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Author Archives: Stephanie
Best Green Toy of the Week: Citiblocs (Addictive on the coffee table)
Sometimes we get toys that are marketed to kids and yet we find that almost every grown-up that comes near them just starts playing with them. Since playing is good at any age, I feel it’s very important to write about these types of products. You may remember that the magnetic building sets that burst onto the market several years ago had that appeal – making them a great choice to just have on the coffee table for some open-ended play time for anyone so inclined. Research also indicates that type of activity for adults is great for keeping those brain neurons firing.
This year’s winner in this category is Citiblocs by Citiblocs. At first you might think a box of equally- sized precision cut wooden pieces wouldn’t be that enthralling – at any age…but once you get building, it’s just fun to see how many different variations you can make. The pieces are very smooth and are made of Radiata Pine from certified renewable forests in New Zealand – making them not only fun, but onto our Green Toy list as well.
Each set comes with ideas for building…they are marked 3 & up, we’d say more like 5 & up and & up and & up!
One of our tester moms (an architect) — LOVED this product. Somehow we knew she would.
Pick of the Day: Blockity-Pop Dump Truck
From the new Stack’n Surprise Blocks Line by Fisher-Price. I’m always being asked for the best new little vehicles for older babies and toddlers. This little yellow and blue dump truck is just right for this stage. It comes with two blocks that have little “faces” that pop up when placed on the truck. Good for rolling and exploring.
New version of Great States coming for 2010
Go toyportfolio.com! testers and readers….the company is planning a special 10th annivesary of the game for 2010…and will take into account the omissions and errors pointed out by our readers! To read the earlier post click here.
Hot Wheels Super Jump Raceway
The inital reaction to the kids that gave this raceway a test spin was “this is going to be awesome” “I’m sure this is going to be Platinum”. It is the latest in the one trick pony racing toys from Hot Wheels–closed tracks with a mechanism that sends cars speeding along. My experience with these sets is that they are novelty toys–once you see the cars speeding along again and again…most kids are done with them in short order. While some of them work really well and are fun…I grew up with more open ended Hot Wheels track sets…much like wooden train sets, they were open-ended puzzles that invited creativity through trial and error. The goal in our house was always to make a really long track that would include the stair case.
As much as our testers were initially hyped, the excitement turned to frustration. The car (it comes with one…but will work with any Hot Wheel car) would not stay on the track. I was also concerned that the pleasingly graphic cardboard city scape would not hold up. The instructions suggest you tape the cardboard together..but if you have to pack up the toy…you have to pull off the tape–that doesn’t usually end well. So sadly, we’ll have to pass on this one.
If you’re looking for a fun Hot Wheels set, we highly recommend the new Color Shifters Blaster set – featuring the color changing of the cars depending on what water (hot or cold) they are dipped in or sprayed with…either way LOTS of fun.
A Doll that Let's Girls Pretend to Breastfeed…Bebe Goton
take a look at a new doll from Spain…
“A Spanish toymaker known as Berjuan has developed a breast-feeding doll that comes with a special halter top its young “mothers” wear as they pretend to breast-feed their “babies.” The halter top has daisies that cover the little girls’ nipples and come undone just as easily as the flaps of a nursing bra would.”
Click below to read the entire story…
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,537261,00.html?test=latestnews
You guessed it, this won’t be an OTP winner. Much like the Pregnancy Doll from Mattel in the early 90s, this is more role playing than any little girl needs.
Great States! Game
We got an email from a family that bought the Great States! Game from International Playthings…in large part because our award seal was on the package (always nice to hear). We were really concerned that the family had a whole host of issues with this board game. There was a mechanical problem with the timer (which was replaced by the company). But the family also brought to my attention some concerns about the accuracy of some of the questions.
So we asked the company to send us another set–we first reviewed the game in 2004 and thought it was possible that it had been changed. We found that out of the 400 question cards there were six that were not completely correct.
The question: Name the three states that board the Pacific Coast? Answer: California, Oregon and Washington. Obviously Alaska and Hawaii have been omitted.
Where’s Alcatraz? Answer: On a small island off the coast of California. Not really, really in the Bay.
The question: Close your eyes and name 7 states that Border Canada. Answer: Correctly includes 13 states but excludes Alaska.
Question: Which is the most Northwestern state? Answer: Washington. Again…we’d go with Alaska.
Most of the questions have to do with a starting point that players are only supposed to include the 48 contiguous states. We agree with the family that complained that these questions should be adjusted.
We still think, after some debate here, that this is an engaging game that helps teach and reinforce American Geography and trivia.
We hope the company will address the questions we’ve identified (the family also took issue with the color of some of the state birds).
Perhaps because I grew up with many maps on my wall and a Dad that loved chronicling all of our journeys in the family Atlas…I have always liked games that work on these skills in a way that’s fun, not mean.
Cartons from Mattel and the new website
Just when I thought we were done with the bulk of our testing, some very large cartons arrived from Mattel today. We peeked into one box to discover My Three Muskateer Barbie–her gown turns into a cape. It made both of us laugh. We decided to close the box for the evening. Tomorrow is another day for toy testing!
The new website is going to be fantastic. We’re busy working on getting it ready–which is why my postings have been pretty slim the last few weeks. We’ve decided to keep up reviews of old products that are discontinued but may find their way to you through family or friends. (With the exception of craft kits and toys that probably won’t be passed down.) These products were not required to meet our safety requirements — so now we’re deciding how to address this issue so that we’ve made that clear.
I’m hearing from a lot of you, that you’d like downloadable pdf’s of our lists…birthday lists especially. Working on finding the best way to do that as well. So if you have other suggestions keep them coming. It’s also been nice to hear from so many readers that they miss the book. As much as we liked doing the book, the freedom of space and time to work on the website has been most welcomed…neither of us miss the horrible crunch to get the manuscript done as the toys kept pouring in!
Pokemon: It's back….
I was quite surprised to discover a room full of teenage boys revisiting characters I thought had been discarded with other elements of their childhood (chicken fingers, Hanson…) –but make no mistake these little pocket monsters are back. I guess it makes sense that “retro” for this internet, of the nano-second moment generation can already mean toys they played with just a few years ago.
Dolls you draw on…Eric Carle's Very Hungry Caterpillar
Kids Preferred is introducing a new Very Hungry Caterpillar plush that comes with markers–so that kids can draw on the caterpillar. We asked one our testers to try it out this week. Our preschool tester, a fan of the book, enjoyed decorating her caterpillar–and her mom was happy that the ink washed out completely in the wash. The only downside, her daughter asked if she could draw on one of her bears. Many kids probably would not have asked! The concept of draw here, but not there–can be rough for some kids. On the other hand, this is a fun color concept toy that makes a book connection.
Our tester trying out the new Eric Carle Very Hungry Caterpillar Doll
For this age, I highly recommend (if you have the space) painting a wall in your house with chalkboard paint. Growing up in our playroom my mom did this on two big cabinet doors. I loved being in the middle of our family buzz–working on a new design, practicing my handwriting as I got older and even working on my early math skills (truthfully, there were a lot of flower designs!). For my kids we painted an entire wall and left a basket full of colorful chunky outdoor chalk at the ready. With kind of space you can use your whole arm to make big bold strokes…and work on your fine motor skills when your adding details to your creations.
If you can’t paint a wall, bring home an easel that has a chalk board side. Such an easy access art opportunity puts the focus on the process, not the product. As any experienced preschool teacher will tell you–find something to compliment but don’t lavish too much praise on any one creation – doing so makes it really scary to try something new!