The Toy Review

Ok, this one is for grown ups. Seriously. DO NOT LET YOUR KIDS click this link. The one I chose for the picture is tame and based on a game, but most of these funny t shirts are definitely PG-13. Some should be R. So, come back later tonight, after they are all in bed, and click, click, click. Just don’t be drinking anything while you shop if you value a dry computer. You can find a few more sports shirts here.

Here we go with another episode of the Melissa and Doug show! Ok, just kidding about the show part, but today’s feature is another Melissa and Doug product. They really have the neatest stuff, and the Melissa & Doug Deluxe Wooden Stringing Beads with over 200 beads is high on my priority list just now. I have recently started beading and I think my little girls would like to “join” me at my new hobby. It’s rated for ages 4-7, but I am rating it at 3 with parental supervision.

Here is another game I want, and I am not entirely sure I want to wait until Christmas for this one. I have always enjoyed playing Yahtzee, and I was amazed when I looked it p on Amazon to see that there are about 3 pages worth of “Yahtzee” results. Regular, deluxe, pc, mac, halloween. Shoot, I even saw a book in there. And scorecards, previously the Gordian Knot of Yahtzee play. Amazon has the scorecards!

Here we have another one for the Christmas list. You think I am kidding, don’t you? One of the best things about writing the toy blog is that I get to take the time to look at and choose the toys and games I want through the year. When it is time to do my Christmas shopping, I can type “Christmas” over there in the search field, and it will generate a list of the posts I mentioned Christmas in. And I make it a point to do that when I am talking about something I plan to buy. Please don’t tell my kids that I am making my shopping list right here in public, ok? So, on to Othello. I’ve played this game a few times and really enjoyed it. I’ve even played in on the computer a few times, but I have never owned it. That should change, don’t you think? Incredibly simple and yet very complex, it will be great mental exercise for all of us!

Oh, look! Another item for my Christmas list. This Fisher-Price Musical Tea Set has 17 pretty pastel pieces, and the teapot plays “I’m a Little Teapot” when you press the lid. I have at least one little girl who NEEDS this tea set, and three more plus me who would like to have pretend tea with her. Please pass the plastic cookies, it’s time for a party!

Babies love it! And a happy baby makes for a happy mom, right? The toy uses 3 AA batteries to keep little ones amused for hours, with it’s almost-realistic musical sounds. The Munchkin Mozart Magic Cube features the harp, French horn, piano, flute, and violin playing some of Mozart’s most familiar pieces.

Now, who doesn’t remember The Farmer Says? Like most kids, I had a couple of these growing up, only mine worked with pull strings. We’ve entered a whole new world, and today’s Farmer Says works with a lever, and it is also smaller than the one I grew up with, but with more animals, because of the flipping board. It’s still enough fun to make a toddler’s eyes light up as she kicks her feet and giggles. And they still learn how to make cool animal sounds while they play with it. We have this one, and another one, and we love ‘em.