Few toys have more play value than blocks. Blocks are versatile. Unlike a toy garage or farm setting, a set of blocks can become whatever your child wishes them to be— a farm one day or a skyscraper the next. They can be enjoyed alone or with a friend. They're also raw...

Toilet humor has always been around. The word fart is just funny. As a result many of the dolls we review, and seemingly all of the robots that come to our office, fart. Some are apologetic. Others just go for it.

But this year, it's a whole new level of poop-centric pl...

Are you kids suffering from a post-holiday slump now that they're back in school? Here are some games to freshen up some of those school skills with fun games for family time.

Here are a few fun ways to connect:

PlayMonster Qwitch

Playmonster $12

An updated version of a po...

Here are the best STAR WARS toys for 2017 rated for being the most fun and engaging:

Click thru to read our full reviews:

Playskool Heroes STAR WARS BB-8 Adventure Base (Hasbro)

Simon STAR WARS Darth Vader (Hasbro)

Sphero STAR WARS R2-D2 App-Enabled Droid

LittleBits STAR WA...

Coding, Games and Elmo -- oh my!

Coding is the Word of the Year.  You’ll see it on toys for every age from preschool to high school. There are non-electronic games with giant coding cards for whole body action where kids program a pathway for another kid to follow like...

Three Mistakes To Avoid When Toy Shopping

1-Ignoring age labels since your kid is so smart.

Why? Age labels are stretched up and down to sell toys to the widest possible age range. But toys marked for 3 & up are like red lights blinking—it means there are small parts tha...

Joanne's new book THE KNISH WAR ON RIVINGTON STREET - available now!

(Alfred Whitman) official pub date is August 1st but you can order now. Selected by PJ Library , it's based on a true event that happened here in New York.

Here's the first great review from Kirkus:

“It'...

What do gelato cones, blue plate specials and elephant trunks have in common? All three are featured in a batch of fresh new games that are going to tickle players in your family. This season there are many clever and fresh game formats that work on important learning...

Okay, I'll admit it. I've been generally obsessed with toy toilets over the years. They're so small - usually for dollhouses. Ask the folks at Lego or Playmobil -- I get really excited when they include a toilet. Barbie's Dream House this year had a toilet that made fl...

If you wanted to be completely cynical, you could say that the introduction of DC Super Hero Girls Collection is just a slick marketing move. After all, everything super hero is huge business whether you're talking Marvel or DC Comics. The toys and merchandise are gene...