Important Advisory:

We are now requiring companies to provide us with documentation that their products have been tested by an independent lab for phthalates and lead.
Please click here for submission requirements for new products. However, as we are not a lab, we will not be independently verifying those results. Also, with the exception of the 2008 Platinum Toy Awards, toys submitted for review prior to January 2008 were not tested for lead.

Instructions for submitting product to the Oppenheim Toy Portfolio for review.

Contact the Toyportfolio @ (212) 598-0502 or by email at Webmaster@Toyportfolio.com.

Copyright 1995-2008. Oppenheim Toy Portfolio - All Rights Reserved. Oppenheim Toy Portfolio, Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Award, and Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Blue Chip Award are Registered Trademarks of the Oppenheim Toy Portfolio.

( LeapFrog $$29.99$ ) Hang this electronic counting hoop on a doorknob, drawer, or chair. Set the counter to count by ones. For older kids, set it to count by 2s, 5s, 10s, or backwards and they are ready to start shooting baskets. Kids can set a goal and the payoff comes with special music. Counts in English or Spanish and, even better, it also has a volume control. 3 & up, up, up. (800) 701-5327. Age: Preschool, Early School Years. Phone: 800 701 5327. Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Award 2007

( Lego Systems, Inc. $$79.99$700 pieces ) You can’t go wrong with any of the new airport/plane sets from Lego—they’re all Lego at its best in terms of design. Really depends on what size plane you want and how much you like helicopters. The Airport set is wonderful, comes with a passenger plane, control tower, and baggage truck. Our testers loved the see-through ramp to the plane and the revolving door. 5–12. The City Airport ($89.99/863 pieces 5) comes with two helicopters, a smaller plane, control tower, and vehicles. Marked 9 & up. Passenger Plane PLATINUM AWARD ($39.99/401 pieces 5) is fun to put together down to the beverage cart, swivel chairs, and cockpit controls. The age label 5–12 is misleading on both this set and the Airport. You’d need to be an experience Lego builder to do this on your own—although we agree that 5s would love to play with this plane after putting it together with a parent. For a chunkier plane, look at Airport Action on page TK. The City Hospital ($49.99/377 pieces 4) also has a lot of play value after it’s built, with building, helicopter, and ambulance. For race fans, you’ll want to bring home the Lego Competition Racers set ($64.99/573 pieces) that features a Ferrari, pit stop, and all the props for race day. 8 & up. (800) 223-8756. Age: Early School Years, Late School Years. Phone: 800 453 4652. Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Award 2007

( Lego Systems, Inc. $$49.99$ ) One of the most satisfying Duplo sets of the year (no matter how old you are). Your preschooler will need a lot of help putting this set together but he will love playing with it! Comes with a plane, airport with tower, and ground crew! Still top rated, last year’s PLATINUM AWARD-winning Fire Station ($29.99 5), which can be built as a tower or horizontally. Past winners include: The Big Farm Set, Bob the Builder, and Dora the Explorer sets. We also highly recommend a big bucket ($19.95) for open-ended creations. 3 & up. (800) 233-8756. Age: Preschool, Early School Years. Phone: 800 453 4652. Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Award 2007

( American Girl $$87$ ) In the American Girl collection of dolls, each comes with a book that introduces girls to a bit of history through stories. Emily is in fact not an American girl, but an English girl, an auburn-haired beauty evacuated during WWII from London, to live with Molly and her family. Still top rated, any number of historic dolls from various times in our history. Last year’s winner was also an English girl, Elizabeth, from a prominent Loyalist family (and best friend of well-known Felicity). She’s 18" tall with long blond hair and blue eyes. PLATINUM AWARD 06. Still top rated, Nellie O’Malley (Samantha’s best friend). PLATINUM AWARD ’05. 7 & up. (800) 845-0005. Age: Early School Years, Late School Years. Phone: . Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Award 2007

( eeBoo $$12.95$ ) Award-winning ilustrator Kevin Hawkes designed the graphics on this simple matching game. It is more like a lotto game than bingo, with six animals on each playing board and matching animal chips that players pull from a cloth bag. A game of chance that is good for language development. Still top rated, I Never Forget A Face Memory Game ($12.95 4). Our almost-five-year-old tester proclaimed this the best memory and matching game ever. 3 & up. (212) 222-0823. Age: Preschool, Early School Years. Phone: (212) 222-0823. Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Award 2007

( Corolle $$49.99$ ) A very sweet 14" baby doll that is just right for pretend play. Our testers love this collection of dolls that feel so soft and smell like vanilla. The head and limbs are vinyl with a soft fabric body that is extremely huggable. Comes with a bunny and bottle. We'd recommend pairing this doll with a stroller or the Play Nursery from Corolle. Age: Preschool, Early School Years. Phone: 800-628-3655. Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Award 2007

( Corolle $$70$ ) A very special-looking present that comes with a 14" baby doll in a charming pink fabric-lined carrying basket with quilt, toy bunny, bottle, and baby book! There is an African American Bebe Do version ($49.99) but unfortunately not with the basket. (800) 668-4846. Age: Preschool, Early School Years. Phone: 800-628-3655. Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Award 2007

( Skullduggery $$14.99$ ) “Let’s do another,” and “so neat”—our testers really liked these fun model kits that are easy to do and produce Hot Wheels/Matchbox-scaled cars. Sets come with enough modeling material for four cars (but enough decorations for two). The cars take 30 minutes to set. New kits feature NASCAR winners like Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson. Kits come with NASCAR decals, paint, and blo-pens (not our favorites), but our testers really were less concerned with the decorating and more intent on making a toy they could really use! (800) 336-7745. We often complain that there are not a lot of great craft kits for boys. Here are three sets that will be a hit. Age: Early School Years, Late School Years. Phone: . Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Award 2007

( Corolle $$36$ ) The perfect accessory for doll play. This nursery looks most like a portable crib done in pink and white. Comes with an activity arch with two dangling toys. Sure to be a pleaser, especially with a new doll inside! Age: Preschool, Early School Years. Phone: 800-628-3655. Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Award 2007

( Hasbro $$24.99$ ) A great game for the whole family! Everyone wears a different colored band on their hands and the ball then identifies each player by passing it around once. Our favorite game mode is much like Simon Says—the ball calls out the color that it should be passed to next. If you make a mistake, the game is over. There are more challenging games, in which you have to break the “code” the ball has in mind. 7 & up, but will also be enjoyed by older siblings and family members. 2–6 players. (888) 836-7025. Age: Early School Years, Late School Years, Tweens. Phone: 800-752-9755. Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Award 2007

Books

• Infants
• Toddlers
• Preschool
• Early School Years
• Later School Years

• Infants
• Toddlers
• Preschool
• Early School Years
• Later School Years