Toy Whimsy

25 Toy Deals Under $25!

Back by popular demand, here are some great toy deals going on right now that you can take advantage of.  (FYI: some of them are only going on while supplies last, and for a limited time, so hurry!)

* The hottest board game of the year, Quirkle, is now under $20.

*A great stocking stuffer, Scrabble Slam, is less than $10 and fun for the whole family.

* Another big hit this holiday is the Crayola glow dome, now Under $25.

* Fun and education, the Scientific Explorer's Mind Blowing Science Kit is around $15.

* Another one under $15 is the Melissa & Doug Slice and Bake Cookie Set. Melissa & Doug are well known for quality, and pretend fun.

* If you have a LEGO Star Wars fan, the Clone Walker Battle Pack is a great gift under $12.

* A great and affordable arts and crafts kit, the Paperoni Deluxe Studio is under $15.  It makes a great gift for tween girls who love crafts.

*The LeapFrog Text to Learn is a great toy for the diaper bag to keep your little one busy, and for travel in the car or on a plane, and it is now under $20.

* I loved this game when I was a kid and right now you can get Guess Who Extra for under $20.

* If you have a Twilight fan on your list this holiday, the New Moon Board Game is a must-have, and at under $15, it is a steal.

*Barbie is beautiful as Corinne from Barbie and the Three Musketeers.  She's now under $20 and a great stocking stuffer.

* A classic with a new twist, the Playdoh Burger Builder is also less than $20.

*The Amazon-Frustration Free Packaged VTech Tote and Go Laptop lets little ones feel all grown up with their own computer.  It's under $20 and also available in orange.

*Who doesn't love the Transformers?  Now you and your little one can play like you did back in the day with this Transformers Movie 2 Deluxe Bumblebee Figure for under $15.

*Why have one horse when you can have an dozen for under $20??  These Melissa & Doug Pasture Pals are great for any equine fan.

*The Sprig Eco-Truck Dump Truck is friendly to the environment and also to your wallet at under $15.

*50 markers for under $15! Get this Pipsqueaks tower, a great deal that will have them drawing all year long. 

* LEGO Power Miners was a huge hit this year and this Crystal King is a must have for any fan. 

*Another classic that is back for another round is the Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots and at under $20, they are fun for the whole family.

* The Candy Jewel Factory Oven will let your little princess design, and then eat, some tasty jewels for under $25. 

*LEGO City is a great series of toys that you can build upon all year long with fun sets that all go together.  The LEGO City Tow Truck is a great deal at under $15.

* ThinkFun Rush Hour Jr is a challenging game for kids 6 to 8 yrs old and has four levels of play.  At under $15, it would make a great educational game.

*Babies love shape sorters, and this one is a classic wooden toy that is sure to be a favorite.  The Melissa & Doug Sorting Cube is now under $15.

* Indy is back with another adventure and his LEGO Motorcycle Chase set is now under $15.

*Last but not least, is the Sprig Side Kick Vehicle - Rally Racer.  This chunky car is great for preschoolers and beyond and is under $20.

Happy Shopping to you and be sure to check back for new deals being added all the time to our Deals Page to see more great discounts in Toys and Games.

--Laura M.

Barbie 3 Story Dream Townhouse for $99

Now is the time to buy your daughter (and her Barbies) a new piece of real estate.  There is no need to put in an offer, and haggle over price, we have it for $99!

Here she is in all her glory:

and if this all looks familiar to you mom, here was the townhouse you enjoyed in your childhood:

 
 

Enjoy this deal for a limited time and also check our Black Friday Deals Week for more great offers.

-Laura M.

Best Toy Deals NOW! Why Wait for Black Friday?

Before you get started on making the stuffing and sweet potatoes, check out some of our awesome toy deals that you can enjoy NOW and not wait till Black Friday.  But hurry, the deals are changing all the time...

* Buy one Terrain Titan and get one Free

* Buy a Bakugan Bakurak and get a Bakugan Booster Pack for free

* Amazon-Exclusive Twilight Jewlery Box for only $14.99

* Spend $30 on select Melissa and Doug and save 10%

* Save up to 40% on Select Star Wars toys.

* Save 50% on Watchmen toys.

* Get up to 50% off Littlest Pet Shop toys.

*  Save 50% on Monsters vs. Aliens toys.

* Get a Free Scrabble Slam card game with purchase.

* Save up to 40% on Barbie Collector.

* Save $50 on Amazon Exclusive Tonner Twilight Dolls.

* Save up to 35% on Amazon Frustration-Free Packaged toys.

* Save up to 40% on Kitchen and Cooking toys.

* Save up to 40% on Easy-Bake Oven and accessories.

* $9.99 Amazon Exclusive Polar Bear.

* Save up to 25% on G.I. Joe toys

There are even more on the Toys Black Friday Deals Week page.

--Laura McMullan

The Geek Parent Gift Guide 2009

You're a nerd, and that is hip.  Seriously, geeks are great right now- just look at the success of a little show called Glee (yes, I am a big fan). So this geek parent got to thinking, "What should I, a nerd parent, buy my kids this year?"  So I made a list so you can embrace your inner geek and buy your kids some fun toys that might also inspire them to become a nerd in your own image. Because after all, don't nerds rule the world? 

example one:

enough said.

2009 Geek Parent Gift Guide:

1.  The Chemistry Set - Nothing better than a chemistry set to inspire the next generation of cancer fighters and inventors of just about everything. Here are a few good ones.

Thames and Kosmos The Dangerous Book for Boys Chemistry Set

Scientific Explorer's My 1st Science Kit - The Science of Color

2. Robots- Every geek needs a robot, a friend, a compadre, someone to bring them another Jolt cola...  Here are a couple we like.

Pleo Dinosaur - A UGOBE Life Form

LEGO Mindstorms NXT 2.0

Roboni-i Programmable Gaming Robot

3. A building set - It is well known that nerds love to build stuff.  Future engineers need the tools to get started.  Here are a few sets we love.

Eitech Deluxe Solar Powered Metal Building Kit

Toobeez 57-Piece Building Kit

4. Stuffed Creatures- Even nerds need something to hug.  Correct?

Giant Microbes

Bunk Bots

5. Math Games - Playing is the best way for children to learn so why not play with numbers?  Math games can be fun, educational, geeky-goodness.

Sum Swamp Addition and Subtraction Game

Learning Resources Totally Tut Math Operations Game

Learning Mates Monkey Math

Mythmatical Battles Norse/Egyptian Double Deck Set

6. Electric Circuit Toys - These toys are great for safely exploring electricity (and keeping young explorers from tearing up the walls to explore your home's electrical network).

Snap Circuits SC-300

Snap Circuits RC Rover

I hope this list helps my fellow nerds to buy some awesome presents this year.  I am sure I forgot some nerd-o-rific gifts, so help me out and leave me a comment with suggestions.  Also, don't forget to check out our Holiday Toy List for all kinds of great gift ideas.

Happy Holidays!

--Laura M.

The Twilight Saga: New Moon: Party Ideas - Guest Blogger Lisa Kothari

For your New Moon party consider these activities for loads of fun:

• Play Twilight Jeopardy
• Read favorite excerpts from the book
• Edward can run fast. As dusk falls, provide flashlights and have races to see who can keep up with Edward’s speed. Set up races or a game of flashlight tag for fun.
• Make Twilight bracelets using glow in the dark string and charms.
• Alice Cullen is super hyper … how does she get this way? See who can become Alice Cullen by holding a food-eating contest. Serve candy bars and ice cream. How much will it take for you to get hyped?
• Have a vampire taste-test. Put out all sorts of red foods and see if your guests can guess what they are. Ideas include red hots, red icing, ketchup, chilis (these are hot … watch out!), red bell peppers, French salad dressing, etc. Make sure to blindfold your guests to make it more difficult.
• Vampires are (often) ice cold. Have your guests go bobbing for apples in ice-cold water. See who captures an apple!
• Play a game of baseball with apples
• Act out a favorite scene from the book. Make sure all of the Twilight characters are covered, but instead of playing the scene out as the book does, create your own ending—it will be a surprise as it unfolds! The only rule: it can’t turn out as it does in the book.
• How about Jacob the werewolf? How about a howling contest! Who can do it best? Give out prizes for most original, loudest, and oddest howl.
• A great prize would be a copy of one of the books. It would be a splurge, but great fun!

Make fabulous swag bags with items that represent each character. Have your guests guess which character goes with what as they head out into the New Moon night:

•     Cake mix (fudge marble)
•     Jaw breakers
•     Eclipse gum
•     Red finger nail polish
•     Vampire teeth
•     Tennis ball

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

Go Ahead...Touch It

Sometimes a toy comes along that gets lost in the shuffle and you need to actually see it to understand what it does.  Such is the case with the Rubik's Touchcube.  At first glance it looks like just another variation of the classic Rubik's Cube.  But this new version has some cool technology built in to it, using LED lighting to change the various colored squares -- just by touching it.   Sure it's a little pricey, but it's a cool way to take your geek quotient to a new high.  Check out the video below to see how it works. -- E. Christian Moore

The Magic of Disney Wish List Sweepstakes - Guest Blogger Wendy H.

Amazon is celebrating it’s tenth Anniversary of Wish Lists with ten amazing sweepstakes.   This week is the Magic of Disney Wish List featuring a trip for a family of four to Disney World in Florida.  Customers can enter weekly at www.amazon.com/wishlist10th by creating, adding an item to, or sharing an Amazon.com Wish List. As the holidays get closer Amazon Wish Lists are a great way for customers to let friends and family know what they are wishing for this season.  

Week 7 – Nov. 16-22: The Magic of Disney Wish List

Grand Prize includes a trip for four to Orlando, Fl., five days at Disneyworld with lodging at Animal Kingdom Lodge and a $2,000 Disney Gift Card for use at the resort’s restaurants and gift shops. Additional items in the Wish List include Disney movies,  storybooks,  video games (and a Nintendo Wii, Nintendo DSI to play them on), and more.

--Wendy H.

Toys Under $20 - Top 20 To Buy Now

I was in a brick and mortar store last night, one of the big box stores that I just love to go to late at night without the kids, and just walk around in the peace and quiet.  Honestly, as a full-time working mother of two, this is about as much quiet time as I get and I try and savor it.  So anyway, I was walking around, enjoying some quiet time and *bam!* here come the Christmas tunes.  Now I am no Scrooge, but the amount of Christmas that seems to be seeping into the stores before it is even Thanksgiving is a little over whelming. 

In the interest of getting the shopping over with so  you can enjoy the better things about the holiday- such as playing in the snow, making hot chocolate, decorating the tree, and enjoying the wonder in your children's eyes,  I have a few suggestions of toys under $20 that you can buy now, stuff in a closet to hide until wrapping time comes, and then not think about shopping for toys again until the next birthday rolls around. 

1. Easy Bake Oven & Snack Center by Hasbro (Includes 3 Mixes) - Currently 40%, this little wonder will have your children baking up a storm!  The little cakes are perfect for a tea party.

2. Speaking of tea parties, the Green Toys Tea Set is a must for pretending.  It is also made of recycled milk cartons, and a great value at over 30% off.

3. For older girls, the Paperoni Deluxe Studio is a great value at 50% off.  This tested really well with our toy testers in our Days of Play event.  It was easy and fun for tween girls.

4. A great family game, Sorry! Sliders is an update of an old favorite.  Right now it is marked down 40% and is a great addition to your family game night. 

5. Tween boys will love the Tech Deck Build a Park with Board Pack. This set lets them live their skating dreams indoors and on a smaller scale.

6. A great toy for preschoolers is the GloDoodle.  Great for long car rides at night, and also as a wind-down toy before bed, this is a fun and creative way to encourage some quiet play. 

7. Have a Hot Wheels fan?  The Color Shifters Blaster lets your little racer change the color of the car with ice cold water.

8. Need an activity for preschoolers? The Wild Planet Crayola Crayon Town Zoo Set will entertain multiple kids with it's cross-over playset and arts and crafts activities.

9. Bop It is a great game for teens and families.  It also makes a great party game, you could even take it to a holiday party as a hostess gift that everyone could enjoy while at the party.

10. Another great family games is Farkle. Right now you can get it for under $10.

11. Have a LEGO fan on your list?  How about the LEGO City Camper? For under $20 your little builder can go on a camping adventure with their mini-figs.

12. A very popular preschool learning toy this season is the LeapFrog Scribble and Write.  It's never too early to get a little education included with their play time.

13.  A very hot new doll line this year are the Moxie Girlz.  This Best Friends 2 pack is under $20 and would be great for two sisters or two best pals to share.

14. If you have a future fashion designer on your list, the Project Runway Design Projector kit is a great value and a great way to get her started on her future career.

15. A classic that was updated a bit for the movie Toy Story, The green Toy Soldiers set makes a great traveling toys and a great gift.

16. Another classic game that every child should play is Operation.  Right now, it is also a great value at $10. 

17. The GI Joe Movie Ninja Snake Eyes Figure would make a great gift for any of your action figure fans.  He is also just the right size to fit in a stocking.

18. Combining computer play and dinosaurs, the Xtractaurs Starter Kit, is creative fun that knows no bounds.

19. Another hot line of fashion dolls this year at the Liv Dolls.  They have a unique style and each come with a code that lets girls play online.  They also come with a long and short wig to let girls change the hair style of the dolls.

20. If you have a girl who likes to build, how about trying the Best-Lock Girls' Container Twinpack?  It comes with castle pieces and horses and is under $15.

Happy shopping and have a great weekend!

--Laura M.

Amazon Frustration Free Packaging - Just How Easy Is It, Really?

Let me paint a picture for you, and if you are a parent, or have helped a young child with opening a present, I think you will be able to relate:

Little Sally just got a present!  Boy is she happy!  She is begging you to open it, she can't wait to play with the pink-princess-pony-rainbow-sparkle-extravaganza that she just unwrapped.  She is bouncing up and down, she starts to get a little higher pitched in her requests.  She says "Please?  Please?  PLEASE!".  You say "yes, yes, I will open your little present now, settle down."

Then you say the fateful words you will soon regret.

"This will only take a minute."

Thirty minutes later, you are still undoing twist ties, cutting through plastic, and trying to understand why each little piece is tied down so tight you would think they were made of crystal and not plastic.  You have used about 15 tools, 2 pair of scissors, your teeth, and a box cutter.  You now have three bandages on your hands, and you have had to tell little Sally you are very sorry for using "that bad word" five times already.  In between begging Sally to stop crying, you are trying to stop the bleeding on your fourth hand wound, and you are slowly adding to the huge pile of waste packaging from just this one toy. 

Shouldn't there be a better way?

Lucky for you, there is.  Amazon Frustration Free Packaging is here to help. 

But just how easy is it?  We here at Toy Whimsy decided to find out.

First up was the Fisher-Price Imaginext Ocean Boat:

Fisher-Price Imaginext Ocean Boat...

next up, the Fisher-Price Camera Kid-Tough Digital Camera

Fisher-Price Kid Tough Camera...

So what did we learn? With Amazon Frustration Free Packaging, when you say, "This will only take a minute.", you mean it.  It took us 45 seconds with the Ocean Boat and even less, 18.29 for the Kid-Tough Camera.  And as a bonus, the only packaging is a fully recyclable box that is easy to break down and put out at the curb.

To see more Frustration Free Packaging toys you can click here, and to see the full list Amazon.com offerings for Frustration Free, you can click here.

--Laura McMullan

Big Wheel, Game Boy Inducted into Toys Hall of Fame

The Big Wheel, the ball, and the Nintendo Game Boy were all inducted into the Toy Hall of Fame (located in the Strong National Museum of Play in Rochester, New York) this week.  (They even beat out Cabbage Patch Dolls for the honor.)  The awesomely dated commercial for Big Wheel (below) proves that what was exciting and cool is now kind of quaint (watch out for the cat!) but just as much fun. Additionally, Game Boy has now been given well-deserved icon status.  After all, it paved the way for many of the hand-held gaming systems of today --- including, well, Game Boys. -- E. Christian Moore