The gift of fun, joy and peace !

Apart from Christmas traditions, I also have a tradition of purging unused, unwanted and not-played with toys. Reasoning with a toddler about "need" and "want" ? Wish me luck. "Look Mommy, it's not the same toy. See this is a car and that is a monster truck. This airplane can fly and that one..ummm..can just walk on wheels."

There can never be such a thing a having too many toys, especially when there is so much of VARIETY. I guess. That's where I throw my hands up in the air and surrender to the sweetness. I get carried away into  a world of imagination where I listen to stories I have never heard before.Then I tell myself, "Maybe I should let it be. It won't be long before he'll be hanging out with his own buddies and mommy won't hear these stories often."

IMAGINATION takes wings and takes flight to a land filled with cars and trucks. Yeah, a princess here and a pony there.He's ok with a dash of pink.But nothing brings more joy than to hear him mimic cars and have conversations with them. Many a times, I pretend to be busy so that I can listen to his creative conversations. Priceless.

He hasn't asked anything specifically from Santa this year. We have been talking to him specifically about how giving is better than receiving. It is a hard pill to swallow especially when mommy gets so many toys for work! He's been understanding and responding well, so I decided to secretly review his favorite toy and quietly slip under the tree as my gift of love & appreciation.

Enter Chuck & Friends.

Chuck and friends are the coolest bunch to be around. They hang out at the junkyard and talk about races, helping each other and Chuck's got the cutest face.( Take that, Lightning McQueen!)

TONKA CHUCK & FRIENDS TUMBLIN' CHUCK  Dump Truck

This would be one of the most interactive toys that you will come across. He's called Tumblin' Chuck because he really does tumble. Rolling and doing somersaults are some of the fun things he has up his sleeve.

It is extremely well-built and sturdy. Chuck will endure the rough weathers in the hands of a little boy. It is made of warp-resistant plastic.Well, Chuck is a dump-truck, so kids will dump things on it. It will take some weight and I am sure my little man will definitely stand and load himself in. It is pretty big.

This is a very entertaining toy that is packed with surprise phrases, wheelies etc. I think this will be an unforgettable toy as the kids will feel like they really do have relationship with Chuck.Did I mention that Chuck can say over 50 phrases? That's a truck full of talk! 

Chuck has also some musical tunes programmed into him. He can go into nap-mode when not in use. Your child can also have a quite, peaceful playtime without the sounds by just turning the switch off.

Thinking of a gift for a little boy? Give him this gift of fun, joy and peace! The best Christmas gift for a little boy.

Not all toys have the perfect combination of fun, learning, quality build, attractive looks and sound and currently on sale at Toys R Us for $35.97 ( reg $59.99).

Only Chuck.

Disclosure: I received a sample for review purpose only. No monetary compensation was received. The above post reflects my personal opinion.

Once upon a construction site, there lived Buster the Power Crane.

Every single time, when we pass through a construction site, we have to stop. Life comes to a stand still. Everything around him freezes for a few minutes as he stands in wonder of the mighty men and machines at work. 

As he slowly takes it all in - the men, machine, mud and the mess, everything around slowly thaws and he would turn around and ask me the very same question he asked me the previous time - 

" Can I be a construction worker like him? I can do all the jobs and the digger will be my friend."

Not wanting to crash his ever-changing-evolving-dreams, I tell him that he'd be the right man for that job.

Sounds like a boy, eh? 

Hasbro had the perfect toy for my little man who can have a taste of his dream job while having fun and also improving his fine motor skills at the same time.

Introducing, Buster the Power Crane!                                                                                          

  

                           

Buster comes with a variety of tools ready for the jobs to get done. The molds and stampers are so much fun and we had such great fun using them.

It is also equipped with a light and sound effect. Comes with batteries. After a few minutes of being inactive, Buster honks and it helps the child get back to playing. It is a short honking sound and is not annoying at all.The build is sturdy and will last a long time.

The icing on this cake is the Play Doh that comes with it. 

They come in all mud, brick and road colors.

Perfect for building a small wall or construct a road with a sidewalk or just lay a mud road and rough it out! 

 Guess who came to help out with the construction ? 
The big bro of the Tonka family ! 

With all these machines at work, life couldn't be any better for my little man.You can make a little boy REALLY happy for just $25.

Just imagine a construction project and bring it to life with Buster and Play-Doh. We have used different Play-Doh toys and very happy with each of their creations. 

Play-Doh has a variety of toys for toddlers and pre-schoolers and helps in the development of fine motor skills and imagination.

For the Holiday season, Play-Doh deserves the fabulous red bow! 

Disclosure: I received a sample for review purpose only. No monetary compensation was received. The above post reflects my personal opinion. 

 

Back to School 2012 :SCRABBLE - A Hasbro Review

With school season just around the corner, it is time to think of ways to make learning fun. I have a preschooler who has to have a little bit more of organized and focused learning time. We do some workbooks and other educational activities but there are days when things don't go as planned!

Time to pull out some tricks through my sleeves ! 

We have been playing board games and it was initially hard to get my son to concentrate. But with consistency and continued exposure, he loves board games now. 

SCRABBLE is meant for 8+ yrs but you can always build small words.It is a wonderful way to introduce new words, stimulate thinking and is a great exercise for the brain. There are several ways to play this game but we are starting of with the basic style.

I encourage my son to "use words" whenever he whines or throws a tantrum. It has really helped him verbalize his feelings and express himself more clearly. So building words is a lot of effort for him, nevertheless introducing good games at an early age is important to foster a love for the game. We have been doing 2 and 3 letter words so far. 

As a child I grew up playing this game and enjoyed it thoroughly. It is a classic board game that many generations have never gotten bored of. 

You can buy this from Toys R Us for $19.99

Disclosure: I received a sample for review purpose only. No monetary compensation was received. The above post reflects my personal opinion.

 

In stores this Fall 2012: Sesame Street Ready for School Elmo from the Steps to School Collection!

Elmo has a great history of entertaining infants and toddlers. As a toddler, my son has spent hours playing and listening to Elmo.

Is it the voice or those big beaded eyes or the plush-red skin ? Only they'll know how and why this cute-little monster captured a place in their hearts!

Now, preschoolers can have fun with Elmo as they get ready for school. Though my son knows alphabets , numbers and shape, he seemed to enjoy Ready for School Elmo. 

This toy is from the Steps to School collection.

At the push of a button Elmo sings and the zip which has a triangle shape can be pulled up and down. Since this is an interactive toy, toddlers will find it very interesting to indulge in some self-learning. I am a great fan of such toys as they give the child independence to explore and learn at the same time.

Ready for School Elmo helps toddlers with their fine motor skills as the press, zip, snap and squeeze Elmo for different activities.This is a great toy for toddlers who are starting to familiarize themselves with alphabets, numbers and shapes.

When I asked my son if he'd be willing to share this toy with a younger friend, he replied " No, think Elmo will feel better with me". Elmo fans can never get enough of Elmo ! So the furry friend will continue to provide a thoroughly enjoyable experience for preschoolers as they get ready for school!

Look for it in stores this Fall 2012! 

Disclosure: I received a sample for review purpose only. No monetary compensation was received. The above post reflects my personal opinion. 

A Hasbro Review : Spider-Man fan for life !

There was a little boy who always sneaked out at lunch-time, study-time and nap-time just to get a dose of his weekly favorite show. Nothing could stop him from watching his hero jump past buildings and shoot webs to capture the trouble-makers. That little boy is 30+ today and he still buys Spider-Man DVDs.

You'll now understand if I tell you that I sense some super-powers in my son. How else can he climb on the bathtub, jump on to the closed toilet seat, climb on the flush tank, make it on to the sink and open the closet way high up on the wall to check out dad's aftershave, jump off AND walk away without a scratch? It does take some super-power to do all that quietly ?!

With increasing numbers of such activities at home that closely resemble Spider-Man's jumps, I knew what my son, hubby, son would love for his birthday. Here's the gift waiting to be opened!

The findings reveal that there was way too much fun packed in this box! He had an adventurous day filled with energy and fun. 

Boys of ALL ages can just wear this "Hero Mask" , to feel like a Hero. The mask is quite big and sturdy, so it will be around for a long time.

THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN Mega Blaster Web Shooter With Glove Set

 This is the ultimate experience for Spider-Man fans. No batteries needed. Release your super-powers and shoot webs with the web fluid.It makes sort of long lines which gives it a haunted look when sprayed on things! It also comes with another can which can be filled with water and sprayed.

 Web shooter comes with 1 can of web fluid, 1 refillable water cartridge and 1 glove. For $25, it was great fun and more fun can be had with the water cartridge.

These action figures travel with us in the stroller, car and bags. I have to take care that they do not jump out as a certain little person will be very sad without them.

Spider-Man still remains to be one of hubby's favorite characters even today. Such is the spell that Spider-Man can weave and all the little boys who fell in it remain Spider-Man fans for life. 

Disclosure: I received a sample for review purpose only. No monetary compensation was received. The above post reflects my personal opinion.

 

Back to School 2012 : Prepare for Preschool / Kindergarten with Play-Doh!

Play-Doh has been my favorite for a long time now...guess why? Because it keeps my son occupied for a long time ! Oh, the things you can create with Play-Doh....squeezes those creative juices out of a little brain as soon as the dough comes in contact with their fingers.

A new shape EACH time and other possibilities are only endless.

We have taken preschool preparation seriously and I make every effort to devote time to work with son to make it as interesting as possible. I want him to feel comfortable in Kindergarten, so we do a little work each day for a strong foundation starting with preschool.

I was thrilled to know about this particular product from Play-Doh which is not just for creating but also has an educational touch to it.

Here's what the package includes:

• 4 medium sized tubs with play-doh
• Number stamps
• Shapes
• Scissors
• A Tube

Though my son can identify all the alphabets, I knew we could do more with this package.So I laid out the first and only rule: Put the dough right back in the tub when you are done. It is no fun for him to clean up after playing! He agreed to follow the rule and I recognized his effort each time. Both of us were happy, in our own ways!

Then the fun began as I showed him how he can stamp numbers. 

We learned to identify some two digit numbers to start with and then he went on to create some fun shapes.

He loved to mix the colors and play with them. I think this will be a great way to introduce children to numbers. Play-Doh also has some alphabet stamps. I will be getting them soon as my son seems to like it very much and we can "stamp" some words for a change instead of writing them.

Preparing for kindergarten or preschool can be fun and affordable with Play-Doh.

How do you prepare your toddler for preschool or kindergarten? Got any interesting ideas?

Disclosure: I received a sample for review purpose only. No monetary compensation was received. The above post reflects my personal opinion.

 

Experience the highs and lows of the game with Hasbro's Chutes and Ladders ( Giveaway) 5/31 ( CAN)

   Be the first to reach the top! It's been more than 60 years since families discovered CHUTES AND LADDERS, the exciting climbing and sliding game. children learn counting and number recognition as they travel along the gameboard to get to the top. Land on a good deed space, and a ladder will race you ahead. But watch out for the chutes that can send you back down!

 Summer is almost here but there are some cold, wet days where indoors is the place to be. What do you do with a energetic toddler who always is in for a game? It seems like my toddler loves to play board games with me. Guess what? This is something I love too! Win-win!

My son doesn't like to play too long though. But, this game of Chutes and Ladders can be paused and restarted from where we left. It was a good game to expect and experience the highs and lows of the game. My son understood easily how the rules apply and of course it was always his turn! It was definitely fun to play it with him!!

It teaches number recognition and benefits of being good. I grew up playing this game so I was thrilled to have a colorful version of the same game. As we played I was able to reinforce his numbers and counting skills. Great game to have at home to play with kids.

We'd love for you to have a chance to win your own  Hasbro game! Here's how you can enter to win a game of Hungry Hippos.

Spend more time PLAYING with Hasbro's Original Memory Game ( + Giveaway) 31/5 ( CAN)

 There is an ocean of toys and games out there and even as a parent, I find it overwhelming to choose "THE" toy. The one that will not make me go nuts to set it up and after sweating over set-up, I see my toddler  walk away from it after a few minutes. Huh?!

Even kids like some change from their highly stimulating toys that have them scream in excitement over the shiny lights and noises.

I love the days when my house is quiet and all I can hear is the clippity clappity sound of my computer keyboard. The other days when I try to write a blog post, my son would come and call me  a 100 times to go see how his Tonka Ricochet can show him some awesome moves. I feel guilty if I do not go.How many more moments will I get to share with him? 

Maybe many more...if we play some board games. The woman in me says that  I like board games WAY more than a Tonka Ricochet. 

So here's a way to PLAY more and spend some quality time with your child ! 

This is a great preschooler game that you can play with your child and also helps improve their memory skills. Colorful and fun pictures help preschoolers easily recognize them. Easy recognition helps to get them interested in the game.Once they gain interest , the game is on!

I remember buying a memory game but all the pictures were irrelevant to a 3-4 yr old ( it was meant for that age according to the cover). My son had no interest in it and slowly the pieces went missing.

Hasbro's Original Memory Game has got it right.He is happy to recognize a butterfly, goldfish and wants to play more.There is no set-up involved and you can spend more time playing. All the pieces can be stored away in the box.

It is a great game for a quiet time that the child can even play by himself / herself.

And I love to play it with my son....it helps me keep my memory sharp!

Thanks to Hasbro, one lucky reader will have the chance to win another board game - CANDYLAND!

2012 Hasbro''s Easter Specials for children!

Hasbro has some sweet toys for kids this Easter! 

Easter is a joyous occasion and we celebrate Easter not just as a tradition but in true spirit. So be it Easter or Christmas, I ensure that I talk to my son about why we celebrate these days. 

Toys, books and fun activities are always a part of the understanding I try to imbibe. This year as I help my son understand the true meaning of Easter, we will play and hunt for some eggs at home! Thanks to Hasbro, I can do it all amazingly well within a budget sans candies.

We were sent a pack of fun toys and you can see them in action!

PLAYSKOOL MR. POTATO HEAD SPUD BUNNY Figure

Potato figure comes with 1 pair of eyes, 1 nose, 1 mouth, 1 pair of bunny ears, 2 arms, 1 pair of pants with feet and basket of eggs. 

 

Who doesn''t love this man? Sorry Mrs.Potato Head but we just have to admit that we love Mr more as he looks terribly cute with bunny years! My little boy has a lot of ideas for Mr. He has made a lot of combination emotions and it was a great conversation starter to talk about " feelings". Nice toy and good quality that will withstand tough play.

Make silly faces and don''t forget to capture the pose!  

Camera + Mr.Potato Head = Winning combo!

PLAY-DOH Box of Eggs

This will a great addition for an Easter Basket. My son understands more now and we have started to talk about the real meaning of Easter during our story time. We have many colorfully illustrated Bibles at home to read to him and he enjoys reading time with Mommy. These eggs will be a fantastic fun element to add to the theme. The 4 eggs pack are a neat treat for a child! My son will be giving one egg each for his friends at his preschool! 

Play-Doh Stampers

Two stampers each come with two ounces of PLAY-DOH Modeling Compound. There are infinite things to do with Play-Doh. Now you can stamp fun shapes with these Bunny & Chick Stampers. Nice activity for Easter themed party.

PLAY-DOH TREAT WITHOUT THE SWEET Spring Eggs

These pastel-coloured egg containers hold a special surprise inside: each one is filled with PLAY-DOH Modeling Compound. Perfect for egg hunts, these fun egg containers and their PLAY-DOH Modeling Compound let you shape, mold and create anything you can imagine!

Ten eggs each come filled with one ounce of PLAY-DOH Modeling Compound. 

I think these eggs are fantastic for an egg hunt. They also come in a cute little box so it can be used an Easter gift for a friend. They come in different pastel colors with play-doh inside. Definitely a creative option to me instead of filling eggs with candies. This will be my son''s first egg hunt and he won''t find candy in eggs, for sure!

All the above toys are available at leading retailers across Canada. 

The above featured toys are very affordable and children can enjoy Easter eggs without sugar!

Disclosure: I received a sample for review purpose only. No monetary compensation was received. The above post reflects my personal opinion.

Christmas Gift Guide: Hasbro's Easy Bake Ultimate Oven

Product Features

• No more light bulbs needed! Use the included mixes, pans and other goodies to whip up cake and cookie batter.
• Follow the directions to bake them inside the oven. The included recipe booklet has even more yummy ideas
• The included recipe booklet has even more yummy ideas and recipes that are just the icing on the cake!
• The classic oven has been updated to be light bulb-free and comes with yummy mixes and pans for cooking up all kinds of sweet treats!
• Comes with baking pan, cupcake pan, pan pusher, chocolate chip cookie mix, red velvet cake mix, pink frosting mix, rainbow sugar crystals package, paper cupcake wraps and recipe booklet.

I bake with my son often and he enjoys stirring, decorating and relishes his treats when they are done. So I wanted to try this Easy Bake Ultimate Oven with him as it was kind of cute and looks like a fun oven.

 When it arrived, he saw the pink box and dropped his most favorite phrase - "Oh, this is for girls. See this is pink, boys do not play with pink". Arrgghhhhh. I have heard more than enough of his anti-pink statements that he picked up from daycare from his friends. He picks the pink marshmallows from Lucky Charms cereal and hands them over to me " Mommy, you eat all the pink". Dude, it is OK. Pink or green oven - they bake the same stuff. Nothing would convince him.Hasbro, can you please come up with a different coloured Easy Bake Ultimate oven so that little boys can bake too? And some fun car shaped cookie moulds would be a great addition too.

I told him that I was going to bake some chocolate cupcakes, chocolate cookies and .."WHAT?" he interrupted "What did you say mommy? Chocolate ?" 

"Ahemmm. Chocolate. They are going to look and taste yummy in my tummy.And I am going to eat ALL of them."

By now, he was so tense that he wasn't going to get any of the treats! LOL. "But, it is not good for your health. You have to SHARE with me. Mommies have to share the cookies with children".

Alright."Do you want to help me?" "OK". He sounded convinced. Oh, the magic that chocolate can do.

We baked some treats and it was a fun experience to bake in a little colourful oven.The treats are fairly small sized and not really meant to fill a hungry stomach.It takes a little while to enjoy the baked goodies given the time and what you get at the end of it. The mixes that come with it are tasty but if you can mix a tiny batch of ingredients by yourself, that would work too. This oven doesn't open in the front like a real oven. It is a bit different. You use the opening provided at the sides. The Easy Bake Oven is more of a toy oven and if you want to spend some time with your kids, this will help! 

Online availability seems hard and prices are unreasonable. So check out your local Walmart, Zellers or Toys R Us for the best deal.

Disclaimer: I received a sample for review purpose only. No monetary compensation  

                              was received. The above post reflects my personal opinion.

Christmas Gift Guide: TRANSFORMERS RESCUE BOTS PLAYSKOOL HEROES Fire Station Prime

Disaster strikes and FIRE STATION PRIME springs into action! The RESCUE BOTS roll out ready for any rescue adventure that may come their way. The station’s super-advanced computer allows OPTIMUS PRIME to command the RESCUE BOTS from the farthest reaches of the galaxy!

My son has been into fire trucks, firemen, ambulance or anything related to an emergency and trying to save. Of late he has also been talking a lot of something called "octamus". For long, I thought it was some  imaginary toy that he and his friends from daycare invented for themselves. Seems like mommy needs some lessons on toy characters to keep up with my little man..

When I received this Transformers Rescue Bots PLAYSKOOL Heroes Fire Station Prime, I realized who "octamus" was! It was OPTIMUS..duuh! me! This is such a perfect combination of fun for someone like my little boy who is into fire trucks and also fascinated with robots like Transformers.

I secretly reviewed it (sshhh... it was fun too!) as this one is going under the tree for Christmas morning! I know his eyes are going to be brighter than the lights on the tree when he sees this.

This toy is designed for 3 yrs and up who will love the two-in one feature of fire-station and OPTIMUS Prime, in one toy! The fire engine when viewed at the bottom has a transformers robot figure. CODY BURNS easily slides down to handle an emergency. The lights and sounds are a bonus point - which kid doesn't love this feature?! The play set can easily be closed and stored away. There is also a handle for carrying it.LOVE the colors as it looks like a fire station and also suits the personality of the robots.

It has a storybook too which I know my son is going to love! It comes with batteries for the action to start instantly. Mommy thinks this a dream toy for a 3 yr old! All his wildest dreams in a package :)

It retails for CAD 49.99 at Toys R Us and USD $54.99 at Amazon.com

Disclaimer: I received a sample for review purpose only. No monetary compensation was received. The above post reflects my personal opinion.