Toy Talk

Manufacturer of the coolest wooden cars around, Automoblox had some exciting news to share recently:

Automoblox announces their sponsorship of Highcroft Racing. The Automoblox logo will be featured on the rear of the #1 HPD ARX-01c chassis that Highcroft will campaign in this year’s American Le Mans Series.
(via Facebook)

How cool is that? It even goes a step further as kids (and we bet, a lot of BIG “kids”) can have a Highcroft-branded Automoblox of their own. The wooden replica will even have its own trailer.

Watch for these newest additions to the Automoblox family in April! You can get more of the latest news from Automoblox via their Facebook page. (Check us out as well on Facebook or @growingtreetoys!)

A day many anticipate is finally tomorrow: the Vernal Equinox, better known as the first day of Spring! We look forward to the picnics, playtime and overall fun that the season provides.

Another occasion that stimulates spring-like thoughts is of course, Easter! Bunnies and chicks, eggs and food coloring, and like it or not, chocolates and candy help bring out the fun of this festive holiday. Set for an April 4th celebration this year, it’s time to think about what to place in those Easter baskets!

With that in mind, we’ve built a section of special Easter Basket Toys, all at the perfect size AND perfect price (less than $15!) Find crafts, fun for the outdoors and more. Rest easy knowing your Easter shopping is almost complete while a special child in your life will have fun and learn from their new educational toy!

Of course, we want your holiday surprises to arrive on time! Please order by March 24th for standard delivery, or by the 31st for expedited delivery.

So, Happy Weekend, Happy Easter and Happy Spring from all of us at Growing Tree Toys!

Today, one of our managers, Sarah (and Kettrike expert!) answers a very common customer question, especially as the temperatures start to creep up!

Question: With Spring just around the corner, I wanted to buy one of the Kettler Trikes for my child. With so many choices, how do I know which one is best for me? Is there one that you recommend more than any other?

Answer: At first glance, it is very difficult to tell the differences between all of the Kettler trikes and choosing the best one to suit your needs. However, each trike is unique and has specific special features. The first question I always ask a customer is whether or not they plan on using the pushbar with the trike. Using the pushbar makes the trike more of a type of “stroller,” allowing the child to sit back, relax and enjoy the ride while the parent pushes the trike with a removable handle. All of the trikes featured on our site come with the pushbar.

I highly recommend that when using the pushbar, you want a trike that has the Parental Locking Mechanism™ and the 3 in 1 Auto-Free Wheel™. The Parental Locking Mechanism™ allows parents to easily lock the handlebars, preventing the rider from moving the front wheel. This allows the parent to be in complete control of the movement of the trike. The 3 in 1 Auto-Free Wheel™ allows the rider to rest their feet on the pedals without them spinning with the front tire. As a side note, the trike must have this feature if you wanted to purchase the Lil–Foote Kettrest as an accessory to the trike.

Then there are the different frames and seats. Only two of the trikes, the Air Navigator and the Jumbo, have the wide seat. The one downfall to the wider seat is that you cannot adjust its position. With the narrower seat, you get four seat adjustments. Some people prefer this, as it helps the trike grow with the child. Each trike has between 4-5 frame adjustments as well. It is a personal preference when it comes to choosing between the S-Shape and the Straight tube. However, if you ever want to use the Tandem Insert, you need to have a trike with the S-Shape frame.

And then of course, there are the cosmetic features. One of my favorite is the rear tipping bucket. Having a place to put your favorite toys while riding is a MUST! The color of the trike is also a big decision. In the past, there weren’t many choices as Kettler only made the trikes in primary colors. Today, you can still find those classic colors, but you can also pick a Happy Plus trike in cool themes like Princess or Construction. Lastly, there are the two different types of wheels, the Komfy-Ride™ Air Tires and the MaxXtread™ tires. Both are good quality tires with plenty of tread for hours and hours of outdoor riding. Some say the air tires make the ride smoother. To me, both the Komfy-Ride™ Air Tires and the MaxXtread™ tires are a big step up from those loud, cheap Big Wheels tires I had growing up!

If I had to choose one trike that is my absolute favorite it would be, hands down, the Happy Navigator. I like the look of the classic colors, and it has the tipping bucket. I also like that is has the maximum number of seat/frame adjustments. It may be one of the more expensive trikes, but I know that I would get my money’s worth, as it will last forever!

For more, check out all of our Kettler items (many with videos!) and special accessories.

Do you have a question for our toy experts? Reply to this post or share your question on Facebook!

What can I say – sorry for the delay on the highlights of the 2010 Toy Fair! Sometimes – who am I kidding, ALL the time – sifting through the notes, catalogs, handouts, and the other material we get at Toy Fair is a laborious, time-consuming process.

But, we are definitely not complaining over here because it is always fun to review the new products, feel the excitement of finding a brand new manufacturer, share notes on the fun toys with which we played, and start filling our warehouse and store with the latest and greatest of the toy world. And while the 4 days felt like a whirlwind of toys, toys and more toys, we have had some time to review, and to relax, and we are happy to clue you in on some of the things we saw and loved!

We always feel like we are lacking in great outdoor toys for kids – while we have a lot, we think we should have more! That is why we are overly excited to finally be bringing Zing into our product mix. Talk about a great line of thrilling toys for kids of all ages – I caught Jon enthusiastically playing with more than one of the toys in their booth (don’t deny it Jon!). From the coolest flying toys to the smallest hopping action toys, Zing has a bit of indoor and outdoor fun for everyone.

But, for those that want to exercise their brains instead, the introduction of Recent Toys was a mind-bending pleasure indeed! We are excited to add this new game manufacturer, and the hand-held brainteasers of this company will not only captivate children (and adults!), but they will surely offer hours of challenging game play.

And let’s not forget what some of our current manufacturers debuted at Toy Fair, like the exciting new Wild Science line from International Playthings, the absolutely adorable Groovy Girl dress up clothes and Fraggle Rock dolls from Manhattan Toy, new Le Toy Van/Papo castles for both knights and their evil counterparts, the reintroduction of the retro Bed Bugs game from Patch (one of my childhood favorites!), the sweet selection of soft toys from Kids Preferred, the astounding assortment of new products from Alex Toys, and the list just goes on and on!

While we always pick out new toys year-round, this time of year is always full of exciting decisions that allow me to tap into my inner child and get SUPER-enthusiastic about the toys we plan on carrying. Whether they unearth some of my favorite childhood memories – like travelling down to Fraggle Rock or pulling my Fisher-Price xylophone – or they allow me to picture little girls dressed up as their favorite Groovy Girl, I love imagining the hours of fun and play these toys bring to children, as well as the “child-at-heart” in all of us.

Well, time to get back to work and get some of these new toys in here for you to enjoy! While some of these products will make their “debut” in our store and on the website soon, sadly some will still be months away. Either way, we will be sure to let you know when they arrive!

Bed Bugs Game Image Source:
Board Game Geek. http://www.boardgamegeek.com/image/35248/bed-bugs?size=large

A few years back, my hometown grocery store, Albertsons, made some strong efforts to make the often-mundane shopping experience just a little more “fun,” in the broadest sense of the term. One element of this was strictly for the kids: metal shopping carts in just their size. The store probably only had two dozen of them, and they sure became a hot commodity fast. We knew when to go so my little sister could be one of the lucky ones with a cart!

Thanks to Melissa & Doug, all kids can enjoy the real experience of grocery shopping from their own perspective!

The Melissa & Doug Metal Grocery Cart Toy is sturdy and well-constructed, and just like what you’d find in the store. (Well, except that it is kid-sized of course, at about two feet tall.) The wheels swivel for easy maneuvering through the aisles, and the seat even folds so a favorite doll or stuffed animal can come along for the ride.

Looking for ways the cart could enhance your next shopping trip? Here are some simple ideas:

• Teach kids about frugality and list-making, and maybe even let them pick out a couple items. What a great way to learn about healthy foods and saving money!
• Use the small cart for the ingredients to make a favorite dinner: say lasagna noodles, sauce, cheeses, a loaf of bread, and frozen yogurt for dessert.
• Fill the little one’s cart with little things: collect baby carrots, cherry tomatoes, baby mushrooms, miniature marshmallows, or any of the many items that now come pint (or smaller) sized.
• Have trouble remembering to bring your reusable bags along when heading to the grocery store? If your kid falls in love with this cart, you’ll probably not have a hard time remembering to stick it in the back of the car. Just put your bags inside.

Of course, this cart is perfectly suitable for all kinds of pretend play at home. Sure, the kids can round up wooden play food (or perhaps food from your pantry!), but imagine what else may make its way into this cart. Maybe it can even aid in tidying up around the house!

(Colourful Shopping Carts photo by Jim, accessed via http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Colourful_shopping_carts.jpg)

The highly entertaining 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, British Columbia came to a close with a thrilling gold medal game in men’s hockey between the United States and host Canada. In what was the most publicized and popular hockey game since the 1980 “Miracle on Ice” U.S. victory over the then-U.S.S.R., the commentators acknowledged how kids would be on their rinks and streets back home pretending to be the stars of the game.

Perhaps, though, some kids don’t need to wait for “superstar” status. Between periods, pro hockey games often feature on-ice entertainment, from funny games to shot competitions. In a 2009 Boston Bruins game, 9-year old Oliver Wahlstrom may have fooled everyone with this crafty goal.

He hardly even looks like a 9-year old in the video! Can you imagine how impressed the fans (and maybe any scouts in the stands!) must have been?

Stay tuned for more kids doing amazing things here at the Growing Tree Toys blog.