Mommy's little helper.
Simple or Swank
1 Simple or Swank: Wooden Baby Walkers
Gallery
2 Top Five Trends We Saw at Toy Fair 2010
Gallery
3 The 2011 Toy Fair Must Haves For Kids
Trendtotting
4 Trendtotting: Wooden Toys
Eco
5 Toy Box: Mod Dollhouse Furniture
Holiday
6 The Gifted Child: Three-Year-Olds
Eco
7 Toy Box: Eco-Friendly Musical Toys
Shopping
8 SJP's Twins Know a Thing or Two About Shoes, Too
Eco
9 Toys That Teach Tots About Bettering the Earth
Eco
10 9 Eco-Friendly Toys Worth Buying Today
Best of 2011
11 Best of 2011: What Was Your Favorite New Baby Toy?
Lots of new toys for baby hit stores this year — did any of them make it to your little one's toy box? Eco-conscious new mamas loved the new Plan Toys' Baby Activity Gym ($60) and the P'kolino Fishing Hole Size Sorter ($25). Little tykes were delighted by the Fisher-Price Little People Wheelies Zig the Big Rig ($30), while pint-sized Sesame Street fans went ga-ga for Let's Rock Elmo ($49) and Read more
It's a green, green world and we're loving it! If you're using Earth Day as the starting point for turning your lil one's toy box green, don't think you will be kissing color goodbye. Though many natural products are free of bright colors, these fun finds will continue to inspire tots while keeping them safe from the hormone disruptors Read more
Learning doesn't stop at the schoolhouse steps. While there are plenty of books about the importance of caring for our Earth, giving tots toys that incorporate that message into their usual play patterns may be the most effective way of conveying the message. Green toys aren't necessarily the unadorned wooden playthings you might imagine. Today, there are modern playhouses, recycling trucks, and Read more
The 2011 Toy Fair was packed with new products for the coming year. The hardest part, after seeing them all, is waiting for them to be available for purchase. Though there were several hot trends in this year's offerings, a few goodies will be on my shopping list. Check out my 10 favorites. Read more
Proving that the apples don't fall far from the tree, Marion and Tabitha Broderick, 1, were spotted holding, and chewing on, colorful wooden shoes this morning. While they're not the Manolos and Louboutins Sarah Jessica Parker fancies, the twins' choice in play footwear was a wise one. Plan Toys' Tie-Up Shoes ($8) are designed to teach kids how to lace their shoes and are made from eco-friendly, Read more
It's a tough job, but somebody's got to do it. Over the past three days, the nation's leading toy manufacturers, as well as several newcomers, introduced their latest and greatest creations in hopes of becoming the Zhu Zhu Pets of 2010. Through wandering through the 345,000 square feet of exhibit space and eyeing the 7,000 products that were on display for the first time, we identified several Read more
It's becoming easier than ever to turn your little drummer boy into an Eco-friendly musician with all of the wooden instruments currently on the market. Revving up to celebrate Earth Day, we noticed that there are several toy manufacturers taking the lead in creating products for a variety of skill levels. Plan Toys, the makers of this great percussion set that encourages lil ones to Read more
When baby looks like he is ready to take his first steps, mama may turn to a walker to help steady her lil guy. While some of the push toys feature flashing lights and music to encourage tots, more traditional wooden versions are making a comeback. Unfortunately, the fewer the frills, the more expensive the items seem to be. Simple: Melissa and Doug's Chomp and Clack Alligator Walker ($30) is Read more
Three-year-olds tend to be a bit fickle as they express their independence. One moment they are telling you they can do it all by themselves, then the next they insist on holding your hand. When shopping for a gift for a preschooler, look for items that showcase their new found abilities. Among our favorite selections for this age group: The ballerina in your life will be begging to put on a Read more
Does your dollhouse need a renovation? Plan Toys has the goods to revamp your lil one's home into a swanky modern living space for miniature people and their pets. I imagine if Elroy and Judy Jetson played with lil figurines, they would have pined after the Plan Toys Modern Furniture Set ($50) as it best suits their lifestyle. Ditch the old three–cushion couch for the posh pink and white sofa Read more
