Category: accessories

Deal Alert: 20 Percent off at 77Kids

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

Deal alert:  NKT fave, 77Kids by American Eagle, is having a 7 hour sale today.  Aside from all of the cute new arrivals, like this and this, it looks like a lot of their fall merchandise is on sale.  Already discounted gear, plus another 20% off? Who can say no to some inexpensive and stylish graphic tees, hoodies and then some?  Stash and stock up for next fall or spring!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To save 20% online at 77Kids from noon-7pm (today only), use code 84678658.  Heading to a store? Just say ‘Happy Birday’ to grab your discount.

Though this post was inspired in part by my newly purchased, super-comfy aerie pj pants, this is not a sponsored post.

pediped Debuts Grip ‘n’ Go

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

Children’s footwear designers, pediped, debuted the Grip ‘n’ Go, a shoe with active toddlers in mind.  The Grip ‘n’ Go is described as a mix between the pediped Originals and Flex lines.

pediped’s Grip ‘n’ Go is similar to the Originals but with thin, flexible rubber soles.  The rounded edges mimic the natural shape of a child’s foot and the heel stability and soft toe box allow toddlers to feel and grip the floor.

The introduction of the Grip ‘n’ Go rounds out pediped’s footwear line, which also includes the Original, couture and The Flex.

Time to Play Announces Holiday Must Haves

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

It’s October, and fall is officially in full swing.  (How did that happen so quickly?)

Even though the season is just now starting to change, media and bloggers alike have had the holidays in mind for months now.  In fact, I think I went to my first holiday preview back in May?

Nevertheless, I’m excited once again to curate—what I consider—cool new kid gear that would make fun gift for the holidays.  But this week, to get the season started right, I had the chance to attend Time to Play magazines Holiday Showcase here in NYC.

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The pros, Chris Byrne, content director, and Jim Silver, editor-in-chief of TimetoPlayMag.com unveiled Time to Play’s Most Wanted list, the 16 toys they predict will be the “must haves” for the upcoming holiday season.  And once again, NKT was onhand to check things out and tweet all about it.

And here they are, TimetoPlayMag.com’s Most Wanted List for the 2010 Holiday Season:

  • AIR HOGS MOTO FRENZY
    (Spin Master/Ages 8 years & up /Approx. Retail Price: $24.99)
  • DISNEY PRINCESS & ME DOLLS
    (JAKKS Pacific/Ages 6 years & up /Approx. Retail Price: $49.99)
  • HOT WHEELS R/C STEALTH RIDES
    (Mattel/Ages 6 years & up /Approx. Retail Price: $24.99)
  • LEAPSTER EXPLORER
    (LeapFrog/Ages 4 years & up /Approx. Retail Price: $69.99)
  • LEGO Games – LEGO Systems
    (LEGO/Ages 7 years & up/Approx. Retail Price $29.99)
  • LOOPZ
    (Mattel/Ages 7 years & up /Approx. Retail Price: $29.99)
  • MONSTER HIGH Dolls
    (Mattel/Ages 6 years & up /Approx. Retail Price: $16.99)
  • NERF N-STRIKE STAMPEDE ECS Blaster
    (Hasbro/Ages 8 years & up /Approx. Retail Price: $49.99)
  • PAPER JAMZ
    (WowWee/Ages 5 years & up /Approx. Retail Price: $24.99)
  • REAL CONSTRUCTION
    (JAKKS Pacific/Ages 5 years & up /Approx. Retail Price: $24.99)
  • SCRABBLE FLASH
    (Hasbro/Ages 8 years & up /Approx. Retail Price: $29.99)
  • SING-A-MA-JIGS
    (Mattel/Ages 3 years & up /Approx. Retail Price: $12.99)
  • SQUINKIES
    (Blip Toys/Ages 4 years & up /Approx. Retail Price: $6.99)
  • TONKA CHUCK & FRIENDS CHUCK’S STUNT PARK Playset
    (Hasbro Playskool/Ages 3 years & up/Approx. Retail Price: $39.99)
  • V.READER
    (VTech/Ages 3 years & up/Approx. Retail Price: $59.99)
  • ZOOBLES
    (Spin Master/Ages 4 years & up/ Approx. Retail Price: $4.99)

They also highlighted three family-friendly video games, which include:

  • Kirby’s epicYarn
  • Epic Mickey
  • Dance Central

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Most of the toys at the showcase were toys that I’ve had the chance to check out at Toy Fair, at media previews or have even been dubbed NKT faves, so some of the “must haves” were no surprise.  They’re all great picks, but I have several more on my radar that I think should’ve made the mark.  I’ll be sure to share those in my holiday gift guide, which is coming soon.

Do you guys see any toys that you think might be the “it” toy this year?

Whatever you think might be hot, put it on your radar NOW.  Time to Play’s sage advice for consumers and industry insiders alike:  “If you see it early, grab it early.”

The Ultimate Block Party Set for Oct. 3 in NYC

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

“How you play is who you become,” is the convincing tagline for this weekend’s Ultimate Block Party in NYC.  With playful learning in mind, Play for Tomorrow, a nonprofit organization dedicated to shedding light on the crucial role of play in children’s development and education, is hosting the Ultimate Block Party in Central Park this Sunday, October 3.

Described to be the first “play date” in a national education movement, the Ultimate Block Party is poised to transform the Bandshell area of Central Park on Sunday, October 3, into the world’s most innovative playground by demonstrating the power of fun and games for learning and helping to reinforce that how we play as children helps form who we become as adults.

As a champion of playtime and getting outdoors here at NKT, I was so thrilled to learn about this fun event from some of my colleagues. In fact, if our schedule permits, I’m hoping to bring our family out to the Ultimate Block Party on Sunday to take in some playtime of our own.

Play for Tomorrow, together with their partners, are inviting families with kids 12 and under to head to Central Park on Sunday to join in the fun.  The rain or shine event, which goes from 11am to 5 pm by the Naumburg Bandshell (Enter at 72nd Street and Fifth Ave), will have a myriad of playful activities and mini-master classes with leading architects, scientists, engineers, musicians, artists, inventors and business leaders from around the City.  Best of all, it’s free.

Free fun for the kids in NYC: it doesn’t get any better than that!

The sponsors and activities* that will be at this fantastic event include many NKT faves such as KaBoom!, Crayola, CMOM, Imagination Playground, Chicago Children’s Museum, Legos, Electric and many, many more.  If you’re in NYC, come join us!  If you’re not in the area, don’t worry, word is, there are already plans to launch the Ultimate Block Party in other U.S. cities and internationally.

Giveaway

One of the sponsors of the event and NKT fave, Lego, will have a LEGO imagination construction zone at the Ultimate Block Party.  And for those of you not in the area, LEGO isn’t forgetting you.  To encourage personal LEGO imagination construction zones at home, they are kindly offering one NKT reader a LEGO DUPLO Play with Numbers set.

Want to win the Duplo set? Just tell me what sort of things do you and your kids like to build with Legos.  Please comment below.

*Want to see small a sampling of the activities planned for The Ultimate Block Party?  Click after the jump.  I’m getting even more excited just reading about all the fun!  If you’re planning on going, let me know!

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Celebrate and Share: Tag.Give.Read with LeapFrog

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

It’s my boy’s birthday today, and I’m happy to report that we enjoyed our mini-party this weekend.  Of course, a birthday party wouldn’t be complete without fun gifts, which is why I’m sharing about yet another NKT fave, LeapFrog.

Reading has been a huge, huge part of being 2.  LeapFrog’s Tag Jr. has been a staple in our reading routine since we were introduced to it last summer.  Tag Jr., which is geared to 2-5 year olds, has been such a hit for the kid, that for holidays like Easter and Valentine’s Day, in lieu of excess candy, I’ve made sure to gift the kid with Tag Jr. books to bolster our library.

Watching the boy’s chubby toddler arms plop the equally chubby Tag Jr. on the graphics of his little books are memories that I’ll always embrace.  And the quality time that dad gets to share with the kid while reading with Tag Jr. during the bedtime routine? Irreplaceable.

One of the many fantastic aspects of LeapFrog is that they’ve done a genius job of developing an array of products that grow with kids, and I envision Tag being a huge part of the preschool phase.  While we haven’t officially graduated from Tag Jr., the kid has had a fun time exploring more titles with LeapFrog’s Tag Reading System, which is aimed to 4- 8 year olds.  Superheroes are the favorite phase du jour, so, reading about Spiderman with LeapFrog Tag has offered a great new perspective to Spidey’s adventures.

Tag’s library is constantly evolving, and titles such as Toy Story 3 is one of the new ones that will no doubt find its way into our home.  Oh yes, and how can I forget staples such Dr. Seuss’s Cat in the Hat, which came with our Tag Reader, and for good reason: it’s been one book that’s read endlessly for bedtime.

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LeapFrog has certainly helped cultivate the joy of reading at a young age in our home, and they’re aiming to touch even more lives.  Announced last week, through a partnership with DonorsChoose.org, LeapFrog’s new Tag. Give. Read. program is aiming to help more U.S. children embrace the love of reading by donating $100,000 to match donations made to teachers requesting Tag School Reading systems.

To learn more about the Tag. Give. Read. program, logon to LeapFrog.com. All DonorsChoose.org projects that are eligible for the LeapFrog match are searchable by teacher name or geographic area. Once a teacher’s goal for Tag School systems is half-met by donors, LeapFrog provides the rest.  Awesome, no?

And Those who don’t have money to give can make a difference, by becoming a fan of LeapFrog on Facebook. For each new “like,” LeapFrog will give a Tag book to a Kindergarten teacher, up to 25,000 books.  As if we needed another reason to love LeapFrog!

Giveaway

And because we’re still in celebration mode over here on NKT, here’s another gift for you:  LeapFrog has offered to give one NKT reader a LeapFrog Tag Reading System.

Want a LeapFrog Tag for your kids?  Simply share about LeapFrog’s Tag.Give.Read program.  Leverage all social media outlets and share about this fantastic program. Tweet, Share on Facebook, email your friends and family…  Share: give more kids a chance to celebrate the love of reading.

(actual book in giveaway may vary from photo.  This photo was taken at the LeapFrog media preview)

Please comment below for each way that you share.  Multiple entries are encouraged, so please share away.

Interested in another extra entry?  Become an NKT fan on Facebook and/or “like” this post.  Who knows, maybe I’ll give away something else very soon.  *cough*tomorrow*cough

This giveaway will end October 11 at midnight. Winners will be chosen via random.org, and will be notified via Facebook fanpage and email.

Balloon Time Put a Face on Fun Contest is Underway

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

We’re in party-planning mode over here; well, actually, it’s more like mini-party-planning mode since we’re still in the middle of home renovation.  But nevertheless, my guy turns three next week.  THREE!?  I can hardly believe it.

 

While I’ve been scouring the web for easy DIY party ideas, I couldn’t not mention Balloon Time.  In essence, Balloon Time offers helium balloon kits that are available at a variety of stores.  There are a number of kids available for DIY balloon creation, including: Balloon Time 30 Helium Balloon Kit, Balloon Time 50 Helium Balloon Kit, Balloon Time A La Carte helium tank and Balloon Time Party Create-A-Face Sticker Kit.   I love the idea of having a kit at home to decorate for a party, but I do worry about balloons as choking hazards for little kids, as well as the hazards the stems of balloons might pose on the environment.  With these valid concerns in mind, since we’re having a small party with plenty of adults around, I’m thinking Balloon Time might be right up our alley for our mini-celebration.

 

Check it

Have some funny faces you want to show off?  The fourth annual “Put A Face On Fun” contest is now open, and the grand prize sounds pretty sweet.  In addition to participating in a professional photo shoot and being featured on Balloon Time’s packaging for the following year, the grand-prize winner will receive a Disney Cruise Line family vacation for four (subject to availability). Fifty first-prize winners will receive a Balloon Time 30 Helium Balloon Kit.

To enter this year’s contest, parents can upload their child’s photograph at www.PutAFaceOnFun.com. Uploaded photographs must be in GIF (.gif) or JPEG (.jpg) format and may not exceed a file size larger than 200 KB. Professional photographs will be disqualified.

Children ages 3 to 11 are eligible for the contest, and entries will be accepted through Nov. 14, 2010, noon ET. Each photograph will be scored by a panel of judges based on the following criteria: smile, age appropriateness, expression of fun and suitability for appearing on packaging.  And guess what, yours truly is one of the judges!

 

And that’s not all, taking a page from all those televised talent shows, parents and friends of the Put a Face on Fun participants are encouraged to join in;  a portion of the final tally will be determined by America’s vote.

If you’ve got some funny faces, be sure to enter before November 14th!  I want to see an NKT reader take home the grand prize.  Now, that would be fun!

 

Disclosure:  I am a guest judge for the Put a Face on Fun contest.  I am not being compensated, but will receive product for review.  As always, all opinions expressed on NKT are my own.

Paul Frank Adds Color to Back to School Accessories

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

The kids might be back in school, but somehow, there’s always a few lingering school supplies or, ahem, cool accessories that they might be missing.  Paul Frank, an NKT fave, has an eye-catching lineup of cool school gear that’s worth checking out.

Do the kids need to supplement their homework-filled backpacks with some color?  Paul Frank and Julius the Monkey can help with their funky notebooks and folders.   The notebooks can be found at Office Depot for $2.49 and the folders run for $.99 at Office Max.

 

Speaking of backpacks, in addition to their selection of great backpacks, Paul Frank offers a variety of the ever-versatile tote bags. I was sent an adorable tote bag for review, and I absolutely love it.  The quality is great; the size isn’t too big or too small and it’s a colorful change of pace for toting around books.  And score: most canvas totes are under $20.

 

Paul Frank always has great stuff for boys, too.  If Julius isn’t their thing, boys of all ages would probably be a fan of Skurvy.  I’m digging this simple, yet edgy black Skurvy tee.

 

And if your teens (tweens?) are like my nieces and nephews, perhaps your kids have a laptop or netbook of their own?  Paul Frank has the MacBook and iPhone cases covered as well.  I’d love this awesome orange sleeve-style case for myself!  The laptop cases retail for $49.95, while the iphone cases go for $34.95.  Both are available at PaulFrank.com.

 

Giveaway

Are you and the kids fans of Paul Frank?  Win an awesome prize pack for yourselves!  The winner of the prize pack will receive a  sampling of several Paul Frank products, including a Paul Frank iPod Touch skin, a folder, and a bag.

To enter, please comment below and tell me your favorite Paul Frank product.

Want extra entries?

 

This giveaway will end September 21, 2010 at midnight.  As with all NKT giveaways, winners are chosen via Random.org and will be notified by email.

 

Sale alert: Hape Toys at Mini Social

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

I’ve pledged my affinity for a variety of sustainable toys, among them, of course, are the fun and educational toys from Hape.  Hape has a fantastic selection of toys that’s appropriate from babies to school-aged kids, but I personally covet their educational playsets and wooden puzzles.

 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Speaking of puzzles, today on The Mini Social, one of my favorite flash sale sites, is featuring Hape’s bendable Anamalz, Sporty E-racers and educational puzzles.  It looks like some of the toys are half off for a few days, making them great for stocking stuffers and Christmas gifts.  You do have to sign up, but the sales on The Mini Social are well worth it.

British Baby Brand Mamas & Papas Arrives Stateside

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

Beloved British baby brand, Mamas & Papas, has officially landed stateside.  Mamas & Pappas, which is synonymous with a simple, yet modern aesthetic, launched a line of strollers, lightweight strollers, travel accessories and toys online and at select Babies ‘R’ Us and Toys ‘R’ Us this week.

The lineup of Mamas & Papas products that are now available in the U.S. include:

The Urbo, Sola and Luna-Mix (below) comprise M&P’s travel system compatible strollers that are now available in the U.S. Both the Urbo and Sola come with or without bassinets.  The Urbo is more reminiscent of a pram, whereas the Solas has a sleek, modern silhouette.  The Luna-Mix is a three-wheeled stroller that has a compact fold and can be coupled with complementary or contrasting accessories.

Light weight strollers that offer a convenient carrying strap, perfect for urbanites trekking on public transit, as well as parents who seek a swift option for strolling. Each stroller varies in features ranging from basic to reclining seat to extra cushion for comfort. Trip, Trek, Tour (below), Cruise and Voyage


High chairs that don’t compromise style, safety or flexibility, the Loop Highchair boasts a high-lacquer white shine and bright green seat pad accessories and the Go Eat Highchair is a black and white chair that features convenient fold-up capabilities.

Many babies and their parents rely on bouncers for the first few months to soothe and play.  Mamas & Papas offers the Magic Astro (below), Apollo and Ripple bouncers that feature music, toys and plenty of cushion to cradle any sweet babe.  With its MP3 compatibility, the Magic Astro sounds like both gear and a gadget that would’ve landed a spot on my must-have baby list.

And because babies just can’t have enough cool toys when on the go: Mamas & Papas offers Made with…Love Activity Spiral, Travel Charm and The Jumbles Collection, which look like such sweet, fun play things.  These guys would make great shower gifts, carrier and stroller toys.  I’m doting on the Are We There Yet Charm Toy (below.)

Mamas & Papas product pricing varies by product description ranging from the Urbo stroller at $499 all the way to the travel toys at $9.99.  Mamas & Papas products are available exclusively at select Babies ‘R’ Us stores.  An expanded selection of Mamas & Papas gear and accessories will also be available at Toys”R”Us Times Square, Babies”R”Us Union Square and FAO Schwartz Fifth Avenue in NYC, as well as online at Babiesrus.com/MamasandPapas.

Yum Food & Fun for Kids: New Resource for Food Revolution

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

Magazines: I know many of you love them as much as I do.  There’s truly nothing like flipping through glossy pages and indulging in feature stories, cool products and advice columns.  In my case, I’m always looking for inspiration, whether it’s for writing, design or to just shop.

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On one of my recent trips to Target I found a new magazine called Yum Food & Fun for Kids.  Always, in search of new ideas on how to improve my efforts in the kitchen and at the dinner table, especially where the kid is concerned, I think this new publication fills a void at the newstands.

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