My first-grader has recently discovered Bakugan. bakugan_325

If you don't have an elementary-school child, you may not have seen these toys before.  They're about the size of a ping-pong ball, but they're part ball and part "Transformer."  When you toss the Bakugan on the floor or pass them over a metal item, the ball will spring open and appear like a monster.  They're packaged with trading cards that detail each Bakugan's attributes and contain a bit of metal to help the Bakugan pop open.

After his birthday party a month or so ago, my son had about ten of these little toys.  Now he can find three--at the most.  And apparently you can't have a proper "battle" with these Bakugan unless you have three.

He only plays with the Bakugan in one room, so nobody knows where these things have gone.  Where does a Bakugan go when it rolls away from a bunch of little boys?

I've sent him to go looking for these things several times.  He's found lost puzzle pieces and Nerf ammo.  He's found his favorite baseball cap.  But he hasn't found even one of his missing Bakugan.  I think it's bothering me more than it does him.  I have the feeling that I'll be spending way too much time today tearing apart the family room to look for these things.  But I do have an excuse:  the remote for the DVD player is also missing.  Maybe I'll find seven Bakugan while I'm looking for one remote.

COUPON TIME

I can't understand the attraction of these Bakugan, but if you're shopping for a boy between the ages of 5 and 9, these toys are probably on your list.  No matter what toys you're looking for, though, we've got a good deal for you!

10% off your order at Back To Basics Toys
Use coupon code APRDISC2.
Valid through: April 30, 2009

25% more off already-reduced items at DisneyShopping.com
Enter promotion code EXTRA25 in your shopping bag.
Valid through: April 29, 2009, 11:59pm PT
Excludes movies, books, music, animation art, and some other items. See site for details.

Free Lightning McQueen Diecast with any Disney Cars order over $29 at AllAboardToys.com
Use offer code SPEED in your shopping cart.
Valid through: unknown
Limit one per customer. Cannot be combined with any other coupons or promotions.

15% off Earth-themed products at DiscoveryStore.com
Use coupon code EARTH.
Valid through: April 30, 2009
Cannot be combined with other offers.

$10 off a Didj Gaming System at LeapFrog.com
Use promotion code AP9DHW in your shopping cart.
Valid through: April 30, 2009, 11:59pm CT

Free shipping on $50 or more of Fisher-Price Toys at eToys.com
Discount will appear in your shopping cart.
Valid through: May 2, 2009

And don't forget, Mother's Day is coming up!  I'm sure most moms wouldn't want a Bakugan (I definitely wouldn't, hint hint...) but we've got plenty of fabulous special items for moms at our Mother's Day page.