We also have our Gift Finder to help you narrow down our toy selection by age, gender, price and brand. See some favorites below. Perhaps you need some stocking stuffers or other smaller surprises? Browse through hand-picked toys $15 and under!

Another new section on our site is the automatically-updating list of our Most Popular Toys, showing you exactly what is being purchased for kids in real-time.

If you’re looking to start your holiday shopping and avoid the Black Friday madness, you can save 15% NOW on all orders over $99 at GrowingTreeToys.com! This deal is valid online only and ends on 11:59 PM PST, Friday, November 25th!

• Alex Toys
• Beka
• Bruder Toys
• Calico Critters
• Corolle Dolls
• Creativity for Kids
• Educational Insights
• Franklin Sports
• Kettler
• Kid Galaxy Toys
• Lamaze Toys
• Manhattan Toy
• Melissa & Doug
• Papo Toys
• Plan Toys
• Ravensburger
• Ryan’s Room
• Schleich Toys
• WOW Toys

Please do visit our entire alphabetical brand page, so you can see all that we carry from Automoblox to Zoomorphs!

• One of our most expansive departments, among our Arts & Crafts for Kids you’ll find kits proper for younger and older kids, plus easels, supplies, and themed projects like sports, nature, and fashion design.
• We keep all our fun, stimulating toys for little ones in one convenient spot: our Baby Toys! (Is Baby growing up? See Toddler Toys below!)
• Even bath time is a time to learn with engaging Bath Toys!
• The iconic educational playthings, we have Books that are sure to make young ones to look forward to reading and learning.
• Our Construction Toys include tons of ways to build (and tear down!) a structure – from wooden blocks and marble runs and magnetic sets, to toys proper for toddlers or preschoolers.
• Find dolls, special accessories and comfy places to stay and play with our Dolls & Doll Houses!
• Help kids get ready for school and a lifelong “career” of learning with Early Learning Toys, with dressing toys, sorting toys, and ways to study different subjects just for preschool-aged kids.
• Board games, sports games, brain-teasers, and more – tons of our Games for Kids are fun for the whole family as well!
• Outfit a kids’ room with Kids Furniture made just for them, from top brands like Guidecraft, Kidkraft and P’kolino.
• Whether kids like to sing, play an instrument, or simply make noise, our Musical Toys provide many ways for children to express themselves through song.
• Is there anything more fitting for kids than outdoor play? Browse our Outdoor Toys for fun toys that fly, toys that make bubbles, toys to ride andn so much more!
• Hard to sum up in three short words, our massive Pretend Play Toys include many ways for children to use their imaginations. Who do they want to be today?
• Puzzles are perfect for individual playtime, or to engage with others to see how fast the pieces can be put together. Here you can find simple, early puzzles from Educo and Melissa and Doug, as well as challenging ones from Ravensburger for older kids!
• Many years before they get their first car, they can have their first trike, scooter or bike among our Ride On Toys from top brands like Kettler and Radio Flyer.
• Learn to use the scientific method and feel the excitement of finding the solution with our Science Kits and Toys. This busy category includes chemistry kits, “gross” kits, microscopes and more for young scientists to learn from!
• Take a look through our Toddler Toys for playthings just for that special age group. Find toys from categories mentioned, like riding toys, puzzles and musical toys, just right for younger kids.
• From remote control cars and construction toys planes and boats, look through our Toy Cars and Vehicles to find racing, flying, and building toys perfect for those kids that are always on the go.
• Our Trains and Train Sets are perfect for the younger sets, with the iconic favorite, Thomas the Tank Engine, among the trains you’ll find here.
• Whether you’re on the way across the country or across town, our Travel Toys make it easy to have fun anytime and anywhere!

We hope this quick overview of all of our toy departments help you with your holiday shopping needs this season! Thanks for reading!

Our selection of baby toys for little ones up to 12 months proves you’re never too little to play! Stimulating toys that promote learning and growth, babies enjoy things that rattle or make other noise, are decorated with bright colors, or otherwise make them smile. Start them off right!

As one year olds grow, they are always on the go and ready for more involved playtime. They are developing imaginations and learning how to pretend, as well as growing confidence. They can use foot to floor ride on toys, stacking and sorting toys, as well as early learning toys.

2 year olds are ready to play! Busy toddlers are learning to play on their own but still often need (and want) help from parents and older siblings. These kids like to play with their hands, put things together and watch things work, so bath toys, musical toys, and construction toys are just right!

There may not be a bigger stage advancement between age groups than that of 3 and 4 year olds. These preschoolers are full of energy and ready for new experiences. They love ride-on toys, puzzles, early craft projects and more.

Early school-aged children, 5 and 6 year olds, hit huge strides in growth and development. While they are reading and learning to solve problems, they still enjoy pretend play and using their imaginations.

Developing more of an independent streak, 7 and 8 year olds definitely have more “favorites” and know how they want to spend their spare time. They are ready for tougher strategy games and more complex kits as their minds continue to expand.

9 and 10 year olds are growing fast, spending more time away from home and learning more about what they like and don’t like. They can take advantage of individual games and activities when they want some time alone, while more social activities like games and sports toys are fun for open-ended play with others.

As kids reach 11 years and older playing with “toys” may be far from their radar. Yet it is important that these older kids still find time to relax, unwind, and simply have fun! Puzzles, sports toys, and open-ended art and science kits would be among the enjoyable toys for this diverse group.

As always, kids may not necessarily fit in with their numerical age group! Use your best judgement and the experience you have with the child you are shopping for to decide if perhaps a toy labeled as ages 6 and up may just be appropriate for that bright 4-year-old.

Also check out our Gift Guide for our favorites for gift-giving, with about 50 toys hand-picked by each age group.

Happy Shopping! Come back to our blog to read more ideas for shopping within our fun toy departments or finding toys from your favorite toy brands.

So what have we been up to, and what’s going on this summer? Well, we’re a relatively small company, but in a way we are “Growing” with two babies arriving in the span of about three months! Looks like we have a couple new in-house product reviewers.

So thanks to everyone for reading, and we’ll be back soon! In the meantime don’t forget to visit our website, and say hello on Twitter and/or Facebook. Best wishes for a wonderful summer from all of us at Growing Tree Toys!

To get started, simply find a toy on our site that you are familiar with, and review away! The chances you have to win grow with how many reviews you write!

- Write up to 5 approved reviews – get 5 contest entries per review!
- Write 6-10 approved reviews – get 10 contest entries per review!
- Write 11+ approved reviews – get 25 contest entries per review!

In addition, each day this month, one reviewer will automatically receive a $10 voucher towards any merchandise on our website! Each daily winner will be selected from all current entries.

On top of the entries into the contests, you’ll also receive the regular benefits of our Rewards program! You’ll get 25 points for a standard text-based review that is at least 50 words. Add a photo for 50 points or a video for 75 points. Not in Rewards yet? You’ll also earn points just for signing up!

Thank you – and good luck! Click here to get started!

Crafty related posts have been popular since we started this blog, so here’s a brief look back at some of our favorites.

Here in our home of State College, PA, the arts are front and center in early July for the annual Central PA Festival of the Arts, AKA Arts Fest! This past summer, we highlighted some favorites from Children’s Day. In the past we also mentioned one of the top draws at this festival and other events around the world: sidewalk chalk creations.

We see so many great blogs and websites that showcase projects and creations of all kinds. But one of our favorites is Made by Joel! He creates anything out of everything and it’s all centered on fun. We’re very happy to hear he is debuting a book of 35 craft projects entitled “Made to Play” in October!

A tough thing about crafting (and any sort of project!) is how to keep everything in order. Here are some simple solutions to keep supplies organized, from containers around the house that can be repurposed, to various vessels that are works of art in themselves!

A childhood favorite is on display in this post – Lanyards Maybe you know these knotted, summer camp standbys as “Scoubidou” or “boondoggle.” No matter what you call them, these colorful crafts keep kids busy, and are entirely mess-free.

See other arts & crafts themed posts on our blog, including holiday craft ideas. Of course, watch for more!

If you are not yet signed up to receive our Email Updates, today’s the day to sign up! Our next email will feature more of the wonderful world of crafting.

The friendly reminder to adults to read to children emphasizes that we all need to find time to “unplug,” relax, and read, every day! Naturally, though, there are new, technology-savvy ways to learn. You’ll be impressed by this collection of Dr. Seuss-themed apps that are fittingly on sale today!

Here at Growing Tree Toys, we have a fun variety of books from soft baby books to Klutz books that will encourage your kids (and you!) to take a break to read and learn. Kids can even become “authors” themselves with our Create Your Own 3 Bitty Books Kit!

For more about Read Across America Day and reading in general, visit the NEA Read Across America website or see more about the fun of Dr. Seuss at Seussville.com.

Now, I think any age group would find this quite exciting! From the Exploratorium in San Francisco is the Science of Music Dot Mixer, where anyone can become a DJ! You literally drag and drop colored dots onto the screen, the more you drag, the more beats that are mixed together. They recommend using headphones for the full effect!

More from San Francisco – their Symphony also wants kids to have fun with music on their SFS Kids site. There you can find their Music Lab that teaches the basics (literally, the staff and the notes), harmony, rhythm, tempo and so on. When you’re all set, you can use the “Composerizer” to put together all you’ve learned! Very neat.

We see why this interactive opera of Hansel & Gretel won a “Best In Class” Interactive Media Award! Before you customize your opera, you can go “backstage” and learn more about opera and its terminology, fairy tales, different vocal ranges, and more. They do such a great job in relating to what kids understand, like equating the “melody” to “happy kids jumping.” Your child’s name will even be customized on the program!

Technology is well-utilized in this collection of children’s singalong songs. For each song, say Row, Row, Row Your Boat there are videos that demonstrate the song in action. You can also view the song’s lyrics (gently down the what?) and even download the sheet music in several keys.

For more fun with music that can be had at any time, browse our Musical Toys!

Hansel & Gretel images are from the Classical KUSC Kids site, while you can see (and more importantly, hear!) the whole Dot Mixer experience courtesy of the Exploratorium site.

But wait, there’s more! Although we are temporarily out of Hexbug Nano Habitat Sets there are exciting developments on the horizon. Soon Hexbug Nanos are going to have a new habitat—one that glows in the dark! Just turn off the lights and watch these silly robots scurry through tunnels and trenches that are all aglow. The Glow in the Dark Hexbug Nano Habitat Set will be available exclusively through Specialty Toy retailers, like us! So be sure to check back or sign up for our email list!

Congratulations Hexbugs, well deserved!