Fisher Price offers a different twist on a classic game with their boxed version of Go Fish.  The game is for 2-4 players.  Each player takes turns catching fish with the fishing rod that’s included with the game.  Using the suction cup on the end of the fishing rod, players try to catch cardboard fish.  The fish have numbers and colors on them.  Players try to catch matched pairs (by color or number) similar to the classic Go Fish card game. 
What I like most about this game are the various ways you can make up rules to match the age and understanding of …read more

Holy smokes does this toy look like fun!  I was searching for something unrelated on the Toys ‘R Us website when I spotted the new Teeter Twirl by Troxel Products. 
The Teeter Twirl is intended for kids ages 6 and up.  It’s not just a traditional see-saw.  The Teeter Twirl goes not just up and down, but it spins in circles, too.
The Teeter Twirl is just $59.99.  This seems like a great toy!  If you have the Teeter Twirl or have seen it in use before, leave a comment and share your opinions on it.  Is it really as cool as it …read more

I’ve been thinking about getting my kids a bounce house for well over a year now.  For their 3rd birthday last summer, we rented one of the huge, heavy-duty bounce houses, and the triplets loved it!  I’ve been torn over whether or not I should have just bought one then or if I should buy one now before their 4th birthday rolls around in July.  I’m sure they’ll want another bounce house to use on their birthday this year.  I can’t blame them.  It was a lot of fun!
My problem is this – first, bounce houses are expensive, but honestly, …read more

“That is not your toy. This is Mommy’s kitchen tool.” I don’t know how many times I say that in a day! There are so many things around the house that the kids would love to able to get their hands on that wouldn’t be safe for them to play with. Shannon Christman of SavingAdvice has compiled a list of 17 things from around the house that can be reused as toddler toys. Head on over here to check it out.
Here’s the list I compiled about a year ago. What other items would …read more

If your house is like ours, there are more toys around than the kids know what to do with. That’s a bit embarrassing. Anyway, we don’t buy toys often, but friends and grandparents have made sure that our kids are very well supplied, and I’m too “nice” to refuse the excess (most of the time).

I’m a pack rat, but I’m really trying to get away from that side of my personality. It’s not healthy! And I need to start with some of the kids’ stuff so that I’m not passing on this frustrating trait to them. …read more

heehee. Did you get it? Corny, sorry.
For about the past month, my middle child has been asking daily for the countdown until his birthday (we’re still well in the 30s, I believe). Recently, when his dad asked him what he might want for his birthday, one of his answers was, “A telescope…..a bug telescope.” I’m guessing he meant microscope, and I’m wondering if something like the toy pictured here would do the trick.
I’d say that I wasn’t prepared for boys and the whole bug thing, but the truth is that the …read more

So, I mentioned awhile back that, as a family, we’re trying to think and act a bit more eco-friendly in our home. We’ve made some big strides in composting and recycling, and a bit better in just buying less stuff (never a bad thing, I think!). The kids love helping to figure out what can and can’t go in the compost bowl, and trips to the recycling bin are coveted “helper” roles for all the kids—even the 2 year old! Very fun.
A b5media blog that I’ve been enjoying recently is Tree Hugging Family written by Jennifer Chait. …read more

With the recent recalls of many of our favorite toys still causing a stir, I’m beginning to wonder how effective these recalls will actually prove to be. Obviously, I’m not the only one. An article by E. Marla Felcher points to a major issue, I believe:

The reason so many toys were recalled this summer is not that there weren’t enough regulations. It’s that toy makers were ignoring the regulations that are already on the books.
Here’s the article in its entirety from Slate.com pointing to some of the issues still at hand.

Okay, so, I’m making my way through the sites that Jennifer mentioned in the comments here, and I started with PsychoBaby and it made me laugh. Okay, the site itself didn’t make me laugh (though some of the products were cracking me up). But I started laughing because it reminded me of a backpack that I was shown the other day. A friend had bought this adorable little pink backpack for her daughter, completely girly with roses all over it. It wasn’t until she got it home that she noticed images of skulls intermingled with all …read more

Looking for a truly exquisite collection of toys from which to make your next very special purchase? Seems like pucciManuli might be the site for you then. With gifts ranging in price from around $9 (USD) to over $14,000 (USD), I’m guessing there’s at least one thing everyone could find to enjoy. I happen to be in love with this little platypus. The rocking horses are beautiful, and products in the “Best Friends” collection look quite cuddly.
Where do you shop when you’re looking for truly unique toys and gifts?