Something for the Lil ones: Sit to Stand Alphabet Train

Don’t let the name deter you – this is not just for teaching the alphabet. It is a great gift for much younger children, actually. As young as 1-2 years old, actually, and they will have years of fun with this train – guaranteed. This one is a colorful large plastic train, with 26 double [...]

littlest pet shop – the plush .com version

Following the last post about Littlest Pet Shop Playsets, I figured I should also mention the .com alternative: playing in the LPS online world with your own unique character, while snuggling the plush representation of  that character. I guess you could say this is a webkinz kin, as the concept is very similar. A plush [...]

Hasbro Biggest Littlest Pet Shop Playset

Hasbro’s Littlest Pet Shop series is a major hit this year, high up on the lists of bestselling toys on Amazon. It’s a nice little twist on the old concept of a dollhouse, with miniature pets replacing human-like dolls, and a variety of “houses” including a pet shop, medical center, gym and even an entire [...]

Best Melissa and Doug Puzzles

Melissa and Doug has become synonym with quality toys for kids, particularly wooden toys. This company excels in making quality toys that bring back memories of the days when craftsmen took pride in toy making and delivered unique and well thought-out pieces that lasted for generations. When you get a set of blocks or a [...]

End the Hassle – Frustration Free Pirate Ship

Amazon has just launched a wonderful new concept – frustration free packaging! As a parent, I know only too well how frustrating it can be to try and dislodge that new toy from its packaging, when you have an impatient kid hobbling at your feet. The plastic wraps and then those annoying metal wires, entwined [...]

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Movie Monster Tower Playset

Woohoo! That was what my two boys said when they saw this one. “Mom, I want this!” Well, I told them to put it on their birthday gifts list and they are going to. They’re not even huge fans of the teenage mutant Ninja Turtles, but they are boys and this set is so action [...]

Animal Croquet Outdoors Fun

We have a very large backyard and we’re fortunate to be living next-door to my in-laws. Guess what Grandpa’s favorite game with the kids is? It’s the perfect mild exercise, combined with a fun challenge for any age: Croquet! The concept is simple enough, and with the right rule adjustments, even toddlers can play. With [...]

Kapla Blocks

My boys love building blocks of all kinds. My 6 years old in particular, is natural born architect who loves building very complex structures. He can go on for hours, delicately balancing blocks and stacking them up. And yes, I can go on for hours talking about my talented kids , so I’ll stop now. [...]