There has been much acclaim for the Ben 10 brand this month. According to NPD, the market research company, Ben 10 10cm Action Figures were the “Best Selling Toy of 2008″. The 15cm Action Figure range and the Omnitrix F/X Watch also featured in the top 10. The Ben 10 10cm and 15cm Action Figures were also the WINNERS of the “2009 Toy Of The Year” with Ben 10 also scooping the “Boys’ Range Of The Year”. These awards back up Bandai America’s recent press release where they claim their “Ben 10 Alien Force toy line is a top-selling mega brand”. Barnaby Dawe, VP of marketing and communications at Turner Broadcasting could not have been wrong when he commented: “Ben 10 is without doubt the hottest boys’ brand of the moment”.

At last a Ben 10 Comic has hit the newsagents. It was supposed to come out last month but was hard to find in stores. Finally my Ben 10 fan got his copy and was very pleased with all the bits and bobs that came with it. He especially liked the cards although we’ll have to collect a few more sets before we can play the game properly. This first comic was half price at £1.50 but subsequent issues will be £2.99. The comic itself is good quality and 24 pages long.

My 7 year old son had been waiting for yesterday for ages. As soon as Ben 10 Alien Force was advertised as “Coming Soon” on Cartoon Network, he had me write it on the calendar so we wouldn’t forget to watch it! So we got to watch the first two episodes and he wasn’t disappointed. The first bit, setting the scene, where Ben didn’t have his new Omnitrix yet, didn’t do much for him, but when he started transforming he was over the moon. We got to see Swampfire, Echo Echo and Humungousaur – the latter being his favourite. He used to like Four Arms and I think this new huge beast that sounds like a dinosaur (another love of his) caught his imagination. He can’t wait for the next episodes.

As with the original 10 cm Action Figures, for only £5 (RRP) you get a well made, poseable figure complete with an alien information card. But also each Alien Force figure includes a mini translucent alien figure to attach to your child’s Ultimate Omnitrix. Combined with the Omnitrix these mini figures reveal the alien’s voice and name, so it is like getting two toys in one box.

We were really hoping that this Ultimate Omnitrix from the new Ben 10 Alien Force range was going to rock our childrens’ worlds. It will no doubt be a must have for any Ben 10 fan addicted to role play fun but it’s not quite as good as we’d hoped. The accuracy to the watch in the new show is fantastic. You attach the mini translucent alien figures to the top of the watch to activate each alien. This reveals the alien’s voice and name, like on the show, and is super cool.

Fantastic, entertaining and robust. It will send the imagination into overdrive. If you want to keep your Ben 10 fan busy using their imagination for play then this is the toy for you.

Build wise the quality is higher than that of its predecessor the Omnitrix F/X. The thick fabric strap fastens with velcro so is easy for a young child to put on and off. The main watch part is made of chunky plastic and comprises a black and white LCD screen. It can be quite large on the child’s wrist and is larger than the F/X.

We moved abroad in search of a ‘better life’. ’Better’, we hoped, was to involve more fun, family time. ‘Fun, family time’, our son hoped, was buying and playing with the boys toys advertised on television! Purchasing these ‘must haves’ from an ever dwindling nest egg, inspired Son Time Now. We want to share our thoughts on these toys for boys, hoping you can avoid our mistakes and enjoy our successes. We also hope to chat about hot tips, practical ideas and funny stories on spending quality toy time with your son.