Toys On The Brain

Archive for the ‘Toddler Toys’ Category

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

Here’s one for the babies.

The Around Town Baby Driver is a fun dashboard with some pretty cute bells and whistles. It turns on with an attached ignition key and has a soft steering wheel that spins around and around with the simple bat of a hand.

A singing voice goes through abc’s, a little counting, and what each of the lights on a stoplight means (”Red means stop,” “Green means go,” “Yellow means slow down”). The voice can get a little annoying after a while, but my baby’s big brother literally learned the function of the various traffic light colors by listening to this.

There are buttons to push, a horn to honk, and a gear shift that moves up and down. The traffic lights flash in beat to the various tunes - great motivation for an infant to scoot or crawl close. My baby boy enjoys watching the lights and touching the buttons and steering wheel while on his tummy.

Other phrases recorded on this toy include “Fasten your seat belts!” and “Let’s go for a drive!” Good features include an automatic shutoff and slight volume control.

I recommend this toy for its ability to capture the interest of both infants and toddlers and the multiple fine motor challenges.

• VTech Kids Website

Buy Around Town Baby Driver 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

This may be a fairly basic toy, but for a young boy wielding a hammer the Pound-A-Ball is the ticket.

The hammer that comes with this toy is used to literally pound balls down through holes and onto ramps quickly taking the ball to the bottom. Each ball can be watched in the see-through screen as it rolls down and comes out onto a detachable tray. I purchased it for my son so he could bang something other than the furniture.

I like the fact that it requires physical action and hand-eye coordination, as well as the opportunity to match the balls with the corresponding colored holes at the top.

I think it would be a little more interesting if the ramps were placed so the balls would roll down at a slower pace, but hey, it makes him happy enough to hammer in all four balls as fast as he can, then place them back on top to do it all over again. I’m pleasantly surprised at the toy’s durability and the fact that, after owning it for over a year, he still enjoys playing with it

Although I’m a big fan of wood toys, this pound-a-ball makes considerably less racket than its wood counterparts. Less racket = happy parents.

• Parents.com

Buy Pound-A-Ball Online:

• at Target

This John Deere riding tractor has been great fun for my little farmer boy from the time he first sat on it - barely able to move it along with his tiptoes. Let me tell you, he has put the mileage on this baby and there’s plenty more miles of fun left for him and little brother.

The tires roll fast and well on hard surfaces such as wood floors and laminate, and the whole thing handles the rough surface of a well-worn driveway.

The accessories that come with this tractor vary. Ours has three farm animals that - when placed under the opening seat lid - play “Old MacDonald” along with the respective animal’s noises (the pig oinks, the cow moos, etc). Kudos to the toy makers who used volume control for the song, as well as the horn and ignition noises located in the center of the steering wheel. Both features can be turned off and on by parents or caregivers with the switch on the bottom of the tractor (until a kid figures out how this works, that is). There are places for the animals or other characters to sit in front of or behind the “driver.”

My son used this as a push toy when he first started walking, but since there was nothing to keep it from going too fast, he shot off down the hallway and just missed getting some air under his feet. It’s probably best to use it in this way on a carpeted surface and under scrupulous adult supervision until a child can walk well and control the speed!

I love that this is a classic toy - no trendy characters or silly pictures. And it’s pretty exciting for my son that his daddy uses the same brand of tractor to mow the lawn!

• Learning Curve Website

Buy the John Deere Sit ‘N’ Scoot Activity Tractor Online:

• at Amazon.com
• at Target

Toys on the Brain is thrilled to have another writer to join in the mayhem. I’m overjoyed to present Rhonda (you can read more about her on our About page) in her inaugural post!

No flashing lights, no batteries, no music: hey, some toys never get old. The Lego-Duplo Brick Bucket is the perfect tool for kids to segue into the world of all that is Legos. Bigger than Duplo blocks, yet smaller than traditional Legos, these blocks are truly the right size for young children from 1 1/2 to 2 up through age 5, but may be quite addictive for parents of all ages.

The size of the bricks are perfect for creating just enough of a challenge for little hands to manipulate while developing fine motor skills. This bucket set includes various shapes to create simple buildings, walls, towers, airplanes, and rockets. It also includes one Lego-Duplo boy, a swing, a trailer with a hitch and wheels, ladders, a couple of parts with “doors” that swing open on hinges, sloped blocks, and one curved attachment, allowing kids to create parks, steps, bridges, and entry ways.

My toddler plays with these for quite some time: enjoying the act of putting together, taking apart, building up, and (of course) knocking down.

If I were to change one thing about this set, it would be for Lego to add a few more pieces with wheels and include a least a couple more characters. Of course, then the Lego folks would miss out on selling additional pieces one of the numerous “add-on” sets that can be purchased.

• Lego Website

Buy Lego Duplo Products Online:

• at Amazon.com
• at Target
• at WalMart

This is what you’re thinking right about now: “Oh my god. Another Galactic Heroes thing? What is her illness with these toys?!” And yes, you’re right, I do have a thing about Galactic Heroes. But, they’re really really good! No, really! They’re perfect for small hands, they’re durable, and best of all, the kids love them!

Of course, there are things I don’t like about Galactic Heroes. One is that I hate them trying to get us to keep the packaging sitting around, and the other (which I have really and truly begun to despise) is how they “retire” sets after a short period of time, thereby artificially inflating the price for those of us who have kids who are a bit behind the times. We now can’t get a lot of the sets the kids would really enjoy because, let’s face it, $100 for a toy that a 4-year old is going to toss around the room is a bit ridiculous. Now, I would understand if these were high-quality, solid gold collector’s items, but they’re not. They’re made for ages 3 and up, and there’s just no reason to stifle production and artificially make them collector’s items. So piffle to Hasbro for that!

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