 

WWII British Commando

This Royal Marines Commando figure is authentically detailed like all of the Ultimate Soldiers. He has the improved articulated body from the new Super Soldier line. He comes in fatigues, a knit cap and fake leather commando vest. He is well accessorized with an automatic sidearm and holster, ammo pouch, a sheath to hold his commando knife, a canteen, a backpack as well as a Sten machine pistol with silencer.

Pack Of 3 Vietnam War Veterans

This is a great multi figure pack to honor those soldiers who served in Vietnam.

 

Weapons & Accessories

There are various weapons sets that you can buy to accompany your Ultimate Soldier. The WWII US .30 Caliber Machine Gun set for example is a six piece 1:6 set that works with all of the 12″ action figures. It is highly detailed and contains a Browning water cooled machine gun which was used a lot in WWII, a tripod mount, a water reservoir, hose, ammo case and ammunition. The toy version is 6″ long showing how large this gun was in real life and why it was operated by a two man crew. It is a great replica even down to the tiny cartridges – perfect for collecting and displaying.

As well as weapons you can accessorize your Ultimate Soldiers with uniform and accessory sets such as the US Modern Radio Telephone Operator set and the German Infantry Eastern Front set. The ‘gear’ included comprises uniforms, boots, weapons and accessories and fits all 12″ figures. The WWII German Officer Uniform set comes with a uniform, hat, boots, rifle, canteen and more. The British Commando accessory set includes a cap, two ammunition pouches, a handgun and holster, a rifle, knife and sheath, boots, a small pouch and a satchel. As you can see all sets are very comprehensive, highly detailed and authentic but only contain the uniforms etc, not any figures. They provide a good opportunity to try out different uniforms on your figures.

Bestselling Mega Bloks Army Sets

If you have read our post on Army Legos you will know that the choice of army themed Lego toys is limited at best. As such if you want some building block army toys for your kids, you will need to look elsewhere.

Thankfully the well loved Mega Bloks brand has a great range of alternatives on offer. Their building blocks are very similar to Legos so your child will probably not notice any difference. Mega Bloks army sets can be found in the Probuilder range and cover many vehicle types including racing cars, speed boats and motorbikes, but also features a large number of army toys, specifically ships, tanks and aircraft.

As the name suggests these Probuilder sets are not quick fix kits and as such are recommended for children aged 7+. They typically have a large number of bricks (anywhere from 224 up to 2450) and can take many hours or days to finish.

The larger sets can be a challenge to build but the instructions are clear and all of the pieces fit where they are supposed to.

If you just want to build your model once and then play with it for years, you will get a stronger finished product if you use small drops of glue when building to hold the model together.

Once completed the Probuilder models are well detailed in regard to color and design. These sets are great educational toys – not only will your children learn about army vehicles, they will sharpen their motor skills during the build and will enjoy imaginative play once complete. Overall these outstanding military kits are fun to make.

The 5 bestselling kits are listed next as well as the whole army range by kit size at the bottom of this post.

Mega Bloks Probuilder Navy Destroyer

This very popular Battleship set contains 545 pieces. It is styled with very realistic military detailing and is great for role play with its working missiles that fire. It has a command tower, loading deck, articulated Navy figure and a pulley to deploy hovercraft and is actually a 3-in-1 toy set. The instructions allow you to build the large battleship or two other smaller vessels at the same time. The battleship is designed to safeguard other ships in the fleet, so why not choose some of the other sets in the range to accompany it?

Mega Bloks Pro Builder USS Nimitz

This monster Mega Bloks Lego army set has close to 1400 pieces which enables a super US aircraft carrier to be built. The result is a true to life replica with many special features such as underside wheels for more mobility or display purposes, aircraft elevators that move up and down, missile cannons, a control tower, directional lights and take off runways, not to mention the eight F-14 jets that are included and fit inside the ship to store. Stickers are included to complete the attention to detail. Being such a large set it offers many hours of fun building time for your kids followed by exciting role play afterwards. When it is finished it measures a whopping 36″ in length. Unfortunately this model is no longer made which pushes the price up. If shopping on Amazon look to the ‘More Buying Choices’ box to find non-featured sellers where you may get a better price. It may also be worth trying for a more acceptable price range – just watch your shipping costs.

Mega Bloks Probuilder Gromitz Minehunter Boat

It seems that the Mega Blocks Probuilder boats, top the best sellers of this range, however the Gromitz Minehunter is the last of our top choices. At 343 pieces it is not the biggest set but it does have a host of features including a large rotating cannon. The detailing is authentic so once built, this boat can be used to detect and neutralize mines in army role play games.

Mega Bloks Probuilder Eurofighter Typhoon

This state of the art twin engine fighter aircraft can be built from the 291 piece set. The detailing is great thanks to the delta wings, impressive nose and variety of weapons, so will look the part for a multitude of air attack role play scenarios. The cockpit opens to reveal a fighter pilot figure who is fully articulated, making the overall look of the aircraft more authentic.

Mega Bloks Probuilder M1A1 Abrams Tank

Why not complete your military set with this Abrams army tank? It is authentically detailed with a rotating cannon turret, side camo net and working treads as well as other moveable parts such as opening hatches. It has 850 pieces that will keep you busy for a while building this big, 18.5″ model. Once finished you can create your own custom camouflage design on the plain tan tank with the two included washable ink camouflage pens – one black and one dark brown. The only downsides to this tank are that no figures come with it and the side panels and gun turret are prone to falling off if not secured well.

If you are interested in some of the other Mega Blocks Pro Builder army toys, here is the full range ordered by number of pieces.

  Kit Pieces
Sea Wolf 2450
Aerial Assault 2100
USS Kittyhawk 1700
USS Nimitz 1400
Abrams Tank 850
Battleship Collector Series 780
Battleship Stealth Ship 733
Leopard 2 Tank 562
Navy Destroyer 545
Tactical Fighter 525
Assault Chopper 420
Gromitz Minehunter Boat 343
Eurofighter Typhoon 291
Hydra Airborn Support Unit 235
Snake Mobile Defense Unit 235
Fighter Jet 224

All Mega Bloks Probuilder instructions are available on the Megabloks website.

Airfix Toy Soldiers: The Whole Collection

Airfix has been well known for its high quality model kits since the 1950’s, as they are loved by kids and adults alike. Their range of plastic army men toys includes small 1:72 models as well as larger 1:32 scale versions. They are a great option to use to create your kids toy army as they are almost indestructible – a much needed trait in boys army toys.

There are many different Airfix toy soldiers to choose from covering British, German, and US Paratroops and Infantrymen and many others. With the military of so many countries represented, you can recreate the great battles from history with these army action figures and their accessories.

The original versions are now very collectible with collectors being particularly interested in the slightly different features between sets. As well as army toy soldiers, Airfix also make army vehicle and building model kits. These include tanks, dioramas and battlegrounds and are equally well made and collectible. The best place to find the more collectible items is on .

For those parents interested solely in the play value of these toy army soldiers though, brand new sets have recently been released. These more up to date versions have set the bar high with the plastic toy soldiers being increasingly accurate and paying minute attention to detail. With the use of precision mouldings, sophisticated techniques and modern materials, scale models have truly arrived in the 21st century. Gone are the days of messy glue fingers and fiddly stickers.

Airfix Toys Soldiers 1:72 Scale

For around £5, you can buy a number of Airfix 1:72 scale models. These sets contain the smaller versions of army men toy soldiers (approx 1″/2 cm tall) but come with 40-50 pieces. Despite their small size they are highly detailed and durable. They are easy to put together, having the lowest skill level of the Airfix kits (level 1). They contain accurately modeled soldiers from a number of different armies. Both officers and infantry men are included along with weapons such as swords and rifles. The figures come in a good mix of poses and with the size of these sets, your child will be happy to play for hours. They do require painting although their small size makes this a tad tricky! The Classic Kits contain figures using the designs originally worked on in the 1960’s.

Prices for US visitors.

Airfix WWII British Paratroops Figures Classic Kit Series 1
More than ever with British Paratroops you imagine action and this set allows great action scenes to be created. The pieces include collapsed parachutes, suppy containers as well as a mortar and crew.

Airfix British Commandos

Just right for role playing amphibious operations, this exciting British Commandos set contains scaling ladders, grapnels and an assault canoe.

Airfix WWII British Infantry Figures Classic Kit Series 1

The models of British Infantrymen who served in Western Europe during WWII include riflemen, machine gunners, and radio operators.

Airfix Gurkhas Figures Classic Kit Series 1

The Nepalese Gurkhas were part of the British Army who fought in Europe, the Middle East and the Far East.

Airfix WWII US Marines Figures Classic Kit Series 1

Create action scenes with these “Leathernecks” – choose US Marines with bazookas or flame throwers or even an inflated assault boat.

Airfix WWII German Infantry Figures Classic Kit Series 1

German infantry soldiers ready to do battle with the British. Weapons include grenade throwers and an anti-tank gun.

Airfix Afrika Corps

Afrika Korps toy soldier figures.

Airfix Japanese Infantry

Japanese army soldiers from the Pacific. Weapons include swords, buglers, rifles, sub-machine guns and grenades.

 

Airfix Toys Soldiers 1:32 Scale

For around £6, you can get great value for money from the Airfix 1:32 toy soldier sets. These are a better size than the 1:72 models being around 6cm tall but you only get 14 pieces in a set. They are still easy to put together, only requiring a skill level of 1 but do need painting. There is a good range of poses on offer, but the only downside is that the contents of the box may vary so you could get a few of the same or not the one you are hoping for.

Airfix British Commandos Figures Classic Kit Series 2

British Commando figures.

Airfix British Paratroops Figures Classic Kit Series 2

Paint these British Paratroops in their maroon beret and distinctive shoulder patch before sending them into battle.

Airfix British Infantry Figures Classic Kit Series 2

British Infantry soldier figures.

Airfix British 8th Army Figures Classic Kit Series 2

The Eighth Army soldier figures represent those who fought in the North African and Italian campaigns.

Airfix US Paratroopers Figures Classic Kit Series 2

US Paratroops figures.

Airfix US Infantry Figures Classic Kit Series 2

US Infantry soldier figures.

Airfix German Paratroopers Figures Classic Kit Series 2

Figures representing the German Paratroops who invaded Norway, the Netherlands and Crete.

Airfix German Infantry Figures Classic Kit Series 2

German Infantry soldier figures.

Airfix Afrika Korps Figures Classic Kit Series 2

Defeat these Afrika Korps figures with the set of the British 8th Army.

 

James May’s Toy Stories: The Airfix Handbook

For true Airfix fans, James May, the well known co-presenter of the BBC’s motoring show, Top Gear, has written an Airfix Handbook just for you. It is a fascinating insight into how each scale model comes into being from starting life as just a drawing.

 

Airfix plastic toy soldiers offer great value for money in their 1:32 and 1:72 scale model kits. They will certainly add some variety to your child’s collection of traditional green army men toys. They offer a huge amount of detail compared to the bag of 100 soldiers you can pick up for 99p so are well worth this small investment. Don’t forget to collect vehicles, buildings and landscape kits to create very real battle scenes.