What do Wall Street bankers have to do with building blocks?  Usually not too much...unless you are brothers Will and Chris Haughey of TEGU.  The brothers left the financial world behind to start their own toy company that brings the best of wooden blocks and magnets together for a wonderful open-ended building experience. Read my interview. You can also send requests of objects to built live on their website by their TEGU Genius.  (He just built an Elmo!)  

Radio Flyer has become an iconic American brand since it was officially launched at the 1933 Chicago World Fair.  While we've talked to lots of people who are new to the toy industry, it was interesting to speak with Robert Pasin, a grandson of the founder and the current Chief "Wagon" Officer of Radio Flyer.  Unlike many of the start-up companies we've focused on as part of the Meet the Toymakers Series, I was curious to know what pressures exist when you are responsible for such a long-standing and beloved brand. Read our interview.

Our children's Math and Science skills--or the lack of them--have been making the news. While the schools debate what to do about it, what can parents do about it? First things first, be careful not to turn your child into a math phobic worrier with heavy-handed flash card sessions and workbooks. Avoid pre-teaching kids in hopes of giving them a leg up. Your way of doing math may involve techniques that are very different from current classroom methods. Click here for positive ways to help your child become a math whiz:

Read Stephanie's blog today about a new high tech doll that uses light to indicate whether a doll has gone to the bathroom.  Watch the video demo here:

Are you are shopping for Merry Christmas stocking stuffers, multiple gifts for the many nights of Hanukah or Kwanza? Aside from the novelty fads of the moment there are some good choices that will be enjoyed for more than a moment. We've found some with real play value. Click here to find out more.

For the past decade, American Girl Dolls dominated the market for high end multi-cultural dolls that reflected our diversity. Not any more.

2010 is the year of the doll wars and there are many amazing dolls out there giving the American Girl a run for her money--and yours. Click here to see our reviews of doll collections worth considering.

Finding toys that do not play on gender stereotypes is a lot easier these days than it used to be. Although there is still plenty of pink and lavender out there that screams--Girls Only and plenty of black with skulls and eyeballs shouting--Boys Only, there are less gender specific choices that will be enjoyed by children of either sex. Click here to read more.

A front page article in the New York Times recently led with the headline, Picture Books No Longer a Staple for Children. How unfortunate. According to the article, parents have decided that picture books are too easy for anyone past the age of four. Click here to read more.

Two of my favorite things in toyland: spin art and glow-in-the-dark toys.  So you can imagine how excited I was when we received the new Play-Doh Glow Creations from Hasbro.  (And yes, I'm firmly in the camp of pro Play-Doh people).  Here the greatest fun is in the process of making the art, adding the paint and watching it spin.  The end product isn't nearly as thrilling but that's ok, you can wipe off the black boards and start all over again.  The spinning of the Play-Doh is also fun but not as cool as the laser- like quality of the spin art.

If you have a Hot Wheels fan in your house this toy will make your preschooler ask to take a bath!  Take a look at our review and watch the video demo: