Get the new LeapFrog LeapPad Explorer tablet!

There's a lot of hype about the new LeapPad from LeapFrog, the next generation of Explorer.  Is it just hype?  Weeeellll, in my humble opinion - NO!  I broke down and bought two pink ones for my girls and could not be more satisfied - this from a mom who's against video games.  I don't look at this device as just a video game player; it truly IS an educational toy while at the same time being fun for kids.  I wrote up a review of the new LeapPad over at HubPages, so if you'd like to read more of my review of it and see picture and video too, click here!

Dance Star Mickey

Dance Star Mickey is the latest Mickey Mouse toy that's flying off the store shelves this holiday season.  This Mickey Mouse truly is a dance star with new grooves and moves! Each song even has its own unique dance.  He also talks and walks and is adorable!

Just press Dance Star Mickey's foot and he comes to life for a fun interaction that encourages kids to get active and dance with him! Groove to six songs in disco, Latin techno, and even the Moonwalk!  Dance Star Mickey also includes interactive games that children and parents can have fun with.

Cool Crayons Kids Can Create ...

...with!  Sorry, I got carried away with continuing the "C/K" sound in the post title!  Here's a couple of great crayon sets for kids that are different and fun and most kids would love to use.  These would make a great gift for a child for the holidays, or a great stocking stuffer.  You could even buy the star set and give them individually to classmates/friends in goody bags.

Zoobles - A cross between Littlest Pet Shop and Bakugans - for girls!

How cute are these!  If you remember last years craze, which was mostly amongst boys, Bakugan, then you might recognize these.  Especially created for girls, Zoobles are just like the Bakugans in which they are adorable little characters that look like colorful balls until they pop open to reveal a dog, a cat, a bunny rabbit, a turtle, and a ton more cute characters.  Roll them around and have fun and when placed on their "happitat", they pop open!  These are sure to be a hit with kids this season and would make great - somewhat inexpensive - Christmas or Hanukkah presents! 

Click any of the images above to see more information or to purchase through Amazon.

Disney Princesses Favorite Moments Sets - SUPER gift idea for girls!

Click image for more info or to buy

My daughters have been crazy about these small size Disney Princesses for a while.  Initially I thought it would be short-lived, but it's probably the one toy item in their arsenal that has had the most longevity.

So....I (yes, ME!) got very excited when I was shopping recently to see that a new accessory has come out - these Disney Princess Favorite Moments Royal Boutique small castles just the right size for these small princesses and for tabletop or floor play.

There are currently four sets available: Cinderella, Ariel, Belle, and Snow White and they are all just as adorable as the next.  They do come with the princess dolls (they're about 4" in height) so if you already have the dolls you'll have duplicates - great for when friends are over playing!  If you're not interested in the castles, there are several sets available for purchase of just the dolls and other sets with more accessories like a horse and carriage and more.  For any little girl who is into princesses, these are a great gift idea, especially with Christmas almost here!

Pillow Pets - it's what my kids want now, or should I say - today!

I'm pretty sure that these have been around for a couple of years, but my girls have been seeing some ads for these lately and have been begging me for them.....so this cute doggie and the purple unicorn are now on my Amazon wish list, which is pretty much my kids' Christmas & Hanukkah list (yes, we celebrate both - lucky kids!).

There's not much to them - they can be played with like any stuffed animal, yet they "detach" underneath and become "flat" pillows.  These would probably be great for travel, whether on an airplane or for road trips! Hmmm.....

Click on the picture to see all of the available Pillow Pets.

Enjoy summer even more with a butterfly bungalow

We just got our caterpillars in the mail today!  I decided to surprise my daughters with this and they are so happy.  We purchased this butterfly bungalow from Insect Lore last year and used it right away, but not since.  I found the bungalow hanging around the garage the other day and thought I'd order more caterpillars.

This is a very popular "toy" or gift idea for kids.  Most, if not all, kids love butterflies and they get to learn as they watch the caterpillars eat and grow and form into their cocoons and ultimately turn into beautiful painted lady butterflies.

There are several different sizes of the bungalows available.  We have the one pictured here, but there are larger ones, too and if you click on the link to the left it'll take you to Amazon where you can see them all.

Great Games for Kids

Are you looking for fun family games or great gift ideas for kids that love to play games?  Here are a few great choices:

Creationary - select from over 300 Lego bricks and accessories to constuct an item shown on a card the player picks.  The rest of the players have to guess what the object is.  Identify it correctly and both the builder and you get points.  Lots of imaginitive play for ages 7 and up.

How about a game that's fun and educational? Sneak in some spelling practice with this fast paced game called Letter Roll.  Roll the letter dice and players race against each other and the timer to write down as many words as they can that contain the three uppermost letters on the dice. 

Mickey Mouse Clubhouse: Minnie's Bow-Tique Grand Opening DVD

This DVD is the latest Mickey Mouse Clubhouse release (February 2010) - Minnie's Bow-Tique.  It's the Grand Opening of Minnies new store, selling beautiful bows and bowties.  There's a fun inteactive mode and lots of adventures abound for the gang!

Minnie has the starring role here, which is a nice change; however, all the other favorite Mickey Mouse Clubhouse characters are there, too!

Click on the picture to the right to read more or to buy it... 

Hot Dog, Hot Dog, Hot Diggity Dog! Laugh, Dance and Sing with Mickey Mouse Hot Dog Dancer!

Mickey talks, tells jokes, sings and dances to the beat of the Hot Dog Dance, plus one other song!  You're little Mickey Mouse fan will love to laugh and sing and dance along with Mickey to their favorite Clubhouse tunes.

This is one of the bestselling Mickey Mouse Clubhouse toys on Amazon and it has received some excellent reviews from customers.

A huge plus - according to reviewers, the songs and speaking are clearly understandable (not always achieved with this type of toy)!

Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Mega Bloks Set

This Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Megabloks set is sure to light up the eye of Mickey Mouse fans!  It includes Mickey, Minnie and Pluto figurines and a total of 21 pieces for your child to be able create their own Mickey Clubhouse fantasy!

This set can also be used with other Megabloks set you may already own, yet this set includes all the pieces necessary to construct the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.  This set is ideal for ages 3 and older and a great deal for a great toy.  Click on the picture to read more or purchase!

For the Yet Unborn Kiddos - Prenatal Music Belt!

Okay, technically this IS something for kids - but it's for kids who are not yet born!  Wear this comfy belt and plug in your iPod or iPhone and play music to your baby in the womb!

Playing music to your baby in the womb is nothing new, but stretching a headset across your belly is clumsy and difficult.  You could stand with your belly next to a stereo speaker, but that's not exactly comfortable.

The Lullabelly can be worn at home or on the go - it's completely hands-free!  Just plug in your player and your baby can instantly start enjoying the benefits of prenatal music.  The Lullabelly speaker generates a safe decibel level similar to that of a normal conversation.  For added safety, it has a built-in volume control dial, so regardless of the music player being used, the expectant mother can separately control the volume of the music to her baby.  This product would make a great gift for any expectant mom!

Free Personalized Easter Bunny Coloring Pages

Send your child a one-of-a-kind gift this Easter with a personalized letter signed by the Easter Bunny!  Order now in time for Easter.  Click the link to the left to get a free personalized Easter Bunny coloring page (no purchase necessary!) and while you're there, you can place an order for a personalized letter for your child - order now to receive it on time!

Don't Rock the Roost!

This game seems to be all the rage lately and it does look fun! 

In ChickyBoom, players earn points by plucking colorful wooden chickens, hay bales, and wagon wheels from a teetering perch.  When the roost finally topples, the player with the most points wins.

The recommended age group for this game is 4 to 8.  Amazon has it at a great price!  This game is going on my list for sure - uh, oh I mean my kids' list, of course!

Toy Cash Registers - Let's Go Shopping!

Kids love money - Ha!  Don't we all?!  Kids also love to pretend to do grown-up things, such as go shopping for groceries and such.  My daughters have had a couple of different toy cash registers, but none have compared to this one by Learning Resources.  Learning Resources makes some of my all-time favorite toys; most are as education as they are fun for the kids.

This one is a toy cash register with conveyor belt of sorts - it's not exactly a belt, but more of a built-in "scanner" with sound effects.  The money it comes with is very realistic and true to size.  It also includes a plastic coupon and credit card; there's even a slot to slide the credit card through!  The register has a scale and a coin slot that identifies both real and pretend coins!  This truly is a great teaching register with lots of learning activities.  My daughters play with theirs on a daily basis and although they are too young to learn much math skills, this toy is perfect for their pretend play and they can grow into the more advanced teching activities it provides.  Overall, a very well made product!

For Kids Who Love to Cook with Mommy (or Daddy!)

This sweet baking set for kids includes real cooking tools sized just right for little hands.  This 19-piece Paula Dean Baking Set has everything your little baker needs to help in the kitchen.  Better yet, it's all contained together in a box. Kids love to emulate what their parents do and taking advantage of that by letting them help you cook will help your child learn some skills in the kitchen that can be valuable later in life.  Pair this baking set with Paula Deen's My First Cookbook and you have yourself a great gift for any wannabe chef (child, that is)!

Let's All Be Action Heroes!

After writing the last post about my girls running around the house in their super-hero capes, I had to post these great capes for boys and girls alike.  These are reversible, with batman on one side and superman on the other.  They have velco closures for safety (the ones with ties make me nervous).

My girls LOVE pretending they are superheros - they run around with their capes, hands on hips, and they ask me in deep voices "What seems to be the problem?" ... and they then go tackle the problems for me, it's quite fun!  A superhero cape would make a great gift as it provides loads of entertainment and doesn't take up much room doing it (or storing it when not in use)!

Oh, by the way, click on the pictures to purchase.

Barbie Films

Barbie and the Three Musketeers in the most recent of the Barbie films and a big hit as far as my daughters are concerned - as evidenced by the fact that they are constantly running around the house in their super-hero capes screaming "All for one and one for all!"

Although I don't know any boys who have seen this movie, I can't see how little boys alike wouldn't enjoy this movie.

I have found that all of the Barbie films are extremely entertaining and my favorite part, by far, is the music - they all have wonderful, and catchy, music.  You'll find yourself humming the tunes in your head all day long!

Let Them Hop!

I think every child should have one of these.  It's not only fun to bounce around on, but it gets kids moving and they exercise without even realizing it!  It helps kids with their balance and coordination, too.  My girls each have one of these and we keep it in the house - they bounce all over and have a blast.  Each one has a built-in handle grip for safety.  They're available in different colors and in a couple of different sizes.  The one pictured here is clear with different colored stars all around; this is the one my girls have.

Bouncing has many health benefits for kids and adults alike, such as improving the immune system.  If you want to learn more, read about the benefits of bouncing/rebounding here.

This would make a great gift from grandparents!

Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Playhut Fun!

This Mickey Mouse Clubhouse playhut is super adorable and, perhaps even more important, super easy to set up - just twist open and it instantly pops up!  Twist and fold to store flat when you want it out of the way. 

This playhut has a crawl-through tunnel port and lights around the "Mickey Mouse Clubhouse" sign (you'll have to provide your own 2 AA batteries for the lights).  It's rated for ages 3 and up, but I think smaller ones - perhaps 1.5 -2 - will get a kick out of it, too! 

My kids have a similar play tent and they love to have tea parties inside of it, or play hide and seek, or just about any kind of pretend play fun!