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.

Gifts for Dramatic Play

Toddlers are all about locomotion…now that they are up on their feet and getting about they like toys that match their new found physical skills and with their blossoming speech comes the beginning of pretend play. A push car is an ideal gift.  Preschoolers love dramatic play props- now's the time for classic baby dolls, bears, costumes, and miniature play settings. We especially love the new ballet skirts and dresses from Acting Out that are motion activated and play music from the Nutcracker or Swan Lake.  For aspiring ballerinas we recommend pairing this skirt with tickets to a local performance.  The memory of seeing the ballet together will be a life-long treasure!

( Mary Meyer $$130$Kinda Big $30 ) As always, we find selecting one winner totally unbearable! Here are our top picks: a big bear, two medium-sized bears, and a wee little baby bear: Great Big Creamy Bear (Mary Meyer $130/36" ) Remem-ber the oversized bear you always dreamed of winning at the fair? This one is much better, because he’s totally huggable, soft and delicious! 36" big, this memorable bear will be great to talk to and lean on. Also comes Kinda Big ($30/20" ). (800) 451-4387. Or consider some of our other best bears of the year: Smushy Bear (North American Bear $40 ) is a floppy tan 25" bear of huggability with a smushy body, floppy head, and velvety nose. (800) 682-3427. Cuddly Pals Big Pokey (Gund $20 ) A pudgy 16" soft bear with stitched features and honey-colored fur, all dressed up with an organdy bow. (800) 448-4863. Age: Preschool. Phone: 800-451-4387. Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Award 2006

( Corolle $$55$ ) Finding a boy doll is not easy, yet it’s a great gift, especially when there’s a new baby in the family. Meet Jules, a 17" bald baby doll in blue romper with bottle, bib, and pacifier. Like last year’s winner, Lila, he cries, laughs, and babbles. Both are a perfect armful for pretend play. 3 & up. PLATINUM AWARD ’05. (800) 668-4846. Age: Preschool. Phone: 800-628-3655. Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Award 2006

( Haba $$159$ ) Our test family with three under the age of 4 got right into active pretend play with both of these beautifully styled push-about toys. The Push Car ($159 ) is low to the ground and balanced enough so that a little sister or a big teddy bear could ride about as a larger child pushed. Furnished with seat cushions and pocket for treasures; made of varnished beech wood with rubber wheels, it maneuvers well, even in tight spaces. Equally well designed, a red and blue Doll Pram ($130 ) comes with a cushion seat and accommodates several dolls. You can adjust the push bar as children grow, so this will grow into the preschool years. (800) 468-6873. Age: Toddler, Preschool. Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Award 2006

( Alex $$129$ ) You need a lot of room for this generously sized art cart that has two easels and place for storing your child’s creations and supplies in between. The wheels gives this good-looking piece of equipment some portability. It does require a fair amount of assembly which was not always easy. That said, it looks like it belongs in a Pottery Barn catalog. If space is an issue, consider the BLUE CHIP Tabletop Easel ($40 ). Folds flat for convenient storage. (800) 666-2539. Age: Preschool. Phone: 800-666-ALEX. Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Award 2006

( Acting Out $$30$ ) Push the button in this pink dream dress and your little ballerina has her own orchestra that plays as she dances!Musical chip is hidden in a pocket inside the dress. Once she starts dancing, the music is magically motion activated. One size fits most 3-6 year olds. Or if you prefer, just a multilayered Swan Lake Musical Skirt($24) with elastic waist and sparkle dots. Great for active dramatic play! Age: Preschool, Early School Years. Phone: (877) 727 0222. Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold Award 2006

( Acting Out $$30$ ) Push the button in this red tulle and satin dress and your little ballerina has her own orchestra that plays Nutcracker music as she dances! Musical chip is hidden in a pocket inside the dress. Once she starts dancing, the music is magically motion activated. One size fits most 3-6 year olds. Or if you prefer, just a multilayered Nutcracker Musical Skirt($24) with elastic waist and sparkle dots. Great for active dramatic play! Age: Preschool, Early School Years. Phone: (877) 727 0222. Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold Award 2006

( Simon & Schuster $$19.95$ ) Best known for his pop-up bug books, Carter and his wife orchestrate a very special bug-less Nutcracker treat that's reminiscent of old-fashioned holiday cards—each capturing a different scene from Hoffman's classic tale. 5 & up. Age: Early School Years. Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Award 2001