Intex 117-by-76-by-53-Inch Rainbow Ring Pool Play Center

Intex 117-by-76-by-53-Inch Rainbow Ring Pool Play Center
Click to see more images

Intex 117-by-76-by-53-Inch Rainbow Ring Pool Play Center
Click to see more images

Step2 All Star Sports Climber

Step2 All Star Sports Climber
Click to see more Images

Read Reviews

I got the Step 2 All Star Sports Climber for my 17 month old son, and he is crazy about it. I wanted to find a safe and positive place to direct him when he wanted to climb and this is perfect. I also wanted to have something that my son could play with inside that wasn't too small or flimsy and would not take up too much room in our fairly small house. This climber is the perfect size for an indoor play area, is very sturdy, and best of all my son loves everything about it. The rock climbing wall is a perfect alternative to a more traditional ladder because his foot can't slip through the back. He likes taking toys up with him and tossing then through the basketball hoop or the football goal at the top. The soccer goal area makes for a fun fort too. The support bar at the bottom took some effort for my husband to put in, but that just makes it more sturdy so it is not a problem. I would highly recommend this toy to anyone with a child that is 1 year to 3 or 4 years old. It is well worth the money and being made in the USA is a great plus too. I'm sure my son will play with it for many years.

Fisher-Price Imaginext Space Shuttle and Tower

Fisher-Price Imaginext Space Shuttle and Tower
Click to see more Images

Fisher-Price Imaginext Space Shuttle and Tower
Click to see more Images

Read Reviews

Got this for my 4 year old grandson for Christmas, and it was a HUGE hit. He plays with it constantly, and has named the astronauts John Glenn, Buzz Aldren and Neil Armstrong! He will occasionally play with another toy, but will steer his play back to his space shuttle and Imaginext Space Station, which he also got for Christmas. He will eventually ask whatever toy he is playing with "Have you ever seen a real space shuttle blast off?", and it's right back to his space toys. All of his dinosaurs, and most of his other toys, have been taken on a tour of the space station, been introduced to the astronauts and witnessed a take off. Some have even travelled to Mars and to the Moon. He was already interested in space and said he wanted to be an astronaut, but this toy has really fueled his imagination and provided many hours of entertainment.

Manhattan Toy Winkel

Manhattan Toy Winkel
Click to see more Images

Manhattan Toy Winkel
Click to see more Images

Read Reviews

This was the first toy that my son could pick up, play with and explore (at 2 plus months). The rings were small enough for him to hold and as he attempted to chew on the pieces as he shoved the Atom into his face, I did not have to worry about the toy poking his eyes. My husband and I loved this toy and brought it every where we traveled. My son is 5 months and still enjoys playing with it. We loved this toy so much that we nicknamed it the Atom.

Tiny Love Take-Along Arch, Sunny Stroll

Tiny Love Take-Along Arch, Sunny Stroll
 Click to see more Images

Read Reviews

I love that I can tighten this arch to just about anything and it has multiple joints that allow me to manipulate it's placement while it's attached. My daughter loves it. I've attached it to her swing, car-seat, stroller, highchair and I even was able to straighten it and attach it to her crib. I wish more products as diverse as this one would become available. 

Angry Birds: Knock On Wood Game

Angry Birds: Knock On Wood Game

Read Reviews

Product Features

• Based on the on the best-selling phone app game, Angry Birds
• Now kids can play their #1 favorite app game in real life
• Build, launch and destroy with an exciting skill-and-action
• Features three Angry Birds, green pigs, one slingshot-style launcher, structure pieces and mission cards
• For 2 or 4 players

I think the concept of this toy is really fun, and my kids certainly enjoy it although you need to be prepared to search around for scattered pieces if you don't have a restricted area for shooting the birds. I find shooting toward a rug or on a table with a tablecloth keeps them from ricocheting all over the room.
First, the good stuff:
PROS: The rules are simple, easy to explain to younger children, and you don't have to know how to read to figure things out, so that's also great for little ones.
The birds, pigs, catapult, and the structure pieces all seem pretty sturdy. Plus my five year old likes to just play with the game pieces as action figures. We only got this game because he wanted some plastic Angry Birds to play with and this was the only thing we found that fit the bill.
The game builds coordination and (hopefully) a little patience in the best case scenario. But that leads me to the cons...
CONS: This is more a downfall for folks like me who can't stand tedious projects :) but I get a little frustrated trying to build the structures shown on the level cards sometimes. They are supposed to be grouped according to difficulty, but some of the Level 1( ie: allegedly easier) structures are just as difficult as the Level 2 and 3 ones. There are some I think might be impossible to build at all based on the law of gravity, although my husband disagrees and says with enough balance they're all possible.
I'm kind of a fumble-prone mom and I spent more time knocking down half-built structures with my clumsy hands than with birds at first. If you have a child who doesn't have much tolerance for slow, meticulous projects then he/she might be annoyed trying to build the structures.
As far as the actual shooting the birds part of the game, that takes some getting used to and is actually a lot harder than on the Iphone app. in my opinion. That said, it is doable. My five year old and eight year old are fans of the game and have already played with it a lot. One tip: make sure you keep up with all the pieces because losing even one or two of the logs or blocks will seriously hamper your ability to complete the structures on the cards.