droolicious : baby toys

Little People Go Old School

SunnyChanel — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 19:30:00 GMT

I love it when toys get all old school. There’s something touching about sharing the same toys you played with as a kid with your offspring. One of my favorite toys as a child? My Little People barn set. I took it everywhere. Elizabeth recently blogged about how the Little People are celebrating their 50th birthday with new releases of some of their classic sets, the Play 'n Go Farm, Play 'n Go School House, Play 'n Go Fire Station and Play 'n Go Home. Were we excited to hear that news? Oh yes.

We recently got our toy hungry hands on a couple of the sets, the Play ‘n Go Farm and the Play ‘n Go School House. Just one touch to the plastic handles and a flood of nostalgic memories came rushing forward. I was three again, playing with the simple cog like characters right along with my own three year old. Not an exact replica, there have been some changes to the set. The Little People are back to being limbless and they have grown and are larger than their previous incarnation. But the carry all cases are pert near the same size and aesthetic as the originals, with the addition of some shiny tin fronts. The handles, the roofs and the footprint are all the same. To relive your own childhood memories and to make new ones for your own kids you can pick up the directly from Fisher Price here. Little People 50th Birthday Play ‘n Go School for Play n’ Go Farm - each go for $18 here.

Meet Trompet By Blabla

SunnyChanel — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 18:30:00 GMT

A little birdy told me about these adorable new rattles. Okay, strike that. A little website told me about the adorable new rattles, but really who’s keeping track. Meet Trompet one of the new avian pals created by knit happy toy company Blabla.

This soft rattle, part of a whole slew of feather friends, is knitted by hand by Peruvian artists. The rattles are sized just for little fingers and digits and did I mention Trompet is adorable? Yes, yes I did. You can pick one up here for $28.99.

Gnaw on this Fish

Lisa Mulcahy — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 12:28:00 GMT

Despite the fact that we started off with only organic baby food, one of the first snacks my son had was Goldfish. He still loves those cheesy salty fish and I bet he would have really liked this German rattle in their likeness.

Hand-carved from cherry wood and treated with a non-toxic oil, this fish rattle, $22, is just the right shape for little hands to grasp and budding teeth to gnaw. It’s filled with tiny semi-precious stones so when they give it a shake it’ll rattle and roll.

Get a Chan, Pie, or Gnon to Chew On

SunnyChanel — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 23:00:00 GMT

Who are Chan, Pie and Gnon? They are the petite teething toys by the French company Vulli, famous for their popular Sophie the Giraffe teether. Chan Pie Gnon comes from the “Champignon” the French word for mushroom and is the shape of these natural rubber and painted with food dye soft chew toys. Each one is sold separately and go for $13.99 here.

Fisher Price Chompin' Croc

Cathy Hale — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 15:00:00 GMT

A playful crocodile as a pal? Why not!

Part of the Fisher Price Amazing Animals line is this chompin' character, Press & Go Crocodile. By pressing down on his feathered friends, he chomps and rolls. No batteries required! From the Press & Go Animal Parade to the Roll & Roar Polar Bear Habitat, all of these toys are wonderful for babies age 6 months and up. The bright colors and textured surfaces certainly stimulate the senses and keep their attention. (We've had the Sing & Go Choo Choo for a few years and it's still going strong.) $9.00 at Fisher Price.

Baby's First Laptop

elizabeth leach — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 17:32:00 GMT

The Discovery Store's Baby Laptop is packed with fun sounds and lights to keep baby entertained. Open the laptop and baby can see himself in the baby safe mirror. Touch the keys and they light up and teach baby animals sounds, numbers, letters and cute phrases like "peek-a-boo" and "you're my friend". And it's the perfect size for a baby's lap.

The Baby Laptop is on sale for $17.47 at the Discovery Store.

Sesame Street Puppets

Cathy Hale — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 18:00:00 GMT

Sesame Street Puppets. Need I say more? Thanks to Gund, your child's favorite Sesame Street characters are interactive and cuddly, even on the inside.

On a personal note, I'm glad these puppets are much cuter than they used to be. Back in the day, Bert was a bit creepy. My younger sister loved Sesame Street and for her 8th birthday she got the big Bert puppet. See photo. Yep, he only had four fingers. And there wasn't anything cuddly about him. Anyway, Bert sat right beside her bed at night until he got a bit handsy. My sister swears he pinched her on the butt. In fact, if you asked her about it today, she'd still tell the same story. Needless to say, Bert lived in a box for the rest of his days in our home.

Have a funny story about one of your childhood toys? Fashion Plates? Barbies? GI Joe? Please share it!

Cutiepieosaurus

Cathy Hale — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 22:54:00 GMT

I'm not usually a big fan of plush dinosaurs, but this funny guy is oozing personality galore. Meet Sigikid Ankylosaurus Sweety Dinosaur. Standing 10 inches tall, he's not ferocious at all. He's really cuddly thanks to his soft microfiber outer fabric. The TRex is actually my favorite, but he's currently ~~extinct~~ out of stock. Shop Maukilo for lots of Sigikid creations.

The Yummiest: Knit Donuts

Cathy Hale — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 16:08:00 GMT

Soft, safe and adorable, these knitted donuts may be the cutest baby gift in the entire universe! Garnished with sprinkles and frosted to perfection, you can buy a fabric box of five for $35 at Arte Bebe. These delightful treats are made through fair trade practices, which makes them extra tasty. Not into sweets? They also sell knit fruits and veggies.

(Want to keep them all for yourself? I don't blame you.)

Retro-Inspired $5 Polar Pal Rattles at Old Navy

Cathy Hale — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 16:30:00 GMT

Check out these retro-inpsired rattles at Old Navy, on sale now for $5. Choose a rollicking reindeer or a playful penguin. 100% cotton, machine washable and 8" long. In addition to the rattles, Old Navy has an entire line dedicated to winter fun, Polar Pals. Shop onesies, hoodies, pajamas and more for baby featuring these lovable merry munchkins.

Star Baby: Nicole Ritchie’s Daughter Bites Into A Giraffe

SunnyChanel — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 16:22:00 GMT

Nicole Ritchie was out and about in West Hollywood with her 10-month old daughter Harlow. Looks like the little baby was a wee bit hungry, and she was in the mood for some vintage giraffe. Harlow took a bite out of Sophie the Giraffe Natural Rubber Safe Baby Infant Teething Toy. The French have been making Sophie since 1961 and it has been a soothing teething toy for generations with over 10 million being sold, and each one is still made by hand. You can feed your kid one for $19.95 here.

The Droolicious Shopping Guide: Tiny Love Play Mats

Nicole Feliciano — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 18:08:00 GMT

It’s been 15 years since the folks at Tiny Love introduced their first baby gym. Their safe, portable, play areas are designed to keep infants occupied and away from intriguing dangers like electric outlets and small plastic items. With loads of Tiny Love gyms and mats available, we wanted to see how the newest model, Gymini Monkey Island ($64.95), stacked up against the competition. Could a dancing monkey distract a tot long enough for a news-starved parent to catch up on the headlines?

The swinging monkey startled our baby tester at first, but soon she was grinning like mad and trying to swat her monkey pal down from his “tree-top” home. I addition to the musical monkey, there are more than a dozen other playthings to keep baby amused. Younger babies (those who can’t flip over yet) will like the padded tummy time pillow that is included—it gives infants a chance to see all the enticing options, such as a sunshine mirror and crinkly leaves, from a better vantage point. While the color palette on this island-themed mat isn’t the most sophisticated and the mat’s sounds can be a little annoying, it’s hard not to sing the praises of this play mat. Monkey Island provided this frantic parent with enough down time to string together a few coherent thoughts about current affairs. One can only wonder what exhausted parents did before the advent of the Gymini.

Pros: 18 activities will keep baby entertained, folds flat for storage. Works for three stages: back, tummy and seated.
Cons: Batteries required to keep the monkey music coming.
Best for: Curious tots who aren’t frightened by sudden bursts of noise.

Gymini Original: The tri-colored mat that started it all. ($44.95)

Pros: Portable, washable this toy is a classic.
Cons: Lacks the bells and whistles of the newer models.
Best for: Parents who hate garish colors.

Melody Maker: Musical play mat. ($44.95)

Pros: Well-priced model offers three cheerful tunes.
Cons: Some find the music too loud.
Best for: Babies who like repetitive sounds.

ActiviTot-Tropic Isle: Circular mat designed to offer loads of stimulation during baby’s first year. ($79.99)

Pros: Interactive toys can be reconfigured; mat can be used indoors or out.
Cons: Harder to set up and break down.
Best for: Busy babies who crave novelty or twins, as this is a large round play area.

Tummy Time Fun Mat: Infant activity mat to encourage tummy time. ($29.99)

Pros: Compact size adds portability.
Cons: Only works for tots six months and under.
Best for: Young babies playing in small spaces.

New from One Step Ahead: Play Mats and Play Time

elizabeth leach — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 19:53:00 GMT

Tummy Time Safari is the cutest tummy time mat I've seen. It's also bigger than most tummy time mats and cushioned so it's comfortable for those sensitive tummies. Baby can practice tummy time while surrounded in a land of brightly colored, safari friends. An activity panel attaches onto one side of the mat where there is a lion hiding behind peek-a-boo, crinkly bushes, a mirror framed in palm trees, a plush parrot, an elephant, and a crinkly butterfly. (One more play mat and a sensory toy after the jump...)

I can almost hear the safari sounds now! Purchase the Tummy Time Safari for $49.95.

The 3-in-1 Stepping Stone Play Mat (below photo) comes in six triangular pieces that can be configured in many ways. As a hexagon, it's tummy time and play mat for an infant. Toys are in easy reach to amaze and entertain. Fit the pieces as a curved lane and baby can crawl from piece to piece to examine the toys. And then the toys can be fitted together as two pyramids while baby sits or stands and plays. This toy literally grows with your child! Attached toys include, plush and crinkly octopus, house with peek-a-boo door with mirror, rotating and squeaking plush sun, plush rattle fish, peek-a-boo sailboat, mirrored flower, and crinkly leaf. Each triangular piece is a different bright color and is made of soft and washable fabric. Purchase the 3-in-1 Stepping Stone Mat for $49.95

What's Inside Toy Box (below photo) is ingeniously designed because instead of a lid there is fabric on the top so baby can't see inside. He has to put his hand inside the box and feel around to grab something. And what's inside? Eight adorable sensory toys, decorated with satin accents. Your child will delight in pulling these toys out of the box: an octopus, house, rocket, monkey, polka dot animal, sun with mirror, sailboat, and lion. Cute images and satin tags decorate the outside of the box. Purchase What's Inside Toy Box for $34.95.

A Plush Grill Set for Baby Grill Masters

Chris Ford — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 16:03:00 GMT

Before you have kids you think the weird toys will be the ones that don't look like anything in particular - the toys that just rattle, have a lot of black and white stripes and seem to have the sole purpose of being put in a baby's mouth. But as it turns out, the truly strange baby toys are the things that are supposed to be things in your life that you never thought someone would make into a toy. Case in point - My First Grill Baby Activity Toy from Russgril.

I suppose I shouldn't think this one is all that strange. There are tons of baby toys out there shaped like food, but I've never seen plush baby tongs or a spatula before. Regardless, it's a pretty fun idea and something that would probably make a funny gift at a baby shower or something. Just so long as baby makes my burger without cheese.

My FIrst Grill Baby Activity Toy, $14.99 from BestBabyShower.com

Baby Molos: The Lobster That's Cute Enough to Pinch

Aaron Burgess — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 21:02:00 GMT

Maybe it's the Cloverfield monster that's been occupying my brain all weekend, but Molos here ($20) looks more like some kooky outer-space creature than the lobster it's supposed to be. Either way, babies should go gaga for the googly-eyed, fuzzy-pincered (and, thankfully, machine-washable) critter, part of the same Deglingos line Kelly first featured here back in August. Though the toys themselves are assembled in China, Deglingos crafts them under tight European quality standards: Check out the "Safety and quality" section at the company's website for more info.

DwellStudio's got (Magnetic) Animal Attraction

Mir — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 19:01:00 GMT

This set of three magnetic animals appeals to me aesthetically much moreso than the retina-searing PlajaPets, though they're a similar concept. Thankfully, Dwell does it up right with modern fabrics and a just two pieces per animal (there's a hippo, an elephant, and a rhino which looks suspiciously pig-like). Safe for even the littlest ones, but you'll probably find yourself playing with them, too. $46 at Land of Nod.

Baby Wants a Laptop... an Infantino Gigglebytes Laptop

Mir — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 17:00:00 GMT

Had this been around when my kids were babies, I feel certain I would've received half a dozen of them as gifts from friends who like to poke at my near-surgical attachment to my computer. (I don't know what their problem is. I can stop any time I want to. I just need to check Google for one more thing....) Infantino's Gigglebytes is a fun baby activity toy styled after mom's favorite toy, only this one's lights and sounds never signal a crash, and is overall a whole lot cuter. Get it at Amazon for $19.99.

Kidz Delight Zig Zag Zog UFO Will Run Baby Ragged

Mir — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 14:02:00 GMT

Something just felt terribly familiar as I read about this Zig Zag Zog UFO Saucer ($30 at Kiddly Winks) -- bop the alien on the head and he zooms away, LEDs flashing, and then he zooms around the room, detecting obstacles and going around them and u-turning and stopping unexpectedly. Baby will sleep well at night after chasing this, sure... but then I finally figured it out.

This is a what happens when you let your cat's electronic mouse toy mate with your Roomba.

Enter to Win LeapFrog's Brightlings Exploration Station + a Shot at $25K Toward College Tuition

Aaron Burgess — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 18:02:00 GMT

We're giving away LeapFrog's award-winning new Brightlings Exploration Station ($39.99 retail value) to three lucky readers! Recommended for ages 6 months to 3 years, the Exploration Station offers three playing modes and helps to teach concepts such as counting, language and opposites through fun interactive play with the Bitty Brights pals (three included).

To enter: Just email us at babblecontest@gmail.com with your name, address and daytime phone number, and "Brightlings Giveaway" in the subject line. Contest begins today and runs until Monday, Nov. 26, when three winners will be selected at random from the pool of entries.

Don't stop there: Once you've finished entering, take a second to show the world how smart your child is! Enter the LeapFrog Learning Moments contest for a chance to win $25,000 toward college tuition. Find out more at http://www.leapfrog.com/learningmoments.

Big Deal: Lead-Free, Educational Toys!

Karen — Fri, 07 Sep 2007 13:33:00 GMT

What more could you ask for? Readers of Karly's Wiping Up Snot blog will be happy to know they can shop at eBeanstalk, using the code SNOT (what?) in order to save 10% off their orders AND free shipping! eBeanstalk tests all their toys and proved it to Karly in a document she posted on her site.

I like the site because it lists the toys in age categories, like this Super Shapes Dump Truck for $37, listed under the 1 Year-Old's section. Baby learns cause and effect, and not the kind where if you chew your toys, you'll get very sick.

Like To Shower Every Day?

Karen — Sat, 18 Aug 2007 16:02:00 GMT

Then stick your little muffinhead in this fun and exciting Graco Baby Einstein Discover Entertainer. I love Baby Einstein, and like everything else a few years after it comes out, experts are now saying those videos are no good. Well neither is water, air or pooping.

Prove the experts wrong and go have a shower while baby rocks it out with the 9 activities on board this tiny ship of fun. After a few sessions, he should be able to tackle your tax return.

On sale now for $71.99 online.

Squeak Easy Toys For Itty Bitty Hands

Karen — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 21:04:00 GMT

Available in 6 animal designs, these little guys look easy to hold and even easier to tote in a purse or diaper bag. Too bad they don't come as a 6 pack, because with all that traveling, they are bound to find themselves relocated against their will. Babies can be so careless. Sheesh.

$5.95 each at Rich Frog. (scroll all the way to the bottom to order)

Who Is Sitting On My Head?

chrisjordan — Wed, 08 Aug 2007 14:55:00 GMT

A soft version of the ever popular stacking toy for babies. Perfect for those as young as 6 months old, who still have a tendency to smack themselves in the face with their toys.

Colorful soft rings have differing textures to enhance the tactile experience. Encourage the development of eye hand co-ordination through stacking the rings on the fabric pole.

Available at Hearthsong for $16.95

Big Deal: Soft Bowling Set

chrisjordan — Tue, 24 Jul 2007 21:03:00 GMT

No hard objects that will suddenly be whipped at your head. No bowling shoes worn by strangers. Maybe you can finally score a perfect 300 with this soft horsey bowling set.

Two bowling balls with jingle bells inside and six stuffed pins embroidered with numbers 1-6.

After you are done playing, store in the see-through zippered carrying case.

Currently marked down from $30 to $14.99

Baby Needs a Vespa and Bucket Full of Batteries

chrisjordan — Tue, 24 Jul 2007 13:06:00 GMT

Three wheeled battery powered sit 'n' ride scooter by Chicco goes backward, forward and has a neutral position. Accelerate by using the hand control. Speedometer, glove compartment, front and back reflectors and a working horn for realistic play.

Runs on 6 D batteries. If you want to spend your child's college fund on batteries, the Chicco Vespa will be back in stock at Little Smarties in early August for $84.99.