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Kids and building go hand in hand- make it bigger, higher, better, more greener- whatever strikes their fancy that particular day. And yes, greener is certainly a word, especially when preceded by “more”. Not only are building toys a good time, but they help with parent child bonding, motor skills and hand-eye coordination, social skills and cooperation, creativity, spatial skills, and more. So, lets get building!
LEGO, of course, are great building toys. With many sets and sizes to choose from, there is something for every kid (and parent) to play with. LEGO DC Comics Batman™: The Penguin Face off lets kids recreate and act out scenes from favorite superhero moments. The Penguin has stolen a diamond and has his minions guarding it- Batman must save the day, of course. Complete with scuba Batman and Penguin minifigs, scuba vehicle and duck boat to build, it also has weapons (because what are superheros without their weapons), Penguin’s umbrella, 2 minion penguins, “diamond”, and more for about $13 on http://shop.lego.com. Another cool thing about this set is that the Penguin and Duck Boat were also seen in the recent “LEGO DC Comics Super Heroes: Justice League vs. Bizarro League” movie. While the movie is quite a mouthful, it was pretty funny, and a good flick for the whole family (and fans of LEGO and/or Superheroes). If you want to play “real” heroes, take a look at the Swamp Police Starter Set. For $10, you get 4 minifigs, an alligator, boat, raft, “hideout” spot, and quite a few accessories like a spider, snake, handcuffs, walkie talkie, shovel, and more.
Building toys don’t have to be all blocks, bricks, and hard edges anymore- have you met Bun Bun? These are soft and collectible stacking stuffed animals, created to be stacked and piled up. Stacking plush toys have already created a splash overseas in countries like Japan, and they are now hitting the US markets. Bun Bun comes in a variety of sizes, colors, and animal varieties, and encourage kids to be creative and to see how high they can stack their new cuddly toys. Both boys and girls we have tested them with love them, and can’t get enough. My son is in love, since they combine two of his favorite things- building and animals. Stuffed animals? Even better!
The first set of Bun Bun characters include- Kit Kit (Cat), Moo Moo (Cow), Pup Pup (Dog), Shu Shu (Monkey), Bit Bit (Mouse), Pip Pip (Pig), Bai Bai (Polar Bear) and Bon Bon (Rabbit), ranging in sizes from Mini to Jumbo. Available for $5 to $20 at http://www.bunbuntoys.com/
Justice stores also carry Stackins, another stacking stuffed animal. These come in only the mini version for the time being, and in Bunny, Fox, Puppy, and Cheetah. They are (as of today) prices at $7.90 at http://www.shopjustice.com , but keep an eye on https://www.funrise.com for more sizes and animal options. More animals are scheduled to be released soon, and there are also games and coloring pages to be found on Funrise’s site.
Play-Doh Disguise Lab Featuring Despicable Me Minions lets you build with dough, or doh. For kids that love Play-Doh, the Minions, or both- this is a great way to flex some creative muscles. Put your minion into the hair styling chair (one purple minion, one yellow minion, and chair included) and give him as many silly and crazy hairstyles as you’d like. Your child will have so much fun with this, and you will too. They can trim the hair, choose different colors, and even make things that Minions love like bananas. The kit also comes with scissors (not sharp), a comb for styling, and 4 cans of Play-Doh. With the Minion movie coming out this summer, the kids will love it even more. I know- some parents passionately hate Play-Doh. For those of you who do, just let them play on the kitchen floor, with newspaper on top- then roll it up and throw it away when they are done. No mess, all fun- and a great play time with your children. Or use it outside on the picnic table- even better! Just get it all back in the cans with no sticks when you are done. Available for $18 at Toys R Us, prices vary at other stores.
For My Little Pony fans, style hair with Rainbow Dash Style Salon. Use the included 6 cans of Play-Doh to grow, cut, and style this pretty Pegasus’ hair. Use the built in molds to make accessories and decorations as well. I had a toy like this as a child, and it was a favorite of mine- maybe not the most fancy toy, but so much fun and one of my favorite memories. These are the kinds of toys your kids will always remember. Rainbow Dash Style Salon is available for about $18 on Amazon.com.
Disclosure- We received the above in order to facilitate these reviews. All opinions are our own and honest.
i wanna play too
that my little pony looks fun 🙂
The Bun Bun characters and the Play dough set would be great for my nephew to play with when he comes over! These are such nice toys and your son has so much fun with them. I have to get the Play dough set!
those are some really fun toys, and lots of options