©The Wish Factory

For those of you with “tween’s” or children in the 8-12 year old age group, it’s very possible there is constant chatter in your home about pop idol favorites like the blonde Australian, Cody Simpson. Working in the school system with many young girls right in this age group, their excitement and enthusiasm for these young rock stars is pretty apparent.  As parents, we are often looking for incentives for our children to work towards, whether it’s better behavior at home or a reward for good work at school. With younger children you might be able to get away with providing a small toy, while for older children it could be something like attending a sporting event or getting concert tickets.

Depending on where you live in the United States, Cody Simpson has just launched his Welcome to Paradise Tour throughout the United States and Canada for the month of February. Aside from the concert, The Wish Factory has launched Cody Simpson fashion dolls for young children to engage with during play.

Here at ToyQueen.com we will be giving away the 2 Cody Simpson dolls pictured here (above and below) to  2 different winners.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I have not reviewed these dolls and have no opinion of the quality of this product. The Wish Factory has provided the dolls solely for this contest. For more information on the doll line visit www.thewishfactoryinc.com.

©The Wish Factory

Visit www.codysimpson.comfor more information about tour destinations. The dolls can be purchased at www.toysrus.com.

Mommy & Me Tech Segment on Better TV

Back in December I got a really fun opportunity to be part of a television segment on the Better TV show in New York City, which is hosted by Audra Lowe. The segment, sponsored by VTech Toys, discussed some concerns that moms like myself might have about introducing a young child to technology.  Brett Larson, a technology expert, was included in the segment to provide his view of what age is good to start exposing young children to technology toys.

The video itself is hosted on the Better TV site, so please view it by clicking this link:

Mommy & Me Tech with Keri Wilmot from ToyQueen.com

In case you might have older children, Tracie from Penny Pinchin Mom and Crystal from Simply Being Mommy were included in an additional segment on Better TV, that discussed how to include technology with multiple children at different age levels.

My travel expenses were paid for as part of this opportunity. I was not provided with any additional compensation. All opinions expressed in the video are my own.

@Mattel

At Toy Fair last year, one of the coolest toys I saw were the Hot Wheels Wall Tracks by Mattel. These plastic tracks adhere to any wall surface with Command 3M velcro tabs, allowing the brackets that hold the tracks to be removed with the pull of a tab. I really liked the concept of bringing the toys off the floor and up onto a totally different play surface, especially since I live in a smaller home where we are short on floor space.

Kids can place their Hot Wheels cars on the tracks and watch them complete stunts as they fly down the interconnecting ramps to the floor. There are also different buttons that can change the direction of the car route. My son is only 2 and much younger than the recommended age range which is 4 and up, but he was mesmerized by them, trying to bring every car he had to the tracks to see if it would fit. The ramps are fairly delicate in that they come apart pretty easily, so keep that in mind when using it with the younger age group.

We tried a non-conventional installation and my husband decided we’d hang it on a wall we have that is covered with IdeaPaint. IdeaPaint is whiteboard paint that is used to turn any ordinary wall into a whiteboard. After a search for the biggest whiteboard we could find, without any real luck, we found this alternative and it’s our lifeline for organization in the office. My husband Derek thought it would make a cool backdrop for the tracks and after he installed it he enjoyed drawing all sorts of trees, boats and mountains to turn our Wall Tracks really into a masterpiece of art. In the end, using the IdeaPaint surface was not the best idea, because one of the brackets got stuck because the 3M Command tab broke during removal.   About a two inch area of sheetrock came off with the bracket, leaving us with quite a repair job in ahead of us. However, in the suggested installation, I’m hopeful that this would not happen. You can view Derek’s video here of the Wall Tracks Installation on our wall. It took him about 10 minutes start to finish.

Mattel provided Wall Tracks free to facilitate this review. The opinions are my own.

Busy Town Fire Station

A few weeks ago Gavin and I took a trip to the local library. However, taking a toddler there can be kind of a nightmare while he tries to escape out the front door and down the stairs, so I’m learning to make friends with the librarians real quickly. It just so happened that the week before we received the Busytown Playsets to review, the librarian dropped the Richard’s Scarry’s book Cars and Trucks and Things that Go into my bag when I asked for some recommendations for truck lovers. I was completely floored when at just 2, Gavin understood the silliness and humor of the illustrations, while he pointed to the Bananamobile, Broom-o-cycle, pumpkin car and apple van and giggled hysterically.

Busytown Starter Set

We received two playsets to review, the Roadway Starter Set and the Town Fire Station. These sets are suggested for kids ages 3 and up. We opened the Roadway Starter Set first. This set includes Lowly driving his apple car, 8 plastic roadway tracks arranged in an oval, a small bookstore, as well as a traffic sign and signal.  These tracks are compatible with some wooden rail tracks, and it didn’t take me long to have all sorts of trains, cars and Little People animals surrounding the tracks building our own diverse neighborhood.

However, once we opened the Town Fire Station he was absolutely in love. He’s a truck and car guy, so he was mesmerized by the fire station. This set comes with 8 plastic roadway pieces, a fire truck, fire station, and a Fireman pig. It only took me a minute or two to get the pieces of the fire station together. However, the two front doors kept falling off when he tried to open and close them on his own with his fingers, so I permanently removed them for now so he wouldn’t get frustrated. He loves pushing the button that launches the fire truck out of the fire station onto the tracks, over and over. The station and the accessories are durable plastic and well made. I’m not a huge fan of the plastic tracks, but the fact that they are compatible with the wooden ones is a big plus for me for interactivity and imaginative play.

Right now Gavin’s still a little young for pretend playsets like this. He loves the pieces of them and the mechanics of how they operate right now, but as is appropriate for his age, he is just beginning to understand how to pretend to be asleep and translate these actions when playing to characters. However, in just a few short months, I won’t doubt that given his love for the Richard Scarry characters on the page of his favorite book, he’ll soon be finding ways to bridge the gap from the book to the living room floor.

We are giving away the Busytown Starter Set and Busytown Fire Engine Set! Please see below for details!

I received these two playsets free to facilitate this review. The opinions expressed in this post are my own.

Pufferfish Squishable

Our pufferfish, squishable stuffed animal, has a permanent home on our couch. Pufferfish doesn’t match any of the decor in the living room, but this 15 inch, plush stuffed animal, is a people magnet. Honestly, anyone, including both kids and full fledged grown adults who have entered our living room over the last few weeks has noticed him immediately, sat down on the couch, placed it on their lap and has immediately begun hugging and squishing it. We entertained a lot of friends and family members at my son’s birthday party over the weekend and this cute guy was seriously the topic of conversation at one point.

My 2-year-old sits on it, bounces on it, launches onto it, carries it around the living room and even tries to squish us with it.  This morning I caught him carrying it into the bathroom before I saved the fish from his attempts at flushing it, though he got an A for effort, it would have never happened just to the shear size of this giant stuffed animal.

I have fallen asleep on him watching television and this Squishable makes an amazing pillow. This also  got me thinking, do you remember those old corduroy overstuffed arm chairs  (which we called husbands) that some of us brought to college for studying? How cool would one of these Squishables be in a tween or teenage dorm room? My niece  in high school said she has seen them online and wanted one for her room. My best friend told me she now wants her own for Christmas.

Squishables are about 15 inches in diameter, full of polyester fiber fill and recommended for kids ages 3 and up. I am typically not much of a plush toy person, but these giant stuffed animals come in 40 different variations! Drawbacks include the ability to only be spot cleaned or dry cleaned, because washing machine use is not recommended. Adorable, silly, fuzzy, soft, squishy fun for kids, tweens, teens and adults of all ages.

Squishable.com provided this stuffed animal free to facilitate a review. The opinions are my own.

Pretend & Play Pro Chef Set by Learning Resources

Play kitchens are very popular to expand the social skills and pretend play skills of toddler and preschool aged children (ages 2-5). This age group is all about imitating what Mommy, Daddy, their siblings and friends do, which is why kitchen sets are a great toy for this age group. About a year ago, we received a play kitchen for Gavin which sent me on a mission to the nearest Target, searching for some pots and pans for his pretend cooking pleasure. I could not believe it, but all of the kids pots and pans available for purchase in the store were pink. You can read my rant about gender biases creating housekeeping toys to be only pink here.  When I was contacted about reviewing the Pretend & Play Pro Chef Set by Learning Resources, the moment I saw that the pans were blue I instantly fell in love. Thank God, a company that is marketing a pots and pan set for a kids kitchen set, that both boys and girls can play with!

The set includes a deluxe stock pot, saucepan, 2 lids, skillet, spatula, large spoon, oven mitt, play food (chicken leg, carrot, corn on the cob and fried egg) and a write & wipe Activity Guide.  The pots and pans are plastic and lightweight, easy for a toddler to lift up and down, as well as to place in and out of the oven and various cabinets. Many of the other sets I have viewed in the store, if they are not pink, are all sorts of bright and unrealistic colors. I like the color of these pots and pans, and feel they are more similar to what real pots and pans might look like.  The spatulas and spoons are gray and also lightweight.  The play food will give your child a few options to start, but I would still suggest purchasing some additional  play food. Amazingly, my toddler knows what the oven mitt is for and though he wears it on the opposite hand from the one that he holds the pots and pans with, it’s one of my favorite accessories. In all honesty, I haven’t seen any other sets that come with the oven mitt. We need to teach our kids about safety, especially when cooking, and this is a nice way to reinforce this concept. If you are looking for some pots and pans to purchase for your child’s kitchen set this holiday season, the Pretend & Play Pro Chef Set by Learning Resources is great for this age group and retails for about $24.99.

Other related articles you might find interesting:

Review of the Learning Resources Pretend & Play Ice Cream Shop

Video Review of the Small World Toys Fun With Fruit

Constructive Playthings Kitchen Set

Why are So Many Toy Plates, Vacuum Cleaners and Shopping Carts PINK?

Learning Resources provided this set free to facilitate this review. The opinions are my own.

This is a reality for many families and I hear it at work when parents decline weekly occupational therapy services because they can’t afford the transportation costs, a weekly co-pay or to even take time off from work to bring their child for services, because they fear the loss of their job and income.  So what happens if something traumatic happens to your child that results in a serious injury or your child is born with a significant physical disability, where as a parent you are now unable to work in order to care for your child, and the rising medical bills cause even more stress during such an emotional, life or death situation?

Sitting amidst many well known hospitals, right in my own city of Boston, there is an oasis, called Shriners Hospitals for Children.  I, like many others, only associated this hospital as a place for  children who might have suffered from various degrees of burn injuries.  What I never understood was the variety of medical, therapeutic and reconstructive services they provide to a wide range of children with orthopedic disabilities, physical deformities or skin conditions, on both inpatient and outpatient levels.

In the United States and Canada, there are 22 Shriners Hospitals for Children, which are primarily funded by philanthropic initiatives,  raising money the good old fashioned way, through grass roots fundraising in local communities. Irregardless of a person’s financial status or health insurance, children ages newborn to the 18, are never turned away because of their inability to pay. Over 1 million children have been treated at Shriners Hospitals and patients have come from over 70 different countries for their unbelievable family centered care. Up until recently, Shriners Hospitals for Children did not even bill health insurance plans for their services due to their endowment. However, they, like everyone else, have been impacted by the rising costs of healthcare. So now, even though they attempt to bill insurance to recoup some of the cost, their mission is the same, and a family is never turned away because of an inability to pay for the medical care or the co-pays.

Along with top notch medical care from nurses and doctors, children can also receive educational programming by bilingual teachers and therapeutic services such as music therapy, occupational therapy, physical therapy, and speech therapy. Shriners Hospitals for Children also believes in caring for the entire family, so psychological services are available for parents and siblings to help cope with their individual situations. Our Shriners Hospital for Children in Boston has a partnership with Mass General Hospital in Boston, and all of their surgeries and procedures are provided by experienced, attending physicians from MGH. Aside from high quality patient care, this hospital is largely contributing to cancer and burn injury research studies, that will make a positive difference in the lives of others.

What I was so amazed at were even the little things that this hospital does to make a difference in a family’s life during these scary and difficult situations. Parking is free for patients and transportation from the subway or train station can also be arranged to the hospital for free as well, through their vast volunteer department.  The hospital here in Boston can arrange for housing in the area and possible meals, for families that are not from the local area or able to financially assume the responsibility. They will always do what’s in the best interest of the child, irregardless. These days even the little things can set facilities apart from one another, and I wish their unbelievable standard of care could be found in every medical facility.

When I spoke with the representatives from Shriners Hospitals for Children in Boston, I asked, as a parent, what can we do to help. Their response was not even financially driven by making a monetary donation, it was simply, “spread the word to friends and family members, that we are here to help.” Purely amazing. Parents can self-initiate referrals, so if something should happen to your child, friend or family member, encourage them to contact one of the Shriners Hospitals for Children locations for an intake.

We have been so blessed by many generous companies providing us with toys for giveaways and reviews that we wanted to help the Shriners Hospitals for Children in their efforts. So on behalf of ToyQueen.com, my family donated several new toys to the children at Shriners Hospitals for Children. If you would like to volunteer your time or make a donation, please contact Shriners Hospitals here.

As a disclosure, I have not received any compensation for the writing of this post. Photo credits to Derek Wilmot Photography.

©Spinmaster

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I am a huge lover of Aquadoodle, especially when working with toddlers, because I think it’s one of the safest ways to teach kids about coloring without the worries or fears of damaging any walls or furniture. Using the water filled pen, kids draw on the large white mat, and their lines magically appear. In older versions of this toy, the lines drawn were always blue. Now, with Aquadoodle Color, colors magically appear when the child uses the pen to draw on the mat! Then, once the water dries on the mat, the drawings disappear. This is a great toy that can be used repeatedly, involves no mess other than water, and it folds up easily, so it’s perfect to take on an outing to grandparents’ houses, to the park or to playdates.

The mat itself has a variety of drawings on the side paired with their corresponding letter of the alphabet. The drawings are comprised of simple curves and shapes, making them easy for older elementary school aged kids, as well as adults to recreate. My toddler loves watching us draw the pictures and likes to guess what the picture is, which is a way to also build his vocabulary. Thankfully, I can actually use the drawings to create something he can identify, because drawing is definitely not my strong suit! We also like to draw a big race track on the mat, he loves zooming his cars on the path.

If you are looking for an even smaller travel alternative, Aquadoodle Doodle Buddy comes as either a bear, bunny or penguin, which children can use the pen to draw accessories onto the face or tummy.  The toy’s hand includes an elastic attachment which stores the small pen.

Spinmaster provided Aquadoodle Color and an Aquadoodle Doodle Buddy free to facilitate this review. The opinions are my own.

So what if you are a child at school, and life hasn’t yet taught you about all the “normal” and “acceptable” ways to fidget. So at school maybe  you chew on your collar or shirt sleeve, impulsively leave your seat, fall out of your chair, rock back in a chair, doodle, bite your finger nails, have a hard time sitting with your class during morning meeting on the floor. To some people these ways of trying to focus attention are perceived as annoying, and sometimes attention getting behaviors. So as more teachers and educators recognize that these are warning signs that a child is trying to pay attention, fidget toys have become a mainstay in many classrooms.  Many people have found that if kids are provided with a more appropriate way to fidget, with strict rules and regulations on what is an acceptable way to use these great toys in a classroom setting, kids can actually use these small toys to help them focus their attention on learning. Though the tricky part is, what sensory experiences I like, might be very different from what another person likes, so here are some great items that have a lot of different sensory attributes.

Aside from those hard to squeeze stress balls, here are some of my favorite fidget toys. These toys are not recommended for children under the age of 3.

The first 3 choices are from Tangle Creations. The original Tangle Jr. is a fidget with a series of interlocking pieces that can be pulled apart and put back together. It is also fun to twist and turn on it’s own, without pulling the pieces apart.

Tangle Jr. Hairy - 

The Tangle Jr. Hairy, places a soft, hair like covering over the Tangle Jr. for added sensory awareness, but still allowing smooth twisting and turning.

Tangle Jr. – Textured -

This Tangle Jr. has pieces that are grooved, bumpy and textured.

Tangle Jr. – Fuzzies -

Instead of having grooves and bumps, this fidget is covered in a soft, fuzzy texture.

Orbo by Popular Playthings/Plasmart -

Use your fingers to push the balls back inside the Orbo and mix them up. Then use your brain and finger strength to match the colors back up again! Though when the balls click into place, they are kind of loud, so best to not use this toy in real quiet situations.

Wikki Stix

These different colored, wax covered strings of yarn can be cut, squished, twisted, squeezed and molded. One Wikki Stix can be easily placed in your child’s pocket  or wrapped around the end of a pencil so they can fidget with it very indiscreetly. They are non-toxic and do not contain latex or other allergens. Pictured here are Super Wikki Stix, but these can be purchased in a variety of sizes.

Tangle Creations, PlaSmart and Wikki Stix provided free samples to facilitate this review. The opinions are my own.

The Ultimate Baby Shower Gift Giveaway includes:

Boon Frog Pod valued at $34.99

Learning Curve Captain Calamari’s Color Adventure valued at $17.99

Learning Curve Sir Prance-a-lot valued at $13.99

Learning Curve Tale of Sir Prance-a-lot soft book valued at $14.99

Sassy Wrist Rattles valued at $6.99

Sassy Crib & Floor Mirror valued at $19.99

Sassy Fascination Station valued at $5.99

ALEX Peek & Link valued at $10.95

ALEX Yum Yum Teether valued at $8.95

Jewel CD The Merry Goes ‘Round valued at $12.99

Mandatory Entry: (Please leave separate comments under this post with each entry and make sure to identify that you subscribed to the newsletter) Giveaway ends Monday September 5th, 11:59 p.m. EST

- Subscribe to the ToyQueen.com Newsletter and comment to let us know that you do!

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Please comment individually with all the extra credit responses. If you already do them, just let us know that you do and it still counts!

Thanks to ALEX, Boon, Learning Curve, Sassy and Fisher-Price for helping me put together this amazing giveaway and providing these toys and baby items free to facilitate  reviews.

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Here are some great features of the new LeapFrog LeapPad Explorer which is available for pre-order, now!

- The device has different applications that will encourage children to read interactive books, play games and learn to write letters

- The device is geared for children ages 4 to 9, and it can be customized for up to three different children

- By the end of the year, there will be over 100 learning experiences available for use on the device through online downloads, or cartridges available for purchase at big box retail stores

- There is a magnetic stylus that nicely stores on the side of the device

- A microphone, camera and video camera will allow children the ability to take pictures and movies

- Similar to the Leapster Explorer, if using the stylus, kids can draw pictures and stamp directly onto photos that they take

- Kids can hold the Leap Pad and move it from side to side for motion based game play

- I got a sneak peek at an exciting new Disney illustration program where children can learn to draw different Disney characters step by step. It can be then be colored in using the stylus and when it’s all finished the drawing comes to life!

If you are wondering what other toys were highlighted, stay tuned, for an upcoming post!

I attended an event by LeapFrog and was provided with a demonstration of the device. Any opinions are my own

One of the most amazing things I find working with children is how much these little minds and hands take in during their first year and a half of life. At such a young age, they are able to match shapes and colors, as well as to learn to complete simple puzzles.

What makes the Ambi Lock A Block different than some traditional shape sorters, is that not only do children learn to match by shape and color, in order to get the pieces out of the box, a key needs to be inserted into the lock to open the door. Though this is hard for many toddlers, it’s a great feature that makes this toy great for a children at different developmental levels. I love how the key is attached to the box, no more missing keys in your playroom!

For young children under the age of one, who might be learning to put items into a container, but haven’t perfected the art of easily letting the pieces go, open the box with the key and use this wide open space for children to put the pieces inside.

The circle is the easiest shape to insert because it does not require any rotation of the pieces to fit. After children master this skill, next encourage them to match the square and triangle.

You might need to help your child by placing your hand over their hand to teach them how to rotate the piece into the proper position. The same is true for learning how to insert the key and turn it to open the door. Small and portable, this toy has found a permanent home in my home visit toy bag for children under the age of 3!

Schylling provided this toy free to facilitate this review. The opinions are my own.

International Playthings provided this toy free for review. The opinions represented in this blog post are purely the bloggers own.

The YBike Pewi, which my husband assembled easily in about 30 minutes, has been the answer to our prayers. It is a small, stable, very lightweight (4 lbs), aluminum frame. Since Gavin has perfected the use of a ride-on toy, it has provided him with a totally new experience that provides speed and with multi-direction castor wheels, he is able to turn the bike quickly, smoothly, and in circles! Initially on the Pewi, until he gained his balance, he has slipped off the sides a few times and one time went forward over the front. No fear on this kid, he couldn’t wait to get back on and keep riding. So for those of you with daredevil toddlers like myself, a shiny new bicycle helmet might also be a good idea for safety. This bike is recommended for children ages 12-26 months and for those kids who weight less than 44 lbs.

We own several multi-use ride-on toys that were great push-toys for Gavin in his early walking stages, when he was learning to gain stability on his feet. Now that Gavin has transitioned into the toddler phase, we still allow him to zoom all around the hardwood floor with ride-on toys in our living area. He is an active little guy where moving, pushing and pulling things are right in his line of interest these days. However, as he has grown taller and heavier, it makes riding some other plastic ride-on toys a bit more challenging. Many ride-on toys are low to the ground, which as he has grown taller, puts his body in an awkward position when he propels his feet to move it forward. This also makes for a challenge when navigating indoors between carpet and hardwood, but he has quickly learned to lift the toy up when riding to gain clearance. Plastic ride-ons seem to move great, as long as you ride them straight. None of these things seem to bother Gavin, but the main drawback I have found with other ride-on toys is that though he is quite happy, the large plastic wheels can be really loud on the hardwood floor with the rest of us in the room.

I have not yet used this bike with a toddler learning to walk, but the instructions state that it can also be used as a push-toy. I would definitely suggest, due to the smoothness of the wheels, that you find a way to weigh this toy down, because it is FAST! Either wrist or ankle weights might be wrapped around the legs of the toy to slow the wheels down until your child has the control to maneuver it on their own. Or, you might consider using it on carpet first, before letting a new walker push it on a smooth surface like a hardwood floor, tile or linoleum.

The YBike Pewi was provided free to facilitate this review. The product image is courtesy of Derek Wilmot Photography.