Toys & Games Archives - Page 15 of 31

Continue the tradition with the new BeForever line from American Girl

Have you checked out American Girl recently? They just debuted their BeForever line this fall in stores nationwide as well as online and it has girls everywhere excited. We were at the Seattle store the day BeForever was announced to check the line out in person and do one of their many in-store crafts thanks to a recommendation from our personal shopper. I honestly had no idea what to expect and was just going for the craft and event aspect, but I was thrilled when I realized what exactly the new line included.

It’s no secret that we love American Girl and I always talk about how we end up at the Seattle store whenever my daughter gets to choose what we do for the day. But what you don’t know is that we spend most of our time checking out the historical collection and looking at anything and everything that’s new for each of their historical girls.

This time we were met at the store by one of our favorite American Girl employees and told that the line was replaced, and I’m sure I didn’t hide my disappointment very well. She quickly went on to explain that the BeForever line still had many of the dolls we adore as well as a new addition she knew we would be thrilled about.

Friends, welcome back Samantha Parkington.

Travel buddies: Corolle Dolls on the go

There hasn’t been one single vacation we have taken in the past 4 years that we didn’t take with us a Corolle doll {or 6}. Even when space is most precious and we’re confined to just carryons, we always manage to make room for Corolle. While the reasons behind this are many {comfort of home, favorite toys, open-ended toy, etc}, the main reason is that the kids travel better with them. It started when my daughter was little because she wanted her own baby just like brother that she could cradle, tuck in, and babywear, but then it turned into much more than that. We realized quickly that the kids slept better with their special babies, played better with each other, and had more fun on long plane, train and car rides with Corolle in tow.

Corolle 2014 Holiday Gift Guide

Do you have a doll-loving little one like I do? If so, you are going to want to bookmark this page filled with my favorite holiday picks from Corolle Dolls. With prices from $20 on up and for every age and stage, you are bound to find the perfect gift for the holidays.

Kindle Fire HD Kids Edition with FreeTime offers entertainment at home or on the road

As someone who is on the go a lot with kiddos, one of the main things I get asked about from friends, family, and readers is about essential gear for family travel. And while my “essentials” list has changed based on the ages of my children, there are a few things that never change. One of those things is the prevalence of tech gadgets. It’s true that tech gadgets can change your life dramatically and make life easier, especially when traveling, but there are also some huge downfalls.

One major concern is being weighed down with technology instead of making life easier. When we’re talking DSLRs, laptops, smartphones, tablets, action cams, and more as well as all the accessories and gear that go along with all those tech accessories, you can easily fill up a suitcase – and that’s before you pack any toiletries, clothing, or footwear.

So, I always say that when traveling, less truly is more. If you can go without a full laptop simply by packing a small add-on keyboard to your tablet, you are going to be a whole lot happier when packing, lugging your tech bag through airports and onto airplanes, and going through airport security – especially when you’re also corralling kids. By pairing your tablet with lightweight accessories and gadgets as well as apps to make your tablet function like a laptop, you can truly ditch the extra weight and end up with a versatile go-to device for everything from reading by the pool to editing work documents.

For this reason I love the Kindle Fire HD Kids Edition that is an ideal tablet for kids but also packed with features to make it perfect for adults, too. A few weeks ago my son got to play with one of these awesome tablets at the TravelingMom-Techlicious Holiday Tech and Travel Show in Seattle #TNTSeattle and he was so sad to say goodbye to it when the time came. Amazon saved the day {and month, and year} by sending us home with one of our own to play with and both kids were quickly smitten.

Magicforest’s favorite European toys inspire play for all ages this holiday {Moulin Roty wooden toy box set review}

They say that the best gift you can give your child is the gift of your time, and I wholeheartedly believe that is true. I give my children that gift in staying home with them so I can be with them all day long, in cooking for them, cleaning for them, packing their lunches, and trying to include them in many of the things that I do each day. But, the truth is that I could do better about stopping what I’m doing and taking a nature walk or two, swinging at the park, or starting projects with them that they are excited about, and my goal is to simply get better about playing with them at least a few times each day. It’s for this reason that I love Moulin Roty, a French company that makes toys that will inspire kids and adults to play together. How could anyone not want to play with these shadow puppets and stage or these adorable Les Mask’ottes masks?

Brought to the States by European toy importer, Magicforest, the Moulin Roty catalog is the kind of thing childhood dreams are made of. From pretend play and dress up to cuddly friends to snuggle with, as well as imagination inspiring toys that can teach everything from science to making your own toys, the Moulin Roty collection never disappoints.

Not just a toy car: introducing the awesomely customizable Modarri cars

I never, ever thought I would utter the words “we’re a car family”. But, with a husband who hasn’t missed a car show since he was a tiny boy and a son who simply asks for “any cars I don’t have” for Christmas and birthdays, it was bound to happen sooner or later. Obviously, my daughter and I were the holdouts, content to let the boys play with their cars – some toys, some very real that take up my whole driveway – and smile.

But, then we found the world of Modarri cars, and I think we all got a little giddy at all the possibilities for this amazing new take on the toy car. Part build-it-yourself custom car model, part art to be displayed and enjoyed after building, and still 100% toy that can be played and raced with, the Modarri car line takes everything you thought about boring toy cars and flips it on its head. Although ours came assembled and ready for play, each Modarri model includes multiple different parts: a chassis, hood and windshield, seat pan, seat, fenders and frame, wheels with front and rear suspensions as well as a hex tool for building and rebuilding to your heart’s desire and traffic cones to contain the shenanigans.

New mom must-have: Corolle first dolls for babies

Do you have a baby in your life? There’s definitely something in the water because there are so many babies expected in the next few months. With my own babe’s arrival creeping closer and closer, I’m starting to think of everything that needs to be done to prepare for adding a baby to the family and I’ve already got quite a few things in the works.

Just like when we went from one child to two, we’re planning on doing a gift from the baby to the older siblings, but with one main difference. This time, the baby will get a present, too. Last time, my daughter opened a Corolle Emma doll at the hospital with a baby bath, but we didn’t even think about getting the new baby a gift like we should have.

Be a brilliant gift-giver with Brilliant Sky Toys & Books

Are you as overwhelmed with toy shopping as I am? You’d think I would be good at it by this point considering I hear about toys even before they hit the market. But, sometimes even I have a child on my list that I have a really hard time buying for. Those times I’m very grateful for neighborhood toy stores with a diverse and eclectic mix of high quality toys that won’t be abandoned in just days for the next new fad.

Stores like Brilliant Sky Toys & Books offer that and more at their 17 locations {and counting}. By offering amazing and personalized service, and more than 10,000 high-quality specialty products, it allows you to “discover, experience, explore, interact, and enjoy” in a fun and relaxed environment.
But wait, before you get overwhelmed with the idea of 10,000 different products to choose from, you should know that Brilliant Sky understands how you feel. That’s why they announce their annual Brilliance Awards every year before the holiday season to make shopping that much easier for their guests.

The 5th annual Brilliance Awards were just announced and again I’m wowed by the amazing collection of toys and more that they have chosen to highlight. In fact, we own many of their top picks this year, and they are the ones we return to over and over again.

This year's 2014 award list features 12 products with price tags from $9.99 to $129.99 with most toys running about $24.99 to $29.99. And, with the exception of the Sphero 2.0, these picks are surprisingly low-tech and classic, which I know I appreciate. By using this brilliant list as a guide for all your holiday shopping you can be a brilliant gift-giver and do all your shopping quickly and easily.

Travel must-have for kids: The LeapPad3 learning tablet

My kids are pretty awesome travelers for the most part. They can handle short flights like pros and are the best road trip buddies on long car rides. But, as it turns out, they are pretty awful redeye international travelers. Go figure.

When I look back now, I can’t help but ask myself what I was thinking taking two small kids on packed overnight flights that included 4 airports, long layovers, no meals, and a trip through customs. Oh, and did I mention I am very pregnant and have a hard time getting comfortable in even the plushest digs?

Seriously. What on earth was I thinking?! Having taken dozens of flights with them before, some of them international and some of them redeye in which they handled themselves perfectly, I was clearly going into things far too cocky considering the itinerary and their ages.

Thank goodness our friends over at LeapFrog realized that even good travelers could use something to pass 14+ hours of travel and they sent us their newest tablets, the LeapPad3 to use on our way to #BeachesMoms Social Media on the Sand conference. I spent the night before our big trip loading up on learning software, TV shows, and music to put on the tablets in addition to our collection of software cartridges from our original LeapPad, and I’m so glad I did. This awesome show? This was my view during one of our shorter flights. Would you believe that she is rocking out to the old classic "Do you Know the Muffin Man"? Someone download this girl the Frozen sing-a-long, stat.

New I SPY Adventure for the VTech InnoTab

I grew up reading I SPY books and challenging myself and friends to find not only all the items listed on each brightly colored and vivid mini-scene, but also finding hidden gems in each picture. So, of course I was thrilled when my kiddos also fell for the books. We enjoy reading the I SPY books together numerous times a day and I love that I can stump them by choosing objects I’m not sure they will recognize by name or objects that can inspire a learning opportunity.

But sometimes? I wish they were old enough to read to themselves because I SPY books would be a great way to pass time while we’re traveling without having to pass the book back and forth from the front seat to the backseat with each new page.

That’s where our beloved VTech InnoTab 3S comes in. With the new I SPY Adventure game, now the kids can play I SPY wherever we go.