Toy Whimsy

Family Games - A New Year's Resolution

In the new year, money is going to be tight.  For most Americans this is the reality that the ball dropping tonight brings.  Most of us are going to have to cut back on going to the movies, trips to the amusement parks, and similar family events because they just cost too much.  While you might not be able to spend money, you can always spend time with your family.  Many people make their New Year's resolution to make more time for family, and one way to do this is with a family game night.  For $15-$25 you can usually find a game that your whole family will play for months or even years.  Here are some classics, some new games, and some that you might not have ever heard of to make your family game night a success.

Families with kids of all ages:
Charades by Haba - This game helps out even the youngest players by showing them simple cards with images to act out. 

Blokus Classic - This is a great strategy game for all ages.  At our house, we even play an adjusted version with our four year old.

Hasbro The Game of Life - A classic, this game is fun for all and encourages lots of family interaction, as well as discussion of money management.

Families with preschoolers:
eeBoo I Never Forget a Face Memory Game - Memory games are great for preschoolers.  You'll notice that as a parent, even when you try to win, preschoolers have better memories than adults!

Zimbbos by Blue Orange Games - A stacking game, this one is great to challenge spacial relationships with objects.  Also, Blue Orange is a green company that plants two trees for every one used in the creation of their games.

eeBoo Picnic Game - This one is a favorite at our house and can be played by kids as young as three.  In this game you spin to create a healthy picnic meal before the ants can take it away.

Families with school-age children:
Bendomino - a spin on the classic domino game, there are many variations on how to play this classic.

Monza by Haba - If you have a race car kid, they will love this game of racing strategy.

Battleship - A much loved classic, no one can resist yelling out "I sunk your battleship!!!" when they meet with success.

Families with 'tweens:
Double Shutter Junior - This game helps kids practice arithmetic skills but still keeps it fun.

Elementeo Chemistry Card Game - Created by a kid, for kids, this game helps teach chemistry skills, but is also a game of dueling cards.  Check out the creator explaining his game here.

No Stress Chess - A great way to teach chess, this game can convert to a standard board once all the skills are mastered.

Families with teens:
Settlers of Catan - Be a pioneer in this strategy game. Build roads and settlements on the way to success.

Scrabble, Diamond Anniversary Edition - In this new version of an old classic, you are able to fold everything up in the board to assure that no tiles are lost or misplaced.

Ticket to Ride - This fun strategy game also comes in a cool European edition.  The goal is to run your train tracks across the map to get from coast to coast.

Families with no kids or grown kids:
Scene It? Seinfeld - If you loved the show about nothing, you'll love this game...about nothing. Watch scenes from the show and use all that useless trivia about Jerry and the gang stored away in your brain.

PARTINI - This party game will have your friends laughing as they play various fun games.

Smart Ass - A game for adults, this board game encourages yelling out answers, and thus, becoming the name of the game.

We hope this list was helpful, and hope you all have a save and happy new year. From everyone here at Toy Whimsy, Happy New Year and may you have lots of play time fun in the year ahead!

--Laura McMullan

Specialty Toys - Star Bright Kids Company

Sometimes the big, plastic, bells and whistles toys are just not what you want.  Sometimes you want to buy a nice wooden game, or a learning toy from France that you just can't get at the big box store.  That is where small sellers like Star Bright Kids Company come in handy.  Star Bright Kids Company sells toys from brands like eeBoo, Beleduc, Uncle Goose, Plan Toys, Automoblox, Haba, and many more.  These are toys that you would have to go to specialty toys stores to find, and now they are available on Amazon.com.  Star Bright Kids Company also uses the Fulfilled by Amazon program so you can get these toys with free 2 day shipping if you take advantage of the Amazon Prime program.  Star Bright Kids Company also has a 4.9 star rating from just under 2500 customers so you know you are going to get good service.

Some of my favorites from Star Bright Kids Company are:

• Haba Little Amsterdam block set - Everything you need to build your own little European city in bright happy colors.
• Automoblox A9 Compact Car - It's never to early to start learning about why compact cars get better gas mileage is it?  Automoblox are interchangeable so you can build all kinds of unique vehicles.
• Rosy Cheeks Blonde Baby Girl Doll by North American Bear - When my son was born we searched high and low for a boy baby doll for my daughter to dote on while I was caring for her baby brother. We got her the boy version of this doll and it was a huge hit.  Soft and cuddly, these dolls also come with other skin and hair color variations.
• Theater Fairies With 5 Finger Puppets by Kathe Kruse - With hand painted faces, these little finger puppets and theater are heirloom quality and ready to act out your favorite fair tales

•  Plan Toy Balancing Cactus - Plan Toys are made with the wood from rubber trees that are no longer producing rubber.  These trees are usually burned, polluting the air.  Plan Toys has found a new use for these trees in making quality toys for your children.  This balancing game is not only fun, it looks really beautiful.
• Violette's Birthday Party Tea Set by Djeco - This beautiful tea set comes from Djeco, a toy company in France that is known for their use of bright colors and quality woods.  This is a tea set that any little girl would cherish.
• Chinese Character Blocks by Uncle Goose - Lovingly made out of Michigan basswood, these blocks from Uncle Goose come in all different languages.  They also come with a great storage bag so you can store them away neatly.

• Haba Wooden Play Cooker - Want a play kitchen for your child but you just don't have the room?  The Habba Play Cooker is a perfect alternative.  It fits right on the edge of an existing table and makes a great pretend stove top.
• Biofino Wiener Schnitzel with French Fries by Haba - What other kid on the block is going to have play Winer Schnitzel?  Biofino is a line of felt play food by Haba that looks good enough too eat!
• Candy Color Matching Game by Beleduc - We just got this game for Christmas, and my 4 yr old is over the moon excited to play it every day.  It is a simple game for preschoolers that can be played in a variety of ways for older or younger children.

Those are just a few of my favorites.  You can see Star Bright Kids Company's full selection here. Take a look and I am sure you you'll find some fun and interesting toys that you just won't find in the big box stores.  Happy Shopping!

--Laura McMullan

Toy Storage - Editors' Picks

So it's a few days after Christmas and my tree is down.  It was driving me mad taking up so much space in our normal area where the kids can play in our living room.  I couldn't stand it anymore so I took advantage of nap time yesterday to take it down.
Taking down the tree usually brings on another problem in houses around the country: Where do we put all these new toys???
Well the good editors here at Toy Whimsy have some ideas for you to get things organized and help your kids help themselves put things away this year.  Because no parent likes to have to pick up the toys all the time!

*Idea #1 Puzzle Storage - My kids like puzzles, and we have quite a few of the wooden kind.  A rack like this one from Melissa and Doug can help keep them organized and the little wooden pieces from being stepped on all the time- OUCH!

*Idea #2 Baskets - These are great  for stuffed animals and big toys that can all be thrown in together.  (Also great for dirty clothes hampers!)

*Idea #3 Wooden Toy Chest - The classic is still around and still looks very nice.  If you have a lot of small toys, this might not work, but larger toys will have a good home.

*Idea #4 Toy Bench - As long as you getting a toy chest, you might as well have a place to sit too right?  These come in handy for putting on/taking off shoes too.  (It would be right at home in an entry way too)

*Idea #5 Animal Hammock - We have one of these at our house and while I initially recoiled at look of it, it does keep lots of stuffed animals up off the ground and organized.

*Idea #6 Art Storage - My kids are continually coming home from daycare and preschool with arts and crafts that I cannot bear to throw away (no matter how crazy it might look!).  An art organizer works wonders for this and keep everything from getting wrinkled or torn.

*Idea #7 Storage Bins - I love the bins for only one reason: you can just toss everything back in when you are done playing.  Easy Peasy!

*Idea #8 Train Table with Trundles - When you have a train enthusiast in your house, you have a lot of pieces of track, trains, trees, and houses.  What better than to have a place to play with them (the table top) and then have a bin underneath to shove all the pieces back in when you are done.

*Idea #9 Revolving Bookcase - As an only child, my parents were very worried about spoiling me, but the one thing that they would buy for me all the time were books.  That is a habit I have carried over into being a parent myself, so we have a ton of books.  Having a good place to put the books is key to organization.  These rotating bookshelves take advantage of space and let kids help put their books away.

*Idea #10 Rolling Carts - If you keep toys in one place (Like a closet or the kid's room) but play primarily in another, rolling carts might be a good idea for toy transport. 

Hope these ideas help.  Organization helps you and your kids feel better and more relaxed about your living space. Good Luck conquering the clutter!

--Laura McMullan

Cloud 9 - Radio Flyer's "Concept" Wagon

Something that my husband and I have loved to do since our single days was attend the big car shows in Chicago and Detroit.  We loved the shiny new cars forever being polished, trying out sitting in them, and opening all the doors and windows.  Of course one of the highlights was always checking out the concept cars, laughing at the ridiculous, puzzling at the interesting, and even yearning for the cool ones. 
Now, Radio Flyer, maker of the beloved red wagon has decided to jump into the concept game with the Cloud 9 Wagon, equipped with MP3 player, stereo sound, fingertip display for weather and time, and drink holders.  The blogs are all a twitter about this wagon, which is, I am sure, making the marketing people at Radio Flyer pat themselves on the back.  Check them out here on Gizmodo,  autoevolution,  Slipperybrick, the aptly named Richlifestyle, and nerd dads.

Here are some quotes from the original story on CNN:

"Music is such an important part of kids' and families' lives, we thought it would be great to have a speaker system built in the wagon," said Tom Schlegel, vice president of product development.

"We sit down [and] observe how moms and kids are using our products," said Schlegel. "That's where our new ideas come from."

hummmm...Really?  Because for my kids, taking the wagon to the local park does not need music, they wouldn't be able to hear it over their constant chatter and/or singing.  Personally, I think the little red wagon is just fine the way it is/was, and I wonder whom the parent would be buying this Cloud 9 for, themselves or their kids? To impress their children or to impress the neighbors?  With that said, it is a pretty sweet ride...maybe I could get the kids to pull me around in it?

--Laura McMullan

Wedgits - Tiny Toy Testers Review

Every year with my kids there seems to be a "sleeper hit" toy.  It is not something that I thought that they would be very interested in, and then it is a surprise favorite. This year I think the award is going to go to Wedgits.  I had heard moms rave about these simple building blocks, but I never really got it until I saw my kids play with them.  I am a huge fan of any toy that both my 4 year old daughter and almost 2 yr old son can both play with and Wedgits certainly fit the bill.  Check out our Tiny Toy Tester as she shows you her new toy and then keep reading for my parental review.

Wedgits...

Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah from Toy Whimsy

From all our editors, guest bloggers, and Tiny Toy Testers, we wish a happy holiday to you and yours!  We hope your holiday is filled with easy-to-open toys, all the right size batteries, simple instructions, and very happy kids of all ages.

If you are looking for something interesting to listen to today, our guest blogger Marianne Szymanski from Toy Tips will be on Oprah Radio with Dr. Mehmet Oz. Listen in on Christmas Day on Sirius XM.

We look forward to all the toy news, toy reviews, and toy information that we can bring you in the coming year.  Thanks for reading!

--Laura McMullan

Smart-e-Bear - Tiny Toy Testers Review

If you wanna see something cute on this Christmas Eve day, then here you go.  The Tiny Toy Testers are  getting ready for Santa's visit tonight with a little dancing and singing.  Keep reading to get the Tiny Toy Testers Review of Smart-e-Bear, the interactive and customizable teddy bear from Intellitoys and Kids preferred. (ps...I would have posted this earlier today but we lost power here at the Toy Tester House in Seattle.  It's back now and we are very happy!)

Smart-e-Bear...

Playmobil Memories: Guest Blogger Wendy Smolen

With Christmas literally around the corner, Wendy Smolen, Editorial Director of Toy Wishes magazine, shares some of her favorite holiday family memories about an old classic. -- E. Christian Moore

I admit it; I’m too old to ask for Playmobil for the holidays. (Even though this year’s Mega Circus set would look great on my coffee table.) And if my teenagers aren’t too old, they’re definitely too cool. But I still love those bright blue boxes filled with an endless variety of people and parts. Boxes stocked with houses and towns ready to be built and endless stories waiting to be told.

My love for Playmobil began with a family camper that my oldest daughter got as a gift when she was six. (I just checked the website, it’s still being sold.) We loved clicking the roof on the body, adding the side-view mirrors, and cramming the kids into the cabin. And those kids -- with their pie-shaped haircuts and bright tees -- they looked like they just stepped out of a Hanna Andersson catalog. My daughter played with that toy for years. I never worried that the pieces were too small (they weren’t), or the plastic wasn’t safe (it is.)  The RV came with a folding picnic table, complete with dishes and drinks. Who was going to sit down to eat? Who would ride the bike that also came in the box? Uh-oh, it’s raining. Let’s all gather under the camper canopy. That camper was the beginning of a long history of Playmobil sets. Having three children, yachts, pirates, policemen, ponies, doctors, and more passed through our playroom. And just when each child seemed to outgrow the playsets, he or she entered into the diorama stage of school, and recycled the Playmo-people into creatures from  prehistoric caves and outer space planets.

Recently, while cleaning out my now 23-year-old daughter’s room, I found her original camper. One little girl and the bike were wedged into the dusty cabin, but the table, food and detachable canopy were long gone. No problem. That little girl can still ride her bike to a nearby restaurant and pick up dinner. Hmmm, what do you think she should eat? -- Wendy Smolen

Arts and Crafts - The Snowed In Edition

Here in Seattle, as I am sure you have heard already, we are having a rare snow storm.  Those who have lived her longer than I have assured me that my kids will be adults before something like this happens again.  I sure hope so because we have been working from home and hunkering down for almost a full week.  I don't think I can hunker much longer.  I learned after my second child was born that I am just not stay-at-home mom material.  I am so thankful for those out there that are able to do it- they are much braver, stronger, and amazing than I am.   And don't get me wrong, it is nice to get to spend more time with my kids than usual- especially at this time of year, but the cabin fever has begun to set in and I have been digging around for activities to keep them busy. 
We have made dough ornaments, and painted them and done lots and lots of drawing.  A delivery that came last week (We have had very little mail and UPS since our street is closed) had lots of paper inside so we flattened them and made wrapping paper out of them by painting and using stickers.  After we exhausted our resources here at home, I went online to find some cool crafts to stock up on for the next rainy or snowy day.

*Alex Toys Knot a Quilt - Make a quilt with no sewing required and all the supplies come with the kit.

*Creations By You PlateWorks Design Your Own Plate - paint your own plate and make a perfect gift for grandparents!

*Window Art - Just because you are stuck inside, dosen't mean you can't look out the windows.  Use this kit to make beautiful art for the windows.

*Melissa & Doug Animal Stamp Set- Stamps are great to make cards or just use to decorate your drawings.

*Alex Toys My First Sewing Kit - Learn to sew with this handy kit.  Lots of projects are included and it gives a nice introduction to crafting with cloth.

*Design Your Own Real Soccer Ball Kit - Just because you can't play outside today, dosen't mean that tomorrow it won't be sunny and time for a game. 

*Creativity for Kids Racer Bikes Design Shop paint & style your own models - Models are fun for older kids and challenge their hand eye coordination as well their reading comprehension with following directions.

*Quick Draw Flip Books - Flip books are the cornerstone to animation.  Teach your little cartoon fanatic about how they are made with this fun flip book kit.

*Creations By You My Calendar - Another great gift, this kit allows you to make your own calendar with photos.

*Alex Toys Giant Art Jar - This is a great big jar of fun stuff to make crafts.  Great to have on hand and just let your kids use their imaginations to create fun things.

You can find more arts and crafts here and don't forget our Monday Markdowns Sale in toys that happens every Monday!  Hopefully everyone stays nice and warm and the snow melts soon!  Until then, Stay crafty!

(Seattle Snow picture is from the National Weather Service Website.)

--Laura McMullan

When Cakes Go Wrong

So this really isn't about toys, but one of the funniest blogs I have seen recently is Cake Wrecks.  Once many blue moons ago, I was back in college for a second time and having a bit of a mid-20's crisis.  I didn't know that it was acceptable to not know what you wanted to do for the rest of your life as I do now, so I was trying my hand at getting my teachers license and working part time.  The part time work that I found, now don't laugh, was decorating cookies for cookie bouquets.  It was fun, but also more stressful than you would imagine.  All that icing seeps into your pores and makes you a little crazy.  So maybe that is why I find Cake Wrecks so funny.  I am a spelling-challenged person who can totally see herself making many of the spelling errors featured on the site.  I also seem to take people quite literally so placing the word "Somewhere" (or is that "somewheres"?  I can't really tell.) over a picture of a rainbow dosen't seem like such a stretch. 
I did find one toy tie-in.  Check out the post on Cookie Monster.  My son is turning 2 at the end of January and I have been contemplating an Elmo cake...maybe I should just make it myself.
--Laura McMullan