Kids and bubbles have always connected, so to speak. Summer fun includes chasing after the undulating spheres before they pop. Want a break from blowing and entertaining? Hand over this “Big Bubbles Friend Cow,” teach your child to tip his head back and watch the fun begin. As a long Moooo sounds off, a procession of giant bubbles comes streaming out of his mouth, changing direction with the wind. Kids are mesmerized with it.
Parents declared this the best toy at a family gathering since toddlers entertained themselves independently for twenty minutes. Fascinated each time by a changing stream of bubbles, kids keep tipping the cow’s head back to control the action. Recommended for ages 3 and up, this toy can certainly keep a toddler busy too.
Recommended age; 3 years and up
The opinions expressed in this review are solely those of the author. “Big Bubbles Friend Cow” was provided for review by “Little Kids.”
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.
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.
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.
This “delicious game of mice and dice” keeps kids on their toes as they try to hang on to their mice–as they move from person to person or even into the cat’s bowl. With clear picture directions on the dice, a preschooler learns to pass to the left, take advantage of a snoozing cat and keep her mouse, feed the kitty or steal a mouse from the cat’s bowl. If you’re the last one to be holding on to your mice at the end of the game, you win! A great starter game to teach kids to take turns and follow directions, “Feed the Kitty” makes holding mice fun. Besides, somehow the cat and mouse competition tends to take the pressure off of who wins.
Simple enough for preschoolers to play, a speech therapist can use this game to reinforce goals a child is working on. Say a few sounds, or repeat a few sentences and take a turn to keep up interest and advance language.
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. “Feed the Kitty” was provided for review by Gamewright.
It’s no wonder that Gotz dolls is celebrating its 60th anniversary–continuing to create dolls like precious Muffin who perfectly cradles into a preschoolers arms for hours of huggable pretend play. A new addition to the family of Gotz dolls, this 13″ Muffin baby became the object of affection for preschool girls. Her hand painted face, baby bald head, and moving eyelashes say sweetness all over. Little girls cradled her in their arms and took off with pretend play, tending to her infant needs. Her bean bag body conforms to hugs while her hard hands and feet make outfit changes easier for little hands. This baby is void of all the bells and whistles common to the new generation of dolls, leaving the direction of play up to the child who is in charge. Little girls fed her, took her temperature and brought bandages for her skinned knee during playtime. Shouldn’t the mom be in charge anyway?
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. “Muffin Doll” was provided for review by International Playthings.
Baby PInkie Pie is up from her nap and ready for some adventure. Snap her into her car seat and start the pink-hearted purple wheels rolling. Mom can’t leave without her coffee mug and brush, while a grocery bag and snack box provide story starters for the day. Girls went shopping, had a snack, planned a picnic and touched up their hair, when playing with this gang. If you want to add some punch to your pretend play, turn over the hollow grocery bag and snack box accessories and pack some Play-doh treats. We made sandwiches, apples and juice. The easy snap-on accessories provide flexibility in story telling as Mom and Pinkie Pie experience their day. What mom wouldn’t like four appendages to carry her equipment for a day out with her baby?
“My Little Pony Convertible” is part of the brand’s introduction of family play, featuring the adorable ponies accompanied by their loving mothers and siblings. Moms often ask me what toys offer families of animals for pretend play, since their child isn’t as interested in the miniature people. Now we have families of fun in ponyville.
Take note that your preschooler might need a stronger helper to snap baby in her carseat and into the car.
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. “My LIttle Pony Convertible” was provided for review by Playskool.
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Having raised my kids on Richard Scarry books, searching for Lowly the Worm, I am excited to see a new generation of children examining his delightful drawings, learning about communities of fun. “Richard Scarry’s Busytown Eye Found it! Game” is a winner in innovative, entertaining, language learning games. Unfold the six foot game board and race through the bustling town, busy airport, industrious construction site, and working farm, to board the ferry for Picnic Island to grab your lunch before Pig Will and Pig Won’t eat it. Spin a Goldberg Mystery Card and start the timer as all players work together to spot the most objects on the game board of the kind pictured on the card—construction cones, garbage cans, shovels, kites, or bicycles. Kids love to place their magnifying glass tokens on the objects when found, rewarded with a bonus move. Can you see why I hear squeals of delight when a bug card is spun?
This team game models collaboration, encouragement, patience and the satisfaction of “winning” together. Scarry’s detailed drawings teach the language of concepts, categories, association, and storytelling as little ones learn what objects, people and actions go together to build narratives. Where would we find shovels? Look in the construction site. Where would we search for letters? Check the town post office or neighborhood mailbox. What about garbage cans? Everywhere! Enjoy this game for a balance of talents and fun for kids and adults alike.
Richard Scarry’s Busytown Eye Found It! Game
Recommended age: 3 years and up
Pull out this puppet show in a box when the kids come over to play and watch it spark their imaginations. Mom or Dad can easily assemble the cloth, hanging theater to suspend in the doorway as kids make puppets, part the curtains and start the story telling. Before the show starts, kids create their own puppet characters with six fuzzy bodies and thirty stick-on ears, faces, tails, noses or outfits. Go traditional in making a prince, princess, lion, puppy, or dragon or combine the features to make an original character. As the story develops, kids can re-figure the puppets, ripping off the reusable features and attaching them to create new characters. Moms were amazed at how well the features stuck on the puppets during active play. My three-year-old puppeteers enjoyed presenting a show and then chased each other with puppets in hand. Language learning begins with selecting a character while devising and assembling the puppets, continues during the creation of the story and dialogue, and extends through open-ended play with flexible props to expand plot possibilities. Take a seat and let your children learn language through play.
International Playthings Playdate Central Puppet Show
Recommended ages 3-6
Chicks have come to roost on their favorite perch, performing a balancing act on thick bales of hay and slim wagon wheels. Plump Mom and baby chickys peer out their adorable eyes, beckoning players to take turns, skillfully plucking pieces off the teetering perch without toppling the brood. Players remove birds and their accessories, hoping to keep the remaining pieces in place. Each piece has its own point value from one to three, so after the perch is dumped, collect your pieces, add up your score and declare the winner.
A game of fine motor skill and balance, “ChickyBoom” requires slow, precise movements so as not to disturb the roosting chicks. Strategy comes into play as risk takers remove a piece of higher value that might start the gang wobbling but adds value to their winnings. Get some math practice as you add up the numbers on your pieces to reach the highest score and win the game.
