A couple weeks ago I was asked to test toys for ebeanstalk. Of course I jumped at the chance. They sent out the toys last week. They sent out a variety of baby toys and toys for 1 year olds to toy experts (moms) for their review.
While ebeanstalk picks great toys, they like to get some help from the real experts – moms and kids, to help them select great learning toys. The toy we received was the Jumbo Knob Wooden Puzzle from Melissa & Doug who specialize in wooden toys.
My son is a little older, so I dropped …read more

I don’t often get to write about baby toys, but I found one that’s just adorable! Gentle Giraffe is one of the latest huggable soothing stuffed friends from Cloud B. Gentle Giraffe transports young listeners to the beautiful and mysterious plains of the Serengeti.

Gentle Giraffe features soothing sounds, including rhythmic drums, a waterfall, the sounds of a safari trail, and quiet giraffes to gently ease your baby or young one to sleep.
Gentle Giraffe would go great with a jungle, or safari theme bedroom or nursery. The best part is, he doesn’t have to stay in the nursery. Your child can …read more

I thought this was a really cute idea. A photo album for infants. Check out the Flutter ‘N Fun Photo Book made just for the little folks.
Now your little one’s can look at familiar faces, even if they’re not right there. There are also fun sounds, textures, and a teether on this cute little butterfly to help keep your little one occupied.
The butterfly will hold up to four photos of your babies favorite people, the bright colors and photos help develop your babies sense of sight.
Cute!
Image via Infantino

If you have a baby or know someone who is having a baby, then the My First Fish Bowl is a must-have toy.  The My First Fish Bowl is intended for babies 6 months and older.  It’s meant to help babies explore textures, colors, sounds and more.  The best part – babies love it!
First, this toy is soft and babies love to teeth on the fish.  They can all go in the washing machine, which I love.  Each fish makes a different sound when you shake or squeeze them and each has a different texture.  As your baby grows, he …read more

My kids got the Sassy Poppin’ Push Car when they were babies.  Before they could even crawl, I remember pushing that car in front of them as they watched intently.  Soon they would hold it and shake it.  Eventually, they could push it along the floor themselves as they crawled behind.  This car took a lot of abuse and now, over three years later, they still use it.

I don’t know what it is about the Skwish from Manhattan Toy that babies (and toddlers) love.  My triplets received this toy as a gift when they were born.  Once they were able to start holding toys, we gave them the Skwish along with some other baby toys.  To be honest, I was nervous at first that one of my babies would poke an eye out with this toy.  However, for some reason, the Skwish was an instant favorite, and it remained very popular for a long time.

The Northern New England Toy Test in Maine wrapped up a few weeks ago. This was a chance for a few kids 5 and under to test a some educational toys and see which ones they enjoyed the most and held their attention the longest.
A few were big hits among the kids, while some were either too hard or only held their interest for a few minutes. My favorite was the puzzle which made the animal sounds.

Technorati Tags: educational toy,toy testers,new england toy testers,best educational toys,toddler toys

In Ottawa, the Canadian Toy Testing Council unveiled its list of the top 10 toys that were voted the best by the most qualified toy testers in the world…..kids. The kids were on hand to test the toys out and then offer their opinion.
2008 Children’s Choice Award Winners
1.Lamaze Balancing Bug Stacker

2. Ultimate Family Wagon

3. LifeStyle Grand Walk-In Kitchen

4. Shrek 3-D Memory Match-Up Game

5. LeapFrog WordLaunch Learn-to-Read-It System

6. Jakks EyeClops Bionic Eye

7. STICKY MOSAICS – MY JUNGLE ADVENTURE by The Orb Factory

8. Made You Look: A Book of Picture Puzzles

9. Keesdrow Deluxe Word Seek Game

10. LEGO Snowmobile

Everyone is coming out with top toy lists right now. It’s hard to keep up, but I love to see which toys made the cut and which ones didn’t. I am particularly interested in Parenting.com’s list because they asked kids from around the country to test 100 playthings and tell them which ones were their favorites. They also talked to moms who told them what their favorites were according to durability and safety. Needless to say, I think this is a great list of toys!
So, without further ado….Here’s Parenting.com’s Top 26 Toys: (click on pictures for larger view)
Birth to 18 …read more

If you’ve been into a KB toys lately, you have probably noticed their “Super Value” toys. We were just there the other day and they had a table set out with several of these super value toys on them.
You could get craft items, cars, play huts and John Deere items for a great price. These have been a big hit for KB Toys customers, according to this press release from PRNewswire:
KB Toys closely follows the hottest trends to offer the most popular toys, and new this year is an exciting collection of “Super Value” toys at great low prices.
…read more