Toy Whimsy

Olivia Party Ideas - Guest Blogger Lisa Kothari

If your child is a fan of Ian Falconer’s Olivia, she can now watch this darling character on Nick Junior. Olivia is a curious 6-and-three-quarter-year-old piglet who believes big things are unfolding each and every day. With a precocious mind and a definite sense of purpose, Olivia is ready to take on her world in a big way. These books are absolutely charming, and perhaps already a favorite in your own home.

Olivia would make a wonderful and unique party theme. If this interests you, check out these party ideas:

For your party invitation, use red card stock and take a picture of your birthday child with her favorite Olivia book. Place this picture on the front of your party invitation. Inside, write your party details.

For the party decorations, use red and white balloons, streamers, and tableware. A red tablecloth with white polka dots would also be fun. Given that Olivia loves the opera, play operatic music in the background for added festivity. If your child has an Olivia doll, place it in the middle of your party table as a centerpiece, and attach some balloons for additional decor.

For your party activities, have the kids create fancy tiaras to wear during the party while they wait for all of the guests to arrive. Olivia likes everything fancy, so tiaras are definitely appropriate! Having additional dress-up clothes for the kids to sort through and dress up in would also be fun.

• Once everyone has arrived, read an Olivia book.
• Play Pin the Bow on Olivia.
• Hold an Olivia fancy fashion show.
• Create artistic masterpieces. Kids can use paint and white butcher paper to enjoy creating their artistic pieces. They can take these home as party favors
• Read Olivia and the Missing Toy, and have the kids go on a small toy scavenger hunt.

More Olivia inspiration can be found in Olivia Joins the Circus: you can create a few circus games to play as well.

For the party food, bake a standard round cake, frost it with white icing, and use red gel to make big red polka dots.

For your party favors, have the kids take home their tiaras, paintings, and any other fancy Olivia item you like.

Have a wonderful party inspired by this unique and crafty character, Olivia!

--Lisa Kothari
Peppers and Pollywogs, Inc.
www.pepperspollywogs.com

Dora Links Doll is Now Available

One if the most anticipated toys of the holidays was released today- Dora Links.  A grown-up version of Dora, sometimes called Jr. High Dora, is a doll that interacts with your child by hooking up to your computer via usb, and going on adventures.  Your child can change Dora in her virtual world and then see the changes happen in real life on the doll.  Here is a clip about the doll:

Dora Links...

So, what do you think?  Is this grown up version of Dora going to take the world by storm?  Or are you missing the younger Dora?  Let us know by leaving a comment below...

--Laura McMullan

String World Activity Set - Tiny Toy Testers Review

Arts and crafts make great gifts especially for girls in the awkward buying ages of 11-14.  Projects are great for making kids feel good about themselves and have a sense of accomplishment.  A new set that is out now is called String World and it looks like a lot of fun.  Check out the video and then keep reading for the Amazon.com Parents' review...

String World Activity Set...

Parents' Review: 5 Stars for Wonderful, 1 Star for Terrible:

Assembly: 4 stars, "Unpacking wasn't too hard with only 1 or 2 twist ties to deal with. My 8 year old daughter was able to handle it with little trouble. Assembly is pretty straight-forward and the assembly directions were pretty clear. Of the 4 included pens, one of them was stuck and we couldn't get the string out, rendering it useless. Also the box showed little jewels and stars that could be added as decoration to the string art. Those were not included in the box which was also disappointing.."

Fun Factor:  2 stars, "This toy looks awesome and seems easy to do, but is much harder than it looks. That was really disappointing, especially given how cool the end result seems. The instructions for actually making the string art are seem simple but leave out important hints, tips, guidance that make all the difference. The first attempt did not turn out so well and was supremely frustrating for my daughter. In switching off when she would get frustrated, I had a tough time with it as well.  My 10 year old son also gave this a try. Having watched his sister's experience, he was able to have a better result. My daughter ended up just making rings since those aren't so challenging to make.."

Educational Factor: 3 stars, "This is more of an art tool than a toy and as such could grow quite a bit as the kids get more comfortable with it and learn the tricks.  The String Pens work by drawing a spool of string through plain old white glue but the pens are not refillable at all, meaning refills will have to be ordered. This also limits long term use."

Novelty Factor: 2 stars "Having not seen many string art toys around, this seemed pretty novel."

--Laura McMullan

Breakfast Cereal Toys

I received one of my favorite Christmas presents of all time was when, as a 5th grader, my mom gave me a small, white box with a red ribbon --  a "gag" gift, she said.  When I opened it, I saw all the toys that had been included in our boxes of cereal from the previous year.  (I wondered what happened to all the promised prizes at the bottom of the box... I just thought we kept getting cheated by General Mills.)  I don't remember exactly which toys were in the box (with the exception of a blue, Frisbee-like thing from Cheerios -- we later cut it in half and used it to make a smile for a snowman) but the excitement of getting a (free!) toy was always a fun and thrilling experience.  While today's boxed cereal toys seem like they're getting smaller & cheaper kids still seem to love them, whether in their Wheaties or their Happy Meal. 

Do you have a favorite cereal toy memory?  Let us know what you remember finding in (or on) your cereal box. -- (Image from Cracked.com) E. Christian Moore

Hula Hoops are All the Rave...

While wrapping up my day at the beach last weekend I kept seeing "rave kids" (yep, they still exist) on their way to a late-night beach party.  Besides checking out the big pants and fuzzy animal hats (yep, they still exist) the coolest part was watching people dance around with L.E.D. hula hoops at night.  Now, I know I've talked about hula hoops before, but seeing the "designs" these particular hoops made while all lit up (and changing colors) was fascinating to watch.  Check out this slide show to see how a whole new generation is "raving" about an old favorite. -- E. Christian Moore

Toy Tips with Marianne Szymanski - The Skinny on Baby Rattles

Editor's Note: Marianne Szymanski is a leading expert in toy reviews, and the founder of the Toy Tips Research Institute.  She is the author of Toy Tips: A Parent's Essential Guide to Smart Toy Choices and also the editor of Toy Tips and Parenting Hints Magazine.

I am asked this question often, "What is  best baby rattle?"

It's not about the best, it's about what it does. Baby likes to hold it, shake it, chew it, swing it and fling it.
Mom and Dad like to shake it for baby to see and then baby usually likes to smile, reach for it, bat it and
take it.

So with that in mind, there are three kinds of rattles:

The first rattle mom and dad holds:
Any  rattle that make sounds and is colorful and appealing to look at is what is most important. 
This will attract  baby's attention and as mom and dad moves it side to side, baby can practice eye tracking and following the object.

A bit heavy, this one is for mom and dad to use and play with baby or it makes a great keepsake on a shelf in the nursery.
Holgate Baby Rattle - Block

The rattle baby holds:
Choose wisely and  look for anything that can have pieces pulled off (choking hazard). I always  tug at everything before  we test rattles to be sure of this.  You don't want baby to see or touch any rattle that can be a potential danger.

If baby can hold it, keep it soft.  Tactile development starts with the recognition of touch.  he trend is organic cotton coverings and natural wood .

• Organic Cotton Knitted Bear Teether/Rattle
• Eco Friendly Dandelion Organic Cotton Baby Cloth Ring Rattle
• Sassy Earth Brights Wooden Cherry Tree Rattle

This Waldorf inspired rattle is made of natural wood and the moving bead encourage sensory development.  This one makes an excellent choice as a natural toy gift.
Waldorf Inspired "Cheery" Rattle

Whimsical rattles are just fun to look at, not just for baby, but only for mom and dad!
Kushies Zolo Cha Cha Iota

Most likely if baby can hold it. baby will chew it, so when you are making choices keep in mind the controversial issues of BPA and Phthalates in soft plastic rattles.

The heirloom baby shower gift:
Silver Barbell Baby Rattle by Harmony Ball Co.

Enjoy playing with your baby. Nothing is more important than time connecting with and rattles are one fun way to play in this level of their development.

For more ideas,  visit toytips.com and follow me on twitter.com/toytips for a daily toy tip!
--Marianne Szymanski

Scribblenauts -- Guest Blogger Wendy Smolen

I admit I’m not a hard-core gamer. But I have been known to wear out my iPhone battery playing Chocolate Frenzy or Solitaire. I’m as innovative as any kid when it comes to finding creative ways to waste, er, fill my time. But Scribblenauts, the just-introduced game for Nintendo DS from Warner Bros. Interactive has me rethinking the whole gaming experience. You play by following Maxwell, a cartoon-ish character, as he collects Starites to move through multiple levels of play. Sounds pretty basic so far. The catch: players can spell out any object they need to help him reach the Starite. Is the Starite down in a mine? Tap the notepad on your screen and spell “S-H-O-V-E-L” on the magic keyboard. The shovel appears in your game -- use it to dig, and the Starite is yours. But there’s more.  You earn extra “style” merits for coming up with creative solutions (instead of a boat to cross the pond, how about riding on the back of a hippo?) or not using violence to solve a problem. And if you reach the goal under “par” you earn “ollars,” the in-game currency to buy new music or avatars. (Unfortunately, I haven’t earned enough ollars to tell you about this option, but I’m working on it.) The challenges have both puzzle levels and action levels, to satisfy both types of gamers, and each mode has 110 different levels. In other words, you can play from here to grandma’s house and never repeat a game. The Scribblenauts team says there are thousands of words in their library to create objects for play. And even after you finish one level, you can redo it using different objects. The edutainment value is obvious: spelling, vocabulary building, problem solving, and creative thinking.

The innovative use of technology that went into imagining this game is brilliant. It’s like a picture within a picture. Creativity begets creativity. I’m hoping that if I keep playing it, some of that out-of-the-box thinking will push me to…think out of the box. Hmmm, should I try “M-A-T-T-E K-N-I-F-E?” -- Wendy Smolen

Guest Blogger Wendy Smolen is co-founder of Sandbox Summit®.  She has been professionally evaluating toys for over 15 years. Her three children have literally gone from crib to college proving (or dis-proving!) her theories on play.

Top Rated Halloween Costumes

Halloween is hands down my favorite holiday.  There is so much fun surrounding it, without the pressure of gift-giving, or the huge family gatherings that, while fun, can often bring an element of stress. Halloween is pure fun and can be very magical for kids and adults alike.  Picking just the right costume is important to parents as well as kids.  Here's a some of the top rated costumes for this Halloween and some great customer images. 

Jr. Fire Fighter Suit with Helmet:
(Customer Image from L. Sickmann)

Here are some of the best of the 38 5 star reviews:
"I had looked everywhere for a fire fighter suit for my grandson. His dad is in fire school so he wanted to look just like his dad. This one is exactly the same color and everything so he was so proud when I gave it to him. He even won the costume contest at the mall."
--Debra Everhart

"I am a firefighter and from a distance these outfits are very similar to the ones we wear at work. I had to fight with my son to get it off of him for bed and I have since bought a second for my daughter."
--T. Drevar

"This fire fighter suit is the most real looking fire fighting costume I have seen. My son thinks he's a real fire fighter in it and wears it all the time. It's durable (my son has had his for a little over a year now and it looks practically new). People always ask us where we bought it." --Todd's Mom

Jr. Astronaut Suit with Embroidered Cap

(Customer image from C. Brown)

"This is by far the best Halloween costume I have purchased. It is a great fit for my almost 5 year old and looks authentic. It is costly but seems to be a good value, given the quality construction and details."
--Stella, Nick's Mom

"I bought this for my 16 month old son to wear for halloween and it was perfect. He was so, so cute. It is pretty well made and looks so "official". We got tons of comments on how cute he was. Highly recommended"
--C. Brown

"We bought this Jr. Astronaut Suit for our son's Halloween costume. We visited Kennedy Space Center last spring and he was very excited about the space program. He is 8 years old and the costume is a great fit! And looks very authentic. He can't wait to wear it!"
--Jr. Astronaut's mom

Super DC Heroes Wonder Woman Child's Costume
(Customer Image from Jennifer L. Mixon Eick)

"I ordered this costume less than 2 weeks ago and my daughter loves it! It really is soooo cute! She's 3½ so we had to do a little sewing adjustments on the boots, but it's still cute as pie! This is a definite for any wonder woman fan! It brought back sweet memories of my childhood, watching Lynda Carter tackle those bad guys! Great costume!"
--Jennifer L. Mixon Eick
"I have two daughters, aged 7 and 8, and they loved this addition to their costume box. (They love the Justice League Animated Series!) The outfit is simple, and easily donned with out any instructions."
--P. Jensen

Batman The Dark Knight Child Costume
(Customer image from Omarcito)
"This costume has a fabric that is pretty lightweight, but so far (after two months) it has held up remarkably well. That it is lightweight means my son can wear the cape and run around the house and yard even when it is sunny and warm."
--K. Dolo
"We got it for our 3 year old son. He absolutly loves it. He wears it almost everyday. I have to pry it off him to wash it. It's survived the macheine several times. It didn't shrink when washing. It fits him good."
--Katie

Star Wars Child's Jango Fett Costume

(Customer Image from M. Saeyang)

"This was a cute Halloween costume. It was comfortable for my small[...] and he wore it for long periods of time without getting hot or itchy in it! The mask smashed his nose a little, but this did not seem to bother him. I would recommend this costume for your die-hard little Star Wars fans!"
--E. Sigman
"I got this for my 4 yr old. He LOVES it! I had a very difficult time figuring out what size to get him but after some research I go the small and it fit perfectly. My son is 40.5 inches tall and 37 lbs, an average 4 year old and I'm glad I did some research because the manufacturers site suggested the medium which would have been WAY too big.
It arrived a month before Halloween and he wore it for a few days when it first showed up, I got the jet pack and gun for him too so he really enjoyed it. He's worn it on and off since then and just LOVES it!"
--M. Saeyang

See lots more top rated costumes here, and don't for get to check out our whole kids' costume store here.

Happy Trick or Treating!

--Laura McMullan

Dragonball Evolution Party Ideas - Guest Blogger Lisa Kothari

Dragonball Evolution is the latest movie in the series to open at theaters across the country. Goku, the warrior, is on an adventure to collect seven magical orbs that will grant him unlimited power. As you know, this is an extremely popular anime series and for grade school kids and is a fantastical theme for a birthday party. Looking for ideas to make this party come to life? Read on.

Note: This is a great party theme to host at a gym or karate studio where the kids can have room to be active. If you are hosting it at a karate studio, they may offer a package that includes an instructor teaching the kids some karate moves and leading them in active games. If you are at a gym, you may want to consider hiring an instructor to lead group activities.

Invitation:
Use long black pieces of cloth to create a karate belt invitation. Write your party details on the belt with a white fabric pen. Either hand-deliver or mail the invitations to your guests, and ask them to wear their belts to the party for thematic fun.

Decorations:
If you are hosting the party at your home, create your own karate studio on a back patio or in the basement or garage. Set it up for training. Purchase blue and orange balloons, streamers, and tableware. Create karate belts with different colors of fabric and hang them in the front entrance to your party for the kids to walk through.

Activities:

• When the kids arrive, provide them with wristbands and white strips of cloth that they can tie around their heads for headbands. Place fabric markers on a table for the kids to use to decorate their headbands while they wait for everyone to arrive.
• In addition to the karate activities that the kids will do with the instructor, have the kids play a few games:
• Divide the guests into two teams and have a karate belt relay. To complete the race, each child must run to the opposite end of the party area; pick up a colored belt, put it on, and do a karate move that corresponds with the color; take it off; and run back to his or her team. The first team to have all players complete the relay wins. (Have a party helper show the kids the moves they must do when they choose their belt color.)
• Provide the kids with foam stars and see who can get the most stars through an orange hula-hoop in the shortest period of time.
• Play Pin the Belt on Goku, like Pin the Tail on the Donkey.
• Have a Dragonball relay race. Have all of the kids cover their eyes with their headbands, and hide two Dragonballs (orange foam balls). Once you have hidden them, have the first two players race to find the balls, return to their teams, and tag the next players. The next players must run, replace the Dragonballs in different spots, race back, and tag the next player, who must find the Dragonball. The first team done wins.
• This is one of the original anime programs, and the kids may enjoy watching the show or playing online games together during the party.
• Send the kids on a scavenger hunt to find their own seven magical orbs. See who can find the most in the shortest period of time.

Party Menu:
Serve the kids any type of food that they love, or serve finger foods that look like sushi. As an example, make wrap-type sandwiches using cold cuts and tortillas. Cut the wraps in 2-inch pieces, and lay the pieces flat to resemble sushi.

Party Favor: 

Purchase plain Chinese boxes (like take-out holders), paint them orange and blue, and fill them with small plastic anime characters, ninja characters, and stars. The kids can also take their headbands and wristbands home.

--Lisa Kothari
Peppers and Pollywogs, Inc.
www.pepperspollywogs.com

Hot Holiday Toys 2009 - The Early Favorites

I have some early predictions to make on the hot holiday toys for 2009.  With the Emmy Awards show last night, I have been thinking of what toys are in the running for Holiday 2009.  Who will be the next Tickle Me Elmo, Cabbage Patch Kid, or Furby? Well here are a few I think will be super hot this holiday...

Preschoolers:
GeoTrax Timebertown Railway
Your preschooler is at the controls of this fun and easy railway by Fisher-Price.  This is a winner because unlike wooden trains, this one stays together and is durable through rough play.  Wooden tracks are great for older kids who are able to build and explore on their own, but this one is great for the three and under set who are just learning about cause and effect.  The remote control is fun, simple to control, and just the right size for little hands.  Also, this is a set that you can build onto with the other GeoTrax sets- you could have a whole town with an airport, fire house, and even a farm.

GloDoodle-  I love this one simply because it makes long trips at night with the kids much more fun.  These type of travel drawing boards are always something I recommend to parents traveling with preschoolers.  The GloDoodle is even better because it lights up, and changes colors.  Whatever your preschool draws becomes a glowing picture that is great for cars, planes, and even as a wind-down activity before bed at night.

Melissa and Doug Ice Cream Parlor Set- 

Pretend food is always a hit with preschoolers.  They love that they too can cook and make yummy pretend treats for friends and family.  This set is a fun way to pretend together with your kids. And no one beats Melissa and Doug toys for durability!

Grade School Kids:

Fisher-Price Imaginext Ocean Boat - I had a chance to watch some kids with this toy recently, and you should have seen the boys pushing it around the floor.  They simply loved this boat.  it comes with some cool action figures and ocean animals so that your little adventurer can carry out some cool quests on the deep blue sea.  Active imaginary play is the real winning point on this toy- the stories kids' will make up with this boat are endless.

Zhu Zhu Pets:
The biggest hit of the fall so far are Zhu Zhu Pets.  These loveable hamsters are taking the world by storm.  Who wouldn't love them?  They are cute, cuddly, make adorable noises, and all of this comes with the added bonus of no little hamster poops to clean!  Moms all over the country have to rejoice about that one! Another cool thing about these little pets without the mess, is that you can buy cages and trails for them and make one huge hamster playground. 

Barbie Pink 3-Story Townhome- Ok, so who had one of these growing up or knew someone who did?  My friends Kim and her sister Kristy had one and man, did I think it was cool.  Barbie is celebrating her 50th birthday by buying a brand new home.  And what dosen't this cool new home have?!  An outdoor, roof-top hot tub, a shower that makes sounds, a flat screen TV that pops out of the fireplace, a flushing toilet, a chandelier, and lots of lights and sounds- everything a Barbie could want and it's ALL pink, Barbie's favorite color, of course.







Big Kids and Adults:

Mindflex Game:
This might be the hit of the season.  A very cool toy that you control...wait for it...with your MIND! Yes, very cool.  I have used this and let me tell you, it is very fun and very neat to make the pieces move just by using your mind and concentrating.  Haven't you wished, as least once, that you didn't have to get up to get something? Well, maybe you can now harness the powers of your mind.

The Eyeclops Mini Projector:
About the size of the palm of your hand, this mini marvel lets you take the drive in with you wherever you go.  Imagine letting all the little kids in your neighborhood "drive" to your house on their ride-ons and then watch a cartoon projected on the side of your house.  Fun right?  and what about vacations?  You can even take this little guy, and hook it into your iPhone or iTouch (with an adapter) and watch movies on your wall.  I love it and I think it is going to be a big hit this Holiday season.

Cir*Kis Game:

From famed game inventor Philip Orbanes, comes the new game Cir*Kis.  For ages 8 and up, this looks like a fun and challenging game for the whole family. 

Here's some more info from  Board Game Geek:

"The aim is to complete Circles and Stars to score points. Cir*Kis is very easy to learn as there is only one rule: Each new piece must touch the last piece played. That's it! Although Cir*Kis is quickly learned, it soon becomes apparent that strategic thinking is crucial to scoring high, making each game more rich and diverse than the next as players evolve their offensive and defensive strategies. Be the first player to score 40 points to win the game!"

You know what they say, the family that plays together...has a great time and a lot of laughs!  right?

These are just a few of my early picks, stay tuned as in the next few months I will be posting toy buying guides for everyone in the family!

--Laura McMullan