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Find the best in Baby Gear at Magic Beans
Find the best in Baby Gear at Magic Beans

Spilling the Beans

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  • The possibilities of playtime: 40 years of Playmobil
    June 16, 2015

    The possibilities of playtime: 40 years of Playmobil

    For over 40 years, the diminutive, smiling people of Playmobil have been inspiring children’s imaginative adventures. In memory of company founder Horst Brandstaetter, who passed away last week, here’s a whirlwind tour through Playmobil sets both old and new. Designer...

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  • What’s the difference between dolls and action figures?
    June 12, 2015

    What’s the difference between dolls and action figures?

    The word “doll” is weirdly fraught for a very straightforward concept: Dictionary.com defines a doll as “a small figure representing a baby or other human being, especially for use as a child’s toy.” Which is to say that while not every doll is an action figure, every action figure is, by definition, a doll....

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  • Role Models
    January 7, 2014

    Role Models

    Kids learn about the world by watching the adults around them, and they love to put their observations into action (even when you wish they wouldn’t). That means it’s important to set a good example for your children with everyday...

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  • November 11, 2009

    Holiday Giveaways # 6 – Corolle Calin Doll

    The Corolle booth at Toy Fair is my husband’s favorite stop each year. Not because he likes to play with dolls, but because he likes French champagne (and really, who doesn’t?). It’s become an annual tradition for him to lounge...

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  • Shop & Roll
    August 28, 2009

    Shop & Roll

    Zev steals a turn with the Melissa & Doug Deluxe Grocery Cart while his older sisters are otherwise engaged. We brought lots of merchandise with us to the Cape to photograph for this year’s holiday catalog, but this has been...

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  • The Circus is back in town
    August 21, 2008

    The Circus is back in town

    This is my 14th summer with Sheri’s family in Cape Cod. There are a lot of indications of the time that has passed these many summers – we’re not teenagers anymore. We’re married, we have kids of our own. And...

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  • One heck of a cardboard box
    February 25, 2008

    One heck of a cardboard box

    Making environmentally friendly toys has become a priority for a lot of toymakers, but one is taking that to a whole new level. Cardboard Design has come out with a line of sturdy, foldable cardboard play environments that are beautifully...

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