Category: girl toys

Make Music with Educo Early Melodies Instruments

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

For the littlest music lovers, age-appropriate musical instruments are few and far between, but leave it up to Hape’s Educo line to think of a few fun and eco-friendly options for instruments for toddlers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Geared to ages one year and up, Educo offers the Early Melodies Slide Whistle and Flute.  Colorful and whimsical alternative to the plastic and sometimes questionable instruments often found on shelves, the Slide Whistle and Flute are made with maple and finished with non-toxic, child-friendly paints and finishes.

These instruments are perfect for promoting hand-eye coordination, appreciation for rhythm and music and sensory perception.  I love the transition from infant to toddlerhood, where curiosity and awareness of surroundings becomes so much more prevalent.  Musical exploration with fun and safe instruments, such as these from Educo, make for a melodic playtime.

Find the Educo Early Melodies Flute and Slide Whistle at Oompa.com.  At just $3.99 a piece, how can you not want both?

Disney Pook-A-Looz are Cute, Edgy and Sweet

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

I’ve been reading some blurbs about the Licensing Expo that was recently held in Vegas.  Of the interesting information that was dispersed from the annual show that showcases all the hottest licenses in the industry, I was interested to see this one from Disney Consumer Products, which I’ll get into later.

Pook-A-Looz

Speaking of Disney, at the Time to Play Spring and Summer Showcase, Disney Consumer Products had a diverse selection of their latest toys.  Aside from the much-hyped Toy Story and the ever-popular Princesses toys, DCP had some new, but familiar faces.

DCP recently introduced Pook-A-Looz, a plush line of their classic characters who have received a modern-meets-vintage twist.  That probably doesn’t make too much sense, but according to Disney, Pook-A-Looz were designed to capture the personalities of iconic Disney characters in an edgy, offbeat way.  They’re said to be inspired by the urban vinyl toy culture, which began in Asia a decade ago.

 

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Traintastic: Chuggington Toys are Coming Soon

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

One of our favorite Disney shows, Chuggington, unveiled another new episode this past weekend.  I hope you guys were able to catch it.

I’ve got a bunch of Chuggington news planned in the coming weeks…and actually, I was planning a fun viewing party with a few of our fellow Chuggington friends for last week, but had to reschedule.  I’ll be sure to share our soiree once our family is moved and we can get together with our Chuggington pals.

In the meantime, I thought I’d share about some other Chuggington news.  Did you know as of May 17, you can now pre-order Chuggington Toys?  The toys, already available in the U.K. and other locations, are making their way stateside.

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Playground Pick: Alex Toys Catch N Stick Monster Mitts

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

Having just spent a wild and crazy afternoon at a dance party with our favorite characters yesterday and with a beautiful weekend ahead of us, I thought I’d share a quick playground pick today.

Catch N Stick Monster Mitts from Alex Toys is a fun twist to the playground favorite.  Playing catch helps kids with hand-eye coordination, which is a fine motor activity that’s important for development.  And what better way to work on playing catch than with oversized mitts and a soft tennis ball that both stick!

The ball and mitts have a Velcro front surface and adjustable strap on the back that make for a crazy good time for preschoolers and up.  The set that usually retails for around $13 is just $6.50 on one of my favorite kiddie sale sites, Totsy.

You need to register for the site, but in case you need an invite, feel free to go here.

I have a $15 credit from Totsy that I’m giving a random Facebook Friend for commenting on the update associated with this post!  Not a friend?  Be sure to “Like” NKT to find out about Facebook-only giveaways and fun discounts.

 

 

Crayola Touts Creative Outdoor Play with New Sets

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

Crayola, always a favorite here on NKT, was one of the many fabulous exhibitors at the recent Time to Play Spring and Summer Showcase.

Crafts and the outdoors should go hand in hand, what with the fairly easy clean up and the expansive canvas.  And as always, Crayola is at the forefront of the outdoor artistry when it comes to kids.

 

CrayolaCrayola Chalk MakerCrayola Spira-BlasterCrayolaCrayola

At the showcase, Crayola’s table had a variety of colorful goodies, including the latest additions to their product line: the Sidewalk Chalk Maker, Spira-Chalk Blaster and the 3D Disney Fairies and 3D Disney Toy Story Activity Sets.

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Shake, Rattle and Roll with Hohner Kids Instruments

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

After a fabulous weekend, is there a better way to start a new week than with a bang?  In this case, I’m talking about the musical kind of bang.

Hohner Kids manufactures a wide range of musical instruments with the budding rockstars in mind.  The company’s range of musical products, which are specifically tailored to kids, include recorders, harmonicas and a variety of rhythm instruments, among others.  Aside from the cool looking Claves and hand Tom Toms, Hohner Kids also offers a few sets worth checking out.

The Samba Music Party Set includes a cd and traditional Latin percussion instruments, which gives kids a chance to explore musical culture and expression. The set includes a tambourine, castanet, samba whistle, maraca and guiro.  Hohner plastic instruments are all phthalate free and are safe for ages 3 years and up.


 

 

And because my kid has been singing Laurie Berkner’s “Shaky Egg” song nonstop for the past few weeks, check out one of Hohner’s newest instruments—the Wooden Animal Shakers.  The Wooden Animal Shakers, which come in cat, horse, fish and elephant designs, are a cute and colorful alternative to shaky eggs, the toddler favorites from music class.

Hohner Kids Musical Instruments can be found at select toy stores, music stores, online at their site or retailers like Amazon.

WEDGiTS: Multi-Dimensional Building Blocks

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

Our family is in the midst of moving out of our city apartment and heading to the suburbs, all while trying to orchestrate a cast of contractors as we get ready to do some renovations.  All of this has me thinking of not just moving and the whole transition, but also about construction.  So, why not talk cool construction toys?

Besides the obvious favorites, I’ve come across some equally awesome building sets.  One that comes to mind is Wedgits.  I’m not talking the blog kind of widgits, but instead, the building toy variety.

Wedgits are colorful multi-dimensional building sets that can be nested, stacked, linked and wedged.  They come in various sizes and sets, including Wee Wedgits for 1-3 years; Wedgits for 2-10 years and mini-Wedgits for 5 and up.

What’s unique about Wedgits is that they’re squishy but still firm, sort of in a stress ball sort of way.  Building toys are such a great toy for both boys and girls, and keep cater to all age ranges.  They’d be perfect for daycare, schools and of course, the playroom.  Wedgits, which have won a long list of awards, are non-toxic, phthalate free poly-vinyl material.

Wedgits have been around for several years now, but at Toy Fair, I was able to get a glimpse of a few new additions to their great product line, including the Mini FunHundred.  This set, which comes in its own handy carry case, is comprised of 100 different mini Wedgit blocks and can be used with other mini Wedgit products.

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Mishi Design Offers Transformable Wooden Toys

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

The kid and I were recently at a friend’s house for a playdate, and because it’s been so warm, all the kids hopped on various ride-on toys and were even pushing around their wagons and play shopping carts. And that’s when I was reminded of a really cool line of wooden ride-on/push toys that I saw at Toy Fair.

 

With their wooden construction and unique design, the toys by Mishi Design are both head-turning and intriguing. Mishi Design Toys are transformable ride on and push toys, meaning they’re multi-faceted and are multiple toys in one. Think of them as wooden transformers, with a bit of European edge and many sustainable qualities.

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Time to Play to Showcase Spring and Summer Toys

by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

It might be raining and dreary here in NYC today, but I’ll be headed to Time to Play’s Spring and Summer Showcase, where Chris Byrne and Jim Silver, two of the biggest industry gurus, will be spotlighting this season’s hot toys.  If you can remember way back to last fall, I attended the fall showcase, where we learned about their holiday picks.

 

Time to Play Must Have toysMust Have toys from the 2009 Holiday Season

Even though I just did Toy Fair a little over two months ago (and am still reeling from all of that information), I am a big fan of the Time to Play showcase.  It’s an intimate event where media representatives and bloggers can meet with publicists and company executives to discuss—what else—toys.

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