Every kid loves to play law enforcer so let’s set sail with the Coast Guard. This limited edition boat commands attention as it guards the seas. Kids loved to let down the anchor and hook from their cable winches to capture and rescue. Handcuffs are provided for the bad guys and life saving rings and boards help rescue a man overboard. Coast Guard workers can drive within the cabin while talking on the wall phone, or outside in the open air. With typical Playmobil attention to detail, the back cargo hatch can contain tools or an unfriendly person caught at sea. Two additional roofs are removable to sit on a bench for lunch or access the controls.
As I was launching the boat with its underwater motor at a neighbor’s pool, a friend said, “Playmobil motorized boats were my kids’ favorites. We would take them to the beach at low tide and they would motor around the pools of water–other kids would swarm around to get a chance to play.” I think this cruiser is going to have to hit the beach tomorrow!
Ages: 4-9 years
The opinions expressed in this review are solely those of the author. The Coast Guard Boat was provided for review by Playmobil.
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It’s hard to find toys for one to one and a half year-olds that keep their interest and teach them something too! Your chicks will find this hen and her babies a fascinating delight as they pull mama, “Henrietta,” along by the string and watch her lay her eggs along the way.
This first pull along toy makes realistic noises as she ventures out with her babies or you press the comb on the top of her head. Kids are surprised when Henrietta’s three chicks drop out the back, one by one, as she is pulled along. Little one year-old Celeste kept saying, “Oh no!” every time a chick came out. Then she stopped to examine the hen and tried to figure out where the chick came from. Toddlers pause to figure out the cause-effect of this toy, as they experiment by putting the chicks in the mom and watching them roll out.
Any toy that stops a toddler in her tracks must be special.
The opinions expressed in this review are solely those of the author. “Henrietta the Pull along Hen” was provided for review by International Playthings.
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Toddlers can scoop up all the essentials, including the baby doll, put them in the soft, cloth bag and be ready for take-along play.
A great introduction to pretend play that follows a child’s experience, this first baby doll comes with the props to take a baby through her day. Little ones can feed their baby, offer a consoling teddy bear, pull a wipe out of the box and change her diaper, put her bib on for a meal, feed her a bottle and tuck her in to bed with a satin blanket that doubles as a changing pad.
As you play alongside your child, narrate the steps she is taking with her baby, giving her the language that goes along with her play. “Good job wiping baby’s bottom so you can put on a fresh diaper!” Follow her lead and describe the care she gives her new little one.
The opinions expressed in this review are solely those of the author. “My First Baby Doll” was provided for review by International Playthings.
Amazing Baby’s sing along board book, “Clap and Sing,” includes a bonus CD with songs of each of the nursery rhymes. Lots of repetition and beat keep your little one engaged with the music and lyrics for 30 minutes. The songs vary in style–a slow gentle lullaby to “Row Row Row your Boat,” a zippy “One Two Three Four Five” and a gospel like flow to “Mary Had a Little Lamb.”
Semi-circle tabs with a characters representing a rhyme on that page–dog, bear, lamb or spider–offer easy flipping of the pages with your baby. Simple, black outlined drawings complement the rhymes. “Baa Baa Black Sheep” has the face of the master, dame and little boy who lives down the lane with 3 bags to count. “Old Mac Donald Had a Farm” illustrates simple line drawings of the farmer, cow, duck, pig, dog, horse, and sheep with their corresponding sounds, each offering opportunities for your baby to learn new words in the context of a nursery rhyme.
Recommended for 6-18 months
The opinions expressed in this review are solely those of the author. “Amazing Baby Clap and Sing!” was provided for review by Silver Dolphin Books .
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Gather your furry friends for an afternoon in the treehouse. Don’t worry, there is plenty of room for everyone, big and small. With multiple play vignettes–a deck, hot tub, lake, pagoda, water slide or rooms with a view–several kids can play at once. Hop aboard the canoe to cruise the lake, drop the trap door to slip down the slide, munch on a picnic under the pagoda, or relax in the hot tub.
Add your own critter sets and furniture suites to the two monkeys and boat provided with the treehouse. Plenty of stickers are included to personalize your new woodland home. Hang your pictures, stack your books, display your best dishes, and throw down the “Welcome” mat and it’s time to invite friends over for imaginary play. Once the props are assembled, kids just rotate around the circular, three dimensional play land, lost in their world of pretend.
Check out the newest family of Hedgehogs who look quite at home in the forest. Kids love their stand-out hairdos and combs to tame their locks.
Mothers told me that the treehouse is best played with on a short, small table so several kids can play alongside each other, absorbed in one of the mini-scenarios. One side lended itself to outdoor play with the water slide, lake and alfresco eating areas, while the other side brought little hands indoors as they arranged and re-arranged furniture and accessories in the rooms.
Parents should be the producers of play, setting out the critters and their props, letting their child direct the action at the treehouse. Language and play skills are built and reinforced as kids are in charge of their play.
The opinions expressed in this review are solely those of the author. “Calico Critters Country Treehouse” was provided for review by International Playthings.
Introduce your child to Playmobil’s “Wildlife Care Station” and you’ll lose them to great creative play involving compassion and care for the injured animals. Two wildlife workers have the tools to round up the hurt animals in the fenced yard or padlock them into the crate for safety as they recover. With plenty of sticky bandages and re-usable casts, your little veterinarians can feed the baby leopards from a bottle or offer their parents some delicious grass or carrots. This little playhouse in the jungle offers lots of places to move the people and animals to change the action. Turn the station around and the wildlife workers tend to their paper work on the laptop computer on their desk or get a little sleep after pulling down the murphy bed from the wall. Lots of shelves can hold their supplies–rope, maps, or medicine. My little play partner spent hours spinning stories as different animals approached the station and the workers took over. The band-aids were especially interesting as the rhino ended up covered from head to toe. Apparently her recovered because today they are gone!
The opinions expressed in this review are solely those of the author. “Wildlife Care Center” was provided for review by Playmobil.
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Summer vacation never looked so good. Load your family of four into their SUV, hook up the boat trailer, pack a picnic and grab the sand toys. This new Playmobil adventure sethighlights the company’s incredible engineering and attention to detail in their props for pretend play.
When you arrive at the beach, unwind the winch and watch the speed boat lowered off the trailer to launch into the water. Mindful of engaging accessories, the creators have provided life jackets, flip flops, hats and sunscreen for the kids, as well as a bucket, sand screener, pitcher, shovel, rake and sailboat for play. Mom and Dad have a roller suitcase to hold their belongings as well as a duffel bag. Cups and a picnic basket transport lunch on the boat. After a day on the water, just hook up the boat and watch it slide back onto the trailer.
The fun in the sun theme appeals to both girls and boys who played with this set. With each added accessory, a child’s pretend play was extended–a water bottle for a drink, a suitcase to plan packing for a trip, cups to create a meal, sand toys to cast in the beach, and a dog to add to the mix. Kids invented rich stories with these props, and were mesmerized with each new action or participant.
We floated our boat in the water but my next move is to get the Playmobil motor to attach to the boat so we can take our story on the water.
Sherry Artemenko, MA-CCC, is a speech-language pathologist with more than 35 years experience and founder of Playonwords.com. The opinions expressed in this review are solely those of the author. “Family Van with Boat and Trialer” was provided for review by Playmobil.
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The toddler-preschool set is delighted to be able to participate in pretend play with Playmobil, just like their big brothers and sisters. Thanks to playmobil 123, the little ones have their own vehicles, people and animals to ride, feed and visit. Take a trip to the large zoo with double fence enclosures to keep the zoo and farm animals contained. Designed for kids 1 1/2 and older, everything stands up and stays put–from fences to people–to eliminate little ones’ frustration and keep the story building. The zoo animals (zebra, giraffe, elephant and monkey) and farm friends (horse, sheep, donkey and bunny) have smooth chunky, realistic bodies for toddler hands to manipulate. Adding flexible items for storytelling like grass and flowers for feeding, drinking troughs, a tractor to pull a detachable wagon, a park bench for resting, trees for climbing and a tunnel to drive through or perch on top, this set has all the components for beginning imaginary play. Kids loved the tunnel, riding through it, and were able to easily manipulate the one-step figures who can stand or sit with one bend of their bodies. The zoo set sparked creative play that only a toddler could conjure up. Figures stood on the flat tree branches, rode in the wagon and slid down the sides of the tunnel. That’s the best endorsement for a toy–that kids invent and play differently with it each time!
Sherry Artemenko, MA-CCC, is a speech-language pathologist with more than 35 years experience and founder of Playonwords.com. The opinions expressed in this review are solely those of the author. “Playmobil Large Zoo” was provided for review by Playmobil.
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Grab on to this ball of fun and discover the animals nestled in their dens. Each of the six animals–crinkle pig, squeaky chick or smiling lion–can be pulled out of hiding on their stretchy strings, only to snap back inside for a rest. Kids love to use this toy as a ball or lesson in discovery. Toddlers enjoy the element of surprise as a new friend peeks out of his crevice to be touched, adored or tasted. With younger babies, not yet adept at manipulating the animals, parents can take the opportunity to show and describe the “spotted pink pig with the fuzzy nose,” “the squeaky, red chick with the blue beak,” or “nibble on the soft green leaf,” to fill their child with enriching language linked to their experience. Later, your child will be the operator of the animal den, when her little hand can grab the animals and play peek-a-boo.
Sherry Artemenko, MA-CCC, is a speech-language pathologist with more than 35 years experience and founder of Playonwords.com. The opinions expressed in this review are solely those of the author. “Animal Den” was provided for review by HABA toys.
Alex toys is pretty new at baby toddler toys, introducing Alex Jr. in 2008, but they have positioned themselves as a leader in launching innovative infant toys, in a market that seems flooded with just one more stacking toy.
“Hug-a-Puzzle” is just that–a soft puzzle in the form of a dog, kitty, bus or pig. The plush velour doggy is just firm and slim enough for a one-year-old’s hands to grab and give to someone or squeeze with a hug. Little ones were drawn to the simple face and pointed out the nose while younger kids enjoyed a munch on the ears and tail. Even I was amazed that a one-year-old could pull the pieces apart and then hand them back to me to start the game over again. “Hug-a-Puzzle” became a buddy and a game all in one.
Talk about body parts and point them out, describe the textures and colors, count the three puzzle pieces, as well as name opposites–off/on and in/out, as you use rich language to describe pulling, pushing and sliding. In talking about what your child is doing, you are teaching him language that prepares him to talk.
Sherry Artemenko, MA-CCC, is a speech-language pathologist with more than 35 years experience and founder of Playonwords.com. The opinions expressed in this review are solely those of the author. “Hug-a-Puzzle” was provided for review by Alex toys.
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