Ride on toys for toddlers is always one of the hardest categories we review. Over the past few years we’ve noticed that one of the ways companies have cut back is to do away with steering mechanisms. Now this bumper car also doesn’t steer but because it’s on casters – it does move easily in any direction your child would like to go. What really annoys me are ride-ons where your child has to stand up and move the toy and then sit down again- where’s the fun in that? To read our full review and for shopping info — click here!
Archive for the ‘Best Toys for Kids with Special Needs’ Category
Pick of the Day: Radio Flyer Bumper Car
Thursday, October 21st, 2010My continuing fascination with singamajigs
Wednesday, October 20th, 2010
Sing-a-ma-jigs
I love these dolls. The harmonizing is fun. Here’s another video where we demonstrate that they each sing a different song. For a full review visit our site, www.toyportfolio.com. I’ll try to stop writing about them…but when the new batch arrives – I may have to post some more.
Pick of the day: blabla kids Elephants
Tuesday, October 19th, 2010
Blabla Kids Elephants
Delicious! These blabla kids elephants just make you smile. We love the whole collection of animals and girl/boy dolls- just right for toddlers and preschoolers (and their parents!). For a complete review and shopping info visit our site by clicking here.
Pick of the Day: Ugly Dolls
Monday, October 18th, 2010
Ugly Dolls 2010
Ugly Dolls have been around for a while but we thought that they deserved a special shout out this year. The new cast of 2010 Ugly Dolls arrived on a day this summer when were swamped with toys that we just didn’t think kids would play with for very long. As soon as the Ugly Dolls got unpacked, everyone wanted one. They appeal to both young and old (and we count ourselves on the older part of that spectrum!). In fact when we have kids in for testing days–they all want to go home with an Ugly Doll. I think that says something about the inviting whimsy of these soft, huggable zany creatures. If you’re shopping for a hard to buy for tween or teen, Ugly Dolls are usually a welcomed gift. For a review of this year’s dolls and shopping info, visit www.toyportfolio.com.
Pick of the Day: Leap Frog Cook & Play Potsy
Wednesday, October 13th, 2010
Leap Frog Cook & Play Potsy
I told Al Roker yesterday that I had a little crush on this toy, to which Al expressed some concern for me – but I really do love this pretend toy! Most concept toys are so boring or they have that same sweet woman’s voice (I think she’s related to the annoyingly perky GPS woman). The folks at Leap Frog have a male actor saying “open” “shut” or “off” “on” -every time you take the lid off the pot or put it back on. But instead of just saying it the same way…you know the guy has some theater background…the tenor of his voice changes. It’s just funny and very welcomed. I do wish that when you put the pieces of food in the pot that the pot recognized them–that would have been very cool, but probably would have made the toy super expensive. Fill and spill toys are always a hit with sitting up babies and young toddlers–so this toy is right on target without the sound effects. I’m not in love with the songs it sings…but the open/shut gets me every time. Watch our video. Read our complete review at www.toyportfolio.com.
Gotta love me some blabla…
Tuesday, August 3rd, 2010
After two very intensive weeks of looking at what seemed like a boat load of plastic toys…I finally decided we were ready for a treat. We opened the box from blabla kids. Don’t get me wrong, I have nothing against plastic toys per se – many are on our top list this year- but there’s something really special about this collection of dolls. They’re both deliciously retro and fresh in design and spirit.
Take a look at just two of the new dolls that we’re reviewing this morning.
LeapFrog’s new line looks like fun!
Thursday, June 10th, 2010We had a preview today of LeapFrog’s new toys for 2010. I’ve seen many of them at an earlier showing (I think I may have blogged about having seen so many promising toys–but they were all embargoed). I’m not big on keeping secrets so showing me toys I’m not allowed to write about for months really doesn’t work for me. Today I was assured that I could write about everything…
New for 2010, Leapster Explorer
Leapster Explorer
If you’re looking for a hand-held game console for younger kids, this will probably be the one to get. We haven’t tested it yet–that said, it’s faster, the graphics are amazingly clear and bright–and the games are varied and interesting. The Leapster Explorer will retail for $69–and while your preschooler will probably still want to play with your iPhone, they will also be more than satisfied to play with the Explorer. In the photo below you can see a demonstration of Sugar Bugs–where you are given the task of getting the sugar bugs out of the person’s teeth. For some reason this really grossed out my mother when we saw it a few months ago–it doesn’t bother me too much–we’ll have to see how kids react. The company will continue the existing Leapster line (at a lower price point) and continue to bring out a few games a year to support it). Some may be disappointed that the Explorer will not play your existing library of Leapster titles.
Demonstrating Sugar Bugs
What I did think was really promising was the on-line expanded experience of LeapWorld….it’s FREE (once you’ve purchased your Explorer)…and the content is not just more ABC drills…there’s lots of wonderful new concepts to explore — a weather app where you can set the temperature, the humidity, etc. and then see how your settings impact the weather on the little town. Maybe because my older son was obsessed with the Weather Channel as a preschooler – this seems particularly fun. There are also educational games that aren’t about right or wrong–but exploring. For example, there is a scale –and you can add more objects to each side to see which weighs more. From what we saw today–there seems to be a happy revival of the what many refer to as the Golden Age of Children’s Software of the ’90s–where technology embraced educational games with innovation and creativity. From a safety standpoint–this also has advantages since your child gets to LeapWorld by plugging in their Explorer to your PC–not by surfing the web. We sat so quietly during this presentation (we’re normally a noisy group) that one of our pr buddies thought we had already left the showroom.
Of course, our intention to behave and be relatively quiet was completely blown when we got to the new baby toys. There were many interesting toys…pretend lap tops (with a blog and email feature) for two year olds, new drums, a new activity table…but then we all saw the following toy. I don’t know why I always think I’m being punked –but today I was sure this was it. So I decided to say nothing at first. I heard a little chuckle from my niece Ali (assistant extraordinaire) and my brother James was leaning an elbow into me in just that way that older brother can…and then I just lost it. I looked around…was this a joke? (My mother was on deadline with another project so she wasn’t with us today – but truth be told I think she would have laughed as well–but she probably would have told us to behave ourselves!)
LeapFrog's Learn & Groove Magic Wand
Here’s the photo and you can watch the video.
Ok, we got over it…
I really liked this new interactive pot, called Potty, –that comes with veggies..my favorite part?…the lid says “open” and “closed’…this will be great fun for toddlers. 
Watch the video!
We also saw more extensions on the TAG and TAG Jr. reading lines (both Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Award winners). More titles are promised for both and there will be an interactive USA and World Map to go with TAG that looked like fun for both kids and parents. While there were more licensed titles–we were assured that there would still be more classic storybooks in the growing collection of the TAG libraries– we hope so.
We look forward to testing the new products with kids — and I have a sense that the folks in toyland know that as a family, we take what we do very seriously, but with an appropriate sense of humor…
TAG Interactive World Map
Guidecraft’s Magneatos…revisited
Wednesday, June 9th, 2010We received this update on Guidecraft’s Magneatos from one of our imaginative testers! In this picture he has created a garage with Magneatos- one of our all time favorite open-ended building sets for preschoolers. If you’re looking for something fun and not structured, we highly recommend these sets. 
For a full review of this Platinum Award winning toy, click here. Our suggestion, put one of these sets in a basket in your family room…building with them is really fun, no matter how old you are! Because there is no right or wrong way to play with these over-sized colorful magnetized pieces–they are also a great choice for kids with ADHD.
A room of their own…Step 2′s Naturally Playful Countryside Cottage
Wednesday, June 9th, 2010
Step 2 Naturally Playful Countryside Cottage
Toddlers and preschoolers love having spaces that are scaled for them! It’s cozy and has such grown up features as a doorbell, a phone and a kitchen. If you’re shopping for such a cottage (that you can use indoors or out)–take a look at the new Step 2′s Naturally Playful Countryside Cottage. What I love about these types of spaces is how kids play with them differently as they grow. For twos , the act of going in and out of the cottage is a huge part of the play- it’s much more about exploring the space and enjoying their new mobility–and ability to go move about a space independently. Older toddlers and preschoolers – armed with more language and ability to pretend–will enjoy spinning their own stories about what they’re cooking, who they’re talking to on the phone, etc.
Our family toy tester pointed out two drawbacks. The photo on the box shows the cottage with flowers in the window box. The product does not come with flowers and there is no drainage hole in the window box for real flowers. My recommendation – you can add a drainage hole if you’re going to use this outside–or use potted plants. The other comment was that there was no place to sit inside. While this cottage does not come with a bench or chair, our tester noted that there was space for a child-size chair inside. The cottage went together well (while the directions say a drill is optional–our tester felt the use of a drill made it much easier.)
One of our testers hard at work!
TODAY Show today…active and fun
Monday, May 10th, 2010
I headed up to the studio this morning with my intern Daniel — after putting toys together for us all semester, I thought it would be fun for him to see the studio and the end result of so many packages, emails and testing. I tried doing my hair this morning–and emerged from the building looking like a bad 1970s “before” picture. Happily, the hair and make-up people at the show are so terrific, that I knew it was going to be ok. I think they were even a little shocked by the sheer volume of hair. Thanks to high def tv, I also think make up takes longer (not to mention that I’m a little older!) than it used to. It really is amazing what professionals can do. Everyone emerges from the hair and makeup area a better, more polished version of themselves.
This morning we had about ten kids. One family has tested for us since their son was born five years ago. They moved to Hong Kong in between and as I traveled up to the studio I realized that we had never met–so that was fun! They now have two kids and I’m so happy they’re back from their adventure and can resume testing for us! Other kids were on with me about a year ago–so to see them now as full preschoolers was fun. A new group joined us – I have to say this was the most well-behaved group of kids in the green room. Their parents were really careful to hold off on the delicious donuts and cookies until after the segment. Smart move.
The challenge was to show toys and equipment for active play –indoors! The YBIKES were a hit and disappeared when we went to talk about them–but I think they got camera time later on. The Kazam Balance Bike – also great was on the pedestal–and may have been blocked a little by the fire truck. You really couldn’t see how amazingly high the Sky Balls bounce in the air–or the 3D bubbles…but trust me – there are fun choices this season.
A very polite "excuse me" in the middle of the segment
Half way through the segment one of our testers very politely asked if she could go play in the playhouse…one of those great real live moments…priceless.
Natalie, Finley and Stephanie...at the end of the segment
Segment over, chocolate donut enjoyed on the car ride home…a good day!
Taking a look at the indoor Hopscotch Rug from Alex
To read the full article about the toys featured, visit www.toyportfolio.com.
