 Pretend & Play® School Set
(Learning
Resources) Ages 3-9, $29.99 This toy has been tested by
children ranging in age from 4 to 8 and they all have fun with
it. According to the mother of our 5-year-old tester her
daughter "not only loved it, but whenever her friends would
come over it was the first toy that they asked to play
with." They really enjoyed simulating their school day
and used it for role play with one child being the teacher and the
other the pupil. For younger children this toy will need
supervision, but for older children they can play on their
own. Note: The crayons are for the white board, not the
markers which will not erase.
 Catch of the Day
(Small
World Toys®) Ages 3+, $24.99 -- This toy has an ultra cool fish that runs
on batteries that has fins, a mouth that snaps and it wiggles and flops. My kids and I tested this in a big tub in our back yard and it entertained them for hours - in
fact it still does. You just turn the fish on by pushing it's fin, put the fish in water, place the bait on the hook, and try to
get the fish to bite the bait. Once caught, the fish goes into fight mode and really starts to pull and flop. The magnet is strong enough in the fishes mouth and on the
bait to allow the kids to pick the fish up out of the water and place it in a nearby bucket. The set includes the fish which measures approx. 9" long, 2 pieces of
"bait" and the fishing rod. The set needs two AA batteries, which are not included.
You can find the Catch of the Day here: NiftyCool.com
, Pallets:
KidsSurpluss.com
 Take-Along-Thomas
Brendam Docks Set: (Learning
Curve International) Ages 3 and up, $49.99
The
Brendam Docks set is part of the Take Along Thomas sets and
includes a working crane moves that moves cargo. Crossing gates and lighthouse
that make realistic sounds. It also includes Duck, a barrel car, three magnetic barrels, track and Bulstrode. Handle lifts and locks for take along
play and everything - tracks and vehicles are stored inside. This
set was tested in a day-care setting where kids get free play all
day. According to the reviewer, "the kids love this toy
and play with it all the time. It's one of favorites of the
3-5 crowd!"
 The Magic Tent &
The Magic Tent Mystery Treasure Hunt: Adventures in Alaska (Sage Kids)
Ages 7 and up, $39.95 (tent) $12.95 story.
Imagine a story coming
to life in your own home where they not only get to play in their
own play house but also go on a scavenger hunt. Now that's
fun. The Magic Tent is like the Magic Tree House books come
to life. The kids read the story (or you can read it to them
if they are younger) and then they finding the clues that are
hidden around the house. According to our testers this was a
lot of fun. According to our mom tester it was particularly
good for rainy days. It broke up the monotony and kept the
kids from climbing the walls! It's a great pretend play toy
the really encourages adventure and learning. The second
volume in the series is Adventures in Australia.
 Polly
Pocket - Club Groove Party Bus Ages
3 and
up, $24.95 -- This great set comes with two
dolls a funky party bus, clothes, and accessories. Our testers
loved transforming the bus into an apartment, lounge and then club
and then back to a VW bus when they wanted to just drive
around. There's even color change makeup on the dolls! Great
for hours of pretend play and take along entertainment!
 Zoo
(Playmobil) Ages 4 and
up, $99.99 -- According to our reviewers aged 4 -7 this is
"awesome". Once it's set up there's a ticket booth, pond with
lily pads, and tons of animals. It provides hours and hours of pretend
play. It comes with lots of people, animals and extras. According to
the mom reviewer "there are tons of small pieces and the zoo takes about 1
hour to build maybe a little more. Set yourself up in advance with ziplock bags
for all the pieces you may not decide to use." The mother of our
testers loved the fact that this encouraged imaginative play without the
requirement of batteries!
 Mr.
Incredible (Hasbro)
Ages 4 and up $19.99 According to our reviewer, "The Mr.
Incredible doll has been a big hit with my 4 1/2 year old son. He
loved the doll before even seeing the movie. Finally there
is a big, impressive looking figure for a boy that is not a Barbie
doll. After seeing the movie, my son has a greater connection with
Mr. Incredible because he now understands The twelve different
sayings that the figure repeats. The figure is a good size because
my son takes it with us in the car, plays with it in the house and
has even kept it in his bed. Another
nice feature is that the figure
is hard plastic so it is easy to wipe clean."
Incredimobile
(Disney) Ages 3+,
$24.50 This movie is so much fun and the merchandise that
has come along with it does not disappoint. Kids will be
asking for this as soon as they see the movie and it won't
disappoint. According to our 6-year-old reviewer this car is
a blast, very easy to control, doors open, roof comes off and he
really loves the fact that Mr. Incredible actually fits in
it!" Grandparent note: Don't forget the 9v
battery and 6 AA battery that are required, but not
included.
 Spy
Robot (Wild
Planet) Ages 6 and up, $29.99. Our tester a 6 ½ year old
boy was very excited at the package and couldn’t wait to open it and begin playing!
The tester installed the battery easily by himself, and then
stated, "the shape is really cool." According to
our mom tester it traveled well on hardwood floors in all directions but didn’t go as well on carpet.
Our tester had a blast recording TV sounds and playing them to the telephone. He said
"it’s really fun to spy on people," and as soon as he came home from school, it was the first toy he grabbed to play with. He prefers the Spy Robot remote to the TV remote!!!
According to his mom, "he ate dinner with it and has not let it go since receiving it."
 XP-6 Spy Watch
(Wild
Planet) Ages 6 and up, $9.99.
Part of the extensive Spy Gear series, this multifunction watch is more than just make-believe. Its features include an alarm, settings for
other time zones, a pop-up telescope, and a magnifying glass. Kids can
also set the "motion sensor" alarm and place the watch around a doorknob
or treasured toy to alert them if anyone moves it. There are several
buttons for setting time, alarm, and other functions, but these operations
are not intuitive and require some fast button-pressing. That means this
is best for a child who is willing not only to read instructions, but will
remember to keep the instruction sheet for later reference. 3v watch
battery is included. Labeled for ages 6 and up, and tested by a
7-year-old but we'd recommend at least age 8 to get the most out of it.
 Spy Lazer Chase
(Wild
Planet) Ages 6 and up, $16.99
They look like fancy gadgets, but nothing could be simpler than this pair of wrist-mounted laser devices. Bend your hand, and your unit sends out a laser pulse; if the beam catches your opponent’s unit, you score a hit. But watch out — if you’ve got a clear shot, so does the other player! Our two elementary-age testers chased each other around the yard with these, and later managed to work out a way to play while sitting indoors, aiming the beam around their chairs. One of our testers warns that sometimes the beams seem to go right through trees or other obstacles. Button-cell batteries are included. Ages 6 and up.
 Disney Princess: Vanity Table with Stool
(Creative Design,
Inc) Ages 4-8, $34.99
Tested by a 5-year-old princess-in-waiting it was quickly apparent
it was a hit. It had her favorite princesses Snow White, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty and Belle.
Apparently our tester is already obsessed with applying makeup, so
she was really delighted that there are three heart-shaped mirrors
with lights and music. It comes stocked with accessories for added
fun! Requires 6 button
cell batteries that are included and 2 "AAA" batteries,
not included.
 Soccer
Guys (KaskeyKids)
Ages 3 and up, $16.99 The Soccer Guys set has been an enjoyable diversion for my eight-year -old
son, states his mom. "The figures are made of sturdy well-molded plastic and their bases are designed to stand up easily. He enjoyed taking all the figures
out of the convenient molded plastic carrying case and out of their individual plastic wrappings. Setting the game up with the players from the opposing teams provided good
entertainment." Although he would have liked a ball
that they could actually kick around he still had a lot of
fun. Mom really liked that the figures are a fun, non-violent alternative to plastic soldiers."
The Batman Batcave
(Mattel) Age 4,
$39.99
This toy is a replica of the Batcave seen on TV. It has some cool features such as a line that Batman can use to slide from one level to another and several secret entrances and a trap-door with a net to catch the bad guys. If the child is a fan of Batman or the Justice League he will love this toy. Definitely needs adult help to set up the first time.
Note: Batman figures are not included which can be frustrating if they are not purchased separately.
Consider purchasing the The Batman Action
Figures which are only $9.99 and are great.
 Little Mommy™ Doll & Shopping Cart
(Mattel) Ages 3
and up. Doll $12.99 Shopping Cart: $29.99
Given to a Montessori school to review, the consensus was that the
kids (both boys and girls) love playing with this set. The
girls tend to really enjoy playing "mommy goes
shopping." The boys had fun dressing, undressing and
carrying around the doll. The set includes lots of pretend food, a special seat for
the baby, and a removable basket. There's also the ever important
cell phone.
 Tokyo
A Go-Go Bratz
Dolls (MGA
Entertainment) Age 6 and up $19.99
According to our 6-year-old tester these dolls
are too cool! She even got her mom to go out and get more accessories
after reviewing the doll! Here's what her mom had to say, "my
daughter just loves this doll, she plays with it all the time and loves all
the little accessories that come with it." These dolls are hip, fun and most of
all the thing to have this holiday season! Find everything in the Bratz Store.
  Our
testers also got to review the Bratz Tokyo-A-Go Go! Sushi Lounge
Playset and the Bratz Tokyo-A-Go Go! Dance 'N' Skate Club Playset
The mother of our 6-year-old reviewer
said she's living vicariously through her daughter. She thinks
that these dolls are really fun. They have so many accessories
they really allow for tons of pretend play. "When her
friends come over the bring out all the Bratz, the clothes, set
things up and then the girls go 'out on the town'". It's
really amazing the little world that's been created by Bratz.
"The nice thing about Bratz," according to the mother of
our reviewer, "is that they get pulled out all the time.
These aren't sets that get put away never to be used again, they
come out over and over again and the play is only limited by their
imaginations."
Scavenger Hunt Answer: My birthday is
December 31, 1966 and this year I'll be 38.
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