LilSugar

Get Your Grill On! 10 Ways Kids Can Get in on the Holiday Grilling Action

Rebecca M Gruber — Mon, 21 May 2012 08:03:09 PDT

Let the official start of grilling season commence! Memorial Day weekend may be known as the unofficial beginning of Summer (and the day you can start wearing all of your white clothes), but it's also the unofficial start date for grilling season. While a backyard barbecue is a great way to get family and friends together, bringing wee ones near an open flame is just plain dangerous.

Before barring tots from the area altogether, consider one of these play-grilling options - they may not produce the perfect char on your food, but they'll certainly have kids aspiring to become pit masters!

Hot Wheels Wall Tracks Takes Playtime to a Whole New Level

Rebecca M Gruber — Thu, 17 May 2012 10:27:17 PDT

For 44 years, kids have been racing Hot Wheels cars around their homes, on the sidewalks in front of their houses, and, if they're my kids, down the slides on the playground. Playground play aside, most die-cast car play has been strictly horizontal since that time. Now Hot Wheels is shaking things up - really up! - and moving car play vertical! Hot Wheels Wall Tracks, the company's new line of wall-mounted race tracks, literally takes playtime off the floor and onto the walls. The company sent me the Hot Wheels Wall Tracks Starter Set ($32), one of four playsets in the collection, and I took it for a test run with my two car-obsessed kids. Here's what we thought!

Who is this product designed for? The manufacturer suggests that race tracks are for kids ages 4 to 8 years old, but my 2-year-old is having a very good time playing with it, too.

What sets it apart? For generations, car racing has been limited to floor play, where intricate tracks were laid on the ground to facilitate races, crashes, and general play. For the first time, that play moves up the wall, helping to clear the clutter of toys on the floor, but also creating a new play experience. Using 3M Command Strips (which are safe for painted and wallpapered walls - I tested it!), the track supports easily stick on the wall to create vertical, complex race tracks that eventually lead cars to the ground. The enclosed templates make setup a breeze - within 15 minutes of opening the box, we were ready to play!

What could be better? Unfortunately, the 3M Command Strips can lose their "stickiness" pretty easily, and if they do, the entire track falls down - quickly. This problem is easily remedied, though, by simply purchasing additional strips at an office supply store.

Keep reading to see how long the tracks entertain youngsters and for more views of the toy.

5 Baby Toys to Add to Your Infant's Repertoire Now

Rebecca M Gruber — Wed, 09 May 2012 14:31:46 PDT

Say bye-bye to playtime boredom! It's not usually infants that get bored with the toys in their toy chests, it's Mom. There are only so many times you can play with the same rattle before Mama needs to move on. And while I certainly don't advocate confusing tots with an overwhelming variety of toys to choose from every day, shaking things up every now and then can bring some welcome change. Here are five new infant toys set to hit stores over the next few weeks that are sure to make both Mom and Tot excited for an afternoon of play!

Spiro Bouncer Teeter-Totter Seesaw: Ga Ga or Gag?

Rebecca M Gruber — Wed, 09 May 2012 10:41:14 PDT

All seesaws are not created equal. The up and down motion of a traditional teeter-totter has provided generations of tots with hours of fun (and sore bums when their seats come crashing down), but the classic toy is getting a much needed upgrade.

Consider the Spiro Bouncer ($72), the pimped-out version of your favorite playground toy. With cushioned seats and a bouncy ball attached to the bottom of the seats, lil ones' bottoms never have to fear hard landings when their playmates push off just a drop stronger than expected. Rather, they simply bounce right back up. Add to that the ability to spin while playing and your tyke will never look at the old-fashioned seesaw the same way again. Of course, this playtime fun does come at a price - the Spiro Bouncer costs almost twice as much as its counterparts. So tell us - what do you think?

6 New Toys to Add to Your Toddler's Toy Chest

Rebecca M Gruber — Thu, 03 May 2012 12:41:15 PDT

Kids quickly develop favorites when it comes to toys. Pull out the toy box and they always seem to go to the same things day in and day out. Though they may be perfectly satisfied with them, mama may feel the need to change things up a bit. Even if your toddler's birthday is a ways off, there's nothing wrong with adding a new toy or two to the mix every now and then. Over the next few weeks, a number of new toddler-friendly toys will hit store shelves. Here are a few that are worth adding to your playtime repertoire!

The Great Outdoors: 10 Summer Toys to Get Kids Up and Out!

Rebecca M Gruber — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 09:17:39 PDT

Warm weather's not just an opportunity to shed your jacket, but to get the kids up, moving, and outside. While the sun may be all it takes to get mama outdoors, tots often need a little enticement - that's where the toys come into play. We've checked out the hottest new toys of the season and have narrowed down our favorites that will have lil ones begging to enjoy the fresh air. Check them out!

Where Are They Now? 9 Toys From the '70s Making a Comeback Today

Rebecca M Gruber — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 06:44:43 PDT

Everything old is new again, right? That certainly seems to be the case today! A press release announcing the reintroduction of the Original Big Wheels had us sharing our favorite stories about the low-riding trikes. It got us thinking about some of our favorite childhood toys that have received modern makeovers. Take a look at these nine '70s classics and tell us, which have appeared in the toy boxes of both you and your tot?

Teddy Needs a Bath: Kid-Friendly or Are You Kidding?

Rebecca M Gruber — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 11:41:28 PDT

When there's a foul odor coming from my kids' bedrooms, the first place I look is the pile of stuffed animals that sits near their beds. While some parents consider stuffed animals to be little more than dust collectors, in our home, they are a necessity, helping soothe my kids to sleep each night. But cleaning them has always been an issue - I fear the day one of their loveys is destroyed in the washing machine and we have to suffer through nights of inconsolable children.

That's why my interest was piqued when I heard about Teddy Needs a Bath ($15). Basically just an oversize, eco-friendly laundry bag with a serious zipper on it, Teddy Needs a Bath keeps stuffed animals safe during routine washings, ensuring that they can be returned to their rightful owner looking the same way they did earlier - only cleaner and germ-free! What do you think?

B. Toys' New Symphony in B Orchestra Is Music to Lil Ones' Ears

Rebecca M Gruber — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 08:36:00 PDT

Finding a really good toy can be like searching for a needle in a haystack. There are so many out there, but nothing stands out from the crowd. Luckily that wasn't the case at Toy Fair this year. One toy truly wowed me with its unique take on combining fun and music education - B. Toys' Symphony in B Orchestra ($60).
A virtual orchestra pit, the Symphony in B is preprogrammed with 15 songs and symphonies. It comes with 13 instruments that can be added one-at-a-time to the "stage" to actually create the music. So if the tuba, piano, and violin are on stage, the song sounds different from it does if the sitar, cymbals, and clarinet are there. When Gisela Voss, chief toymaker at B. Toys, introduced me to it, I was mesmerized. I couldn't stop playing around with the pieces and seeing what the different combinations would make. The question was would my LMFAO and Kidz Bop-loving boys find it as exciting as I did?

Who is this product designed for? According to B. Toys, the Symphony in B is for kids ages 3 to 13, but my 2-year old loves it! While he doesn't quite understand the music-making process, he enjoys placing the instruments in their shape-sorter-like places, as well as adding as many percussion instruments to the stage as possible. On the other hand, my 6-year-old is happily learning about the differences between woodwinds and strings.

What sets it apart? Truly, everything! I've never seen a toy that packs so much into one piece. Aside from simply teaching tots the sounds the instruments make (including some that are not typically taught in American schools like the Japanese koto and the Indian sitar), the entire device lights up to illustrate the instrument classifications such as woodwinds, brass, and strings.

Keep reading to see what could be better and if I would buy it.

20 Favorite Finds From Toy Fair 2012

Rebecca M Gruber — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 07:03:32 PST

Oh, this was tough. After two days scanning the endless aisles of Toy Fair, mama certainly found a few things to put on her lil one's wish lists this year. While this year's Toy Fair trends may have us dreaming of glow-in-the dark bubbles and iPad-based games, there were several other items that struck my fancy! Keep reading to see my favorite finds from this year's show, and tell me, which looks most exciting to you?