New Top Pick: Bigjigs Wooden Playsets & Railway *Contest*

With two preschoolers and a review blog since 2007, that I’ve tested and spotlighted a nunber of toys is a bit of an understatement. Every once in a while something blows me away and stands out from the crowd. Such as the case with the Bigjigs King Arthur’s Castle playset (pictured). We put it together quickly; the process was fairly simple with the exception of one piece which still hanging out with the knights, horses and Merlin included with the set.

Explaining the castle to a friend, I said simply, “It’s just made really well.” Obvious quality construction and materials, the wooden playset, like other Bigjigs products such as their wooden puzzles and Bigjigs Rail train set, will withstand busy fingers and hard play from our preschoolers. No cheap plastic here!

I always like a “shop by age” feature when looking for gifts since I may be looking outside my kids age ranges or have a hard time remembering exatly what they were into at a certain stage. For a special gift or maybe one from a grandparet, the Rail Name Collection offers personalized letter rails to spell a child’s name or evena  ”Happy Birthday” message. This personalized collection and the wooden playsets like our or the cottage, barn, glacier or others are my top Bigjigs picks.

 

 

Cool Tip

Enter to win a Bigjigs Fairytale Train set on their Facebook page! Be sure to follow them on Twitter and Pinterest as well to stay up to date.

Product samples were provided for review purposes; all opinions are 100% my own.

Toy Craze Prediction: Pinypon {plus coupon}

Our friends across the pond are familiar with Pinypon, and now American girls will be delighted with a world that includes mermaids, travellers and sweethearts. Mini dolls (this is a great starter set) who swap clothes and accessories invite endless possibilities. I like how easily they snap on and off, making it simple to mix and match. My five year old daughter loves mini-toys and bright, colorful Pinypons were an instant hit. The Caravan is as adorable as it gets. Opening up to a swimming pool complete with surf board, lounge chair and more, it also comes with a Pinypon girl and pet making a perfect gift since the line is fairly new in the US. Total immersion into the world on Pinypon can be accomplished with a visit to their website which includes games, puzzles and printables like the one pictured here. 

Pinyponm is available at Toys R’ Us exclusivly both in stories and online. Keep up with the world of Pinypon by following them on the following social medis sites:

Cool Tip

Use one of two current Pinypon coupons like the one below or buy two get one free.

Sample products were provided for review purposes; all opinions are 100% my own.

Q&A: What Toys Do Your Kids Love Most?

Of all of the toys you’ve reviewed, which are the ones your kids still play with? Which do they like most over time?

~Laura P.

Great question! Sometimes we’ll purchase a toy convinced it will be our kids’ new favorite only to languish in the toy box. Without a doubt the toy they play with is their three year old Step 2 Lifestyle Dream Kitchen (pictured). As they play with it nearly every day and imaginative play is something we highly encourage, it’s a worthwhile investment. Another larger ticket item worth the price tag is Mattel Disney Princess Castle. I was surprised with Amazon reviews since the kids play with and love this particular toy.

Other favorite toy notables include:

We’ll follow up with some of their favorite Learning Time products, but in the meantime would love to hear what toys your kids play with the most?

 

Top Spinmaster Toy Gift Picks *Mutliple Winner Giveaway*

Watch our Top Spinmaster Toys Video

Why We Love It

From Aquadoodle to Moon Dough for little ones, to Redakai for the older kids, we’ve spotlighted Spinmaster toys in the past and are happy to highlight some of their coolest picks this holiday season.  With a chance to personally check out the best toy gifts Spinmaster has to offer, it was difficult to limit our video montage to just a few. We love Bizu beads because of their unique take on jewelry making with bracelets and fun animal friends all wrapped into one with just s quick twist. And Liv and her spa world is hard to resist with color-changing hair, nails and more; this was favorite of my daughter’s who could seemigly color change all day. As we said, it’s impossible to share every cool Spinmaster pick but would remiss in leaving out AppBlaster with it’s augmented reality shoot ‘em up feature utilizing the iPhone or iPod Touch. From board games to high tech, girlie gifts and more, our SPinmaster Amazon shop below is a one-stop shop for all things cool this holiday. Enjoy!

Disclaimer

Sample products was provided for review purposes; all opinions are 100% our own.

Cool Giveaway: Enter to win your choice of Spinmaster prizes including board games (Quelf, The Logo Board Game, Stomple) or a Liv Color-Change Doll (2 winners). To enter, comment on this post telling us which Spinmaster page you like/follow. All additional follows or likes will be considered extra entries. Exp. 12/18/11.

AppBlaster: Facebook, Twitter

Redakai: Facebook, Twitter

Moon Dough: Facebook.com, Twitter

Liv: Facebook

Spinmaster Games: Facebook, Twitter

Cool Baby Kid: Facebook, Twitter

Buy or Gift It:

Duo Powered Atari Arcade for iPad *Holiday Gift Idea*

Why We Love It

I’m so excited to be a member of Duo 50, a community of mom bloggers committed to testing and sharing Discovery Bay Games new product offerings with our readers. Having met a representative for DBG at BlogHer ’11 this summer in San Diego, I already knew they were revolutionizing iPad play with Duo-powered products such as Atari Arcade for iPad which we tested, Duo Plink and Duo Pop which looks like fun for the whole family. The premise is simple…while it may be difficult to completely disconnect the family, Discovery Bay Games Duo brings them together to play. If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em.  The Atari Arcade which connects to iPad utilizing Atari’s Greatest Hits app (sold separately) allowing users to transform their iPad into a Pong playing, Asteroid blasting arcade machine.  If you’re a child of the 80′s like me, Duo powered Atari Arcade from Discovery Bay Games is about as cool as it gets. Gift it!

Disclaimer

A sample product was provided for review purposes; all opinions are 100% our own.

Details

Retail Price: $59.99

Atari App: .99 or $9.99 for all 100 games

Buy or Gift It:

Discovery Bay Games, Amazon.com

Cool Giveaway: Enter to win a Duo powereed Atari Acrade from Discovery Bay Games by commenting on this post telling us why you’d love to win this particular prize! For extra entries:

Check out even more entry possibilities if you’re really determined to win. Read the prize claim information; we announce winners on Prizey.net. Contest ends 12/14/11.

2011 Hess Toy Truck and Race Car Review

Hess Tanker (1964)

We’re starting a new tradition with a company steeped in their own–Hess Truck which dates back to 1964 created as a fun, affordable toy for families. The original tanker (pictured) which could be filled with water sold for $1.29 including batteries. And while the 2011 is also sold with Duracell batteries retailing for $26.99 plus tax, it looks quite different from the original. For the first time both the Truck Cab and Racing Car include flashing light, and to be honest, we couldn’t have chosen a better truck with which to start a new tradition. Finally becoming interested in cars and trucks, and moving away from his sister Princess dresses, our son is enthralled with the Hess Toy truck packed with features. Here’s the low-down:

Truck:

  • Pull-out ramp with automatic hydraulic sound
  • 3 additional sound effects activated by cab buttons (ignition, horn and back-up alert sounds)
  • 34 lights with all-on and flashing modes
  • Flashing light mode activated by cab button, chassis switch and ramp
  • Four-wheel spring suspension
  • Chrome-look detailing
  • 2 Energizer® ‘C’ batteries

Race Car:

  • Engine sound effect activated by gas cap button
  • 10 lights (all-on and flashing modes)
  • Flashing light mode activated by gas cap button
  • Pull-back racing motor
  • Chrome-look detailing
  • 2 Energizer® ‘AA’ batteries

Without a doubt the flashing lights take the cake and delight our son to no end. Personally I thinking the Race Car’s engine sound effect and incredible attention to detail are pretty cool. For any family with truck or car fans, at under $30 it tops our gift guide picks for kids. The Hess Toy Truck is sold exclusively at Hess retail stores while supplies last. For a complete list of Hess Toy Trucks through the years or to find the nearest Hess location visit: www.hesstoytruck.com.

Disclaimer: A sample product was provided for review purposes; all reviews are 100% our own.

Cool Tip: Stay up to date with Hess Toy Truck on Facebook and be sure the little racer in your house checks on the Hess Racer Game app available on iPhone/iPad/Android (12/2) or play directly on Facebook.

Holiday Gift Idea:LeapFrog Peek-a-Shoe Talking Octopus *Giveaway*

As a huge fan of anything that LeapFrog makes, I knew which section to head directly to in the toy store to shop for my 10 month old nephew.  My 2 and 3 year olds already play with and love the maracas to the Leapster  Explorer and now our newest addition the LeapPad, so I knew that I would find the perfect gift in the LeapFrog section.

Why We Love It

The LeapFrog Peek-a-Shoe Talking Octopus caught my eye and is a great gift for ages 9 – 36 months and at a reasonable cost of $29.99. It offers unlimited fun for a curious child while teaching them colors and numbers. The reason I always gravitate to LeapFrog when gift shopping is because they are both fun and educational.  The toddler takes the colorful balls and places them in one of the 2 spots at the top of the octopus and then lifts up the shoe to rediscover the disappeared ball.  The game helps to develop hand eye coordination and allows the child to learn basic colors.  The Peek-a-Shoe Talking Octopus is fun and entertaining with a peek-a-boo surprise that every child is sure to love.

Written by Karen, Cool Baby Kid Team

Disclaimer

A sample product was provided for review purposes; all opinions are 100% our own.

Details

Ages: 9-36 months

Retail Price: $29.99

Purchase at:

LeapoFrog.com, Amazon

Cool Giveaway:  Sometimes I wish I had lots of arms like an Octopus! If you had an extra hand, would would you accomplish with it? Comment on this post to win a LeapFrpg Peek-a-Shoe Talking Octopus. For extra entries:

Check out even more entry possibilities if you’re really determined to win. Read the prize claim information; we announce winners on Prizey.net. Contest ends 12/11/11.

 

 

My BFF Doll: Design & Buy A Girl’s Best Friend *Gift Idea*

Why We Love It

I was first introduced to My Twinn through a catalog which I tore open when it arrived. These dolls looked exactly like their owners…how cool! Shortly thereafter I was lucky enough to design a My BFF doll to be my daughter’s new best friend. While I choose similar features to her own, the doll is a companion rather than a twin. At 23 inches tall, she will be able to easily sit at the doll table for a “a spot of tea” as my five year old likes to say.  As you can see (watch the video…it’s cool!) the process allows users to customize the face, hair and clothing giving gift-givers the opportunity to create a unique, one-of-a-kind Best Friend Forever doll for the girly girls in their life. Once we receive the doll, we’ll post an update on the review. In the meantime, happy shopping!

*Update: We received the doll…she’s huge! I was not expecting her to be so big and love that she will really stand out. My daughter’s new BFF can truly travel with her and even gets buckled in the car with a seat belt. I would highly recommend as the quality of the doll is fabulous. We’ll update once more on how she hold up, but so far she’s great!*

Disclaimer

A sample product was provided for review purposes; all opinions are 100% our own.

Details

Ages: 5-12
Retail Price: $149.00

Purchase at:

MyBFFdoll.com

Cool Tip: Send an animated, dress-up My BFF eCard to say “I Love You” or “Happy Holidays.”

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