Friday November 27, 2009
From time to time a frantic friend calls me from the toy aisle asking for help choosing a birthday present or a baby gift. Fortunately, because I'm not going to post my mobile number here, (I like you, but every good relationship has boundaries) we have a handy mobile version of Toys.About.com that you can access from any smart phone any time. Just click the "+" sign to add a button to your home screen.
There you'll find comprehensive toy reviews including:
Simply click on the "Compare Prices" links to comparison shop and order on the spot.
Just in time for Black Friday, the respected Parents' Choice Awards Foundation has developed a handy Gift Finder Application.
Enter the child's age and select from a long pull-down list of "Things With Which Children Become Obsessed." (OK, that's my term, not the foundation's.) The list includes everything from animals to astronomy. Enter a budget limit and click "Find It!" and the tool identifies all the Parents' Choice Award-winning toys in that category.
It's a cool idea that works well but it's not available in the iTunes App Store. Rather it's a free website you can access from your browser.
Happy toy shopping!
Thursday November 26, 2009
This year we'll have three little boys at our Thanksgiving table. They are 1, 2 and 4 so we don't actually expect them to dine quietly at the appointed time, but it would be nice if the adults could actually consume their turkey in peace.
I printed out a handful of free Thanksgiving coloring pages, then Scotch taped them together to make a cute Thanksgiving table cloth. I added a fresh box of 64 Crayola crayons (complete with sharpener, of course!) and we'll let them go to it.
The darling cardboard chair is called an Elia Mini Chair. It is easy to assemble and it comes with dozens of stickers to make it unique. My son and I decorated this one a full year ago and it's still going strong. It's also one of his favorite toys because he turns it on its side and pretends it's a parking garage for his cars.
I wish you peace and quiet this Thanksgiving and hope your tiny guests are cooperative and your taller guests are grateful.
Photo © About.com
Wednesday November 25, 2009
Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. We have a small extended family and usually have friends and riotous laughter around our table. I cook all day and look forward to having turkey for breakfast, lunch and dinner for good week.
One year our kitchen was too small for all that prep so we walked back and forth in the rain to use the oven in the apartment next door. One memorable year there was a small fire at the table. Another year we told my parents that we were expecting our first child. Believe it or not, our best man met his fabulous wife at one of our Thanksgiving celebrations. I'm thankful for a long list of memories made over turkey and green bean casserole.
This year, try asking your kids what toy they're thankful for. I bet it won't be that must-have, hot Christmas toy from last year's list. In fact, I think more than one reader will report that their child is thankful for something that came in a Happy Meal.
That's OK, though. Maybe that knowledge will help parents focus on quality, lasting toys when they're shopping for Christmas toys this year. Kids' choices keep it all in perspective.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Monday November 23, 2009
Every Christmas there's one hot, new toy that's flying off the shelves and every child is clamoring for it. I've recommended several hot, new toys that are standing out already, even before Black Friday. There's the Mindflex game that runs on brain power. The new Littlest Pet Shop set is a must-have for some little ones I know. And toddlers love play kitchens, so Step2's new Fresh Market Kitchen is definitely on many Christmas lists.
Then there are the toy hamsters called Zhu Zhu Pets, which I really didn't love at all. The hamsters are cute but their habitat was so difficult to assemble that I eventually gave up. I worked on it for half an hour before the cryptic instructions and impossible-to-see markings did me in. The plastic pieces didn't fit together right and I never got it to work. Fortunately I didn't have an excited child asking, "Mama, are you done yet?"
I can see why kids would want them and I can see why parents would buy them. All that buzz, TV advertising, quantity restrictions in toy stores, and a pet that doesn't poop...really compelling! Parents might not question the quality if the toy is all they hear about, all day long.
One thing all these toys have in common is that they're available in the big-box stores, but may not be on the shelves at small, specialty toy shops. I find that local toy sellers really know their merchandise and choose carefully, so they're a great source for recommendations of lasting, quality toys.
The American Specialty Toy Retailing Association (ASTRA) is the national organization that ties all the small toy stores together. They just published a list of the hottest Christmas toys that their members believe in, and those toys might not be available in the mass-market stores. Toy manufacturers don't pay to be included in the list, unlike some hot Christmas toy lists, so parents can trust that their recommendations (like mine) are not influenced by the almighty dollar.
Photo of the Green Toys Tea Set, Recommended on the ASTRA list, is © Green Toys.
