Today Show: Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Awards

I’ll be on the Today Show tomorrow with some of our Platinum Award winners. It’s always hard to select the eight or so products to feature. It’s a process we do with our producer each holiday season–but it always feels uncomfortable to leave so many of our favorites behind. The good news is that I’ll be doing another segment as we get closer to the holidays–which gives us a chance to showcase more of our award winners.

We don’t make these products, we don’t sell them–but in the end we get really attached to the ones that we love. Joanne’s personal favorite is the Trotter Pony from Lamaze. It makes a trotting sound when you move the pony around. It’s a running joke in our family since I missed the lesson about what a pony is when I was little. I was at an important meeting back when I was practicing law and ponies came up-not exactly sure how. It was at that moment that I learned that ponies are not little horses….so now when my mother trots the pony around our office, it’s a reminder of some early lesson I missed. Or as I like to tell it–sometimes when you get to the third child in the family, some things just don’t get there!

Anyway–so tune in or watch it on the web. I’ll be on in the 9-10 hour with a really cute group of kids.

Pick of the Day: Mega Bloks Smart Builders Piano

smartpiano
We’re often asked for recommendations in the music category. Most of them have such a terrible sound quality that we think the category should be relabeled “anti-music” toys…the kind where you can’t wait for your child to stop playing.

So we were really pleasantly surprised by the new Smart Builders Piano from Mega Bloks. At $34.99 it’s a middle range toy that our toddlers loved exploring. It is such an interactive toy that we have given it both our Platinum Award and our SNAP (Special Needs Adaptable Product) Award. There is a keyboard and then the added fun of Bloks that change the music. For a complete review, visit our website.

Pick of the Day: Brown Bear Brown Bear Puzzle

brownbearpuzzleMudpuppy is well known for their over-sized floor puzzles that feature storybook characters. This year’s new puzzle Brown Bear Brown Bear is based on the favorite Eric Carle picturebook. The 24 jumbo pieces make this a great puzzle for preschoolers–with a very satisfying end product. At $16, this is a good value. If you don’t have the book, bring them both home!

Voting…

I just got back from the polls…the line was longer than usual but there was an excitement in the air. As always I walked away from the polling station feeling so grateful to my ancestors who had the courage to take the leap and come to America.

Hats Off to Amazon

If all of that hard to get off plastic on toys (not to mention the metal ties) really upsets you, take a look at this new initiative from Amazon. As much as we all complain about all that packaging (and with good reason)…I always think of the poorly paid person on the other side who spends hour after hour putting them on. ffp_gw-jeffletter_vert11c_v242822461_

Tag Reading System-Beyond the commercial

We really love the new TAG Reading System from Leapfrog.  After years of complaining that none of the electronic educational companies leveraged the great wealth of children’s literature for their platforms, Leapfrog really delivered.  The library of books includes many wonderful picturebooks by award winning authors and illustrators.  So the other night when I saw their commercial (which is pretty cute)…I understood, but was saddened that the marketing choice was basically “hey, your kid can read Sponge Bob with the TAG.”  True…but we hope you’ll also bring home a wider range of titles that include Chicka, Chicka Boom, Boom, I Spy, Click, Clack, Moo: Cows that Type and The Little Engine that Could.

Math Phobic? Here's a Great Math Game


My friend Lisa could attest to the fact that I was extremely math phobic as a kid. It just wasn’t my thing. My mother was great on the early hands-on math lessons…fractions were taught with Hersey’s chocolate bars. Leave it to her to find a fun connection to chocolate! But I never could get that chocolate rush when doing factors or geometry…

If this sounds remotely familiar–I have a game that makes practicing your math skills fun….really. Double Shutter is an updated version of an old pub game called Shut the Box. Here the game comes with two rows of numbered tiles. Roll the dice and then flip down the numbers you come up with…now you can play by adding, multiplying, dividing, or subtracting the numbers on the dice. I prefer the addition level. The object is to be the first one to flip down all the tiles. From Blue Orange Games (there are two versions — a jr. version has only one row of numbers).

So close–but Great Big Poop?

I’ve been listening to The Terrible Two by Jerzy the Giant. Matt Pryor’s voice is wonderful–and the great majority of the songs on this CD have a lovely musical quality to them that is often missing in children’s audio. The arrangements are pleasing to both kids and adults. But then I got to the “mantra” song Great Big Poop…really? I think it’s great to celebrate important moments–but Great Big Poop…I don’t think so. Maybe I’m being too serious?

Really? Music from the 80s

I have to be honest, I love testing toys. It’s a strange occupation I know–but there’s nothing better than finding something that kids love – that’s the pay off. I also have to tell you that screening children’s audio is one of the most painful things we do around here. I just listened to Trout Fishing in America–it started out great–made me feel like I was on the lawn at a country fair…all good, until we got to the song “Always Chew Your Food”… An important topic but really, a song about keeping your mouth closed? I don’t see it.

I’m now listening to Totally ’80s for kids…including the hits (by the original artists) Celebration, Weird Science, She Drives Me Crazy, Steppin’ Out… I usually pass on these mixes–but if you’re in the mood to jump around to some tunes you probably used to jump around to–it’s fun. There’s also Motown for Kids. My son Matthew is big on the 70s and 80s–and keeps downloading songs that I haven’t heard since high school/college. It’s fun to revisit things–although I was at a family party in Seattle a few weeks ago and watching a room full of 40 somethings dancing and jumping to Talking Heads–well it was fun and sad all at the same time.

Great Digital Camera for Kids: Disney Pix Jr.

If you’re in the market for a digital camera for your child this year, we love the quality and features of the new Disney Pix Jr. and now the price has just been knocked down from $59.99 to $49.99. For a full review of all of its features, go to our site of Platinum Award Winners.