Archive for September, 2009

Would you like to win up to $1,000 of toys? Well, winning toys has never been this easy! Simply create a Wish List at growingtreetoys.com during the month of October and add all your favorite educational toys to become eligible to win. At the end of October, we will pick a random winner from all of the Wish Lists, and that person will win all the toys on their Wish List (up to $1,000)! Visit http://www.growingtreetoys.com/winyourwishlist for more details on this exciting contest.

Over the last few months, we have put a lot of time and effort into improving our Wish List for you. We have listened to our customers’ feedback, completed our research, and combined the results with the industry’s best practices to develop a very valuable Wish List for our customers. So while you are adding items to your Wish List, please make sure to check out some of the features that make our Wish List so special.

• Group toys on your Wish List by child
• Search and buy from a friend’s Wish List
• Email your Wish List to friends and family
• Track which toys from your Wish List have been purchased by yourself and friends
• And of course, keep track of all your favorite toys!

As always, we strive to provide our customers with the ultimate toy shopping experience, and we hope that you enjoy all the great features of what we consider to be the best Wish List for toys ever! And best of all, using this wonderful Wish List gives you the chance to win up to $1,000 in toys! We wish you the best of luck in our Win Your Wish List giveaway!

Quality time with my dad was unforgettable when we played the Mastermind Game – after all, how many people forget the most infuriating and frustrating game of their childhood? To be fair, the main problem when it came to playing Mastermind was my darling dad, who was the most intense and focused brain teaser/strategy “mastermind” imaginable, while I most certainly was not at my young age (talk about an unfair advantage)! Luckily for my young ego, my latent puzzle gene sparked an overwhelming desire to master the game after losing over and over – or it might’ve been my overwhelming desire to finally beat my dad at his own game. Either way, with a little research and a lot of practiced skill, I’m now a lean, mean code machine!

So, how did this puzzler paradise come to be? Here is some history on the Mastermind Game from Wikipedia:

The code-breaking Mastermind Game was invented in 1970 by Mordecai Meirowitz, an Israeli postmaster and telecommunications expert. Meirowitz’s modern peg game was inspired by the earlier pencil and paper game called bulls and cows, in which players tried to break 4-digit number codes instead of 4-unit color codes (personally I’d rather use colors – good thinking Meirowitz!)

In 1971, Meirowitz sold the rights to his thought-provoking code-breaking game to Invicta Plastic located near Leicester, UK. Thankfully for the millions of puzzle lovers across the globe, Invicta Plastic has since licensed Mastermind’s manufacture to Hasbro – a well-known toy and game distributor, to ensure world wide distribution. Players soon found the Mastermind Game intriguing and infuriating – naturally, players searched for the elusive “magic” formula behind the games concept.

The most popular strategic technique used to “break the code” is called the six-guess algorithm. For those of you who have no idea what that means (like me), players use a specific mathematical process of elimination to guess their opponents code in 6 moves. Considering that there are 1296 different patterns that emerge from a 4 peg code created from 6 possible colors, perhaps a mathematical approach would make the game easier. Let’s find out – here is part of the six-guess algorithm to ponder (remember each color is represented A thru F):

• Guess 1 is always “abcd”
• Guess 2 is always “bcde”
• Guess 3 is always “cdef”
• If the list for guess 4 starts with a game on the left side of list below, then use the game to its right instead:
  • “acfb” → “dcad”
  • “aebf” → “edfd”
  • “aefb” → “eacc”
  • “afbe” → “bfcd”
  • “bafe” → “eadc”
  • “beaf” → “edae” (etc…)

Sadly, my ability to comprehend and implement the chart’s concept during game play is a little difficult. And, perhaps my ability to play a successful round of Mastermind is limited to “on again/off again” success at best (especially when I play against my dad), but I do have my own super secret Mastermind moves. Ok, YouTube videos don’t classify as a secret strategy, but at least I finally understand the strategy involved in the game. Here’s the video that taught me how to win (enjoy!):

Source Citations:
“Mastermind (board game).” Wikipedia. September 9, 2009. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mastermind_game

My daughter has always called her tiny toddler, Desi, her “little monkey.” And what do monkeys do? They imitate the actions of those around them, which is handy when little ones work on developing motor skills, hand-eye coordination and reasoning. Consequently, there’s no bigger incentive to tempt a toddler to learn these important skills than by having her imitate her favorite animal – the very animal after which she is nicknamed in fact! For frustrated parents, and grandparents for that matter, the Learn to Dress Monkey from Alex Toys combines every aspect of dressing from head to toe, preparing little ones for their next great adventure.

What’s to like?

The Learn to Dress Monkey is the ideal “doll” for little ones because it can go everywhere kids go and do anything kids want it to do: sit during play, contort into those pretzel positions only kids can create, relax in a toy stroller, and cuddle during nap time. I wish my favorite friend was that versatile!

Besides being a great take-along companion, this well-dressed Monkey features 11 common dressing activities to help youngsters develop those tricky motor skills, while emphasizing reasoning and sequencing as they dress and undress this cute, lovable monkey. I love that in addition to enhancing my granddaughter’s pretend play, the Learn to Dress Monkey is teaching her to zip, lace, button, snap, loop and buckle shoes, put on socks, and pull on overalls, as well as to remove and replace shirts.

After raising 4 children and entertaining 4 grandchildren, I can honestly say that the best part about the Learn to Dress Monkey is that it’s the model house guest – it’s quiet, washable, colorful, lightweight, and gender neutral. And, parents will love to have the Learn to Dress Monkey along on trips because it wears its entire wardrobe and only requires the occasional banana!

At the end of the day

A fun-loving “dress me” favorite, the Learn to Dress Monkey is perfect for children ages 18 months and up and retails for $34.95!

This staff review was brought to you by Darla, a Warehouse Shipping Associate. Here’s a little more info (in her own words) about this dedicated Growing Tree Toys team member:
I have worked at the Growing Tree warehouse since November 2008 assembling, wrapping and shipping toys to our customers. When I’m not sending toys across the country, I enjoy busying myself with all my hobbies: counted cross-stitch, Sudoku, bird watching (Cornell winter bird counts), collecting Wade porcelain, 2 pet society finches, the Bible, and traveling to East Africa. I live outside of State College, PA with my husband, a retired fisheries biologist, and we have 4 children (and 4 precious grandchildren).

Play rooms should always have certain items designed for function and fun – a toy chest, books, tons of toys, and a cozy place perfect for kids to sit, read, draw, and play. But, just because adults are used to traditional tables and chairs, doesn’t mean that the play room has to follow those rules! The colorful assortment of Silly Soft Seating from P’kolino is perfect for adding a bit of spunk and personality to any play room, while also serving as a piece of versatile furniture that is ideal for imaginative play!

What’s to like?

Just look at their goofy smiling faces – these P’kolino chairs are just begging to play with your young one! Available in 4 colorful and quirky designs, this P’kolino Silly Soft Seating collection is certain to inspire hours of imaginative play, as kids make up stories about their new friends or incorporate these creatures into the creative events of their day. And while toddlers will simply love to play with their new buddies, there is more to these cute creatures than meets the eye!

Due to the lightweight nature of the thick high-density foam construction, kids can easily disassemble their friends to turn them into what they really are: Silly Soft Seating! These 3-piece chairs come apart easily, with the removal of the head and mouth forming a low-to-the-ground seat that is not only comfortable, but convenient and safe for growing toddlers. And while it may appear like the remaining pieces have no purpose, the small mouth can be used as a booster seat and the head piece flips over to become a little play table. In addition to the multi-functional uses of these chairs, the Silly Soft Seating is also the perfect kid size, measuring 10”Lx17”Wx16”H when fully assembled.

When I first saw this seating in person at Toy Fair this year, I was instantly drawn to the bright colors and unique design – I love that these pieces are engaging and entertaining, yet still super functional for children. I know I would have spent hours playing with the assembled creature, while also spending just as much time finding new purposes for the pieces that fall outside the chair aspect. Why use this cool product just as a chair when it’s so much more?

I also love that this 3-piece seat is extremely durable, yet lightweight, for ease of use and the safety of young ones. These chairs offer a snug, secure seat for little kids, but the pieces are light enough that they can spend all day taking them apart and putting them back together again for a new-age twist on the Humpty Dumpty rhyme.

And, when a little too much love, play, and sitting has this colorful seating looking a little dingy, you can remove the cover and wash the durable micro-fiber fabric to make kids’ friends “just like new.”

So, not only will the Silly Soft Seating add punch and pizzazz to the interior of the play room as a functional furniture piece, but these chairs will spark the imaginative fires of growing toddlers by giving them a cute creature to use for playing, sitting, reading, drawing, and more. Who knows what kids will do with these great chairs!

At the end of the day

The Silly Soft Seating from P’kolino, priced at a reasonable $39.95 a piece, comes in 4 styles for kids 12 months and up, including the orange Iggy, the red Kiko, the blue Pipa, and the green Tias. They are so cute that I know you will want all 4 seats for a cozy creature collection!

At first mention, Kidsonroof might appear like a slightly dangerous name for a brand of children’s educational toys. But, when you actually sit and think about it, the name becomes oddly appropriate. Teaching kids to think outside the box, dream big, aim high, be super creative – that’s what Kidsonroof promotes through their small but mighty line of constructive and imaginative playthings.

Distributed in the United States by Hip from Holland, we had the pleasure of encountering this brand for the first time at the 2009 Toy Fair in New York. As a buyer, I am constantly searching for new companies and toys, and the development of creative cardboard products had been an emerging trend we had noticed in the marketplace throughout 2008. But Kidsonroof proved to be so much more than the standard cardboard product, and it caught our eyes and enraptured us for more than a few reasons.

You’ve got to give to the Dutch, one thing they do know is how to create inspiring designs. And Kidsonroof is definitely not lacking in the amazing design department. You can’t help but look at the intriguing, engaging design of the Totem line of products – these building sets not only incorporate an exciting, functional building component, but they do so with colorful, unique pieces that add a whole new dimension to any of the finished products. We are quite partial to the Totem Tree Building Set – we love our tree logo, but the fantastic appearance of the finished tree in this kit is something that catches a lot of looks in our store’s front window, and rightfully so!

And while the building sets of the Kidsonroof line are amazingly colorful, we also love the White Casa Cabana House Kit because it actually lacks color! Perfect for promoting pretend play while inspiring the creative genius inside every child, this cardboard play house gives kids a big space for playing and pretending that also doubles as an amazing 3D art surface for bringing this toy to life as only kids can. This multi-purpose toy is not only a great investment because of the added play value, but when parents consider the amazing piece of art that kids can create with this house, they will be happy to know that they will have the cornerstone piece of their art collection!

Another reason that I love the line of Kidsonroof toys is that all of the items are made from recycled paper and are biodegradable, demonstrating to kids that you can have really cool toys that are also friendly to the environment. In fact, the only resource that these toys might be close to expending is the creative imagination of children – and we all know that is a pretty limitless supply!

I am sure that it takes a lot for a piece of cardboard to win over the general person, but believe me, we wouldn’t be selling Kidsonroof if it wasn’t all that and a bag of chips. The inspiration, the imagination, that wonderful Dutch design – their toys will bring some amazing play into any child’s life, in both a creative and socially responsible way! And, that’s why we love Kidsonroof, and we hope you do too!

Whether you’re going to visit the kids’ grandparents who live 3 hours away or trying to keep your kids focused on something other than cookies at the grocery store, there never seems to be a toy that can handle the challenge…until now! The Find It Glitz & Glamour Game from Find It Games is the hand-held, self-contained scavenger hunt game that will have kids spinning, shaking, and searching the day away.

What’s to like?

The Find It Glitz & Glamour Game is entirely self-contained – no complicated instructions, no loose pieces to misplace, and a million different ways to play! This pretty pink and purple game features 44 glamorous objects that every child can recognize including ballet slippers, a puppy, a cell phone, a curling iron, and the infamous penny – my favorite object to find since it really is tricky! And because every object is a different size and most blend with the recycled plastic pellets, finding all of them is always a challenge no matter how many times you play. Keep those eyes peeled!

Plus, when you run out of the included handy tear-off checklists (because you’ve played this game over and over again solo or with friends), there is a permanent list of objects printed on top of the canister so there’s always a list at your fingertips – play time will never be interrupted! Perfect for those times when pen and paper are nowhere to be found!

The Find It Glitz & Glamour is my favorite educational game because it builds deductive reasoning skills and patience, which enhance kids’ learning experience, but it’s perfect for improvisational play as well! I enjoy shaking the canister to create an impromptu maraca when I get tired of searching, but kids might love it for that reason first, rather than for the searching aspect. And, the octagonal canister ends make for easy-gripping to allow kids imaginations to run wild with endless possibilities as they search, toss, shake, and twist – the fun never stops with the Glitz & Glamour!

An awesome side-note – Find It Games cares about important causes! Find It Games has partnered with Susan G. Komen for the Cure to join the fight against breast cancer. From August 1, 2009 to July 31, 2010, they will donate $1.00 to the foundation for every Glitz & Glamour sold to retailers – with a minimum guaranteed donation of $25,000!

Not to be picky…

Now, while I think the Find It Glitz & Glamour Game is the perfect on-the-go distraction (and who doesn’t love that?), I discovered that after the objects are located they like to hang-out towards the outside of the canister. But perhaps this is actually the perfect play opportunity for kids! Find It Glitz & Glamour further encourages play by relying on kids to shake, twist and maneuver the objects back under the plastic pellets so the next game can begin! Or, change the rules of this scavenger hunt by challenging kids to locate objects in a certain order, which encourages kids to hide some of these objects again.

At the end of the day

For $19.95, the Find It Glitz & Glamour provides kids, 8 years and older, with lots of laughs, tons of play possibilities and a few free hours from “Are we there yet?” and “I want cookies!”