Toy Whimsy

No Frills Toys Every Child Should Have

With everyone on a tight budget this holiday season, you might be thinking of buying your children the basic toys that are going to be used and played with for years to come.  The toy editors here at Toy Whimsy have come up with a few suggestions that we think every toy box should hold.  Below we have listed a few types of classic toys and an example of each.

Babies and Toddlers:

• Shape Sorters: Fisher-Price Brilliant Basics Baby's First Blocks
• Ring Stacker: Melissa and Doug Geometric Stacker
• Stacking Cups: Fisher-Price Surprise Inside First Stacking Cups
• Cloth Doll: Corolle Babipouce
• ABC Blocks: Uncle Goose ABC Blocks in Canvas Bag (these also come in several different languages!)
• Pull Toy: Plan Toys Dancing Alligator

Preschool and Beyond:

• Art Easel and Supplies: Melissa and Doug Easel and Easel Supplies
• Lacing Cards: Eeboo Lacing Cards
• Basic Truck: Tonka Toughest Mighty Truck
• Wooden Building Blocks: Melissa and Doug 60 Piece Standard Blocks
• Tea Set: Schylling Children's Tea Set
• Dress-Up Clothes: Wizard of Oz Dress-up Trunk
• Train Set: Maxim Wooden Oval Train Set

Of course we haven't covered all the choices out there. So tell us, what are your ideas of the toy basics every child needs? Let us know in the comments!

Happy Holidays and happy shopping- Don't forget to visit our three day cyber sale in toys that is going on right now for more deals and holiday gift ideas for every kid on your list.

--Laura McMullan

Barbie's turning 50 - a Toy Whimsy report!

Next year Barbie, that's right, Barbie turns 50 years old.  Barbie made her debut in 1959, and to this day is still dominating toy lists and wish lists all over the world.  Barbie was the first three-dimensional fashion-doll of her time, and she left all her paper doll predecessors looking, well... kinda flat.

Black Friday Toy Deals

Here is a run down of just a few of the many Black Friday Deals in Toys & Games that you really shouldn't miss.

• The Tag Reading System by LeapFrog: Get free headphones and case when you buy the Tag Reading System (add all to your cart, you'll see the savings at the checkout)
• 35% off Select Fisher-Price Toys like Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Amazing Animals Sing & Go Choo-Choo, Imaginenext Pirate Ship, and more...
• VTech toys for up to 40% off, including the KidiArt Studio.
  
• Save $20 on Select Kids' Digital Cameras from Fisher-Price and VTech.
  
• Huge list of $10 or Under Puzzles and Game
• Get $100 off Kota My Triceratops

• Buy a Barbie Girls MP3 player starting at 12.99, and get an accessory pack free.
• Save up to 50% on select Mega Toys.
• $199 on your choice of Butterscotch or S'mores Ponies.
• Buy Rose Petal Cottage and get your choice of accessories for 50% off.
• Bionicam for 50% off.
• 50% off the Playskool Ball-tivity center.
• Get a FREE family game when you spend $60 on select Mattel toys.
• Save 10% on the LEGO Millennium Falcon.

There are even more toy deals to be had this weekend here.  Happy shopping!

--Laura McMullan

Best Holiday Toys for $10 and Under - Toy Editors' Picks

Well, we have come to the final post in our series highlighting great toy gifts on a budget.  Today we have toys under $10.  These finds can make great stocking stuffers, secret Santa gifts, sibling gifts, and more.   

Toy Editors' Picks for Holiday Gifts for $10 and Under

• For the new baby: Lamaze Freddy the Firefly
• For an active toddler: Baby Einstein Takealong Tunes
• For the preschooler who loves trucks: Tonka Real Rugged Dump Truck
• For the preschooler learning hand-eye coordination: Melissa and Doug Lace and Trace Pets
• For the preschooler who loves dolls and dress-up: Melissa and Doug Maggie Leigh
• For the action movie fan: Transformers Movie Deluxe Allspark Power Stealth Bumblebee
• For the LEGO Star Wars Fan: LEGO Star Wars Rebel Scout Speeder
• For the Harry Potter fan: Harry Potter Wand with Light and Sound
• For the creative kid: Melissa and Doug Friendship Stamp Set
• Safe play for the sibling rivals: Nerf N-Strike Nite Finder Ex 2 Pack
• For the 'tween who loves interactive stuffed animals: Littlest Pet Shop VIP Cat
• For the 'tween who loves science kits: Volcano Making Kit
• For the family with kids over 8: SET Game
• For the family with kids under 8: Noodleboro Fun Park Sharing Game

And a bonus gift idea for all of you out there who have no children of you own, but delight in giving the loudest, most obnoxious toy to your relatives' or friends' children (you know who you are!).

• Noisiest toy you can give to annoy the parents: Let's Go Fishing Game

We hope this list was helpful in your holiday shopping search for the perfect gifts.  We have lots more toys for $10 and under listed here.  We also have a huge list of games and puzzles for $10 and under listed here.   Happy shopping, and don't forget to visit our Black Friday Toy Deals tomorrow for more fantastic savings on holiday toys for everyone on your list.

--Laura McMullan

Best Holiday Toys Under $15 - Editors' Picks

The second in our series of posts on great holiday toys on a budget, today we are posting about the hottest holiday toys under $15.  There is a little something for everyone in our list today, from games, to dolls, to arts and crafts.

Toy Editors' Picks for Best Holiday Toys Under $15
*For the new baby: Lamaze Musical Inchworm
*For an active toddler: Fisher-Price Laugh and Learn Puppy
*For the preschooler who loves construction toys: Wooden Take-Along 24 Piece Tool Kit
*For the preschooler who loves cars: Hot Wheels 10 Car Pack
*For the preschooler who loves Littlest Pet Shop: Littlest Pet Shop 10 Pack of Pets
*For your little princess: Pretty Pretty Princess Cinderella Game
*For your LEGO lover: Build Your Own LEGO Harbor
*For a creative Kid: Creations by You PlateWorks Design Your Own Plate
*For a 'tween who loves interactive games: My Meebas Game Rasberry - Love
*For a 'tween who loves Star Wars: Star Wars Classic Duel Collection Jedi Vs. Sith
*For a teen who loves action/adventure games: Hasbro Transformers Risk Game
*For a family with kids over 7: Bananagrams
*For a family with kids under 7: Chutes and Ladders

Hope you enjoyed our list!  We have lots more recommendations under $15 here.  Please tune in tomorrow (after you eat lots of turkey!) for a list of our editors' picks of best toys under $10, and a post about all our great Black Friday deals.

--Laura McMullan

Best Holiday Toys Under $20 - Editors' Picks

We're all looking for ways to save money this Christmas so the editors here at Toy Whimsy decided to help out by putting together a series of posts sharing  toy picks under $20, $15, and $10.  Popular toys, sought after toys, and some that you might have missed make up our helpful lists.  I think you'll find a little something for all the kids on your list. 

Toy Editor's Picks for Best Holiday Toys Under $20

• For the new baby - Munchkin Mozart Magic Cube
• For the active toddler - Hasbro Ball-tivity Center
• For the preschooler who loves cars - Mega Bloks Tiny n' Tough Race n' Go Rig
• For the preschoolers who loves dolls - Hasbro Baby Alive Sip 'N Slurp Doll
• For your little Princess - Barbie and the Diamond Castle Princess Liana Doll
• For the LEGO lover - LEGO Star Wars Anakin's Fighter
• For the Creative Kid -  Crayola  Color Explosion Glow Board
• For the kid who loves action heroes - Hulk Smash Hands
• For a 'tween who loves remote controls - Air Hog Havoc Heli
• For a 'tween who loves Hannah Montana - Hannah Montana Doll with Light Up Guitar
• For the Family with kids under 6 - Cat in the Hat I Can Do That Game
• For the Family with kids over 6 - Wild Planet Hyper Dash

We have even more suggestions here, and we'll be posting this week about great toys under $15 and toys under $10. 

Editor's note: Seems that we are now out of stock on Anakin's Racer LEGO set. Not to worry, we have plenty of other LEGO sets under $20.  Click here to see more LEGO under $20. 

--Laura McMullan

Kota and Power Wheels AT Rex: The Not-So-Tiny Toy Testers

So today we have a real treat, some of our not-so-tiny toy testers have taken a couple of the bigger toys for a whirl around the office. 
First up is Kota, the Playskool animatronic baby Triceratops.  Looking for a pet?  Well, we've got one here that won't tear up your house, and you don't have to feed or clean up after him either.  We are lucky to have a Kota in our office, and one of the little elves here in the toy department, Duncan, has really taken to him.  Duncan comes in every morning and greets Kota, gives him a scratch on the side, and they talk for a bit.  I recorded a little video of Kota and his best friend Duncan.

Playskool Kota...

Next up is the AT Rex by Fisher-Price Power Wheels.  AT Rex is a fully functioning 4 wheeler for your little 3-7 year old.  As you can see in the video, Craig is a bit older than 7, but really sometimes we think he acts more like a three year old (just kidding Craig!).  In the video below you can see that this action packed vehicle moves fast and is very agile (hence, the bike helmet).  And yes, we did take turns driving it around the office and had a ball (and got some stink-eye from people on conference calls! fun!).  Please note- we did not put the extra batteries in so the glowing eyes and growling action was not hooked up - but Craig supplies some growling so you can experience AT Rex at his best.  Take a look...

Fisher-Price AT Rex...

--Laura McMullan

Disney Clickables with Guest Blogger Wendy Smolen

Our Guest Blogger today is Wendy Smolen, Editorial Director of Toy Wishes Magazine.  Each year, Toys Wishes puts out the Hot Dozen Toys List, the list of toys they believe will be the hottest in the industry.  Today, Wendy blogs about one toy from the list, Disney Clickables Fairy Charms. -- ECM

I’ve been playing around in a lot of virtual worlds lately, furnishing my igloo, dressing my avatars, and having some pretty sweet conversations. But one of the new ones I’ve been playing in has some interesting twists. PixieHollow.com is where girls create Fairy avatars. They can then extend the play on or off-line with Clickables Fairy Collections.  By clicking their Clickables Fairy Friendship Bracelets together in the real world, girls and their avatars become friends. However, even if they’ve “clicked” in person, both girls must confirm their online friendship on their computers. This, according to Techno Source Interactive Director Ginny McCormick, is so that they don’t have to feel pressured to befriend everyone when they’re in a group.  “The Clickables friendships were designed to be as dynamic as seven-year-old friendships can be.” If one fairy chooses not to be friends with another, the fairy very politely says, “I’m sorry but I can’t be friends right now.  Have fun in Pixie Hollow!”

The bracelets also give parents a sense of comfort as to whom their daughters are playing with in online worlds.  Their Clickables friends in the virtual world are probably the same girls they play with in the real world.

One of the other nice aspects of this line is that girls can easily share the charms’ online gifts for their Fairies. For example, if one girl really wants a certain accessory for her Fairy and doesn’t have the charm that unlocks it, her friend can “give it to her” by touching her charm to the other girl’s Clickables Jewelry Box or Fairy Friendship Bracelet.  There is no need to keep buying, buying, buying, when friends can share, share, share. This is social networking at its best. -- Wendy Smolen

My Twinn Doll - Tiny Toy Testers Review

My daughter loves dolls.  She has played at being a mommy since her first doll was given to her at her first birthday party.  She put that baby in her little stroller and ran up and down the sidewalk- back and forth- until she was summoned inside for cake.  It was the best gift she received that birthday and she continues to play with "E-baby" to this day (Yes, that is what she named that doll, we also have "Lulu" "She-Lop" and "Lucia-Baby".  She's a creative baby namer).
Our newest doll, "Sleeping Beauty-Ballerina" is a doll from My Twinn.  My Twinn custom makes dolls that look like your child.  They have the same hair color, eye color, haircut, and skin tone.  Check out the video below to see my daughter's reaction to opening the My Twinn doll.

My Twinn Doll Gift Package...

Obviously, it was a hit.  I was surprised to see how big the doll was in person, and the quality of the product.  They really did a great job copying my daughter's haircut (which is tricky since it is shorter in the back than the front) and her facial features. 
The process to get the doll made was very easy.  We received the packet that had our special code, instructions, and a catalog.  It also contained a special bracelet for my daughter, and a matching one for her twinn.   My little one loved the catalog and spent a lot of time talking about what she wanted her twinn to wear.  She finally settled on the Disney Princess dress (natch.) and was also very excited to pick the hair color that was closest to her own (this involved a lot of running back and forth to the mirror and asking her father and I to approve of her choice).  We then went online, picked out the outfit, the eye color, hair color, and if we wanted dimples or freckles.  We also attached three pictures of my daughter as instructed.  In four weeks, our doll arrived and as you can see by the video, my daughter was instantly smitten with "Sleeping Beauty- Ballerina".
Rating System: On a five star scale, one being horrible, five being wonderful.

Fisher-Price Laugh & Learn Smart Bounce & Spin Pony - Tiny Toy Tester Review

This might be the cutest Tiny Toy Tester to date.  Isn't she adorable?  Check her out in action on the Fisher-Price Laugh & Learn Smart Bounce & Spin Pony in the video below.

Fisher-Price Laugh & Learn Smart Bounce & Spin Pony...

Cute as a button right?  The Bounce & Spin Pony is this year's model of the Fisher-Price Go Baby Go! Bounce & Spin Zebra that was a hot holiday toy last year.  With this year's model, you can hook your bouncy friend up to the TV and play interactive games that help your toddler learn letters, numbers, shapes, colors and more.   It's a win/win situation really; your child burns some of that endless energy and does some learning at the same time. 

Here is what our Amazon.com Parent had to say about this toy: