Easy Go RC Thomas Train

A perfect way to introduce young kids to the fun of RC toys, with their favorite character, Thomas!  With only two buttons to chose from, the remote control is easy for those clumsy little fingers to handle…and when they see it go for the first time, magical.  The Thomas Easy Go RC Train is one of our Top3 pics for 2012.  My little one loves this toy still, and he’s been a going for 9 months now!

Eagle Talon Castle

Probably our number 1 favourite toy of the year was the Eagle Talon Castle.  The castle responds to the toys that comes with it…and with a hilarious voice at that…”Who is it??”  If you’re kids have this, you know exactly what I’m talking about.  My full review of the Eagle Talon Castle can be read on A Busy Mommy, but let me tell you…if it’s under your tree this year, it will not disappoint.  Plus, there area additional toys you can buy to build a fun, interactive collection!

Fisher Price Bubble Mower

I know there is snow on the ground, and it’s not time for mowing the lawn…but one of the most loved, most used toys in my house (or outside of my house) this year was the Fisher Price Bubble Mower.  This toy created hours and hours of fun and laughter with my little one pushing it around the yard.  He loved to pretend he was Just Like Daddy – mowing the grass – only he got to stop and try to catch bubbles!  If you have a little one, the Fisher Price Bubble Mower will be a blast!

I hope this helps with your last minute Holiday Shopping.  I know it can be hard to buy for our kids with so many choices out there.  And if you still have some of those Celebrate and Save coupons kicking around, be sure to match them up with some of the fantastic sales that go one in this last shopping week before Christmas!

Happy Holidays!

Laugh & Learn Stride-to-Ride Puppy
For the past year, Puppy has been one of my daughter’s friends. So, when we received this bigger ride-able version of puppy, we figured it would probably be a hit. And it was! Our daughter has loved pushing it around, pressing all the fun buttons (especially puppy’s red nose), sorting the shapes, and learning to ride on puppy’s back. This toy has been a lot of fun and it is a great choice toy for Christmas!

Amazing Animals Sing-Along Choo Choo
This is one toy that I was super excited about as soon as I saw it. We are a Disney loving family so I knew this one would hold a special place in my heart! And, every child needs a train! This train is a classic for children that provides the fun of baby Disney characters. Your child is sure to have fun with each character, pushing them along in the train, while listening to Disney musical favourites that you’ll love!

My Little Snugabunny Cradle ‘N’ Swing
Although our daughter has now grown out of it, this Fisher-Price My Little Snugabunny Cradle ‘N’ Swing is one of our most used toys (baby gear) this past year! This cradle/swing is truly luxurious with it’s plush fabrics, soothing design, and features like a relaxing mobile and music. When you see it, you will probably wish they had in adult size (no joke)! If you are shopping for a baby that is soon to arrive or one that is newly born, this is a piece of baby gear that you don’t want to be without. It is a gift that any new parent would appreciate!

So, if you are shopping last minute this year, head to the store with confidence knowing that these are three great options for the baby or toddler on your list! Happy Shopping and a very Merry Christmas to you and yours!

Well, if you still have a few kiddos to shop for – especially toddler boys! – I’m here to help. And what do I recommend for gift-giving this Christmas? Easy peasy – let’s just revisit Ryder and Reid’s Top 3 Fisher-Price toys from 2012!

(Clicking on the links below will take you to my full review – you’re welcome!)

Little People Wheelies Stand ’n Play Rampway - $45.00

Looking for a “wheelie” fun way to play with Little People Wheelies? On the Stand ’n Play Rampway, they zip and zoom up and down and all around! It’s over two feet tall, so the “wheelies” really zoom down each of the two spiral ramps. Plenty of lights and sounds as kids “drive” around, with a mechanic’s lift, a place to fill ’er up, a sign that spins when a car drives through and more!

Fisher-Price Signature Cadillac Escalade - $400.00

Loaded with luxury features! Real FM radio, see-through windows, chrome wheels and grill, doors that open and close, battery charge indicator, and more! 12-volts of battery power for two speeds forward (2.5 and 5 mph, max.) plus reverse on hard surfaces and grass with a high-speed lock-out for beginners and Power Lock Brake System.

Fisher-Price Imaginext Eagle Talon Castle - $50.00

Imagine … a world of action and excitement where you decide what happens next! This time, it’s a world of Medieval adventure, with a Castle that recognizes and responds to different accessories. Turn figure on different disks to activate defense mode. Talons lock the gate, shutters barricade the windows and the eagle’s head is revealed & ready to fire at the enemy!

All of the toys featured above are loved by my boys! They’ve received much play time and have stood up to many (many!) hours of toddler abuse. With just a few days left until Christmas, wishing you all the best with your last-minute holiday shopping! And if you’ve got children on that list?

Trust me – Fisher-Price has them covered.

Housed permanently in our living room his Little People^® Wheelies™ Loops ’n Swoops Amusement Park™ is an everyday toy for my toddler. He stands, squats, and sits during play helping him develop his physical skills. He puts cars up – watches them roll down and runs across the room to retrieve them. Seriously, this is an amazing toy for a toddler.

The toy that taught him to clap on time…his Stand-Up Ballcano™. He flaps the roller ball to make the music start. Watching the platform rise which pushes the balls down the three different sides of the toy. It develops his eye tracking and forecasting skills. And it is music which doesn’t drive me crazy (a rarity with children’s toys). I know this is a hot ticket item for gifting…and it is because it’s awesome.

Lost cost but high entertainment his Fisher-Price Wheelies are by far…his favourite toy ever. These little cars are always in our diaper bag and are perfect on-the-go fun whether we are waiting in a doctor’s office, having a family dinner at a restaurant or for car seat play while we are on the road.  When people asked me what to get my son for Christmas (or his birthday which falls the day after Christmas!) my answer was easy…please add to his Wheelie collection.  They are his favourite toys. Period.

MY SHAMELESS  MOM RECOMMENDATION: I have to add 1 more recommendation – not toy related at all – but Mom’s Favourite…my Fisher-Price Deluxe Sporty Diaper Backpack (Black) with FastFinder Pocket System. I use this diaper bag – every – single – day. It keeps me hands-free (’cause my hands are usually holding the baby). LOVE IT.

When gifting toys, oftentimes I think of what has been a huge hit with own girls and go from there. Are you the same way? If you haven’t thought of that approach, I urge you to do so. It can really take away a lot of the stress of holiday shopping.

For instance, I can easily look back at some of their favorite Fisher-Price toys over the past year, and there alone I have great gift ideas for toddlers and preschoolers. So, to make it easier on you, I have my personal favorite top 3 Fisher-Price gift ideas.

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#1} When composing this list, I forst asked the girls which toy were their favorites. To them, tops has to be the Loving Family Grand Dollhouse. Technically the girls got this toy near the end of 2011, but even a whole year later it’s still their most-loved toy so it had to make this list. They play with the house {and the Loving Family Beach Vacation Mobile Home}, daily. And I mean every.single.day.

It’s says a lot to me when a toy is played with so frequently, yet still remains as it was on day 1. They have many toys, yet they keep coming back to this house, so kudos for durability and longevity.

Learning through play, the girls master creativity, imagination as well as their motor skills.

#2} The Power Wheels Barbie Cadillac Escalade Custom Edition was one huge surprise that left the girls speechless, and it’s also one toy which made our Summer of 2012. I cannot even count how many times the girls zoomed up and down the sidewalk and explored all the neighbors’ driveways.

#3} A toy that hasn’t been in the house for too long, yet chosen by my girls as one of their favorites of 2012 is the Disney Princess Song Palace Playset. They are girly-girls at heart and love playing ‘house’ yet also have a deep and intense love for Disney Princesses. They have all adored Little People Playsets for years upon years, so it’s a given that they immediately ‘took’ to this set. While playing, they sing and role play and while it is a smaller set, all 3 play with it together.

Something for every age, covering all aspects of learning and at so many price points – there’s something for everyone on your list this year thanks to Fisher-Price.

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1. Lots of moving parts. The Eagle Talon Castle fires disks at the enemy and its talons lock the drawbridge. There’s a catapult and a cannon to fire, too. The Imaginext Batcave has elevators, a drawbridge and grappling hooks. All the sets come with action figures, and the Batcave comes with a Batcycle, too. There’s lots for little fingers to do, and all the pieces are solid and durable.

2. Creative play. One day you’re the good guy and the next day you’re the bad guy. What will happen today? And the playsets are all interchangeable: Batman hops on his Batcycle and storms the castle, trying to liberate Robin from the castle jail while the knights hold him at bay. And suddenly the Imaginext Mega-T-Rex roars as he tramples over all of them, chomping them to bits in his giant jaws! Variations on this theme play out over and over again as the boys interchange toys in their ongoing adventures. I love toys that are open-ended instead of prescriptive – there is no ‘right’ way to play with the Imaginext toys, and no rules to follow. Well, aside from the fact that you cannot under any circumstances fire your projectiles at the cat, no matter how funny you think it is.

3. Works for solo and collaborative play. The Batcave and the Eagle Talon Castle are big toys – the castle stretches out to nearly a meter in length. We’ve had up to four kids playing with it at once with no casualties! There’s lots of room to share, and you can play on either side of the toys. But, when the big boys have found something else to do, there’s still lots of fun to be had by one creative kindergartener and his overactive imagination.

We love the Imaginext toys so much that there will be a few under the tree this year for our chief toy tester, Lucas. I don’t want to give away the secret, but there may just be an epic battle between the Mega-T-Rex and the Imaginext Dragon taking place on the castle ramparts on Christmas morning. The evil Imaginext Ogre may make an appearance – do you think he’s any match for the Joker?

If you’re still wondering what to get the little people on your holiday shopping list, here’s a couple of posts I wrote last year talking about some of our favourite Fisher-Price toys:
Holiday Gift Guide – ages 6 and up
Holiday Gift Guide – ages 2 to 5

And here’s a couple of reviews of some of our favourite Fisher-Price toys from 2011 and 2012:
Kid-Tough Digital Camera
Wheelies Loops and Swoops Amusement Park
DC Superfriends Little People

What’s important to you when you’re choosing toys for the little people in your family? How do you calculate play value? Are there any Fisher-Price toys that might be making an appearance at your place this holiday season?

If you are shopping for a little one this Holiday Season and need a few ideas.  I have listed a couple that have been hits for us!

1. Laugh & Learn™ Learning Kitchen™ – We got this kitchen a couple years ago when my youngest was just learning how to walk.  With two areas of play; the fridge and the stove, there is always lots for kids to do.  Plus, it isn’t ginormous so they can sit on the floor and play and then it folds up with all of the pieces inside for easy storage.
2. Little People^® Wheelies™ Zig the Big Rig™ – Zig is a super cute truck with a ton of personality.  As soon as you turn him on he starts to chat and moves his eyes back and forth.  Kids can drive him around with all of their wheelies loaded in the back or open the gate and watch them all race across the floor.
3. Go Baby Go!™ Poppity-Pop™ Musical Dino – A popular toy with my niece, this musical Dino moves the balls around in it’s belly before spitting them out onto the floor.  The balls are the perfect size for little hands and they encourages crawling when they pop out of the Dino around the room.
4. Little People^® Zoo Talkers™ Animal Sounds Zoo™ -  Split into 4 different sections the Zoo talkers playhouse has a jungle area, swamp, arctic ice slide and rainforest. In total there are 14 figurines in the collection, but this set comes with 4; a zookeeper, polar bear, Gorilla and Lion.
5. Lil’ Zoomers™ Spinnin’ Sounds Speedway™ – This cool raceway lights up, while it spins the cars around. Little ones love watching their favorite vehicle race around and then see which one wins.

1. Imaginext^® Eagle Talon Castle – This castle has been the source of many hours of play for both my boys and their friends.  It has a permanent place in my living room and gets played with every day.
2. Imaginext^® Mega T-Rex – If your child is a dinosaur love then they will love the Mega T-Rex.  His arms and neck move and his jaw opens and he fires launchers.  There is a cockpit on the back of him that will hold a figure and he roars to let his enemies know he means business!
3. Little People^® Wheelies™ Loops ’n Swoops Amusement Park™ – A follow up to the Stand ’n Play™ Rampway, the Loops ’n Swoops Amusement Park is made a little cooler with the addition of a roller coaster.  My boys could sit and watch their cars (any car they can find) whip down this ramp and go through the loop all day long.
4. Power Wheels^® Dune Racer - How cool is this Dune Buggy?  My boys had the chance to test drive it while on the Power Wheels course on Allure of the Seas in October and couldn’t stop talking about how cool it was.  Plus, there is room for two so they if you have two kids, they can both be in the ride-on and take turns driving!
5. Thomas & Friends™ TrackMaster ™ Risky Rails Bridge Drop – This TrackMaster set comes with enough track to create the ‘Risky Rails Bridge Drop’ but can be expanded to increase the play opportunities.  The train is motorized  so your little ones can just sit back and enjoy the ride!

To help you find the right toy, Fisher-Price has created their ‘Playtime Guide’.

Cross-reference able by age and interests, friends or family, are given suggestions of toys that a child in that age bracket may like.

If you are looking for a toy for your 6 month-old niece the guide will suggest toys that help will early developmental skills, like stacking and crawling.

Toddlers who are 12 months+ are on the move so their suggestions help these busy babies with balance, mobility and coordination.

Based on the ‘Elements of Enrichment’, each toy is also accompanied by a symbol that indicates which skills it helps promote.

Parents will like that each age comes with Play & Learn activities, and Playtips. The Fisher-Price website also has a lot of good information for parents looking for games, crafts or milestone markers.

Beat induction is when a regular sequences of tones, lights and/or beats occur at equalized time internals and/or regularly and are noticed when someone listens to sounds or music. Things such as lights can be used to show the beat of the music. Although we usually don’t think of this in technical terms, it is something that we do on a regular and natural basis when listening to music. When listening to music, we will notice the pulse of a rhythmic pattern (even though it may not be distinct).  In other words, the pulse of the music is being induced while listening to it. Beat induction tells us when to stop, slow down, etc.

Fisher-Price believes that the process of beat induction is a fundamental musical trait.  That is why they have developed a special line of toys that offer beat induction through rhythmic sounds, patterns and music.  These toys help to teach cause and effect (for example, you press a button and music starts playing) and encourage cognitive development.

Recently, we had the opportunity to try out Fisher-Price’s brand new Stand-up Ballcano. My husband’s first reaction was, ‘I love the music’. I do too – and so does my daughter. It makes us all move to the beat!

Because our daughter LOVES balls and is a huge fan of music, this toy was a great addition to her toy collection. She seemed to really enjoy all the sounds, music, and the flashing lights. As soon as we started exploring the Stand-up Ballcano and the music started to play, she started to move in beat to the music. Our daughter loves to dance but this is the first time I think she has actually danced to a toy that plays music. Fisher-Price has clearly used the research on beat induction to develop a great group of toys that are sure to be a hit in your home!

From the first time we tried this toy, my husband and I (and clearly my daughter) could tell that it stood out from other toys and offered a special experience.  This is a toy that my husband and I actually enjoy listening to.  When talking in my groups of friends and with family members, a common topic of conversation is how they appreciate toys with an off switch, because often the sounds and music are geared towards children and not their parents. With these toys, they might just change their mind! This music is great for children and adults alike!

Think the jingles, flashing lights and beats are put together randomly? Never! There’s actually a science behind it -

“Beat induction” is the process in which a regular sequence of tones, lights or beats occur regularly and/or equal time intervals while one listens to music or other sounds. Lights and colours can also be included to emphasize the beat – as in the timed, flashing lights in the Rainforest Jumperoo. It can be considered a fundamental musical trait that, arguably, played a decisive role in the origins of music and cognitive development.

One of my fondest memories of Reid as a baby was the way his eyes lit up as the music began. Then, the rhythmic bounce, bounce, bounce as the sounds and colours came alive. And there’s a reason why babies love to stay in the Jumperoo – and often cry when they’re lifted out – it’s because the musical tones and sounds both stimulate and prolong play. In fact, the more a child gives feedback to the toy, the stronger it reinforces the connection between learning through play.

Fisher-Price believes in this process and has developed an area of toys that offer rhythmic sounds, patterns and music using this beat-based rhythm process. They include:

Cruise & Groove Ballapalooza – Laugh & Learn Learn & Move Music Station – Disney Baby Amazing Animals – Sing-Along Choo-Choo – Laugh & Learn Fun With Friends Musical Table – Laugh & Learn Dance & Play Puppy – Laugh & Learn Magical Musical Mirror – Go Baby Go! Poppity-Pop Musical Dino – Little People Surprise Sounds Fun Park – Brilliant Basics Musical Activity Walker – Rainforest 1-2-3 Musical Gym – Precious Planet Kick & Play Piano – Luv U Zoo Crib-to-Floor Activity Piano – M3 Mickey

Both my boys are very musical, but it’s little Reid who has really taken to shaking his booty. He’s currently our budding Baryshnikov – yes, we enrolled him in dance classes! And I’d like to think that his training began with a little help from the Rainforest Jumperoo