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• Buy Toys From China! (Says, Um, China)

  "Cheap and nice"!  Nope, I'm not talking about that stripper who took all your singles.  "Cheap and nice" actually refers to the new mantra of China's toy industry, the industry that wants you and me and parents round the world to buy Chinese toys. Well, that sounds convincing, don't you think?   Read More... Posted Dec 13 2007, 07:27 AM by Karen Murphy with | with no comments Filed under: China, Toys for 2007, China-made toys, toy hype

• All I Want For Christmas is A Six Million Dollar Eyeball

  When I was 10 years old I wasted spent countless hours playing Six Million Dollar Man, pretending to have been rebuilt with cybernetic parts that enhanced my strength, speed and vision. I demonstrated my superhuman abilities by running and jumping around the backyard in a red polyester sweat suit in slow motion and making that metallic bionic sound effect with my mouth. Remnants of my adolescent imagination were probably why the name of this toy alone conjured a wistful flashback that invoked a sudden urge to put on that old red polyester sweat suit and run around the backyard in slow motion. Granted it may not have infared capabilities, but with a magnification power of 200:1 the EyeClops Bionic Eye is still, and pardon my innate maleness as emerges from man cave of my Id to howl over unnecessary technology, totally awesome. Read More... Posted Dec 04 2007, 02:07 PM by makeitadouble with | with 3 comment(s) Filed under: technology, Toys for 2007, magnify, bionic eye

• Naughty or Nice? Who Cares? Lingerie Dolls Are A Perfect Holiday Gift

  I am super excited about the just-mailed Victoria’s Secret holiday catalogue because it’s going to make “Santa’s” job so much easier when it comes to gifts for my daughters. I have been wondering how to get my older one more interested in her appearance and the sexy, sexy things that are out there for her to experiment with, feel pretty in, those things that will help her upgrade from just girl to an even better girly-girl. I mean, right now her response to bras is giggles, maybe a rousing chant of “boobs, boobs!” with her little sister, so I’d like to find a way to get her to take it more seriously. After all, she’s going to be seven years old soon. Enter: the VS Pink label ... Read More... Posted Nov 01 2007, 05:03 PM by Madeline Holler with | with no comments Filed under: doll, Toys for 2007, Madeline Holler, girl power, lingerie, dress up, young girls

• Playing is Fun! But You Wouldn’t Understand

  Need to bone up on the finer points of peek-a-boo? Want to take vroom-vrooming Hot Wheels to the next level? Yeah, me neither. Which is why I recently passed up a free seminar with Stevanne Auerbach, aka: Dr. Toy. (Is her Ph.D. in fun?) Auerbach’s book "Smart Play/Smart Toys" and her seminars on how to play with kids aim to boost your child’s PQ, that’s Play Quotient, and teach you to teach them how to play … better. I knew my foolish girls weren’t feeding and burping dolls to their fullest potential! Read More... Posted Oct 02 2007, 03:33 PM by Madeline Holler with | with 2 comment(s) Filed under: Toys for 2007, toy cars, playing, experts, benign neglect, play doh

• This Year's Hot Toys

  Well! Your kids don't have any toys left, do they? Because now that you've thrown away all their Thomas trains, their lead-coated Dora crap, and they're tired of playing with Lead-Poison Barbie, there's like nothing left in the toybox anymore, is there? Which is actually a brilliant marketing ploy conspiracy that was master-minded by the toy companies selling the hot properties in what is promising to be a record-breaking toy sales year. Why should you be left out of the consumerist fun? Here's the "Fabulous Fifteen" Toys of the Year according to Toys 'R Us:   Read More... Posted Oct 01 2007, 08:32 AM by Karen Murphy with | with 2 comment(s) Filed under: shopping, toys, recalls, Toys for 2007

• Cool Kid-Reviewed Summer Toys

  Nobody wants to buy a kid a toy they think is way cool, only to have the kid toss it aside, roll their eyes or ask to eat a big plate of acorn squash and mung beans rather than play outside with it. One round of giving a rejected gift can have even the savviest parent feeling a little too much like the single friend who spends a gajillion dollars on a rhinestone pacifier that gets recalled the next day. That's no good. Enough play time and pool time has gone by this summer for kids to test out on some new seasonal toys and report back on what they like best. The kid reviewers in this article sum up that any toy that gets them all "wet and messy" also gets a thumbs up (way to be articulate, kids...be sure to take extra notes in Behavioral Psych and Analytic Evaluation next year, mmmkay? Come on. I'm kidding.). They tested all kinds of water-shooting, web-blasting and remote-controlled toys that will make hours in the backyard or with a (naive and well-compensated) babysitter even more fun. I give my own thumbs up to the kids for being honest. As a parent, I also love that the price tags on the toys are all mid-range, with many under ten bucks. This means it is fun for the kids and no worries when you have to run out and buy another one so your over-excited husband can join in too. Posted Jul 09 2007, 11:07 AM by Jessica Ashley (Sassafrass) with | with no comments Filed under: Toys for 2007, summer activities

• The Junior Society: New Kid Product Blog from Mahar Dry Goods

  It's so exciting to be present for the birth of a new blog, and the launch of The Junior Society is no exception. If you are into design-conscious, whimsical, unique, kid-friendly stuff, The Junior Society is definitely for you. The Junior Society developed out of the endless machinations of its self-appointed Grand Poobah, Robert Mahar (whose keen eye for cool gear we much appreciate here on Strollerderby.) His blood-shot eyes are a testament to the exorbitant number of hours he spends online each day sifting through the flotsam and jetsam of kid-friendly design. Mahar is thrilled whenever he’s able to reel in an amazing item for his web shop Mahar Drygoods , but often his catch includes unusual, clever and intelligent products, services and activities for children that don’t fit into the specialized "vintage and artisan crafted" parameters of MDG. Junior Society was created to showcase this bounty of better-than-average children’s design, although there are unsubstantiated rumors that Robert is merely seeking out a reason to wear a tasseled fez and develop secret handshakes. The blog is just getting launched, so do check back often, and watch his baby grow. Posted Apr 06 2007, 03:02 PM by Stefania Pomponi Butler (CityMama) with | with 1 comment(s) Filed under: gift ideas, toys, Mahar Dry Goods, Toys for 2007, baby gear, easter, the junior society, product blogs

• Easter Parade: Cute Basket-Stuffers from Mahar Drygoods

  Back before Valentine's Day even hit, stores in my local mall had Easter duckies and bunnies on display. It was as if to day, sure Valentine's Day is nice and all, but Easter doesn't have the high expectations attached to it that V-Day does. No one is disappointed if they don't get a 10k necklace with a simulated .25 carat Dianelle™ pendant on Easter. People just want the pastel M&M's. For those that don't practice any Judeo-Christian religiosity, Easter is all about chocolate jiz eggs, microwaving Peeps, the vinegary smell of dyed eggs, and baskets filled with whimsical treats for the kiddies. And you won't find any more delightful basket stuffers than at Mahar Dry Goods. Why not smash a confetti cascarone over big brother's head at Easter brunch? Or present half-a-dozen crocheted chicks to your egg hunters? Love cherry blossoms? Then why not hang a festive "bunny blossom" poster to signal spring is here. And, finally, what child wouldn't love a tangerine-colored, felt bunny. Happy Easter shopping.   Posted Mar 16 2007, 09:01 AM by Stefania Pomponi Butler (CityMama) with | with 1 comment(s) Filed under: gift ideas, Mahar Dry Goods, Toys for 2007, easter

• "Hot" Toys for 2007: Ugly is the New Beautiful

  I don't know about you, but there's a part of me that resists the notion that toys can be "hot." Fun and silly maybe, but hot?  The only hot toys I'm interested in having nothing to do with my children. In any event, trends in toy-making are interesting to follow (remember Cabbage Patch Kids?) as they often illuminate the cultural goings-on. And if the new toy trend, ugly is the new beautiful, is representative of a move away from Bratz doll hell, then I'm all in. Ugly AND low-tech?  Even better. The American Bear Company has a new toy called "My Own Monster," which lets kids design their own stuffed monsters. Brilliant!  In response to obesity concerns, there are also more interactive toys this year, including do-re-mi blocks, Fisher Price Laugh and Learn Kitchen, and Barkey the Vacuum for Little Tikes. Toys, especially the non-Bratz, non-Barbie toys, can give you a renewed sense of hope about the future an excuse to reminisce about Honey Hill Bunch and Green Machines.  Remember those? Posted Mar 02 2007, 10:39 AM by Rachael Brownell (Redsy) with | with 4 comment(s) Filed under: children, toys, low-tech toys, hot toys, Toys for 2007, ugly doll, fun toys for kids