Keeping your kids entertained can be a challenge whether it's a beautiful day at the beach, a rainy day that forces you all indoors, or on the way to a family reunion. Here are some activities and new products to try this summer!   You can watch the segment from  NBC's TODAY SHOW   by clicking here.     Click here to read the article. 

Looking for a real treat for Father's Day? Bring home one of these loving books that Dad can share with those who call him Daddy, Pop, Dad, Papa, whatever. There are books for the Dads of infants, toddlers, stepkids, and preschoolers. These are picture books that will be enjoyed well beyond Dad's special day, especially if they are read by Dad himself. Happy Father's Day!  Click here to read our list.

Most movie-related toys are more merchandise than toys with lasting play value--but since so many of our testers were really excited about the movie and the prospect of related toys, we decided to take a comprehensive look at the wide range of toys.   Some were really quite good, others are well-designed novelty--and well some are just what you'd expect.  Read my blog and take a look at our video demos before you spend your movie toy dollars!

Finding great toys that your baby or toddler will really enjoy can be challenging.  The key is to find toys that really fit where they are developmentally-- not an easy trick! 

The good news is that so many  new and wonderful products are arriving every day!  So if  you are shopping for a shower gift for the new baby,  a treat for you sitting up baby, or engaging toys for your up and on the go toddler, have a look at some of the new top rated choices.Click here to see our list.

What are the new toys that will get your kids moving?

Stephanie appeared on NBC's TODAY Show on Monday, May 10th; watch the video here. She discussed some of the best new toys and equipment for encouraging active play.  

  Click here to read about the products featured. 
 

Now that school is coming to an end- it's even more important to keep reading to your kids.  As soon as your library allows--go get those library cards!  Many libraries also offer storytime and related activites.  Of the dozens of books that have recently arrived at our office this month, here are some gems that are truly memorable. Books that you won' t mind reading and re-reading again and again!  Click here to read our reviews.

Choosing books to read to babies just got a lot easier. Many classics have been reissued in sturdy board book formats. Some, such as Helen Oxenbury's Baby Love, have been made smaller to fit into little hands. Others, like Karen Katz's Where is Baby's Bellybutton?, have been reissued in a larger format that just seems to sing— read it again! Here are some favorite blue chips as well as some new titles...

The holidays are certainly time for some novelty--and most kids have a "must have" toy that you know will probably be old news long before the holidays are over.  If your budget allows, there's no problem with bringing some of that home.  That said, there is also the statistic that on average parents spend 60% of their total toy budget for the year during the holidays, so it is important to bring home a rich mix of toys that will be enjoyed for more than that "just out of the box" moment.  Here are some of our favorites of the season.   Watch the segment.

One of our favorite doll collections of the year is Joobles from Fair Indigo. We had a conversation with Fair Indigo founder Rob Behnke.  Having worked at such retail giants as Lands' End and Macy's we wanted to know about his journey that led him to start his own company that has such a strong commitment to fair trade. Read my interview. (I love this photo of Rob as a child with Santa!  It looks straight out of a picturebook.)

It used to be a huge stretch to come up with our green list.  Happily, that's no longer the case.  Toy makers are responding to consumer demand for green products for their kids.  We have rejected many of the "good-for-you-but-looks-sad" green toys...you know the ones - they're very muted in color or made from material that may be climate friendly, but you really don't want to cuddle up with!  We are particularly thrilled with the 100% recycled trucks from both Sprig Toys and Green Toys, the gorgeous Plan Toys Green Dollhouse (complete with solar panels) and the ever so huggable dolls from blablakids.com and Fair Indigo.  Congrats to all our winners!!