toys Archives - Page 18 of 35 - Have Sippy Will Travel

Fantasy Playthings for Children

March 18, 2015 by Samantha 3 Comments

Kids need to spend time in their own imaginations, creating worlds and scenarios of their own design. Children who engage in imaginative play are shown to have better vocabularies, better cognitive flexibility, more creativity, and increased creative performance both on and off the job into their adult years. They are also more flexible, able to consider other’s opinions, and adapt better in many situations. Fantasy play is also just a lot of fun- here are a few of our current favorites.

Safari LTD makes a wide variety of figurines that are perfect for imaginative play. No matter whether your child likes to pretend they are on a farm, in a faraway land, under the sea, or with mythical creatures (or maybe a mash up of the above), they can find fun new friends they will enjoy playing with for years. Sturdy, with realistic painting and anatomies (of course, even the dragons!) these toys can take a tumble and look no worse for the wear. They are fun to collect, but don’t need to stay on a shelf to be enjoyed. You can find creatures in all shapes and sizes at https://www.safariltd.com/

HABA puppets are great for children of any age (HABA recommends age 1 and up, but as they are soft with no loose parts or buttons, younger would be OK in my opinion as well). They are soft-bodied with sewn-on faces and easy to manipulate parts. These simple and cute puppets are basic use- one finger holds up the head, one moves one arm/hand, another moves the other. They have many smiling, friendly faced choices that will give your kids many happy hours of theater-show creations. There are also themes you can get in a set (one by one) such as Red Riding Hood, royal family, and more. Finger puppets are also available. I have machine washed and hung-to-dry mine, which as any parent knows, is a bonus with messy kids who love to play. Most puppets are about $15, see http://www.habausa.com for choices.
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Filed Under: kids, review, toys Tagged With: parents at play

Transformers Robots in Disguise New TV Show

March 10, 2015 by Samantha 8 Comments

There is a new kids TV show coming out called Transformers Robots in Disguise, a new take on a classic show. The premiere is Saturday, March 14 at 6pm. Following the premiere, new episodes will be seen every Saturday starting on March 21st at 6:30am on Cartoon Network.

With every fun show comes a great toy line- and since Transformers is already so established (my husband and brothers played with them- and my husband still does- back in the 80’s, and my son loves them now) with great toys that transform as well as blockbuster movies and television shows spanning decades, you know this will be a hit. We watched the first two episodes of “Transformers Robots in Disguise”, and my son loved them and is excited for the new show. I won’t divulge too much information, but the show had a Japanese animation feel (think Pokemon-ish) to the art, and BumbleBee takes the lead from what we saw. This was just fine by my son, who likes the Bee the best. You will see some of your favorites as well as be introduced to many new characters, both human and “bot”. The first two episodes also leave some large questions unanswered, so we ourselves will be tuning in to see what’s going on.
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Filed Under: entertainment, kids, review, toys Tagged With: event, kids app, review, toys, TV show

Keeping The Kids Busy During Long Winter Days

February 25, 2015 by Samantha 2 Comments

Versatile- play with it inside, take it outside, pack it up and bring it along with you to grandma’s, even take it into the tub- is the new Playmobil Take Along Zoo and Aquarium. This set comes with trees, pools, fences, and quite a few animals (such as zebras, giraffes, lions, fish, walrus) and human caretakers as well. All of these pieces fit easily into the case, which folds up and is easy to store or take along. When open, one side is the zoo, and the other the aquarium. Your child can really fill it up with water and let the sea creatures have a swim. It comes with quite a lot of pieces for one set, and there is room in the case for a few more should your child have some other “animal friends” that want to visit. Available for $49 on Playmobil’s site.

If you are stuck inside like many of us this winter (the temperatures have been crazy lately- more days in the negative then the positive degrees for much of the country) you are breaking out fun indoor playthings. Some inexpensive ways to replenish or restock are by American Plastic Toys- made right here in the USA, and really low cost. Take the Fashion Doll Coupe- for only $5 (yes, really) you and your kids can take your toys cruising all over the house. Since the wheels are plastic, they won’t leave those ugly and annoying black marks on your floors, either. The car is a two seater, and fits most popular dolls as well as smaller stuffed animals and toys.
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Filed Under: review, toys Tagged With: parents at play, review, toys

Toy Fair Trends- What’s Going to be Hot in 2015

February 20, 2015 by Samantha 1 Comment

Every year, hundreds of toy manufacturers flock to New York, in the middle of February, to showcase their latest and greatest. Thousands of buyer s and media folks are close behind, anxious to uncover hidden toy gems for their customers and readers. This year was no exception (except for the fact that it was 20 degrees colder than usual), and your parents@play team was right there on the front lines. Here are some of trends that we think will be hot in 2015.

Backpacks. Backpacks are no longer simple bags with shoulder straps designed to carry stuff. This year, they’ll be a major fashion statement, too. They’ll be colorful, fanciful, often-customizable, and some will combine form and function, allowing the wearer to dress up as a favorite character.

Owls and Elephants Are the New Teddy Bears. Of course, we won’t be saying goodbye to teddy bears forever, but there’ll be a lot more hooting and trumpeting in the toy aisles this year. Owls and teddy bears plush toys will also showing up as book illustrations, mini figurines, and, of course, in apps (more on that below).
Talk amongst Yourselves. Toys that “talk” are nothing new, but as technology evolves, manufacturers are using it in very clever ways. Minions, for example, are pretty chatty and musical. But sometimes, if you put a few of them together, they’ll sing in harmony. Some doctor toys will change what they say depending on which patient is in the exam room. Others will speak differently when their wardrobe or location changes. Dogs and cats may chase each after other, otherwise-peaceful dinosaurs may fight each other in groups, hot dogs will sizzle when you put them on the grill, and so on.
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Filed Under: review, toys Tagged With: Toy Fair, toys

Winter Snow Fun

February 5, 2015 by Samantha Leave a Comment

With the snow that’s pounding down on much of the country lately, you and your little ones have likely been outside in your snow-gear quite a bit lately. According to the weather man, this is not likely to change anytime soon, so you might want to add IDEAL Mini Sno-Markers by Alex Brands to your cold-weather arsenal. These fun snow “markers” come in sets of 5 colors that you just add water to in order for them to work. Add color, water, shake, and you are ready to create your snow-masterpiece. In personal experiance, you can’t “color” on the snow as with a marker, but it more drizzles out. My son had a great time experimenting with this, making a multi-colored snowman and some “snow-cave” drawings. Cap the markers when you are done and save them for the next storm. It also comes with an extra set of each color packet so you can use them all winter long.
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Filed Under: kids, toys Tagged With: winter

Getting Your Game On

January 19, 2015 by Samantha 3 Comments

Looking to add on to your world of gaming? Check out these fun playthings that will keep your little one (OK, you too) entertained through the long winter months.

Got a little gamer? The cute 7.5 inch plush from Nintendo are soft and great for bedtime cuddles (or anytime). You can find them in characters like Mario, Luigi, Yoshi, Link, Red Pinkmin, and Yellow Pinkmin for about $8 in stores like Target and Toys R Us.

Again, good for the younger gamers among us (and some of the bigger players who are young at heart) is JAKKS Pacific’s Hero Portal. The latest additions of the Plug It In and Play TV Games come in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Power Rangers (each console comes with 2 heroes). These are simple to use- since the games are built into the controller, there is no additional gaming console needed. The Hero Portal just plugs into the A/V jacks of any standard TV and contains all games with no additional consoles, wires, or software needed. Just pick your Hero, place him or her on the portal, and begin battling your way through 6 stages and 18 missions in each game. You can also unlock secret missions and characters with booster packs. Available for $40 at stores like Amazon. Additional characters and consoles sold separately.

Angry Birds Telepods are a lot of fun for any fan of the game- and by now, we are guessing that’s nearly everyone. The latest sets come in Transformers or Stella (the pink lady bird) variety. There are so many options of sets and characters available, that we will focus on the Telepods as wholes rather then any one set. With many price points and sized sets (some even have play houses) available, there is one that is right for every budget and every fan.
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Filed Under: review, toys Tagged With: cross promote, gaming, parents at play, toys, video games

Build a Bear for the Holidays

December 18, 2014 by Samantha 2 Comments

Disclosure- We received the below in order to facilitate this review. All opinions are our own and honest.

Superman Bear is now available at Build A Bear. It is approximately 18 inches tall, just perfect for carrying around (which is exactly what my son loves to do). He loves him not only because he is a fan of all things superhero, but also because SuperBear (or Superman Bear) is easy to bring with him. There are several other “supers” available as well, like Spiderman and Batman Bears.

As with all Build A Bear plush, Superman Bear is well put together, and as snuggly and soft as you want him to be. He is one of the Special Edition plush at Build A Bear. Your child can also build the other “super” bears and include their own costumes- as well as include your special personal love and care as you build them. Also available at Build A Bear are all the accessories you’d expect your pink buddy to have, like a surf board and even a grass skirt and lei if you really miss the summertime, ha. You can also have any bear or animal of your choice shipped to someone you love- choose the character, then choose the outfit and accessories, and send away! It will come in this cute little box, all wrapped up for them.
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Filed Under: Holiday Gift Guide, review, toys Tagged With: build a bear, Holiday Gift Guide 2014

American Girl Isabelle Doll – Must have Gift for Girls

December 18, 2014 by Danielle 2 Comments

Disclosure: The Isabelle American Girl Doll mentioned below was provided for me in order to facilitate my review. All opinions are my own and honest. I am disclosing this in accordance to FTC Guidelines. Please see “Disclose” tab for more information.

My girls absolutely love babies and dolls. They have always been big fans of babies but are now truly starting to love the big girl dolls. They have been a fan of the American Girl Dolls for awhile, but nothing can tell you about the excitement level in my house when they opened up their Isabelle Doll from American Girl.

About American Girl:

At American Girl, they celebrate girls and all that they can be. That’s why they develop products and experiences that help girls grow up in a wholesome way, while encouraging them to enjoy girlhood through fun and enchanting play.

They have a wide variety of products that they offer which include:

American Girl Characters
My American Girl dolls
Bitty Baby
American Girl magazine
American Girl Retail Stores
Books
e-books

They hope that their stories, characters, and more speak to girls everywhere, helping them become all that they can be.

About Isabelle Doll:

Meet Isabelle, the 2014 Girl of the Year. She’s an inspired dancer who discovers her own way to shine. The 18″ Isabelle doll has sparkling hazel eyes that open and close, and long blond hair styled in double twists for dance class. Your girl can even add a pop of color with special pink-tipped highlights that she can attach to Isabelle’s hair.

Isabelle comes with: