TDmonthly Magazine’s Review Scout scours the Web weekly for reviews of new and hot products so you don’t have to spend your time searching. Out of thousands of blog, retail and other sites, his research uncovers toys, games and other gifts that are worthy of your attention now. Check this space for briefs on reviews and ratings from across the nation and even the globe.
Tie Buddies by WIDGET WORKS INC
Tie Buddies were created by a mom to help fellow parents teach their children how to tie their shoes. The bright plastic Tie Buddies feature princesses or race cars and attach to shoelaces to make tying a snap. The characters on Tie Buddies help build the motor skills and confidence kids need to tie their own shoes. — Christin of the ABCD Diaries gave Tie Buddies an “A+” and her “Cool For School Seal of Approval.” Her daughter “loves the way they match her shoes and the pink fairy theme matches her personality perfectly.” — After trying the product with her daughters, Deb from Just a Mom’s Take on Things declared that “the best gift any parent can give their child’s teacher is to put a pair of Tie Buddies on their child’s shoes.” According to Deb, “Tie Buddies are so quick and easy – and effective, they should be on every kid’s laces.” — Angela, The Freebie Junkie, was amazed when her husband taught their five-year-old son to tie his shoes in minutes thanks to Tie Buddies.
Lunch Punch transforms everyday sandwiches into dogs, puzzles, elephants, airplanes and more. The extra-thick plastic punches are BPA free and ideal for everyday lunches, special occasions and parties. — As a mom of kids who hate crust, Jabbering Jessi loved that “With the help of Lunch Punch it is a snap to take off the dreaded crust.” Her daughter enjoyed the butterfly punch while her sons preferred the puzzle variety. — After trying Lunch Punch, Crystal of Kid Buy Products bragged “about how much work she put into making sure her children had sandwiches cut into little dolphins for lunch while secretly knowing that it only took me about 10 extra seconds to make them thanks to the crazy-cool little sandwich cutters.” Crystal praised the cutters for their large size (minimizing wasted bread) and durability
Designed for ages 6 months and up, this colorful set of 18 oversized building blocks is made in the USA from recycled plastic milk containers. The lightweight blocks are free of PVC, phthalates and BPA. Launch date: March 2010. — "Green Toys looks like a choice for parents that lean green and want a toy product that advertises no BPAs, no Phthalates and no PVCs. Really, a perfect first toy!" Jennifer Shuman, owner of 1SmartNoodle, told TDmonthly at Toy Fair 2010. — Jeremiah of Z Recommends appreciated that the blocks are “chunky but hollow, making them lightweight and giving them built-in handles all the way around for little hands.” Jeremiah found the moderate size of the set perfect “for those of us who already have plenty of toys, but no oversized-Lego-style locking blocks for toddlers.” — Reviewers on Amazon gave the Green Toys Blocks an average of 4 stars out of 5, praising the blocks for their large size and eco-friendly yet tough construction. However, some reviewers had trouble keeping the blocks attached to each other.
Word on the Street Junior by OUT OF THE BOX PUBLISHING
Each turn, one team flips over a category card and team members quickly brainstorm words that fit the category. The team agrees on a word before the time runs out and then pulls each letter in that word one lane closer to their side of the street. The first team to pull eight letters off the street wins. Word on the Street Junior is designed to encourage vocabulary development, creative thinking and teamwork, and is "great for all ages and all group sizes," Out of the Box VP of Marketing Leah Sugar told TDmonthly. Awards: 2010 Mensa Select; 2010 Major Fun; 2010 Oppenheim Gold; 2010 Dr. Toy Best Vacation Product; 2010 Parent's Choice Silver — Verlina Adema of What You Reading Now played Word on the Street Junior with her three children and enjoyed that the game required teamwork and brainstorming. As a homeschool mom, she appreciated that “This game incorporates visual, auditory and tactile learning styles so there is something for every child!” — The Board Game Family described Word on the Street Junior as the perfect party game because “every time we play it, we can’t stop with just one play…But that’s just great because the second game is always louder, more energetic, and lasts longer for a lot more fun.”
Writer's Bio: Peter Aoun is a communications professional focused on the toy industry. He has conducted research on the impact of music on learning, as well as the convergence of toys and technology to create new forms of play. Read more articles by this author
Writer's Bio: Peter Aoun is a communications professional focused on the toy industry. He has conducted research on the impact of music on learning, as well as the convergence of toys and technology to create new forms of play. Read more articles by this author
