The Best Advice on Children's Products

Dr. Toy’s 100 Best Children’s Products Press Release – 2011

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Your Guide to Finding the Best Toys and Children’s Products
An Opportunity to be of Service to Families and Schools

By Stevanne Auerbach, PhD/Dr. Toy™

SAN FRANCISCO, CA – (September 6, 2011) – As a natural, on–going part of our work as parents, teachers, early childhood specialists, and others involved with children at home or elsewhere, we observe children at play. With our own eyes we see what works…and what doesn’t hold up under tough testing – the normal barrage of active, inquisitive, and resourceful babies, toddlers, preschoolers, and older children. This guide is offered to complement your observations and to help you in selecting the right products to enhance play and learning.

We make buying decisions based on lasting play value and product applicability to children’s active, creative, and educational experiences. We can depend on the durability and versatility of such items as blocks, construction toys, games, puppets, and transportation toys. They stimulate the imagination, engage the player, have value, and hold up over time. We want to apply these standards to all the choices we make. We often hear consumers describe their experience of making a purchase, but shortly after giving little Sally or Sammy the product it falls apart – a frustrating and expensive process. Products that do not meet safety standards can be dangerous and can cause harm to children. We want to avoid these problems and always strive for excellence. I spend a great deal of time reviewing a large quantity of products created by myriad manufacturers and designers. I make sure my selections match the criteria for excellence.

Certainly age grading, name recognition, company dependability, versatility of design, and place of purchase are factors to obtain the right product. Another aspect you can depend on is a warranty. Rising costs for products require us to be wise consumers and to get extra lasting value. Certainly durable products, properly designed, and developmentally correct are worth the money. Children’s positive reactions are worth the extra effort. I utilize a complicated set of objective and subjective criteria to evaluate toys and other products. Some questions to ask are:

· Is this product worth the price?

· Does it have lasting play value?

· Is it appropriate?

· Is it fun?

· Does it meet safety standards?

Dr. Toy is pleased to have the opportunity to share her years of play and toy experiences with consumers to assist them in the selection process. This timely report features information about l00 wonderful new toys and products from large and small companies. The toys and products selected meet my high standards for design, durability, price, quality, safety, and value.

Dr. Toy reminds parents and teachers, “Let’s not forget that “play is children’s work” and should be respected and understood by all adults. We should be thinking: “What products or “tools for play” can we obtain to provide wholesome experiences for children and provide plenty of positive play interactions.”

Dr Toy’s Smart Play/Smart Toys: How to Raise a Child with a High P.Q. (Play Quotient) was written for new parents, and others who care about children, and is available in toy, book stores or on line. Dr Toy invites consumers to take the time to describe play and product experiences and ask questions about toys and products.

Following are examples of award-winning toys and products and the companies that make them grouped in selected categories of “smart” play. You can find more products by assigned codes that designate types of products.

Active Play – Alpha Toys (Alphabeasts), Carrera (Porto Corsa Racing), Constructive Eating (Three Garden Utensils), Fisher-Price (Big Action Construction Site), Funrise Toys (Tonka Strong Arm Cement Mixer), Funtastic/QuickSmart (QuickSmart Scramble Bug), Green Toys (Flatbed Truck & Race Car), Gryphon House (Budding Chef), iStar Entertainment (FyrFlyz), Jennara Productions (Miss Barbara’s Pirate Adventure), Manhattan Toy (Quadrilla Twist & Rail Set), Metro Design (48″ Play Wheel), MGA (Little Tikes Cozy Truck), Spin Master (Air Hogs Hyperactive), uKloo Kids (uKloo Treasure Hunt), Wishbone Design (Wishbone Flip), WowToyz (3D Dinosaur Puzzles).

Construction Play – Citiblocs(Little Builder Rattle Blocs), Fat Brain Toy (Tobbles ), Fisher-Price (Big Action Construction Site), HABA (Animal Upon Animal), Innovation First Labs (Hexbug Nano Hive Habitat), Laser Pegs Ventures (3D Lite Board), LEGO Systems (Ninjago: Fire Temple), Yoshiritsu (Hamacron Constructor).

Creativity & Art – Colorforms (Original Colorforms Set), Fat Brain Toy (Tobbles), Giddy Up! (Movie Make Up), Int’l Playthings (Glamology Enhancing Pact 4), Learning Materials (Coloraturo), Little Kids (Bend & Build Foamstructure), Patch Products (Design ‘N’ Doodle Silly Zoo), ThinkFun (Cartoon It!), Tiny Green Bee (Crunch a Color™), Wild Republic (Nuts & Bolts).

Creativity & Music – APA Animation Prod. (Sookie & Finn), Copy-Kids (Eat Fruits & Vegetables), Maestro Classics (My Name Is Handel), Music Intelligence Proj. (Tuneables:I Love Music!), MusiGo (Going Places), QuaverMusic (Quaver’s Marvelous World of Music), Right Road Prod. (Episode 1: You Are Special), Rock ‘N Learn (Sight Words), Sockeye Media (Nursery Rhyme Singing Time), Whistlefritz( Las Estaciones).

Technology – ClickN Kids (Looney Tunes ClickN READ), Cognitive Kid (Ansel & Clair’s Adven.-Africa), Gund (Peek-A-Boo Bear), Hasbro (Cookie, My Playful Pup), Learning Journey (ABC Word Pad), Smart Bomb Interactive (National Geographic Animal Jam), SmartLab Toys (Recon 6.0 Programmable Rover), Super Duper® Pub (Funzee Everyday Go-Togethers Software), Visions of the Millenium (Tell Me What Am I – Animal), VTech (2-in-1 Discovery Table), Your Baby Can (Your Baby Can Discover!).

Language/Learning/Math & Reading Readiness – Abligio Books (Best Multiplication Workbook EVER!), Alpha Toys (Alphabeasts), Bailiwick Press (Cahoots ), BrillKids Int’l (Little Reader Deluxe), Critical Thinking (Crypto Mind Benders: Famous Quotes), Discover w/Dr. Cool (Break Open Real Geodes), Griddly Games (Oversight), Kids II (Sensory Plush Pals), Klutz (Guide to the Galaxy), K’NEX (Classic K’NEXosaurus Rex), Leo Marshall Designs (LeCardo), Lucky Cat Prod (Math Park).

Puzzles & Logical Thinking Games – b. dazzle (Tempe in Paradise), Bloco Toys (Primates of the World Collection), Blue Orange (Fastrack), Cepia (DaGeDar), Continuum Games (Barnyard Stampede), FoxMind Canada (Fauna), Fun and Function (Social (e)Motion), Gamewright (Mermaid Beach), GaZima Games (Stomple), INI (Dabble), Lindergaff (Synonyms), Non-Trivial Quest (Non-Trivial Quest), POOF-Slinky (Our America Game), Pressman Toy (Ultimate Mastermind), Techno Source (Tetris Link), University Games (Kids Battle the Grown Ups), USAOPOLY (Telestrations).

Social & Dramatic Play – ALEX (Ready, Set, Tell Time!), Alpha Toys (Alphabeasts), Aeromax (My 1st Career Gear Assortment), B. By Battat (Car Go CarGo), Berjuan Toys (Breast Milk Baby Doll), Corolle Dolls (Bébé Amour), Chicco (Lemmy My First Puppy), Fashion Angels (Fashion Design Projector Set), Giddy Up! (Movie Make Up), Golly Gee-pers! (Table Manners Cards), Int’l Playthings (Glamology Enhancing Pact 4), MGA (Mini Lalaloopsy Treehouse), Ragananda (Ragananda Doll), Royal Council (Every Kindness Counts), Zing Toys (IckeeStikeez).

Socially Responsible Products – ALEX (Ready, Set, Tell Time!), b. dazzle (Temple in Paradise), Berjuan Toys (Breast Milk Baby Doll), Connor’s Science Universe (Crystal Explosion), DuneCraft (Rainforest Biosphere), Giddy Up! (Movie Make Up), Golly Gee-pers! (Table Manners Cards), Int’l Playthings (Glamology Enhancing Pact 4), Royal Council (Every Kindness Counts), Tiny Green Bee (Crunch a Color), Worry Chest System (Worry Chest System).

Ten Best Toys– Citiblocs (Little Builder Rattle Blocs), Fisher-Price (Big Action Construction Site), Green Toys (Flatbed Truck & Race Car), Innovation First Labs (Hexbug Nano Hive Habitat), iStar Entertainment (FyrFlyz), Laser Pegs Ventures(3D Lite Board)LEGO Systems (Ninjago: Fire Temple )Little Tikes/MGA(Little Tikes Cozy Truck), Spin Master (Air Hogs Hyperactive), Yoshiritsu (Hamacron Constructor).

… And many more wonderful smart toys and children’s products.

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Interviews regarding the recommended best smart toys and play products can be arranged through Walsh Public Relations at 203-292-6280 or by .