Early Years Push n Go Turtle
(International Playthings $11.95 Score:)

Push the shell on the little green turtle and its little head and legs move as it quickly scoots forward across the floor. Talk about making things happen, this is a fun cause and effect toy for floor play with sitting up and beginning to crawl babies. 6 months.

Age: Infants. Award Year: 2012.

LeapFrog Peek-A-Shoe Talking Octopus
(LeapFrog $30 Score:)

Ever thought of playing three card Monty with your baby? Well, that's sort of what the Peek-a-Shoe Talking Octopus does. It comes with four balls that slide down one of two chutes and asks baby to find where the ball has landed. Is it behind the red shoe, the blue shoe, or the green, orange, or yellow shoe? Baby lifts a shoe and the octopus reinforces the color name of the shoe lifted. There is also a  number mode and the shoes are marked with the numerals from 1-5. This is more of a toodler toy in the concept department, however, for kids young enough for this peek-a-boo toy, we'd say the cause and effect action will be rewarding.  Number recognition and color words are not top priority for the sitting-up baby who will chiefly like the repetition and peek-a-boo fun. With time, the simple color and counting concepts will interest toddlers as they grow into the next level. 9-36 months.

SNAP: A useful toy for reinforcing color names and numerals. There is no real counting involved here, but you can do that with this little game: Tell your child no peeking. Now, put a treat such as a cracker or small pretzel under the shoe with a three on it. Say to the child: Listen. I will clap to tell you where the treat is. Now you clap three times. Does the child lift shoe 3? Make a fuss if the child opens the 3 shoe and gets the treat. If need be, repeat the clapping and have the child count out loud as you do so.

Age: Infants, Toddlers. Award Year: 2011. Click here to purchase the product on Amazon.com.

Sassy Wonder Wheel
(Sassy $8.99 Score:)

This has become our new favorite highchair toy!  The wonder wheel moves with ease when your sitting up baby or toddler touches it.  Our testers loved putting it in motion and watching the little beads inside cascade.  The beads are safely enclosed and make a pleasing (but not overly loud or annoying sound) as they spin.  A perfect example of a toy being right on the mark in terms of developmental appropriateness and design without a lot of costly and unnecessary bells and whistles!  The company has signed a verification form complying with our safety requirements.  We did not independently test this toy in a lab.

Age: Infants, Toddlers. Award Year: 2011. Click here to purchase the product on Amazon.com.

Sassy Hello Baby! Phone
(Sassy $5 Score:)

Shaped like a telephone handset, the bright blue and orange handle has textured ridges that are interesting to see, touch and eventually taste. The end-pieces of the rattle have red rings and high contrast black and white bulls-eye on one end and beads that rattle in a mirrored dome on the other end. It has a quiet amount of sound so it will not startle a very young baby. It is bigger than some other phone rattles and may be a better choice for slightly older children.

            The company has signed a verification form complying with our safety requirements. We did not independently test this toy in a lab.

Age: Infants. Award Year: 2009.

Stack 'n Surprise Blocks Blockity-Pop Caterpillar
(Fisher-Price $12.99 Score:)

A small addition to the Stack 'n Surprise Blocks line, this jolly little Caterpillar has a happy yellow face and two segments on its back to load on the pop-up blocks. Push the blocks and the go "boing!"  In the same line, look for the Dump Truck, Count 'n Build Snail Pail, and Stack 'n Surprise Blocks Songs 'n Smiles Sillytown. They say 6-36 months. We'd say more like 9 months & up.

The company has signed a verification form complying with our safety requirements. We did not independently test this toy in a lab.

Age: Infants, Toddlers. Award Year: 2009. Click here to purchase the product on Amazon.com.

Fishing For Taggies
(International Playthings $28 Score:)

Three jolly looking fabric fish fit into a round “pond” with a mirrored interior. Baby uses a soft fabric “fishing” rod to magically catch the little fish. No hooks needed…the buried magnets do the job. All the pieces of this set are decorated with colorful taggies that babies will like to finger and explore. Fishing sets are an old-fashioned play theme updated here in plush and magnets that are safely out of reach. For beginners, this will be fun to simply fill and empty. Learning to use the rod will probably come a little later. 6 months & up.
      The company has signed a verification form complying with our safety requirements. We did not independently test this toy in a lab.
 

Age: Infants. Award Year: 2009. Click here to purchase the product on Amazon.com.

Tolo Play Triangle
(Reeves International $10 Score:)

A spinning mirror and large beads invite baby to use two hands and individual fingers to activate this handsome rolling rattle. Also top rated: Tolo Acitvity cube, Roller Ball or Gripper Rattle, all beautifully crafted in sturdy primary-colored plastic with interesting action for baby to manipulate.

Age: Infants. Award Year: 2002.

Pull Up Ball Blast
(Fisher-Price $19.99 Score:) Designed for tots to pull up and stand at, this ball drop with a spiral chute looked promising. Trouble is, it's not weighted, so it doesn't hold still for tots who are still unsteady on their feet and the ramps don't connect smoothly for the ball run. Finally, like too many toys this season, the sound and lights are intrusive and loud. This is no substitute for the Tomy Ball Party toys. Marked 9 months to 3 years, we think it's too old for infants, too unsteady for young toddlers and not interesting enough for older toddlers.

Age: Infants,Toddlers. Award Year: 2002.

Lamaze Puppytunes
(Learning Curve International $19.99 Score:) Companion to the original Octotunes( with eight squeezable legs), this colorful velour puppy has only four squeezable legs and is less expensive. We doubt you'll make real music with this, so, four legs might well be as good as eight. With crinkle ears and polka-dotted and checkerboard patterns for eye-appeal, Puppytunes has stitched features and a cheerful face. Little hands will find the legs on the puppy easier to push and make something happen. No batteries are needed, this works on the old fashioned principle of a squeeze toy that is hand powered. It does have a vanilla scent that you will either love or hate. They say birth and up, but we think older babies and toddlers will enjoy it more. 9 months & up.

Age: Infants,Toddlers. Award Year: 2002.

Tolo First Friends Rocker
(Reeves International $10 Score:)

Just a swipe of the hand makes the beads roll and two little figures spin as it rocks. Interesting for gazing at, but even better for two-handed play. Also top rated: Twist & Turn, Play Triangle Activity Cube, or Gripper Rattle, all beautifully crafted in sturdy primary-colored plastic with interesting action for baby to manipulate.

Age: Infants. Award Year: 2004.