• learning toys Archive

    “Did the mail come?” It’s the same question my 9-year-old asks the minute she steps off the school bus. And sadly, unless it’s her birthday or another holiday, the answer is usually a resounding no. Because both my daughters have always enjoyed playing post office–we’ve even gone so far as to create a makeshift mail stop in our backyard tree, complete with leaves as letters–it’s no surprise that someone would someday make a toy that sends mail…for real. This year, we’re in awe over Toymail and Mailmen, a unique plaything combo that goes beyond standard post office delivery. It starts with toy Mailmen, a line of silly-faced mailboxes that connect to your home WiFi via a free app. Next record any message you like, at [&hellip

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    My 9-year-old needs to get into the groove. A math groove, that is. Back to fractions, multiplication and all the other “fun” stuff that goes along with fourth-grade math. After a few months of fun in the sun, it’s finally back to the books, and I fear she’s not ready for all that lies ahead. Because the dollar store workbooks I picked up over the years don’t seem to hold her interest any longer (and I’d rather not always resort to apps and other PC games), we were on the lookout for something else. Well, when the Lakeshore Learning catalog arrived in our mail, it was like Christmas had come early. Ever the lover of playing school, my daughter happily flipped through the pages and [&hellip

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    “Pure learning fun.” The new tagline for LeapFrog was a fitting greeting for the educational toy company’s holiday showcase this week in NYC. We were on hand to find out what’s big in teaching toys and from judging by the looks of the LeapFrog line-up, there’s plenty of opportunities to get kids excited about learning. First off, we had a chance to experience the just-released LeapReader. Bearing a striking resemblance to LeapFrog’s Tag Reader, this multi-level learning tool steps its up a notch or two, enabling kids to learn the basics of reading, begin to write their letters and enjoy the experience of listening to audio books. With so much functionality in one product, parents may wonder just how capable this product is in keeping [&hellip

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    Until earlier this week, when our electricity was restored following the wrath of Hurricane Sandy, family time was all about board games, crafts and anything that could be played by firelight. While those first few rounds of Candyland were doable, the novelty soon wore off. (I’d be lying if I told you I wasn’t envisioning an escape plan–for one.) And with school closed for more than one week, I began seeing signs of brain drain I hadn’t seen since summer vacation. Before I was ready to throw my hands up, our mailman delivered a welcome treat: a trial sample of Little Passports, one of the more entertaining boredom busters we’ve seen in a long time. This subscription-based service lets kids ages 7-12 play armchair traveler [&hellip

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    Next week, my 4-year-old heads back to preschool. That means it’s time to brush up on sharing, taking turns and all those social skills that have become a bit rusty since June. (Sure, she’s had plenty of practice with big sister this summer, but sibling rivalry eventually takes its toll.) On a rather humid, late-summer afternoon, we decided to stay indoors and put those character-building skills to the test with a brand-new board game. Perfect for ages 3 and up, Animal Soup is a wacky mix-and-match game that rewards astute players with entertaining results. The premise of this no-reading-required game is simple: Be the first person to correctly pair different animal tops and bottoms with similar colored backgrounds, and you win. If your child is [&hellip

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    Now that my 4-year-old is a fully fledged preschooler, we’re looking forward to an exciting year when she’ll have a chance to master all sorts of skills. From coloring in the lines, to putting letters together to form sounds and words, there are no shortage of activities to help her learn and grow. And while my daughter has taken to certain things, like completing puzzles and dressing her Calico Critters, I notice that she shies away from things that frustrate and challenge her, such as removing stickers from their backing (they tend to rip if she’s not too careful). To help fine-tune those dexterity skills, we hear that lacing is a great trick, and the new Lacing Peacock from Hape Toys seems like the ideal [&hellip

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    Sometimes, my 2nd grader likes to speak backwards–not facing away from me, but mixing up the order of her words. She, of course, thinks it’s hysterical; I find it maddening, especially by the end of the day. Because she gets a kick out of making us work to figure out exactly what she’s saying, it’s a real power kick…for a 7-year-old. But I figure there’s got to be a positive side to her punchy behavior. Maybe this strange sense of little kid humor was the inspiration for Sentence Shuffle Fun Deck. Housed inside a Band-Aid-style box are 56 illustrated cards containing a bunch of words that are out of order (for instance, “scaredy cat is a Linda.”) Players must then unscramble the words to form [&hellip

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    It amazes me that my 3-year-old still loves a good game of peek-a-boo. On a crisp fall afternoon earlier this week, we played outside where she hid her face within the trees. It was only a matter of minutes before a fierce wind blew back their branches to reveal her little face, and she was suddenly in stitches. If your baby hasn’t yet graduated from this simple game, but you’d welcome a diversion in the same old, same old routine, check out Skip+Hop’s new line of Hug & Hide Activity and Stroller Toys. Each plush animal friend (choose from an owl, lamb, dog or monkey)  is outfitted in a multi-textured design and features a matching baby animal hidden underneath their arms. It’s a wonderful way [&hellip

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    My 7-year-old has just started getting the hang of Hangman. I knew that day would be coming once coloring books and makeshift games of Tic Tac Toe on restaurant playmats quickly lost their allure. Now that she’s become a solid reader, it’s a great way to build on her growing vocabulary and keep her motivated to read for pleasure. For kids who love a good game of words, but may not be ready for Scrabble, comes Flip to Win Hangman, a portable game that works just as well while waiting for dinner to arrive, as it does traveling to Grandma’s. I like that kids can turn over each letter possibility as they fill in the corresponding answer on the dry-erase board; having the alphabet front [&hellip

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