Are You Ready For Easter? Hot Toy Guide

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Are you ready for Easter? For those of you getting ready for Peter Cottontail’s arrival, check out these fun new toys to fill your little one’s basket and bring a smile to their face.

For many, stuffed animals or toys are a must in an Easter Basket. YooHoos, a popular line from Aurora’s stuffed toys expand this year to include a colorful Easter Egg Assortment. These feature the original YooHoos dressed as colorful and decorated Easter eggs in pink, purple, blue, and green. Each YooHoo makes a fun sound or plays an Easter tune when squeezed. (5”, SRP: $9).

Also from Aurora are several varieties of stuffed lambs, perfect for this time of year. The Jesus Loves Me lambs come in pink or blue, has silky soft “wool” plush, and embroidered eyes making this safe for even the youngest children. Each comes with a matching festive bow around it’s neck that matches the design in it’s ears. At 9″ they are $13 each. Alternately there is the 8” “Blessings” lamb, who is pure white with a white bow with the words “Jesus Loves Me” around it’s neck. This lamb is super-soft and cuddly and has embroidered smile and eyes. At 8” and the cost for this lamb is 9$.

For more information or to purchase go to http://shop.auroragift.com (use code YooHoo13 for free shipping on orders over $50).

Hallmark has a great variety of Easter gifts available, as well as some fun and funky greeting cards. Whether you want to make the recipient laugh or reflect, if they are old, young, or in between, some of the sweetest, cutest cards you will find come from Hallmark. It’s also a great way to keep in touch with distant family and friends, increase personal interactions and socialization, encourage your child to write and learn how to format an envelope, and can even be a fun trip to the post office for you both. Real mail has en entirely different meaning and feeling then emails, it is more personal since it has your handwriting and can be personalized in other ways, and is often a fun surprise for the recipient.

This year Hallmark also has new singing chick cards, OZ, adorable plush Scooby Doo with greeting inside, decorative cards and more. They also have a new version of the popular Egg Squawkin’ Hen, who sings a silly version of “Whoomp, There It Is”. Press the button on her wing to make her sing (and make your kids laugh) and bob up and down while singing and laying an egg with every “SQUAWK!” Before each play, insert the provided eggs into the opening under the scarf on the back of Mama Hen. She also comes with batteries. Available in all Hallmark stores for $30.95 or $15.95 with card purchase. Also perfect for Easter is Abigail the Bunny Interactive Story Buddy. This is a great way for parents and kids to read together, with a little extra fun and perhaps incentive for reluctant readers. Interactive Story Buddies respond when special phrases from their books are read out loud, coming to life and talking back to you and your child. She comes with one book, four more are available for purchase.

For more information or to purchase, go to http://www.hallmark.com/

International Playthings has many interesting toys for the discerning tot, two that caught my eye were the Chicken and Egg Stackers, perfect for younger children and babies working on hand eye coordination and motor skills, as well as matching. This eight piece, brightly colored egg cups are made for stacking and nesting. Not only does stacking up and then knocking down these toys down teach your child cause and effect, but it is a great game and lots of fun for you and your child.

Jolly Mah Sheep has a large variety to choose from, black sheep, white sheep, wolves in sheep’s clothing, wearing bows- there is sure to be a sheep for you in the NICI Jolly Mah line. The NICI line of plush toys and accessories are created with unique designs and have faces you and your child will love. They have real character to them. They are cute, cuddly, and very soft. I love the large muzzle on Jolly Mah’s face, he looks like he is smirking a bit, and the long ears add to the personality of the toy.

Calico Critters will please just about any child, these small animal figures are fuzzy and velvety soft, and come dressed in unique and adorable clothing. Animals come in sets, families, and more. They help teach family values and community building, socialization and togetherness. Children will use their imaginations and be creative as they make up stories and put on shows for you and with you. Mom and dad will have fun recreating fun days together with animal versions of themselves, or making up whole new adventures together. One cute Easter set for Easter would be Connor and Kerri’s Carriage Ride, that has mommy bunny taking her two baby bunnies for a walk in a cute baby buggy. The set comes with mommy and two children bunnies, carriage, rattle, animal clothing, and more.

For more information or to purchase, please go to http://www.intplay.com/