Spilling the Beans

It was impossible to walk by the booth for the PhD Pocket Disc at ASTRA without stopping. First of all, the colorful display was arresting. And there were discs flying all over the place. So we stopped and we played...

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...

If you’re wondering what the founder of Bugaboo is up to these days, the answer may surprise you. I bumped into Eduard Zanen at Toy Fair this year, where he was promoting a new toy concept that he is developing...

Get this: the Trunki is a hard suitcase on wheels that doubles as a ride-on toy. And if that weren’t cool enough, there’s a strap you can use to tow weary tots through the airport. It’s brilliant, plain and simple....

One of my favorite new make believe toys is the Fancy Flutterpack from Cranium and its space-themed sibling, the Turbo Rocketpack. Both of these are designed to be worn on a child’s back, and both have a push button that...

One of our favorite new products from Toy Fair has just come in. The Ogo is like a cross between a frisbee and a trampoline. The outer ring is inflatable, while the inside is a strong, elastic membrane. There are...

Adding an electronic component to a classic toy can be a gamble. Sometimes it puts the kibosh on the inherent play value of the toy, while sometimes, as in this case, it sends the fun quotient through the roof. This...

OK, so check this out. This is a ball-shaped ice cream maker, the Ice Cream Ball. You fill one end with half & half, vanilla and sugar, then you fill the other end with ice and rock salt. Shake it,...