Toys On The Brain

Archive for the ‘Preschool Toys’ Category

This workshop and tool set is a big deal for little workers. It includes plastic parts: nails, screws, washers, a place on the bench to hammer nails and screw in screws. Batteries can be inserted to activate a circular saw on one side, drill press and vice on the other, and a hand-held jigsaw. Hooks attach to the back to hold a saw, a hammer, and a screwdriver, and a slanted shelf has compartments for the faux wood pieces.

The set and all the parts are plastic, so while this makes for safer and lighter equipment, this work bench and its pieces are a little on the flimsy side. The bench is best used against a wall for support.

On the cool side, the bench and pieces look real to little kids. In no time at all, my three year old handyman was moving about - tools in hand - and “fixing” everything from the couch to the coffee table.

And the tool sounds for the saw, drill press, and jigsaw are impressive, though a bit loud (plan on wanting to remove the batteries from time to time). Included are pieces that look like wood that fit together with velcro and screws to make a bird house - a fun project for kids.

The neatest thing about this toy set is that the parts work together and really are quite similar to the way real tools work. The screws really fit in other pieces, and the screwdriver is really used to screw them tight. I think the materials could be sturdier on this set (especially for the price) but it is a great tool for learning and pretending.

Buy Black and Decker Junior Power Tool Workshop Online:

• at Amazon.com

Here’s another durable toy from Soopsori made with all natural materials. This is a cute little bear with detachable arms and legs. The internal magnets allow a child to remove and replace the bear’s arms and legs. This makes a fun “table” toy for children, or used to adorn a bookshelf, and is not a bad tool for working on speech skills such as body parts, and vocabulary (left, right).

This little bear is marketed for ages 1+, but the arms and legs could be swallowed by young children. While it’s fun for kids to play around with removing and replacing the body parts, this toy is probably best for children preschool age or over.

Editor’s Note: I really like the idea of wood toys, especially for kids who might be prone to allergies; unlike plush, these can be easily cleaned and won’t gather as much dust. If you have a child with allergies or asthma, consider these types of toys!

• Soopsori Website

The Soopsori Wood Play Fishing Set is a rarity among toys these days. Soopsori makes toys with all natural wood and linseed oil - and without any chemicals or paints. I am impressed with the look of this set as well as its apparent durability. The pole and all eight distinctive fish are very well made, and I suspect they won’t be easily destroyed by the most active of young children.

The fishing set works by attracting the fish to the magnet at the end of the pole. All magnets are internal (built inside of each piece), so there’s no risk of swallowing. And I love that the magnets are strong: no weak connections between “bait” and fish.

At just over 10 1/2 inches, the pole is pretty short. It could be double that size and would be a lot more effective and easier to help the child “catch” the fish. The string used to reel in the fish could also be twice as long, as it only hangs down a few inches from the top of the pole. The knob a child grabs onto to reel in the fish needs to be a little larger in order for little hands to get a decent grasp.

My three year old basically holds the fishing pole magnet piece over the fish and works on catching one and moving it over to another location without being able to reel it in by turning the knob. But he does enjoy pulling out the game and working diligently on transferring the fish from here to there via fishing pole. This fishing set is certainly good for fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination, as well as for developing patience and perseverance.

Something every good fisherman needs.

• Soopsori Website

The Doodle Pro Travel is a handy toy for toddlers and preschoolers and an even handier tool for parents with long waits in lines or waiting rooms.

The Doodle Pro has an attached “pen” that kids can use to write and draw on a screen. Whether your child is in the scribbling stage, or already showing signs of becoming the next Picasso, markings are but temporary and easily whisked away with the slide of the lever at the bottom, creating a clean slate for the child to begin again.

Kudos for the little carrying handle, and a string just long enough to allow ease of writing and drawing, along with an easy space to clip the pen back in place.

Nothing to lose, no batteries to replace, no noise to deal with, and plenty of practice for little hands.

There are different sizes of the Doodle Pro, but I like this smaller travel version. It is the perfect size for little ones to use in their lap, and the ideal size to toss in a large purse or diaper bag, and travel with in the car.

• Doodle Pro Travel at the Fisher Price Website

Buy Doodle Pro Travel Online:

• at Amazon.com

A couple of months ago the kids’ mom made the mistake of bringing into the house a catalog from Playmobil, a German-based toy manufacturer. Well, that catalog quickly became the preferred bathroom reading material of Small Person #2. With his birthday coming up, he started begging for many of the toys, including the water zoo sets, which included a caiman exhibit, a penguin exhibit, and a larger (and more expensive) dolphin exhibit. After listening to him beg and beg and beg and beg and beg and beg and beg, I finally decided to get him the penguin one for his birthday.

Now, keep in mind that, for a short period of time, Small Person #2 was absolutely convinced that these were life-size sets. He truly thought he could get in and swim with the dolphins (which he also thought were alive). You have to admit that the pictures in the catalog were very well done and looked very lifelike. After much explaining, I finally convinced him that they were small sets, the same as his other toys, and that he might be disappointed. Well, he was still adamant that he wanted them, so his mom went ahead and ordered other sets. (Look for those reviews soon!)

Yesterday was his birthday, and he finally got the chance to see his brand-spanking-new penguin zoo. In fact, it was a bit of a revelation for all of us. Turns out, it’s not assembled. In any way. So after opening it, he had to go away so I could assemble it and get it ready for him. Now, keep in mind, I actually LIKE assembling things, so this wasn’t a minus for me.

Read the rest of this entry »

When I first started researching to write this review, I naturally headed over to Amazon to see if they had this toy and how much it would cost there. Imagine my surprise, nay, SHOCK when I saw that someone was trying to sell it for over $35! I quickly realized that a) people are incredibly greedy and b) I should have bought more of them for only $10 at Toys R Us.

Anyway, on to the toy. It’s your basic toy gun that makes noises and lights up. Nothing special there. It’s themed off the upcoming movie Monsters Vs. Aliens and looks a lot like a 1950’s scifi ray gun. Pulling the trigger makes the interior spin around and creates ray gun blaster sound effects. The good news is that it’s fairly quiet (comparatively) and doesn’t have a lot of bells and whistles to get broken. The bad news is that the batteries died after only a day of use; while they were crappy batteries that were included with the toy, there’s no telling how long the fresh set will last either.

In the grand scheme of things, I suppose you could do a lot worse if you have kids who like to play with guns. At least nothing is projectile, and while the sound is annoying, it won’t deafen you. Note that this is NOT worth $35, though. It’s a cheap molded plastic and nothing more. Go look at Toys R Us and get it for $10.

Cute little toy. Nice idea. Especially fun for boys.

Unfortunately, the Air Foam Disc Shot by Ja-Ru only works about two out of ten times. Such odds elicit nothing but impatience and frustration from a three year old looking to have endless fun.

The disc shot is simple to load; the small foam discs are to be stacked inside the loader cartridge. One by one, they can be shot out the end of this gun-like contraption. The dexterity required to load the discs and pull the trigger isn’t bad practice for a young child’s fine motor skills. When it works, this little gun-like contraption sends small foam disks out through the air with just the right amount of weight to really make those little babies soar.

But way more often than not, the discs get stuck in transition from the cartridge to being shot out the end.

I’m no engineer, but something about the design on this baby just isn’t right. I suspect the light weight of the discs - as well as the flexibility that makes them so great in the air - contributes to the jamming that results while pulling the Disc Shot’s trigger.

Because of its high rate of malfunction, I’m afraid I’m going to have to shoot this toy down. Not recommended.

Buy Ja-Ru Toys Online:

• at Amazon.com

Now here’s a classic toy. Everyone’s gotta have a Sit n Spin, right?

It’s too bad I couldn’t enjoy this toy much when I was a child; turning around and around on the flat wheel made my stomach well, turn around and around. But my little boy has thoroughly enjoyed this toy’s features since he could barely stand. And there’s nothing like a toy that lasts through several developmental stages.

He loves hitting the handle to play the music that goes through a round of tunes and stops, only to be started again when touched. As he got older, he learned how to spin properly: holding on to the handle while pulling himself in a circle with his lower body.

Then one day last fall, he laid down on his stomach and spun himself around - legs stretched and toes pointed - while pushing off the floor with his hand for speed. His daddy and I are certain it could be a new Olympic event.

The Playskool Sit n Spin was used when we got it, and it hardly has a scratch. It’s durable, lightweight, and I’ve yet to change the batteries after owning this toy for over two years.

Spin on baby, spin on.

• Sit N Spin at the Hasbro Website

Buy Sit N Spin Online:

• at Amazon.com

These word picture cards by DK Publishing get a big ‘thumbs up’ from this mom for the vivid colors and great pictures. The cards are big (great for little hands) and some even include textures for some of the objects.

Unlike some flash cards that have ridiculous animated images, these pictures are true-to-life, with many being photos of the actual object or animal. I say, if we’re going to teach kids what something is, let’s just use the real McCoy.

This packet included ideas for using the cards to work on a variety of skills. On the back of each card, there are questions an adult may ask of a child regarding the picture on the front. Also included is how to say each word in four languages.

You know, just in case you’ve got a prodigy in the household who will be able to pronounce the word “tomato” in German.

• DK Children’s Books Website

Buy My First Words Touch and Feel Picture Cards Online:

• at Amazon.com

Last week I got strep throat. Joy of all joys. Needless to say, I was not a happy camper. But, due to my extreme contagiousness (and the fact that all I was capable of doing was lying on the couch curled up in the fetal position and drooling), I got to take two days off of work. Because of that, both younger kids had to go to work with their mom in New Jersey. We all know what that means - toys for good behavior!

Small Person #2 saw this game at Target and settled for it after being unable to find Rhino Rampage (a game he’s been asking for since before Christmas). Basically, this is Ker Plunk for younger kids. Instead of deadly pointed sticks, this uses “leaves” with slightly rounded ends and bees instead of marbles, but the idea is basically the same: each player removes one stick at their turn, possibly dislodging some of the bees inside. Whoever has more bees at the end loses.

Like Ker Plunk, it takes forever to set up. There are about a zillion leaves, and each one must be stuck through one hole and out another on the other side. Kids can help at the beginning, but towards the end when there are a lot of overlapping stems, it gets too difficult for them to do. Once it’s set up, you pour the bees in and get going.

In terms of actual gameplay, it’s not bad. It takes a steady hand to get a stem out without causing a cascade of bees, so it’s good for hand/eye coordination. It’s also blessedly quick to play (setup probably takes longer than gameplay). The pieces are relatively colorful, so you probably won’t lose anything right away.

My only complaint is that the idea of turning the trunk to each player for their turn is, well, stupid. If you play that way, bees always fall out mid-turn, it takes longer, and half the time you end up shaking it so much that leaves fall out too. A better plan is to leave it at one station and scoop out any bees that fall and then place them on the floor in front of you when it’s your turn. After almost losing it with Small Person #1 because he wouldn’t wait for it to be turned all the way, we’ve settled on this plan and it seems to be working well.

Bonus points for durability - it’s been dropped from a decent height at least twice and hasn’t broken or even cracked yet.

• Honey Bee Tree at International Playthings

Buy Honey Bee Tree Game Online:

• at Target
• at Amazon.com