The classic Bicycle brand has been making decks of cards in the US for 130 years! Hard to believe that this iconic brand started manufacturing playing cards when Grover Cleveland was president and women wouldn’t have the right to vote for another 35 years. At Toy Fair ’15, I discovered that Bicycle cards are not just the basic red and blue decks anymore. There are commemorative decks and themed decks for almost every charity and hobby imaginable. Commemorative decks are being issued for the 130th Anniversary, the Civil War (with artwork by Jackson Robinson), decks for the Wounded Warrior Project, pink ribbon campaign and even funny themes like Zombie and Big Foot.
Check out the many themes available. You’ll find a great birthday or holiday gift for that hard-to-buy-for person in your life. Playing card games is a great family activity!
Last week I made my annual trip to New York for Toy Fair ’15. Wondering what I’d find and hoping there were some eye-catching new toys that kids (and moms) will love, the trip didn’t disappoint. There are plenty of new toys that you’ll want to watch for this year, especially at the holidays. A series of posts will feature my videos from the show, starting with Pet Sac and Fubbles Bubbles.
Pet Sac
This adorable plush toy (the zipper pull tail is too cute) converts in to a backpack to store all kinds of items. Made of durable nylon (parachute material), the Pet Sac is perfect for school, camp, sleepovers, travel and makes a fun, unique birthday gift, too! Available soon at PetSac.com.
Fubbles Bubbles
Kids love bubbles but bubbles often spill. Fubbles Bubbles is a new line of bubble-making toys with a unique bottle design that won’t leak when tipped over or dropped. A squeezable bubble bottle and a bubble-making robot are a small sample of the fun bubble toys available from Fubbles Bubbles, now at all major retailers. Perfect for birthday parties, outside play time and more. Information at LittleKidsToys.com.
Next post: Amazing Zhus and Zhu Zhu Pets at Toy Fair ’15!
So much of our time is spent on phones and computers and children are no exception. Moms know to strive for a balance of activities, both offline and online. An easy offline solution is games, like these excellent brain games offered by Smart Games. There are dozens of games to choose from in every age range (from 3 to 99), and our BlueSuitMom test team loved them all! A truly wonderful feature on many of these games is a handy case that holds all of the pieces…yes!
Here, our game tester plays with IQ Twist and City Maze, the GPS puzzle. These games are flexible, versatile and most are great for travel.
City Maze, The GPS Puzzle
Can you be your own GPS? Can you navigate the city and guide two travelers to their destination? Place the double-sided puzzle pieces on the game board to create routes from start to finish. This game includes 2 booklets, each with 60 challenges from easy to expert. Booklet A (“On the Double”) has challenges with two different colored routes, booklet B (“Delivery Express) challenges with either red or blue routes.
120 challenges, 5 levels of difficulty
ages 7 – 99
portable game with lid, great for travel
Brain Cheeser
A (w)hole lot of fun!
Can you place all puzzle pieces on the game board so that the mice look through the holes in the cheese? Sometimes holes stay empty, but half-holes are not permitted in the solutions, except on the edge of the square.
48 challenges
ages 6 – 99
magnetic pieces, perfect for travel
IQ Twist
Twist your brain with this logic game!
Give you brain a spin in the right direction and put all the twisted playing pieces on the game board. It looks easy until you realize that there are pegs that are in your way. And you can only put a puzzle piece over a peg if both are the same color!
100 challenges
for all ages, 6 – 99
an ideal brain snack while on the go
Four Smart Games were sent for our review, opinions are our own.
The great minds at Leap Frog are getting ready to launch LeapTV, a new educational, active gaming system designed for kids. The hardware and software components are created with kids in mind, from an ergonomically designed controller for little hands to educator-approved games and activities that kids will love, and parents will, too! See what the CEO (Child Executive Officer) is overseeing before the big launch:
If you or anyone you know is a fan of the classic film “The Wizard of Oz”, you’ll love the new 2014 Legends of Oz collection by Madame Alexander. Created to celebrate the release of the latest animated feature film, Legends of Oz: Dorothy’s Return, this exclusive collection of dolls features the film’s beloved characters: Dorothy, Glinda, Scarecrow, Cowardly Lion, Tin Man and China Princess. In typical Madame Alexander fashion, these 12″ dolls are quality items that will provide hours of creative play. Each doll is 12″ tall and retails for $15. A fantastic gift for birthdays and special occasions, and I know plenty of adults who would love these dolls, too.
Legends of Oz: Dorothy’s Return is a 3D-animated musical with A-list voice talents. Legends of Oz features Lea Michele as Dorothy, Dan Akroyd as the Scarecrow, Jim Belushi as the Cowardly Lion, Kelsey Grammer as the Tin Man and Bernadette Peters as Glinda.
My friend Darcy loves dolls and is my reviewer of choice when it comes to toys.
I received the Legends of Oz collection for review as a Madame Alexander Advisory Board member. All opinions are my own.
Toy Fair ’14 was loaded with fantastic new toys and tech items for kids. Over the course of the next few posts, I’ll give you sneak peeks at the toys that are sure to be on your child’s wish list for birthday and holiday. These two new items from Megabrands (makers of MegaBloks) will be on your wish list for the fun, creative play they offer younger children (12-months and up). Bobby Barn Musical Farm and Fast Track will be available in major retailers in Fall, 2014. Find more Toy Fair reviews at MomTV.
If you’ve read my blog over the years, you know I’m a big supporter of outdoor activity and getting your kids involved in exercise. I believe parents should try lead by example and encourage overall healthy living. My passion for physical fitness is why I want to bring your attention to a great program – a chance to help four deserving schools win Imagination Playground™ equipment through Children’s Claritin and KaBOOM!
Kids should have time and a place to play — at home and at school. We know that creative play can makes for happier and healthier kids, but some kids aren’t getting enough of it. That’s why the makers of Children’s Claritin are teaming up with the national nonprofit KaBOOM! to help bring innovative play spaces to schools in need.
I think we can all agree, especially when your kids are younger, our local neighborhood playgrounds and school playgrounds provide kids with an outlet to release their energy, a place to be creative and socialize.
Children’s Claritin and KaBOOM! are helping bring play to kids in need by offering 12 national schools the chance to win Imagination Playground™ equipment. These mobile play sets are comprised of oversized foam blocks that can be assembled inside or outside, giving children of all abilities the opportunity to foster creativity and critical-thinking skills.
Your vote can make a difference! Join Children’s Claritin, the #1 pediatrician-recommended non-drowsy allergy brand, and KaBOOM! to help select 4 schools to receive Imagination Playground™ equipment. You can visit http://Facebook.com/Claritinuntil October 31, 2013 to cast your vote (one per Facebook account per day) for one of twelve finalist schools. The four schools with the most votes will win Imagination Playground™ equipment for their students.
It’s easy to vote, and what a tremendous difference you can make for kids and their schools. Thank you.
Moms are spending more time than ever in their cars. The latest numbers suggest that moms spend an average of two hours each day driving with kids to and from school, stores and activities. That’s why it’s more important than ever to talk about car seat safety.
From the first ride home from the hospital, car seats are vital to child safety. This week, from September 15 – 21, BRITAX is urging parents to ensure proper car seat use and installation. Child Passenger Safety Week is an annual nationwide campaign that focuses on increasing awareness of Child Passenger Safety (CPS) issues and aims to provide parents and caregivers with resources and information to better protect children from motor vehicle crash risks. Even if you’ve had your child’s car seat inspected before, it never hurts to have a refresher, especially if they have moved into a new seat.
Check out this great video from BRITAX, featuring safety tips from their expert team of CPS technicians:
You can also join me and Sarah Tilton, BRITAX Child Passenger Safety Advocate for an informative and fun online MommyParty on Wednesday, September 18 at 2 pm EST. Not only will we be sharing important information for all parents, we’ll be giving away a BRITAX car seat of your choice to a lucky winner!
During Child Passenger Safety Week communities will have technicians on hand to provide FREE car seat education and inspections. The week concludes with National Seat Check Saturday on September 21 with car seat events across the country, where technicians will offer advice, instruction and safety checks. Visit a Child Car Seat Inspection Station near you. Find stations through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Locator or Safe Kid’s CPS Technician Search tool.
Learn more about what to expect at a seat check event, here.
Securing children properly in age and size appropriate child safety seats — in the back seat of the vehicle — is the most effective thing parents and caregivers can do to protect them in the event of a crash. In fact, in motor vehicle crashes, child safety seats reduce the risk of fatal injury by 71 percent for infants, 54 percent for toddlers (USDOT NHTSA Center for Statistics and Analysis) and 59 percent for children in boosters (Children’s Hospital for Philadelphia).
The best way to protect your precious cargo in the car is to put them in the right seat, at the right time, and use it the right way. I urge you to find an inspection station near you and spread the word to your family and friends.
With the renewed popularity of bow and arrow sets (thanks to Hunger Games/Hobbit), the Legends line makes it safe to play with them! From my own experience, real arrow tips can be dangerous and costly. Watch the video and you’ll know why. Legends features soft-tipped arrows and one with a suction cup! Kids will love them. These sets are perfect for boys and girls for birthdays, holidays and more. For retail locations, go to Zing Toys.
I love classic toy brands that stay current with today’s families. I am the proud owner of several PLAYMOBIL sets that are timeless, and yet I’m thrilled to discover new offerings by the company. At Toy Fair 13, Playmobil unveiled its latest playsets with classic themes like Dinosaur and Western as well as a nod to today’s pop culture with the new PopStars! line.
The PopStars set is reviewed in the video here, and is sure to please with colored lights and songs. The coolest part is the MP3 port that lets kids play their own music from a device.
A leading toy manufacturer for over 35 years, PLAYMOBIL continues to create toys loved and respected by parents and children alike. Understanding the importance of imaginative play, PLAYMOBIL pays great attention to detail, creating intricate and fun toys that adhere to the highest safety standards. Check out PLAYMOBIL’s website for information.
Diary of a BlueSuitMom 