

Manhattan Toy Cherry Blossom Days Rainbow Baby Lullaby Pull Musical
(Manhattan Toy $21.70) Nothing like a little soothing Beethoven for nap time. Hang this pull-down musical with the smiling cloud hanging from a rainbow and it will play a bit of "Fur Elise". No batteries needed. Hang it from crib rail or carrier or toss it into your bag and pull out for a lullaby while away from home. Ages: Infants Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold Seal Award 2020 Click here to purchase the product from Amazon.com


Manhattan Toy Velveteen Dino Spike Triceratops & Gummy Stegosaurus & Stomper Brontosaurus
(Manhattan Toy $26.00 each) Take your choice! There’s nothing scary or fierce about these lovable velveteen dinos, all marshmallowy soft and cuddly. They’re weighted and have the kind of armful heft toddlers like to lug around. You won’t go wrong with any one or more of these bright colored hug-ables. Spike is part of the Velveteen dinosaur collection. Bright Aqua Spike Triceratops‚ measures 9.5 inches tall and 19 inches‚ from head to tail; Hot Yellow Growly T-Rex14” nose to


PLAYMOBIL RC Crane with Building Section
(Playmobil $99.99) Playmobil’s new RC Crane is almost as tall as our five-year old tester and he’s tall for his years. He did point out that the cover picture on the box shows toys that are not in this kit...which he thinks is a gip, although he likes the crane, he thinks kids should know they are not getting all these pieces. It took about an hour to assemble, with his dad guiding the process. They say the directions are clear and not too complex. Fitting the pieces togethe

Manhattan Toy Create Your Own Wee Baby Stella Doll
(Manhattan Toy $37) We’ve given our top award, our Platinum Seal Award to Baby Stella dolls for years. It’s a perfect toddler doll for hugging and early pretend play. And now, they’ve made a wonderful toy even even better! Now you can order a customized Baby Stella. It’s a 11.5” big baby doll and you decide the skin tone, hair style, and outfit to make your own unique soft lovable baby doll. The Create Your Own Wee Baby Stella dolls are found only on the Manhattan Toy website


Healthy Roots Doll Zoe Girl
(Healthy Roots Dolls $79.99) Every once in a while, we hear from a new company that’s doing something extra special, something noteworthy. Zoe, is that! She’s a beautiful 18-inch girl of color doll that we think school age girls of every ethnicity will love. She’s dressed in wonderful overall shorts with a big heart, a white tee, and bright yellow sneakers. Wonderfully natural hair is her crowning glory. She's the same size as the American Girl doll (so her clothes fit), Zoe'


Corolle Mon Grand Poupon Lilou & Louise
(Corolle $62.10 and up) Baby Lilou ($62.10) is an armful, a 14” soft-bodied baby doll. Toddlers like big huggables, but they need to be light enough not to overwhelm. Lilou is just right! She has sleepy eyes that open when she’s upright and totally huggable. Like all Corolle dolls, she has a sweet vanilla scent and comes dressed in a pants set with a floral top and matching headband. On her tiny feet, a pair of removable pink shoes. Just the right size for new big brother or


LEGO City Space Deep Space Rocket and Launch Control 60228
(Lego $99.99) A NASA inspired model that will thrill experienced builders. It’s a multi-stage rocket that stands 16” tall and ready for lift off. A small track brings the astronauts from mission control center to the rocket launcher. We had the fun of watching our excited tester and his mom build some parts of this amazingly well-designed kit. We were amazed with the patience he used to fit the tiny, tiny pieces together and his budding understanding of the parts of the space


Hasbro Star Wars The Child Animatronic Edition “AKA Baby Yoda” The Mandalorian
(Hasbro $59.99) This animatronic Star Wars The Child (AKA Baby Yoda) is likely to be one of the hottest toys of the season because it will appeal to Star Wars fans young and old. It's loaded with twenty-five sound and motion combinations that make it come to life. Its head moves up and down, its ears move back and forth, and its dark eyes open and close. It giggles, babbles, yawns and best of all has Force sound effects. Pat its head three times and The Child will lift its a


Gund Baby Soft Activity Ball
(Gund $19.00) This is basic gear for sitting up and crawling babies. A soft fabric ball, 7-inches with lots of sensory feedback. Visually there are many patterns to see; several textures for feel, and lots of crinkle and tinkle sounds to hear. Use this for first social games of roly-poly, slowly rolling the ball to baby. Later, when baby is crawling, she’ll send it skittering and go after it. Use it also to knock down a small stack of fabric blocks. Ages: Infants Oppenheim To


Educational Insights Design & Drill Bucket
(Educational Insights $24.99) Our testers have consistently given high grades to the drill and design sets. This year’s entry is a see-through bucket with a lift off top that serves as the base for designing. The Power Drill is used to create designs with the colorful bolts. It comes with 10 patterns to follow. Kids will of course like making their own designs, as well. It’s a good choice for developing fine motor skills and following patterns. The kit includes Kid-friendly t