Toy Reviews

I had a lot of fun making these little candy soaps. The Creativity for Kids Petite Sweet Soaps Kit is unique, because it comes with six different colors of soap clay. The soap clay is softer and easier to manipulate than Sculpey clay and it washed off my hands very nicely—because it’s soap! I’d describe the smell as sort of flowery and old fashioned. You’ll be able to smell it as soon as you open the box.

There was more than enough clay to fill the candy box with treats and I even had some left over to make a big ball of glittery soap for the bathroom. And you don’t have to do any chemical operations or cooking because the soap clay is ready to go right out of the box.

The kit is recommended for ages five and up. But I’ve worked on art projects with many five year olds and in general they tend to rush through things, so I’d recommend this for ages seven and up. As usual, Creativity for Kids has included very helpful instructions and techniques to help kids make a finished craft that they’ll love.

I think the Petite Sweet Soaps Kit would make a very fun Christmas present. Order today through Sunday, December 12 and this (and any items on our site!) ship for just $3.95!

After reviewing the Automoblox Mini Cars Three Pack with her older son, Shannon of Potamus Prefers and her toddler son play with the Fantacolor Junior Color Sorting Set.

When we received the Fantacolor Junior Color Sorting Set to test out, I immediately opened it and was glad to see that it was super easy to set up. There are 16 picture cards and 48 chunky pegs that are perfect for chunky little toddler fingers. I got the toy out for my two year old and started showing him how the bright and colorful pegs fit into the toy and how easy it was to match them with the colors on the picture pages. At first, he lost interest pretty quickly, so I decided to put it away and try again later. He is very into cars and wheeled things and I have found that sometimes you have to introduce something different a few times before he shows interest. I have found some of his favorite toys by reintroducing toys a few times.

I brought the Fantacolor Junior set out again in a couple of weeks and this time both my two and three year old enjoyed playing with it for a good while. They also enjoyed sorting the pegs in little piles on the table. I feel the toy is age appropriate for two and three year olds and is a great learning tool for colors, color matching and sorting. It also packs up easily and is portable so it’s a great toy to take on trips or to let the boys play with while we are in the waiting room of doctor’s offices (who wants to play with the germy toys they provide). I love that it helps my two year old learn his colors and it has also helped his finger dexterity and helped him focus on an activity. I think this is good practice for preschool as I know he will have to stay on task for short periods of time there. It is a toy that promotes hand-eye coordination and that is something my toddler needed to work on.

I think this toy will last through my boys’ toddler years and will be one we can pass down to friends. The pictures are printed on a tough card material and they still look new after several months of use. I really like that the case turns into storage for the toy so I don’t have to store it separately. It is also neat for teaching kids how to take turns with other kids during play dates. Little ones can take turns putting the pegs in and can help each other put the toy away when they are finished with play time. I am glad that this is a toy that he won’t grow out of too quickly and can share with his brother that is only one year older than him. I would recommend the Fantacolor Junior Color Sorting Set to anyone looking for a gift for a little one’s birthday, holiday gift or any parent who wants a fun and educational toy that will travel well and take up very little space in your already packed car (I’ve taken road trips with babies and toddlers and know that it feels like you are packing the whole house when you leave).

For a closer perspective of the Fantacolor set, take a look at Shannon’s video review.

For more fun for toddlers, check out the rest from Quercetti Toys, like the Super Saxoflute Toy and Transparent Marble Run!

Today’s Try the Toy guest post is by Shannon of Potamus Prefers! Shannon and her son take a closer look at the Automoblox Mini Cars Three Pack.

We received the Automoblox Mini Cars Three Pack for my three year old to test out. I was eager to test these since I had seen them online and in toy stores and wondered if they would be durable, easy to play with and something my boys could learn from.

The cars came packaged in an easy to open box with no ties, baggies or other annoying packaging. The Automoblox Mini Cars went from box to boy play in seconds. That is a huge plus to this mom and to her kids. What child wants to wait precious minutes while their parents untie and unscrew the toy from the package? I can honestly say that when I am trying to decide between several toys for Christmas gifts or birthdays, I consider the packaging and an overly packaged toy can be a deal breaker.

There is no assembly required. Each car arrives already put together. This set includes a Mini Orange A9-S Convertible, a Mini Purple X9-X Sports Utility Vehicle and a Mini Blue M9 Sport Van. Each car consists of three blocks for the body, four wheels, two body connectors, one roof and two people. I believe this car is age appropriate for my three year old, but if you have younger children, the parts are small, so I would definitely wait until they are older or let them play with it only with an adult. For this reason, I only bring it out when my youngest son is napping or when my husband and I can be right there now because he puts everything in his mouth.

My son loves this toy. He brings it to me and wants me to play with it with him. He loves mixing and matching the cars and I love how easy the pieces pop together. He loves making funny vehicles and then we race them. That always elicits squeals of delight from him. My son has developmental delays from a chromosomal syndrome, but is very smart. He loves puzzles and putting things together and is a huge fan of cars and trains. This toy has really helped with his gross and fine motor skills. He goes to occupational therapy to help his dexterity and his hand-eye coordination (amongst other things) and toys like this really help him. He watches closely as he delicately attaches the wheels and pops on the tops of the vehicles. Another thing that this mother loves is that these toys are durable. The wood is sturdy and it has withstood an entire summer so far of toddler play and still looks brand new. I am glad that we will be able to pass these cars down to his brother when he is old enough for them. He already wants to play with the Automoblox cars as he loves cars and building blocks. This is the perfect combination of the two.

I can honestly say that this is just the beginning of an Automoblox collection for us. These toys are lots of fun, but simple enough that toddlers can start playing right away. Parents will love their durability and easy open packaging. I also love that there are three cars so it’s the type of toy that several children can play with at the same time to learn cooperative play. That is something we are working on and having toys that promote that skill is a huge bonus.

See the cars in action with Shannon’s video review!

For more creative and constructive fun, check out our whole Automoblox section!

Today, Susan Heim returns for another Try the Toy guest post. For more from Susan, check out her review of the Monster Trucks Custom Shop Kit, her blogger of the week interview with us, or see this post on her blog.

Thanks to the wonderful people at Growing Tree Toys, my twin boys were given the opportunity to try out one of their fun and fantastic toys: a Mini Hockey Goal, Stick & Ball Set made by Franklin Sports. This official licensed product for the NHL comes with a mini hockey goal, two mini hockey sticks, and two soft mini hockey balls! Unfortunately, the pictures I took of the boys playing it seem to have been erased from my camera, so I’ll have to take more at a future date, but I wanted to share with you how this toy has provided my boys (and my husband, a huge hockey fan) with lots of enjoyment!

Ease of Use: Although assembly is required for the mini goal, it was super easy to put together. In fact, I didn’t even have to look at the directions as I was able to assemble it just by looking at the picture on the box. Just slide the plastic tubes through the netting and hook them together! It only took me a couple of minutes. I’m not the world’s handiest person, so if I can put it together, you can, too.

Educational Benefits:

With two sticks, kids can compete with each other and begin to learn the sport of hockey! My husband enjoyed teaching them the rules of the game and how to get the balls into the net. And kids will get lots of exercise with this toy. It’s small enough to play indoors if you have a big enough space to play (and the soft balls won’t break anything) yet sturdy enough to play outdoors.

Longevity: The Mini Hockey Goal, Stick & Ball Set is well made. The plastic tubing is designed to withstand some beating. And the netting on the goal is made of all-weather polyester. The sticks are made of a hard, high-impact plastic. This game should last until the kids grow out of it!

Fun: This is the biggest plus of all … this toy is a lot of fun! It inspires creativity because kids can dream up different contests for competing with each other. They can also practice shots on their own so they can improve their scoring. This is the perfect toy for little boys … and girls, too!

Thank you to Susan and your boys for reviewing the Mini Hockey Goal, Stick Set! See more toys in action in our other Try the Toy posts.

Today’s “Try the Toy” guest post is by Susan Heim, mom four sons (twins, a high schooler, and one in college), and one of the first people we featured as Blogger of the Week!

Thanks to the wonderful people at Growing Tree Toys, my six-year-old boys were recently given the opportunity to try out a fun toy called the Monster Trucks Custom Shop Kit! As a mom, I love this kit because it is a craft and a toy in one. With four different monster trucks, kids get to decorate them the way they want with the enclosed paint and stickers. After their trucks are customized, they get hours of fun playing with them! You can see my boys working on their masterpieces in the pictures on this post. To make this kit last even longer, they each decorated one truck and have been playing with them. Then, some afternoon when we’re looking for more entertainment, I’ll get out the kit again and have them decorate the other trucks. Here’s my evaluation of this toy:

Ease of Use: This toy is very easy to set up. Everything’s included. We placed newspaper down on the table, removed the paints, brush and trucks from the box, and got started! The kit says it’s for ages 5 and up, with which I agree. The paint included is nontoxic, but it’s acrylic, which means it might be permanent if spilled, so I wouldn’t trust it with a child younger than 5. You’ll also want to don old t-shirts (as we did) or paint smocks. My only complaint is that I wish there were more paint colors (3 are included) and more brushes. There was just one paintbrush, so we had to dig up another. Otherwise, this was a very easy and fun project.

Educational Benefits: This kit really helps with fine motor skills as kids are required to paint on a very small surface. Challenge your child to paint patterns or designs on their cars. My boys looked at the pictures on the box for inspiration for their designs. Kids can also create ramps for their cars, design races and obstacle courses, and much more.

Longevity: The quality of this toy is high. My boys have been playing with it for several weeks, and haven’t managed to break the trucks yet! And trucks are an item that boys are interested in for many years. I don’t think my first-graders will outgrow this toy anytime soon.

Fun: The Monster Trucks Custom Shop Kit is definitely fun! My kids enjoyed both painting and playing with their trucks. They couldn’t wait to get started on them when they arrived, and never lost interest in these toys.

Conclusion: My boys really loved the Monster Trucks Custom Shop Kit. I’m definitely going to consider this when I need to buy a great birthday gift for one of their friends! This gets a “thumbs-up” from all of us.

Thank you to Susan and your boys for taking a closer look at the Monster Trucks Custom Shop Kit! See advice, reviews, and more from Susan at her blog, Susan Heim on Parenting.

No better time than the hottest weeks of summer so far to test the 6-in-1 Educational Solar Kit! One of our more popular gifts this summer, I’ve had my eye on it for a while.

Just like all Elenco Toys, the kit has everything you need for many hours of learning and fun. The directions are very clear of which parts you need for each of the six different solar models: Windmill, Revolving Plane, Airboat, Plane, Car and even a Puppy! Make on at a time; all are powered by the same solar module.

Let me frankly say that the module is a little tricky to put together! I’ll blame our adult-sized hands and guess that kids 10 and up would have an easier time inserting the white and green wires where they needed to go. You get the hang of it though.

As it says on the package, the parts all snap together and you don’t necessarily need any tools. They suggest using a diagonal cutter and we found one helpful for the initial removal of the plastic pieces out of the box.

You and your kids can decide what your favorite of the six is; ours was a tie between the Car and Revolving Plane. On a sunny day you really have to keep an eye on the car, because it moves quickly! Here too is a video of the Revolving Plane – you can see how fast it gets going in the sun!

No sun? No problem, really. While perhaps not quite as fun, you can put the solar panel near a halogen light bulb to get the motors moving. Note it only works for halogen lights, not fluorescent!

One more note, this kit proves that good things DO come in small packages! It’s all packed into a box that’s just 8″ x 7″ x 2″. But at just $24.99, the 6-in-1 Educational Solar Kit is a perfect multi-purpose kit for older kids. All will be amazed that the light we’re surrounded by every day can power these toys!

No surprise – we love playing with toys around here. See more staff toy reviews!