Archive for the ‘dolls’ Category
Monday, December 12th, 2011
While there is certainly room for novelty this time of year, it’s also important to bring home toys that have lasting play value. The toys that make the cut tend to be the classics–and often more open-ended. These toys place your child at the center of the play experience. So instead of dolls that do all the talking, dolls that say nothing will be enjoyed for a longer period of time because they will say whatever your child wants them to say! (The doll to the left is from Corolle Doll’s Calin line). We’ll be talking balls, blocks, trains, art supplies and games!
Take a toy inventory:
1. Does your child have a variety of playthings? Having a lot of one type of toy (whether it’s dolls or trucks) will often lead to a chorus of “I have nothing to play with.”
2. Gender Free- Is your child’s play experience only pink? only blue? We want boys to know how to be nurturing parents–so dolls are an important part of role playing “dad”. On the flip side, we want our daughters to excel in math– so blocks and construction toys should be part of their play world as well.
3. Art supplies - Encourage their creative side. With budgets being cut in many schools, kids have fewer opportunities for painting, using clay, and drawing. Whether it’s a juicy box of new Crayola crayons or an interesting set of watercolor pencils from Faber Castell or eeBoo– find a way to bring them back to the arts.
4. Games- One of the best ways to unplug your family is to play a game together. We have dozens of great suggestions on our list. Find a couple that become part of your family’s entertainment. I’m personally really a fan of Connect Four Launchers and Joanne’s favorite is almost anything with letters. She’s a beast at Upwords. (Never quite referred to my mother that way–but you know what I mean).
Posted in Best Toys for Babies, Best Toys for Kids with ADHD, Best Toys for Kids with Special Needs, Best Toys for Preschoolers, Best Toys for School Aged Kids, Best Toys for Toddlers, classic toys, Construction Toys for Kids, Crayola, dolls, International Playthings, multi-cultural toys, Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Award Winners, preschoolers, pretend play, Retro Toys, Today Show, Toys for Kids with ADHD, Toys for Kids with Special Needs, Wooden Toys | No Comments »
Thursday, November 10th, 2011
This morning we headed back up to the studio to take another shot at talking about Hot Toys of the season. The segment had been bumped on Tuesday. This time we got into the right car. On Tuesday we had gotten into a car that was headed to the airport -which should have been a signal to us that the rest of the morning was probably not going to go smoothly.
With Joanne (the best biz partner and mother!) outside the studio
We arrive at the Today Show. All was unusually quiet in the green room. The Duggars had been there on Tuesday–making for a very crowded room! This time Robert Pattinson was upstairs
Robert Pattinson visits Today Show
…we never got to see him but he certainly draws a crowd outside the studio. I always wonder about the fans that wait overnight to catch a glimpse. I thought it was fitting that we were there with Mattel’s Monster High Dolls that are really part of the Twilightization of America. Our tween testers, many of whom have not read the books or seen the movies really still love these dolls.
Mattel's Monster High Doll Collection
At first I wasn’t sure how I felt about them. They’re so over the top–but I’ve come around. Their focus is on character traits of each monster and how they navigate high school. It’s less about their body image. I also like that there are boys in the line, and that Mattel participated in an anti-bullying campaign this year with the collection. I certainly wouldn’t characterize them as beautiful dolls–but they do have a sense of humor that appeals to the 7 & up crowd.
Getting to know Let's Rock Elmo
Many of the kids who were scheduled to be on the segment on Tuesday came back today. We were very grateful to their parents! We were also joined by some other families who quickly got into the swing of the segment. I’d always rather do a segment with kids there–it just adds more energy and I think it’s useful to see kids actually playing with the toys we’re talking about.
Right before the segment
For complete reviews of the toys we showed on the segment, visit www.toyportfolio.com. You can also watch the segment on the Today Show by clicking here.
Natalie Morales, Stephanie Oppenheim and toy testers at the Today Show
One of our favorite testing families!
Tags: Natalie Morales, Robert Pattinson, Today Show, Twilight, Twilightization of America
Posted in Barbie, Best Games for Kids, Best Toys for Babies, Best Toys for Preschoolers, Best Toys for School Aged Kids, dolls, Elmo, Flying Toys, Hasbro, High Tech toys, hot toys, Leapfrog, Lego, Licensed Toys, Mattel, Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Award Winners, Play Time, preschoolers, pretend play, Today Show, toy trends, toys, Uncategorized | No Comments »
Tuesday, November 8th, 2011
This morning my mother and I headed uptown to do a segment on the Today Show about the season’s hot toys. Let’s Rock Elmo is one of the toys we’re going to talk about. My overriding concern going uptown was the massive zit on my face. Don’t you think at a certain age that you should get a pass on acne? My hitting the Halloween candy hard last week probably didn’t help the situation…but still, I do believe that there should be a time limit on the whole adult acne thing.
The good news is that the AMAZING makeup artist Christine waved her magic brushes over my face (in other words spackle was used) and the zit was gone. Seriously–it’s pretty magical. My hair is done–all is good. The kids started arriving for the segment.
The Duggars graciously agreed to let two of their daughters join us. The Duggars were on the Today Show to announce that they were expecting baby #20! Michelle Duggar and I had a conversation about our respective cravings during pregnancy. I wondered if they changed over time. I take my hat off to her–I can’t imagine twenty trips down that road. She has a very calm core– also necessary to run a household with that many kids! 
Our segment was bumped so we were scheduled to post-tape. So we had the kids in the studio, turning the toys on…but then it was decided to have us back live on Thursday instead-so off we go.
So before we left, I went to the ladies room. And then Lisa VanderPump joined me as I was waiting my turn. She was very friendly.
I’ll own up to it, I am a RHWBH watcher. I don’t want to – but then I can’t stop myself. It’s the sheer genius of Bravo programming. That’s probably a whole other blog posting. Anyway, I marveled at the seriously high Brian Atwood leopard print pumps she was wearing. I’ve tried them on (not in the leopard print) –and while I think I look pretty silly in them, they looked great on her. 
They make my Jimmy Choo’s look like they’re from the children’s department. For the record, most of these shoes are not in keeping with my feminist roots or my desire not to be crippled, but I also do enjoy being taller. So maybe I’m more a height-ist than a feminist. I just always wonder whether anyone finds these shoes comfortable? In any case, Lisa looked terrific and was on the show to discuss her new book about entertaining.
We then went to visit the wonderful Richard Davies at ABC Radio to talk toys!
So even though I didn’t get to discuss the hot toys of the season on the Today Show yet, it was still a fun day. The nexus of Michelle Duggar and Lisa Vanderpump–now that’s pretty intense. Tune in Thursday morning in the 9 o’clock hour to see our segment!
Tags: ABC Radio, big families, Brain Atwood, Bravo TV, Duggars, high heels, Lisa Vanderpump, Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, Richard Davies
Posted in Best Music Toys for Kids, Best Plush Toys for Kids, Best Toys for Babies, Best Toys for Preschoolers, Best Toys for School Aged Kids, Best Toys for Tweens, Construction Toys for Kids, dolls, Elmo, Flying Toys, Hasbro, High Tech toys, hot toys, Leapfrog, Lego, Mattel, Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Award Winners, Play Time, Playskool, preschoolers, pretend play, Today Show, Uncategorized | No Comments »
Monday, November 7th, 2011
Tomorrow morning I’ll be sharing some of our award winners that are what the media calls “hot toys.” These toys are often the ones your kids see again and again on tv commercials. Hot toys tend to be more about novelty than anything else, and while there’s absolutely nothing wrong with some novelty, it shouldn’t be the only type of toy your child receives for the holiday. A playroom full of novelty toys will invariably result in a chorus of “I have nothing to play with” before the Christmas tree is removed from your house.
That said, we always look at the toys that we know will get a great deal of hype. Do they work as well as they do on the commercials? I remember one year a doll that was supposed to flip and flip — but only really did one flip and that was with a great deal of assistance. Not exactly what the commercial promised. The toys on our “hot” list are products that our toy testers really enjoyed. 
Hot toys can take on a life of their own during the holiday season. Many lists are generated by toy retailers – this tends to be more about marketing than full reviews about the toys themselves. Hot toys provide the perfect “toy story” and is often the first question we’re asked this time of year, “so what’s the hot toy of the season?”
This type of toy frenzy doesn’t always mean the toy is right for your child. Furby, for example, got so much buzz from a Wired Magazine piece even before it hit a single toy store in this country. And while it was the toy to get, it certainly wasn’t the ideal toy for toddlers who would have been a little frightened by the gremlin-like nature of the toy. Grown-up collectors can also fan the fire of a toy- this can also lead to ridiculous prices on-line.
While no one toy seems to have taken on the mantel of the “it” toy of the season, there are several that are getting lots of buzz – from the latest Elmo (he now wants to be a rock star) to amazing Star Wars LEGO builds or a remote control flying Shark. If any of these toys are on your child’s wish list, our suggestion is to buy them early. As was the case last year, inventories are not particularly deep.
For full reviews of those we recommend, please visit our website at www.toyportfolio.com.
And be sure to check out our full list of Platinum, Gold, Blue Chip and SNAP (Special Needs Adaptable Product) Award winners.
Posted in Best Plush Toys for Kids, Best Toys for Preschoolers, Best Toys for School Aged Kids, Best Toys for Tweens, Construction Toys for Kids, dolls, Elmo, Flying Toys, Hasbro, High Tech toys, hot toys, Leapfrog, Lego, Licensed Toys, Mattel, Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Award Winners, Playskool, preschoolers, pretend play, Star Wars, Today Show, toy trends, toys | 1 Comment »
Thursday, March 17th, 2011
Groovy Girl Kitchen....
...and plates
Manhattan Toy’s award-winning line of Groovy Girls has been expanding into other realms of pretend play. Last year they introduced costumes (on our Platinum List). We look forward to testing their first kitchen and dishes.
Tags: Groovy Girls, Manhattan Toy, toy dishes, Toy Kitchens, toyportfolio.com
Posted in Best Toys for Preschoolers, dolls, Play Time, preschoolers, pretend play, toy trends, toys | No Comments »
Thursday, March 10th, 2011
The new Sing-a-ma-jigs from Fisher-Price
I loved Sing-a-ma-jigs when I first saw them last year at Toy Fair. To me they look like claymation characters with their little round mouths and big eyes.
Wallace and Gromit
I love that they are able to sing (and even harmonize) together. This year– the new versions come with a little mini-me attached the larger doll. They sing together. The upside, you don’t need to buy two dolls to have them harmonize. I’m not sure I love the mini-me aspect. The smaller doll cannot be removed and somehow the smaller animal looks slighter meaner than the bigger doe-eyed larger being. Kind of reminds me of the character Masterblaster from Mad Max.
To watch a video of the new dolls, click here.
For video of past videos, click here.
Masterblaster from Mad Max
Tags: claymation, Harmonizing, Hot High Tech toys, Mad Max, Masterblaster, mini-me, Sing-a-ma-jigs, Symbiotic, Toys that Sing, Wallace and Gromit
Posted in Best Music Toys for Kids, Best Plush Toys for Kids, Best Toys for Kids with Special Needs, Best Toys for Preschoolers, dolls, Gender Free Toys, High Tech toys, hot toys, Mattel, Play Time, preschoolers, pretend play, toy trends, toys, Toys for Kids with ADHD, Toys for Kids with Special Needs, Uncategorized | No Comments »
Friday, February 25th, 2011
Today’s toddlers and preschoolers have a new addiction. Forget the boob tube and those pesky videos – now we’re talking about little fingers that are incredibly adept at navigating APPS on your pricey iPad and/or iPhone.
What’s a toy maker to do? How can they compete with such amazing graphics?
Wasn’t it bad enough that video games have rob them of the tween market?
Here’s the industry response to date…
1. The “Can’t beat them, join them” approach. It seems like everyone has an APP for your child. Barbie, Leapfrog, Hot Wheels, Thinkfun….everywhere we went at Toy Fair…there was an APP we needed to “let our readers know about.” (Except of course for the dizzying number of embargo dates). And yes, we will have to start taking a closer look at all of these toy related APPs. I haven’t gotten to play with it yet, but I do have to say that the Barbie Fashionista APP–looked really appealing (this coming from someone who really didn’t play with Barbies).
Barbie's Fashionista APP
2. “This is not your father’s iPad” – really. Toy makers are rolling out there own versions of iPad inspired tablets for your child. LeapFrog and VTech will go head to head with their platforms. Are they cheaper? Yes. Will your child be satisfied? Maybe. As with any of these toys, they just don’t have the sizzle of the real thing (which is why toy companies are hedging their bets with approach #1.) We will have to take a look at each of these products to review the content (remember that?) and whether the interface is pleasing. I have a sense that if your toddler or preschooler is already schooled in your gadgets, this is going to be a hard transition. On the other hand, if you start here–you may get to play with your gadget without the constant refrain of “my turn!”
Vying for attention (all to be released later this year):
LeapFrog Explorer Tablet
LeapPad Explorer Tablet (LeapFrog)- Promises to come with a 5″ screen and leverages the library of games and content from this educational toy company. It will also come with a built in camera. Suggested retail will be $99.99.
VTECH InnoPad
InnoPad (VTech) -Also features a 5″ touch screen, promises educational games, ebooks, USB port, a headphone jack. Suggested retail will be $79.99.
We’ll have to take a look. Sadly, both companies have moved away from partnerships with traditional publishers –leaving the ebook experience to the domain of mostly licensed materials. On this point alone, you may want to invest in a Color Nook–if you don’t want to go the bigger bucks on an iPad. Technology only goes so far. The CONTENT is still what should rule the day. We want our kids enjoy reading quality picture books no matter the format. Disney Princesses and Scooby Doo are fun–but they shouldn’t replace children’s books as part of your child’s daily experience.
3. The “Ok, you can play, but please don’t break it” approach. Handing off your expensive toys to a toddler or preschooler is a balancing act between achieving calm (at the grocery store, at the restaurant, in the car, etc.) and the possible damage that came come to such gadgets from liquids (those pesky sippy cups) or a plain old “oops” moments. For those parents, Fisher-Price hopes to be of assistance with their new Laugh & Learn I Can Play Case that puts your smart phone into a bigger case with easy-to-grab handles. We look forward to trying this case–will little fingers find the case too intrusive? Of course your 3 year old will find this way too babyish.
Fisher-Price Laugh and Learn I Can Play Case
Tags: Barbie, Barbie Fashionista, Fisher-Price, High Tech toys, Hot Wheels, InnoPad, ipad, iphone, Laugh & Learn I Can Play Case, Leapfrog, LeapPad Explorer, tablet toys, thinkfun, toy addiction, vtech
Posted in Best Books for Kids, Best Toys for Kids with Special Needs, Best Toys for Preschoolers, Best Toys for School Aged Kids, Best Toys for Toddlers, dolls, Fisher-Price, Gender Free Toys, High Tech toys, hot toys, Leapfrog, Licensed Toys, Mattel, preschoolers, Toy Fair, toy trends, toys, Toys for Kids with ADHD, Toys for Kids with Special Needs, travel toys, Uncategorized | 8 Comments »
Friday, December 10th, 2010
As someone who walked away from a legal career to play with toys (and not regretted it for a moment) – I’m always curious about how other people land in the toy industry. Of course the toy business is a business–but there is something special about it. The continued connection to the magic of childhood–sounds sappy but it’s true for anyone really committed to making quality playthings for kids.
Mary Beth Minton
I especially love start up stories and Mary Beth Minton, of Arete LLC, has all of my favorite ingredients…a strong business education (she went to Wharton), a strong business background (she worked at Bankers Trust) and a desire to fill a niche she saw in the toy industry by observing her own kids. The result, The Adventures of Zylie Bear and Shen the Panda…both Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Award winners this season. These high styled bears can travel the world in great fashion. Read our interview.
Tags: Arete LLC, Mary Beth Minton, Opppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Award Winner, The Adventures of Zylie Bear and Shin the Panda, toyportfolio.com
Posted in Best Plush Toys for Kids, dolls, Gender Free Toys, Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Award Winners, pretend play | No Comments »
Wednesday, December 1st, 2010
Over the years, this category has always been one that fascinates parents – often when they are in the throws of potty training. We had one testing family that was our go- to potty doll testers. Even dolls that I knew probably weren’t going to work out–they really wanted to test. One of the early potty dolls involved food and water…that you guessed it, had to come out. So the doll also came with disposable diapers. The only problem was that the food often got stuck and it was super difficult to get the doll to poop. Thankfully no doll enema included. Even Elmo got into the act with Potty Time Elmo…he was really polite about the whole experience and reinforced the idea that accidents happen. 
He made sound effects to simulate the experience…no actual diapers to change here. He made our Platinum List one year. As the mother of two boys, I was also particularly fond of Corolle’s Paul doll, an anatomically correct boy doll that pees (no pooping here).
So this is all to say that we are always interested in new dolls in this category. Yesterday we received a huge box of toys that we hadn’t seen yet (amazing since it just feels like we’ve seen every toy)…but we hadn’t tested this particular bunch. The one that caught our eye was Fisher-Price’s new Wipey Dipey from their Little Mommy line.
Fisher-Price's Little Mommy Wipey Dipey Doll
We usually like these novelty dolls and this one really made us curious. The box reads: “pee-pee and poo-poo disappear with a wipe!” Ok, not that unusual…but here’s the new twist. The diaper lights up with a light indicating that your dolly has made one or two…and then you wipe it away. No messy diapers (it comes with one plastic diaper that is not removable) and a wipe. You give Wipey Dipey her bottle and then she lets you know that she needs to be changed. She either tells you or makes an uncomfortable sound. In otherwords, this drink and wet doll…really doesn’t do either except in a high-tech manner.
Pros and Cons.
She’s a hard plastic doll…so she’s not soft and huggable. We also found some of her phrases difficult to understand. One could say she’s a mumbler…her supporters would also probably point out that she’s a baby doll. The novelty aspect of this doll is pretty unique and will appeal to small children that love the “let’s see what she made now” aspect of the doll play. My only real problem is that when you wipe the poo poo as they call it…you’re wiping in the wrong direction. I’m really amazed that I just constructed that sentence…but it is really an issue especially when you’re trying to teach kids how to properly wipe at this stage. On the other hand, nothing gets stuck in this doll and there is no water to clean up either. If you’re of the camp that likes to see the water come out of the doll, Wipey Dipey is probably going to disappoint you. On the other hand, if you are not big on messy dolls/toys in general…this high-tech no mess approach to potty training may just be what you’ve been looking for. Only if the real experience could be so mess free!
Watch our video.
Tags: Corolle Paul, Dolls that Wet, Elmo, Fisher-Price, High Tech Dolls, Interactive Dolls, Joanne Oppenheim, Little Mommy Wipey Dipey, Stephanie Oppenheim, toyportfolio.com
Posted in dolls, Fisher-Price, Play Time, preschoolers, pretend play, toy trends, toys, Uncategorized | No Comments »
