• Playmobil Archive

    Right now, I’m in Brazil (mentally speaking, of course). While I wish I were relaxing on one of their beautiful beaches, the place I’m in is a far cry from the sandy shore. We’re packed in like sardines at the Sao Paulo stadium, but hey, it’s worth it just to see J. Lo and Pitbull in the midst of an Amazon rainforest made up of walking trees and dancing flowers…Poof! I’m wide awake now, but as they say, a mom can dream, can’t she? If you or your kids want to live out their World Cup fantasies over the next few weeks, we have a few toy suggestions to help get your game on. Playmobil’s Take Along Soccer Match comes with everything needed to play [&hellip

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    My newly-minted 6-year-old received a stuffed lemur for her birthday earlier this week. Because we don’t know too much about this species (except from what we saw in the Madagascar movies), it seemed like a perfect opportunity to learn about something new. But before we could hit the library, our local newspaper ran a story about a nearby university’s scientist who received an award for her research on…yup, you guessed it…lemurs. Naturally it got us to talking about these mysterious creatures who happen to be endangered species. That’s when things got a little tricky; trying to explain what it means to be a dwindling breed to a kindergartner is not as simple as recapping a lengthy article meant for adults. So, since the experts say [&hellip

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    It only takes a couple of Christmas catalogs to fill our mailbox, and boom! We’re already thinking of holiday gift ideas. And with Hanukkah right on top of Thanksgiving this year, kids will be drawing up their wish lists faster than we can clear the dinner table! My 9-year-old is begging for her own iPod, but the jury is still out on whether Santa will deliver. One toy we’ve got our eyes (and ears) on this year is PopStars!, a super-cool playset line from Playmobil. If you’re already familiar with this company’s tremendous assortment of themed castles, pirate ships, farms and other adventure-packed settings, you’re no stranger to the tremendous play value…not to mention the multitude of miniscule accessories they come with! But don’t worry [&hellip

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    Right about now, I’d do just about anything to be sitting somewhere warm, a warm breeze blowing through my hair, tropical drink in hand and a juicy book or glossy magazine to devour. After last week’s blizzard and contending with the aftermath of treacherous roads, cranky folks (including my kids home from school) and other minor annoyances, I’m ready to call it quits and get out of Dodge. Lucky for me, I got to attend Toy Fair in NYC over the weekend, and it’s the memories of those happy-go-lucky playthings that are carrying me through this otherwise depressing period. Yup, I’m still a kid at heart and look forward to getting the scoop on what’s new in the world of play for the year ahead. [&hellip

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    After an unseasonably mild day in the middle of February, my thoughts naturally turn to summer vacation. Each year, our family takes a week-long getaway by trading in the daily Long Island rat-race for a leisurely paced sojourn somewhere in New England. Last summer it was Gloucester, Mass. and the year before that, coastal Rhode Island (we tend to favor towns by the sea, if you hadn’t already guessed). As I peruse the myriad of family-friendly destinations up north, I find myself drawn to Martha’s Vineyard again and again. I love the idea of a place where my day is dictated by what beach I’ll swim in and what flavor of homemade ice cream I’ll be sampling later on. Thoughts of a great escape couldn’t [&hellip

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    If back-to-school shopping is practically here, can Halloween be that far behind? I’m not one for rushing the seasons, but my girls have already starting talking about what they might want to dress up as on October 31st. (So far, we have one ghost, but that’s likely to change at least a half-dozen times). Since I’m paying closer attention to how many sweets we consume during the summer months alone (ice pops, lollipops, cookies), the candy-filled month of October frightens me more than a black cat crossing my path. While the kids will surely be getting plenty of treats, it’s nice to look out for the sugar-free variety, too. If you suspect you may be hosting a Halloween gathering at your home this year in [&hellip

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    It only takes one 60-degree day in February to make one’s thoughts turn to warmer weather. The sun is shining, the birds are chirping and everyone seems just a bit more peppy. It makes me want to figure out my summer vacation plans already!  No wonder, then, that Playmobil’s new Summer House playset has captured our attention. This house is stocked with every amenity to make your summer playdate complete. French windows open wide to let the salty sea air inside, while lush wisteria draping over the veranda is so real, you can practically smell it. Out on the patio, you can enjoy dinner al fresco as you roast up burgers and weenies on the BBQ….doesn’t food always taste better when it’s eaten outdoors anyway? [&hellip

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