To be honest, I’m still bitter about the disappearance of Brio, the company that became a household name with their simple wooden trains. The beginning of the end happened when Brio decided to turn computer innards into the next big metaphor in wooden trains. But there was one big problem – the little email-delivery techie thingies weren’t trains. Not too ... Read More »

Our Day 10 giveaway is the Teach Me Time alarm clock for kids. This was one of my love-at-first-sight products, and so I wasn’t surprised to find a detailed review in the archives. To read all about it, view that post. Otherwise, take my word for it – you want one. Enter to win. Read More »

This little, bitty training bike is perfect for helping kids get the hang of balancing on two wheels. It seems like stability bikes are all the rage right now, especially with so many experts advocating that the key to teaching kids to ride a bike is to lose the pedals – not to add training wheels. There are a lot ... Read More »

The Shrunks is a new line of toys designed to help kids address their nighttime fears. The company takes an interesting approach to this, with a line of soft plush toys that represent the most common kids’ fears and also a line of tools to help kids feel more secure at night. The tools include a bullhorn and whistle for ... Read More »

During my tour of the Playmobil booth at Toy Fair, I was nearly apoplectic with joy when I saw that they have redesigned and resurrected one of my all-time favorite Playmobil themes – the Circus. When we were little, my parents bought us the complete set with the big top tent, the horses, the elephants, the tightrope walkers, the whole ... Read More »

The Peek-a-Boo Bag started out as a handmade crafts fair product that became so popular that the inventors decided to mass produce them. The first time I saw these, I liked them, but over the past year they’ve pushed the aesthetic from crafty to contemporary, giving them more appeal with design-conscious parents, and making them more easily merchandised on retail ... Read More »

Nilo tables have long been admired by parents for their sturdy, solid wood construction, and the wide expanse of play space, perfect for wooden trains, blocks, games, Lego, craft activities or anything else a kid could dream up. But for all the great functionality, the Nilo table isn’t exactly a sexy piece of furniture. The angular profile seems much better ... Read More »

Playing make believe is one of those sacrosanct rituals of childhood. Kids can entertain themselves for hours, alone or with friends, lost in a world of pretend. Props can vary wildly, depending on what’s available. When I was little, my best friend and I could spend entire days in my basement with nothing but a tape recorder to capture our ... Read More »

Look what’s back! The Snoopy Sno Cone Maker has been rereleased by Sababa Toys, and it’s exactly the product you and I remember so fondly. Originally released in 1979, this was a runaway bestseller and a summer fixture in millions of homes (mine included). If you never had one, basically you pop some ice cubes into a compartment at the ... Read More »

This is one of those products that’s just parent-powered simple genius. If you’ve ever watched a kid eat an ice cream cone or popsicle, you’ve almost certainly cringed as the drips and dribbles traveled along chins, arms, fingers and, ultimately, onto nice, crisp clean clothing. No amount of diligent attention with baby wipes can prevent the mess that inevitably prevails. ... Read More »