Shop Smart with Project PlaySmart

Do you ever find yourself feeling lost in your local toy store?  Maybe it’s the fact that there are too many options or maybe it’s because half of the toys are plastic junk, but I feel like I’m in the same position every time I’m shopping for birthday presents for my kids’ friends.  I certainly want to get them something they will get excited about, but I would never feel good about wrapping up something without even a bit of educational value. 
Well, now there’s Project PlaySmart to rescue me from toy store wandering and help me choose the products that are best for every age.  Project PlaySmart is a new members-only website that features weekly toy sales of toys that are not only high quality, but are also educational and encourage kids to grow and learn.  We’re talking some of our absolute favorite brands like HABA, Corolle Dolls, P’Kolino, Quercetti, PlanToys, Automoblox, Rody and many, many more.

They organize the toys of the week by age {note: this can be a bit misleading as some toys are good for all ages or for more than one age group, so search around a bit on either side of your child’s age group} and feature a small grouping of toys that they recommend at prices that can’t be beat.  With only 12-15 choices in each age group, it’s not overwhelming to shop but it’s enough to have a great selection of ideas for boys or girls from birth to age 12. 

The Project PlaySmart site is completely free and all you have to do is sign up to have access.  No, it’s not a daily deal site that you will get hundreds of emails from each year, they will only send emails periodically and aren’t in the business of spamming.  I’ve been a member for two months now and I think I’ve gotten seven emails total, which includes my sign up confirmation.  Anything over three emails a week will have me unsubscribing faster than you can say “cancel” so I was happy that the emails are kept to a minimum and are actually relevant. 

I got a chance to do some shopping earlier this month to see how the site works and was very pleased with not only the toys I got, but also the great deals.  Saving over $30 retail {almost 50% off!} on items I was going to be purchasing anyway was really nice, but beyond that, I was really happy with the whole ordering process, the fast shipping, and the quality of the toys we received.

When the Project PlaySmart package arrived with the toys, it was like Christmas at our house.  The first item we ordered was a new Corolle Tidoo doll because with two doll fanatics we can never have enough babies to go around.  The doll is gender neutral, which is a big plus because I know my son is going to be carrying it everywhere. 

If you’ve ever searched for a baby doll for a boy, you know that it’s nearly impossible to find one that is not entirely pink.  Corolle knows boys love dolls, too, so the colorful Tidoo is a perfect gender neutral pick.  I also love that the Tidoo is perfect for summer since it can go in water, which means it’s fun to play with and easy to clean.  Like I said, perfect for a boy.

And, look how much my little boy loves his Tidoo.  This is how they look 90% of every day.  Unless, of course, they are running, jumping, or scooting along on their ride-on toys together.

The next item we ordered is also perfect for summer because it’s great for road trips, educational fun during vacation, and a great way to play school right here at home.  Magnetic Mighty Mind is a great learning tool since it involves replicating patterns and shapes with smaller pieces.  As well as working on colors, geometry, and reasoning skills, it’s also a great on-the-go game since it is magnetic and all the pieces stick to the lid for play and for storage. 

Over the past few weeks, this has proven to be a fun game for all ages and something that will definitely grow with the kids as their skills develop.  We are planning on keeping it right in the car for all those times we get stuck waiting somewhere or need a little distraction that the whole family can play with together.  With numerous activities and pages to choose from, this isn't a toy that will get boring easily and will be pretty easy to make up our own activities as well.  

As you can tell, I’m really happy with the products we ordered from Project PlaySmart and would highly recommend checking them out when shopping for all the kids in your life.  While the website is still in its infancy, it’s a great resource for toy shopping – whether you have kids or not.  I’m hoping they add some features to take the creative value of their toys to the next level, but judging by the creative minds behind Project PlaySmart, this is exactly what we can expect in the next few months. 

Signing up for a free account from Project PlaySmart is incredibly easy, you just fill in the info at projectplaysmart.com and you’re good to go.  They will send you a confirmation to set your password and then you’re ready to shop!

A big thank you to Project Play Smart for giving me a credit for the purposes of this review as well as offering a giveaway to our fabulous readers. All opinions are 100% ours and no form of monetary compensation was received in exchange for this Rave Review.