May 14th, 2008
I was lucky enough to receive a toy from the Mighty World set from International Playthings for my 3-year old sons to test, and I’d like to share my review with PlayLibrary readers.
First, I should mention that earlier this month, I reviewed some Calico Critters toys that International Playthings asked my daughter to test. While I gave the Calico Critters toys two thumbs up, I’m going to give the Mighty World Alligator Hunt set that my sons tested only one thumb up. The reason is because I think the age range provided for the toy we tested is too young.
My son tested the Might World Alligator Hunt set. When I saw the Mighty World toys on the International Playthings website, I was very excited for my son to test one of them. Both of my boys are starting to enjoy imaginary play, and I thought it would be great for them to have a more “boyish” toy set to play with rather than their sister’s My Little Pony toys.
The Mighty World Alligator Hunt set includes a boat, two figures (a man and a woman in safari clothing), oars, a fishing pole, an alligator, a map, a gun, and more small pieces. It’s a cool looking toy that could boost imaginary play, particularly for boys. There is a wide range of Mighty World toys that kids could use to create complete themed worlds from safari themes to construction themes and more. Read More
Tags: boy toys, Calico Critters, childrens-toys, International Playthings, Mighty World, Mighty World Alligator Hunt, toy reviewShare This
By Susan Gunelius -- 1 comment
May 13th, 2008
HALO 3 is an incredibly popular video game, so when I saw this contest, I had to share with Play Library readers.
The Celebrity Cafe is hosting a contest where you could win one of three HALO 3 Covenant Plasma Pistols with laser pursuit technology from Jasman Toys.
The contest closes on June 30th and is open to U.S. residents only.
Follow the link to enter to win a HALO 3 Covenant Plasma Pistol (retail value approximately $70).
Good luck!
Image: Jasman Toys
Tags: blog contest, HALO 3, halo 3 covenant plasma pistol, jasman toys, video game accessories, video-gamesShare This
By Susan Gunelius -- 0 comments
May 12th, 2008
I bought my kids an Aquadoodle when they were about 2 years old. I liked the idea that they could draw on it without making a mess. In the beginning, they would make one or two marks then walk away. That evolved into them demanding that I draw various shapes for them. Eventually, they started to draw on it themselves.
Aside from them chewing on the pens when they were younger, I have only had positive experiences with the Aquadoodle. I have to fill the pens with water for my kids and shake them up a bit to get the water flowing and the pens working, but that’s the only set-up required. I love toys that require little set-up and even less clean up.
There are many accessories you can buy for the Aquadoodle, but we just have the basic Aquadoodle and my kids really enjoy it. At just $19.99, it’s one of those toys you can’t go wrong with!
Do your kids have an Aquadoodle? Have you bought any additional accessories? Which do your kids really like?
Image: Toysrus.com
Tags: aqua doodle, Aquadoodle, art-toys, childrens-toys, creative toys, preshooler toys, Toddler ToysShare This
By Susan Gunelius -- 1 comment
May 11th, 2008
I took a long time trying to pick out the right sandbox for my 3-year old triplets. I didn’t want wood because we live in Florida and bugs are always a concern (especially termites).
It had to be big enough for three kids, but not too big because my yard isn’t huge. It had to have a top that secured in place because we get hurricanes here which are very windy. It also rains for a short time most days during the summer, so the top had to stay on tightly or the sand would never dry and would be unusable.
With those criteria in mind, I finally settled on the Step 2 Naturally Playful Sandbox after reading many reviews that said the top stayed on and the sand stayed dry.
We’ve been using this sandbox for a few months now and I’m happy to report that the top does stay on and the sand does stay dry! It’s also big enough for all three kids. It required no assembly and it holds a lot of sand. And one more thing, it’s only $59.99! My rating on the Step 2 Naturally Playful Sandbox - two thumbs up!
Images: Toysrus.com
Tags: children's sandbox, Naturally Playful sandbox, outdoor-toys, plastic sandbox, sand play, Step-2, summer-toysShare This
By Susan Gunelius -- 3 comments
May 10th, 2008
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 or she will move beyond simply grabbing the fish and chewing them to making noises with them and eventually putting them in the fish bowl and taking them out of the fish bowl again and again and again and again, you get the point.
This toy went through spurts of popularity with my triplets, but I think if I hadn’t given it away to make room for “older toys”, they’d still take it out and look at the fish and play with them. Of course, now they’d use their imaginations more, but I really do think they’d still use it in one way or another.
At just $15.95, the price isn’t too high for a toy that won Parenting Magazine’s Toy of the Year Award in the past. I give the My First Fish Bowl two thumbs up.
Image: LeapsandBounds.com
Tags: Baby Toys, infant-toys, manipulative toys, My First Fish BowlShare This
By Susan Gunelius -- 0 comments
May 10th, 2008
I’m having a contest on my children’s books blog, One Book Two Book. The winner will receive a Mark-My-Time digital book mark. It’s a great product to help parents monitor their child’s reading!
It’s easy to enter - just leave a comment on the blog contest post. The contest ends on May 17th.
Good luck!
Image: Mark-My-Time.com
Tags: blog contest, Children's Books, digital bookmark, mark-my-time, mark-my-time bookmarkShare This
By Susan Gunelius -- 0 comments
May 10th, 2008
b5media’s Tree Hugging Family blog is hosting a cool contest where you can win green toys for your children to use this summer. Prizes include:
- Tea set
- Indoor gardening kit
- Sand play set
- Cookware and dining set
The toys come from Green Toys, and you can get all the details (and enter) on Tree Hugging Family.
Good luck!
Image source: Greentoys.com
Tags: childrens-toys, environmentally friendly toys, green toys contest, green-toys, outdoor-toys, summer-toysShare This
By Susan Gunelius -- 2 comments
May 8th, 2008
I’ve been thinking about buying a balance beam toy for my kids to use indoors on rainy days. I think it would be a great way to work on improving balance when we can’t get to the playground, and I think the kids would enjoy it. Most of the balance beams I have found weren’t very exciting until I stumbled across the Configurable Balance Beam on LeapsandBounds.com today.
The configurable balance beam includes 27 straight and curved pieces that can be put together in a variety of ways, so kids aren’t walking across the same straight line constantly as they would with traditional balance beam toys. I like that the pieces are different colors which can be used to create different games. I also like that the Configurable Balance Beam is large and can hold up to 220 lbs. It’s meant for ages 3 and up.
With all that said, I don’t like the price of the Configurable Balance Beam. At $119.95, I’m not sure the toy would bring a value to justify that price tag. I should note that the pieces are made of polyethylene and the manufacturer makes playground equipment, so I have to assume the quality is good, but that’s still a lot of money. At around $50 or less, I’d buy this product right now, but at $119.95, I don’t think so. The shipping is high too at $29.15 for ground delivery.
What do you think? Worth it or not?
Tags: , balance beam toy, children's balance beam, configurable balance beam, Leaps and BoundsShare This
By Susan Gunelius -- 0 comments
May 6th, 2008
If you need a laptop for yourself or your children, then this contest is for you! I found a great contest on The Celebrity Cafe where you can enter to win a Sony Vaio CR series laptop!
Here are the details about the prize from The Celebrity Cafe:
The laptop features a stunning 14.1″ widescreen LCD with XBRITE-ECO(tm) LCD technology providing vivid, crystal-clear images. Powered by Intel’s incredible new hafnium-based processor technology, this computer is faster and more efficient than ever. The next-generation Intel(r) Centrino(r) Duo Processor technology turns up the speed on multi-tasking while curbing energy consumption. So now you can surf the web, upload photos and listen to music simultaneously without worry about the computer’s performance.
You can enter and read the rules on the Sony Vaio laptop giveaway web page.
Good luck!
Image source: Sony.com
Tags: laptop contest, laptop giveaway, Sony laptop, Sony Vaio, Sony Vaio c3, Sony Vaio laptop, win Sony laptopShare This
By Susan Gunelius -- 1 comment
May 4th, 2008
Summer is almost here (actually, it’s already here in Florida), and it’s time to start thinking about outdoor toys, pools and more. I received an email this week from Little Tikes with what I think is probably the coolest all-in-one inflatable water slide, pool and climber. Check out the Little Tikes Slam n Slide for $299.99 with free shipping until May 7th.
I think that’s a great price for everything the Slam n Slide offers. Check out the details from the Little Tikes website:
- Measuring 9 x 12 x 14.5 feet, this slide features a wet, wonderful and wild 142″ long ride.
- Starts with a spray hood on the top of the 82″ high slide
- Includes water basketball net and a 13″ pool at the bottom
- Easy to set up since its 13″ blower inflates and deflates the slide in minutes and maintains continuous airflow
- Built of puncture resistant material with durable mesh netting
- Includes stakes, heavy-duty blower with GFCI, repair kit and storage bag
- Ages 5 years and up
- Recommended maximum combined weight limit: 350 lbs.
If I had a big enough (and flat enough) backyard, this is the slide I’d buy. I love that it offers three different toys in one - a big slide, a climbing area, and a little pool. There is so much room for multiple children with various activities. I can picture myself sliding down with the kids then resting in the pool while they continue to play. What fun!
Do you have an inflatable pool, slide or climber that you really like? Which one is it and why?
Tags: inflatable climber, inflatable pool, inflatable-slide, Little Tikes, outdoor-toys, slam n slide, summer-toys, water-slideShare This
By Susan Gunelius -- 3 comments
Recent Comments