Dora the Explorer is a brave and curious character who crosses age and gender-specific play lines with her show, toys and games.  These are no errant Scooby Doo adventures either, as the characters explore their world by helping others and learning about new perspectives along the way.

adorable Boots, Dora's monkey

Let’s start with the basics if you are new to the world of Dora.  Everyone loves the Dora plush character dolls and the Dora plush backpack.  There are dolls of all shapes and sizes, including doll houses and dress-up clothes for dolls and kids. I’ve seen sippy-cups and tub toys as well as Diego bikes and character boots.  Even the classic board games have been redesigned to incorporate Dora in Candy Land, Memory, and the classic Chutes and Ladders.

And, believe it or not, the top sellers of this line is Dora the Explorer coloring sheets.  No explanation needed for this perennial kids favorite!

But my favorite part of Dora’s world is how she encourages cross-cultural learning.

For example, some of the most popular Dora toys are the Leapster educational games that allow play in Spanish or English.

The games have interactive story-lines that teach letters, phonics, science concepts, critical thinking skills, counting, and pattern recognition.  Some are rescue adventure-driven stories and others are simply fun games to help teach the concepts.

In fact, children who love Dora and Friends often end up learning a bit of Spanish without trying.  The phrases and vocabulary are introduced in subtle ways through toys, games, videos, and more.  Most of the Leapster, LeapPad, and Tag related toys have varying levels of difficulty to allow younger children to have confidence and grow with the toy while continuing to learn new things.

There’s a bit of Dora the Explorer for everyone.  Be sure to check out the Dora travel toys for younger children that include some play figures with a small “rescue center” complete with animals to rescue, a map, and a handle for easy carrying.  For in-home fun, don’t forget about Dora the Explorer playhouses to add a bit extra to those playtime adventures.

The more players the better with this game since many of the questions have to do with the other players.  The trivia involved is not just about the movie, but conflicting story-lines between the book and movie details, giving fresh answers to the true Twilight aficionados.

The board is covered with stills from the movie with short descriptions of the shot (“Forks” or “the cliffs”) and the goal is to move around the board collecting scene cards while correctly answering the trivia questions and challenges.  The basic idea of the game is pretty simple to grasp once the game gets rolling.

If you’re a seasoned board game player, you’ll get the hang of it fast.  However, there have been complaints about the thoroughness of the included instructions.

The game pieces are cutouts of the Cullen family crest and, while not terribly sturdy, they are not integral to the game itself & can be easily replaced with pieces from other games when they crumble from excessive use.

Age range on this game is 8-15 which is perhaps a bit young for some of the content from the movie which is rated PG-13.  Since knowing the movie is a necessary part of the game it seems a bit strange to me that they’d have a game for children five years younger than the recommended viewing age.

My final thought: this is a great game for hard-core Twilight fans, but it does not have a creative enough game play  for those who couldn’t care one way or the other about the fate of the characters…

This is just one recall of many this year: how can you keep up?  In this article I explore easy ways for concerned parents to stay on top of the news in regards to toy recalls.

The good news is that many companies are stepping up to be compliant with the CPSC toy safety regulations for 2010.  The safety enforcement was set to begin in 2009, but the delay has been set to allow companies (especially smaller ones) and the CPSC to find ways to budget the necessary costs of the new required tests.

Still, while we wait for better laws, it’s a good idea to know where to get the information from the source.

The US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) lists toy hazard recalls here.  The most recent recalls are listed first.  This page makes it possible to check listings from lots of manufacturers at once without visiting separate websites.  The list also explains why the toy has been recalled.

When shopping at a physical store it’s possible to find out about recently recalled items too.  Stores should post recalled items they have carried near the customer service area or at the checkout so that frequent shoppers are aware of recalled items.  It is likely that older recall items will not be posted on the bulletin board, so checking the online resource is still a good option.

Safety is really a two-way street.  So, if at any time a toy comes apart or a child is injured by a toy it is good to let the company know.  This is the main way that recalls can be created from the public perspective.  No one wants a faulty toy, especially if injury is possible.  So, if that age appropriate toy pops apart under normal wear and tear be sure to report it.

My little girl got one of these on her first birthday and has enjoyed playing the music button for years now. The letter magnets are fun for her to play with on the fridge even though she didn’t know them as letters for a long time.

The recommended age range is from 2-5 years although I think they’ll probably still be on the fridge for years beyond that. Now that she is older she enjoys telling me all about the letters, playing their songs, and then dancing to the alphabet song.

On the base of the Leapfrog Phonics is a volume switch with two settings, but we found that it was still a bit too loud so we put some tape over the speaker to make it even more quiet (we do this with most toys honestly). The letter songs are a bit addictive and I find myself singing them while all alone in the store hours later.

Find LeapFrog Fridge Phonics here.

Why LeapFrog Phonics is So Effective
Repetition is useful in reinforcing the letter sounds. The songs are the same ones we have on other LeapFrog Alphabet toys like the bus, which is useful for the repetition factor. Kids hear the same song and same voice in different toys which increases the lesson learned rather than requiring a change in focus for a new presentation. LeapFrog Phonics takes advantage of this learning style and is an easy way for children to learn letters and written words without “hard” study.

This is “my first tricycle” done right: a newer version of the Rock, Roll & Ride Trike with a bit of an update with the caretaker in mind.  This is good news for me.

The trike is said to be just right for a wide age range of 18 months to 5 years because of the item’s versatility.  It can start as an indoor toy with a the handle set underneath as the base for a rocking toy.  The kids get the thrill of “riding” a bike with the safety of indoor play.  As the young ones want to toddle outside to explore this trike will go with them.

The base for the rocking toy converts into a handle so that the young ones may be pushed around without pain in adult backs.  The update for the Rock & Roll Trike is an increase in handle length by four inches, making it even easier on the grown-ups.  The push-bar is a wonderful invention and worth it’s weight in gold as far as this parent is concerned.

The wheels on this toy are the plastic kind that offer very little traction if all you have is gravel or grass on which to drive.  Our experience has found that the best bit of “road” for these wheels is a patch of concrete or a nice long sidewalk.  I have read of other parents wrapping rubber bands around the wheels to increase traction on grass and such.

Find the new Rock, Roll and Ride Trike here.

As the toddler gets control of his own wheels and moves in to the “I can do it myself” stage it is nice to know that the handle can be removed to create a “big kid trike.”  This one toy has moved from toddler to big kid toy without costing a dime extra.  Assuming the wheels last that long it could fit the kid for years to come.

The box contains the bell-shaped, hand-held Hyper Dash base unit and five target discs in different colors with numbers on them.  The Hyper Dash base calls out commands based on the difficulty level selected. The easiest option requires color identification, the next is number and color recognition with an increase in call/command speed.

The third level of play adds a variety of calls to increase coordination.  The most complex level requires some basic math skills with calls such as “four minus one” to lead the players to the correct number target.

The game may be set up inside or outside, which offers a great activity at the park as well as an active indoor rainy-day game. The targets may be set up close together or very far apart depending on the player preference, and the game may be played in teams or with as little as one player.

Find Wild Planet Hyper Dash here.

So, if the idea is to work on the math skills the distance between targets can be minimal, but if the goal is to increase physical endurance the targets can be set up on opposite ends of a tennis court.

Three AAA batteries are required, and changing them requires a screwdriver. There is no on/off switch, but the hand-held unit turns off after a time of non-use to preserve battery life. The recommended age range is 7-12, but since the beginning level is colors only it could be a game for younger kids if the targets are set closer together.

With thirty games and activities to teach language, math, and music, the VTech Laptop is sure to keep the kids occupied for long car rides and rainy days while creating an opportunity to exercise that brain.  At around $25 it’s not too expensive if more than one must be purchased to stop non-sharing squabbles.

The mouse pad is removable and can be set up for either right-handed or left-handed use.  There are two color styles available – one is orange with other primary colors and one is mostly pink.

Find the VTech Preschool Laptop here.

The keyboard is designed to have the alphabet in letter order rather than the standard QWERTY keyboard used on most computers.  This feature has gotten mixed reviews, but serves to keep the ABC learning consistent rather than confusing kids during a learning game.

Yes, the kids will need to train themselves later for QWERTY, but at this age they are typing with one finger at a time anyway.

Baby’s first blocks has basic shapes (triangle, circle, square, star) as well as an “x” shape for sorting.

What makes this feature so perfect for younger children is that  it sorts only on one side – the top – making it easier for early learners to sort without turning the toy over and over.

Sorting is Toddlers’ Favorite Thing to Do

Around 8 to 18 months a child’s favorite activity becomes putting items into other things.  That love is combined here with introduction to color and shape basics as well as pattern recognition.  The shapes are sorted through the top slots and drop into a bucket where they can stay or be joyously dumped onto the floor to do it all over again.

The lid comes off very easily so that little ones can do it all themselves.  However, if sorting is the parents’ main objective, it might be useful to secure the lid onto the bucket so that simply dropping shapes into the lidless bucket is not an option.

Passes the Toddler Chew Test too

Another favorite activity at this age is chewing on just about everything in sight.  Time and again Fisher-Price has proven the test of chewy-durability and  this toy is no exception (honestly though, I did not chew on it to find out).

The shapes have easy to grasp and hold edges that are built for stacking too.  Probably though the caregivers will end up doing the stacking and the kids will laugh in wonder as they knock down tower after tower.

The bucket has a handle so that those active little ones can take this toy with them and the bold colors offer visual stimulation as well.  It’s not too expensive and Fisher-Price products are available nearly everywhere, so this ends up being a good toy on many levels.

Find Baby’s First Blocks by Fisher Price here.

This kit by Insect Lore is for ages 4-14

At some point we begin to ask “Why?”

And when the answer isn’t readily available in the brain of some adult, kids need another hands-on way to find out.

Science toys to the rescue!  So many things are available now as kits and simple lessons that we are sure to find the right one for the question at hand.

The Live Butterfly Garden by Insect Lore is  one of the most popular science toys today.  The kit includes butterfly habitat and you mail away for three butterfly larvae.  This is so cool because you can actually watch the butterflies’ metamorphosis close up!  The kit retails for less that $20.

Rainy Days Great for Science

On a recent rainy day I did an online search (since we didn’t want to go out in the rain to begin with) and found a page of free science experiments that can be created from items already in the house.

We decided that making ice cream would be a good one (you can’t snack on a radio when it’s finished), and it was so easy!  When we finished I got the “why did that work, mom?” question, and I was actually able to answer it from the information provided on the site.

For those not wanting to tackle homemade projects the kits are great because the items needed are already included and it can be tucked away on a top shelf to be pulled out for your own rainy day.  Some science toys have instant gratification and others, like the Live Butterfly Garden, will take some time to grow into the full experiment.  The hands-on time is great for growing brains!

Choosing the Right Science Toys

I have found kits that go as young as 4 years in the science sections at some stores, but most will be for at least age 8.  Be sure to check the age range when purchasing a kit since nothing is more frustrating than trying to do something beyond your ability (or comprehension, as is the case for some of these).  More and more of the kits are offered at around the $20 range making it a reasonable option for an afternoon activity.

Another side effect from these kits and experiments is that adults and children might actually learn to enjoy science in a way they never have before.  Making ice cream at home might start one on the path to culinary wizardry, so be prepared for the unknown.

Classic wood abacus by Melissa and Doug

Wooden toys have always been a favorite of mine.  There is something about the solid, lasting, made-of-the-earth quality of wood that satisfies a need I have as a toy-searching parent.

NPR’s All Things Considered recently had a report about a lumber company in Maine that has been refitted to work as a manufacturing plant for a new line of wooden toys made completely here in the United States.

The company had seen a lot of its manufacturing of house wares moved overseas, and an idea was sparked by the lead paint scares that revolved around toys coming from certain places in China.

The story got me thinking about all the toys we buy and how doing a little bit of research could end up saving jobs for people in our own country, whether that may be the US, Britain, or India.

Stimulating local economies is good for the whole world.  Any time a company is able to keep the entire production process on one continent there are environmental savings, but the added bonus of saving jobs in a time when jobs are scarce at best is wonderful.

Focus on American-Made Toys

For example, how does one find some wooden toys made in the USA?

A quick, simple search led me to a page called Maine Made – America’s Best, which lists all kinds of products, not just toys, that are built in the state of Maine.  Other online sites will have an index listing the toys they sell that are made in America.  Another way to find great handcrafted toys, and this is true no matter where you live in the world,  is to visit a local craft co-op or craft fair & talk to the artisans about their work.

The craftsmanship that goes into these items is undeniable and these toys will last generations.  My own daughter has a favorite toy that is a wooden craft toy I got a long time ago, and it is as much fun for her as it was for me at her age.

With just a little bit of thought–before we buy–we can support our neighbors and our own economy during these times where economic stimuli seem to be needed wherever possible.

The Green Dollhouse is made of renewable resources and is modeled after a sustainable home for reducing, reusing, and recycling.  There are built in recycling bins, a solar panel, and even a container for collecting rain runoff.

The Green Dollhouse by Plan Toy retails for $120, or slightly less without all the furniture.

It’s about time children learned to model their play and their lives in a conservation-minded mode.  Once they understand the concepts, they’ll start reminding grown-ups to put that plastic bottle in the recycling bin instead of the trash.

Goodness knows we are always learning, even from our kids. Here are a couple more ideas for bringing more earth-friendly toys into your life.

Garden Skills Start Early

Many green toys and sustainable toys out in the market these days are plant-related.  There are companies that use recycled plastic to create gardening tools for little ones while others teach about greenhouses and growing.  A great way to get a kid to eat some veggies is to let them pick out some seeds to grow.

Beans, peas, and tomatoes are good starter vegetables, because you get to see them grow and eat them right off the vine.  (If space is an issue, tomatoes might be too needy.)

Sponsor a Neighborhood Toy Swap

An affordable way to hunt down some green toys is to coordinate a toy swap.  Find some other families with kids around the same age and swap gently used toys.  Now both families have a new toy, no extra manufacturing energy was spent to create the “new” toy, nothing ends up in a landfill, and no money was spent on the process.  If there is ever an issue where a certain toy needs to be back in the house there is always the option of offering to trade again.

Kill Your TV

Giving the electronics a rest once a week will cut down on energy usage and create a feeling of going green.  Make it a game & participate in it too (that means no TV & no computer that day), and the whole family might end up spending some time doing something like going to the park or making dinner together.

Sometimes going green means simply getting back to basics.

My family came a bit late to the Webkinz craze, but we’ve recently had quite a bit of the fun with our new toys.  First I have to admit that I have actually had more than one Webkinz in the house for nearly two years and we’ve yet to establish the online version of the toy  until a week ago.

I could not pass up the adorable raccoon, and even though I got it with the intention of giving it to my brother the little critter never left my house.  I’ve kept the tags safe all this time and we’re beginning to discover just how much there is in the Webkinz World.

So here’s how it started (again).  My little girl’s grandmother needed a polar bear for a class project and she just happened to get a Webkinz – it wasn’t planned – while we were visiting.  She logged in to Webkinz World to create her online bear and had my daughter help her name it and they began playing.  Now my three year old wants to go online to play with Nana as a polar bear!

While we were at Nana’s house she decided that she also needed a penguin and so we went in search of one to round out her class project.  We managed to find a whale, a bird, and a hedgehog instead.

My sister loves hedgehogs so it was no surprise that we got attached to that one out of all the options available.  When we visited my sister we gave her that tag so that she could “be” the online hedgehog while we kept the physical version with us.

So now we have my Webkinz raccoon, a hedgehog, a whale, a panda and a dog (both of which were gifts at some point last year) that are bound to be great friends once we get them all online.  Even without the online portion these little animals are great – they are soft and cuddly and the new designs are often available in big and small.

I think we’ll be playing with these critters for a long time to come.

Whether this no-battery change is due to penny-pinching or an environmental awareness shift is uncertain.

While electronic toys still placed in this years Toy Fair, some categories looked like we had stepped back thirty years.  For instance, the “Girls Toy of the Year” was announced as Playmobile’s Girl’s Horse Farm.  This new set is based on toys that were in production when I was a kid.  They toy frees up girls imagination, with nary a blinkering light.

Why the change?  Parents have been listening to Tickle-Me-Elmo & his giggling chair for so many years that the quiet noises surrounding an art easel or a puzzle can seem strange at first.  The price tag on the popular items in recent years has often been overwhelming as well.  According to reports, most vendors at Toy Fair this year kept the prices down so that they’d have more sales, and in order to do that they often left off the fancy technology.

All this technology can be fun while it lasts, but once something internal goes wrong, the toy is often tossed out with the garbage.  However, When a hot new product in the toy industry doesn’t have a bit of technology it allows the child to engage that often under-exercised muscle: the imagination.

Is the trend in toys moving more toward simplicity and away from the overwhelmingly complex toys?  Only time will tell if vintage toys are more than just a fad.

Now that the classic toys are back in the forefront in a marketing perspective it will be interesting to see just how the children react to the lack of tech-fancy gadgets.  There is a generation of parents (and grandparents) now that are buying the nostalgia toys from their childhood, and introducing the children to some unplugged playtime.  Toy trains, puzzles, and construction sets may soon fill the living room floors across the country.

Maybe we can all unplug enough to sit down and enjoy a classic board game with kids and friends from time to time as well.  Not only would it make us take some time away from all the negative economic news, but also we might actually have some fun while we’re at it.

What makes a toy a learning toy? It is quite possible that any toy can be a learning toy — from coloring books and building blocks on.

But most people have something quite different in mind when they talk about learning toys. So when looking for something interactive with an educational spin I found a good place to start — the toy awards.

The LeapFrog Reading System

The LeapFrog TAG Reading System exceeded expectations by the Toy Industry Association for the Educational Toy of The Year this February at the Toy Fair in New York. Judging from LeapFrog’s continued success I think we’ll see them taking home more awards in this category in the future.

These toys have been dominating the marketplace for years and their educational value is not to be decreased as the popularity increases.   LeapFrog has come up with new variations on their basic design and more options are in the works I’m sure.

Check out this popular variation, the LeapFrog Fridge phonics set.

The basic sets are available for checkout from some libraries (think of donating yours to the library when your kid out grows his), and this allows even those with limited disposable incomes (more and more of us as the economy plays its tricks) to keep fresh games available for the kids.

The need for an interactive reading toy is apparent in a culture where so many kids sit passively in front of a television all day. By turning off the TV for a little bit each day and allowing the child to read — even with electronic aids/stimulation — there is an interactive quality to the entertainment now being offered.

Parenting: The Best Way for Kids to Learn

As these learning toys advance it’s also good to remember the basic learning toys  — parents! There is nothing as developmentally stimulating as a parent’s attention and cooperative play. This doesn’t have to cost a dime & the learning (both mental and emotional) can be beneficial to all the participants. So, grab a book and read together, or make a fort out of a clean sheet in the living room.

Or take fifteen minutes to play cars — it’s not much of your time, but it’s a world of fun for that little growing person.

I grew up in the heart of Cabbage Patch Kid land (that’s in northeast Georgia if you never knew) and we were sure to visit Babyland General, the “hospital” where the babies were “born,” at least once to get a chance to name a baby.

Needless to say, those dolls have always been my standard of measurement when it comes to other baby dolls.

Another  favorite baby doll of mine is by Corolle – this little guy was super-cute and we both loved it when his eyes closed.  He was adorable even in the box & seemed to be just the right size for my three year old.  And I was bound to love the Madame Alexander Huggums that was given years ago as a new baby present. This is really the most classic kind of baby doll on the market today.

But if I had to recommend one doll today for versatility for both parents and children it would be LaBaby by Berenguer.  My daughter calls it “my heavy baby.”

This doll was purchased as a necessity (if you wonder what necessity could be fixed with a doll you must not have kids), and while pricey compared to other “necessity” purchases I’ve made this one has been well worth the price paid.

The baby doll body is soft rather than plastic from head to toe, and it is weighted so that it can be positioned easily (for tea parties and such). They are available in most stores & online, and they smell really nice too.

The fact that it’s weighted has made the baby useful in other ways as well – some I’d never expected.  The doll was recommended for an infant massage class I decided to take.  The teacher said that it was a good tool because the proportions were right and there was room to practice a stroke on the doll limbs.  Other dolls I had grown up with failed the course miserably mostly because they weren’t weighted or were too tiny.

At first it was the independent, smaller toy stores which, however disappointing, is not terribly surprising when costs are considered.  The bigger stores offer very little in the way of customer service, but have prices that can make that lack forgivable.

However, smaller stores offer toys not available elsewhere and the knowledge that each birthday gift is supporting the livelihood of those who work there directly.

When I was browsing at an outlet mall recently I was shocked to discover that one of the big retailers is going out of business – even the outlet versions of their stores are closing down.  When a huge store liquidates its inventory that is great news for bargain shoppers, but it may not be great news in the long run.

Once the competition is gone those big box stores won’t have much to worry about when it comes to pricing – they’ll be able to name their own.

At the small shops the toys tend to be more expensive, which is due in part to the direct cost of buying toys in smaller quantities, freight cost, employee pay, and store overhead.  The cost of doing business is passed on to the customers so that a profit can be made and the store can continue to operate.  Often the owner and employees of small toy stores live nearby.  When money is spent at a shop like this the money generally stays in the neighborhood through many facets.

With the big name stores the deposits are usually reported to the corporate location and are often wired out of state relatively quickly.  The employees may live locally (although the employee I met at the outlet shop drove over an hour to work each day to manage that location) and spend their income locally, but often the owners/investors of these larger stores live elsewhere & won’t ever even visit the location.

Now, whenever I see a locally owned toy store I go in and browse at the very least.  This could end up being an endangered species fairly soon.

Over the Christmas holidays we were able to spend some time with family and I got to witness some of the grandparent/grandchild interaction with traditional toys that I had previously imagined.

At one point, the grandparents went up to the toy room and grabbed a bag of something that my daughter and I had never seen before & they asked her if she’d played with them yet.  She eyed the bag carefully and then cautiously said, “I don’t think so.”  So Pop takes great joy in dumping the entire package on the floor and proceeding to discuss the finer points of construction using logs.

This is made even more amusing when I point out that they built their house with logs 15 years ago…

At the final grandparent stop on the holiday schedule we encountered tinker toys for the first time ever.  Construction had never seemed to come so naturally to someone as I watched her work.  She managed to convince Gramps to create a guitar just like the one on the picture & she played it for a while (even adding her own guitar sounds) before destroying it to create something new.

When she got home she told her friends all about the adventures and the building toys came out at home with renewed enthusiasm.  Traditional toys seem to offer hours of play without a single battery.  They even get us in the older generations to join in, since it’s usually somewhat familiar.

The winner of Best Outdoor Toy of the Year is Crayola’s 3D Sidewalk Chalk.

Now, who doesn’t love sidewalk chalk?  For me there are memories associated with May parades with huge areas covered in art by all ages (mostly I drew balloons for some reason), face painting, and corn dogs.

Sidewalk chalk is a great way to conquer two challenges: getting the sun you need in a day and having a creative outlet.  There is no need for perfection since it all washes away in the rain, but the memories and fun are there rain or shine.

The fact that they’ve incorporated a 3D aspect to sidewalk chalk is truly intriguing, and we’ll be putting this one on our list of things to try at home this year.  So many things are 3D lately (movies, books, video games) that it is not at all surprising that the folks at Crayola have come up with this new twist on an old favorite.  Of course it comes with some fancy glasses that are sure to wind up a fashion accessory at our house.

More Great Outdoor Toys

Some of our personal choices at home for outdoor play are standards like jump ropes and swings, but there are some exciting items out there that require just a bit of time to plan.  One of my absolute favorites is the zip line that comes with a few different weight standards (depending on whether mom & dad want to ride it too) and requires assembly.

Trust me, you want to ride the zip line too.

Here’s an oldie but still a goodie: sandboxes.  A sandbox complete with sand toys will allow hours of fun in the yard; diligence using a lid or tarp to keep rain and animals out will keep the sand safe and clean for months.  That’s par for the course with outdoor toys, of course.   Outside means they can take the foul weather, if you treat them right.

Lastly, Stomp Rockets and Rocket Balloons have been a favorite in our house because it’s fun to shoot the rockets, but there’s also an exercise factor in the chasing down of stray balloons.  It’s always good to sneak in extra exercise as play time… for kids and grown ups.

Melissa and Doug have hundreds of toys, but most of their toys can be put into easy-to-remember categories.  To help you navigate their vast toy empire, here is a breakdown of my favorite toy categories from Melissa and Doug:

Arts & crafts:  While a necessity for any household, arts and craft items can be annoyingly difficult and messy.  With the M&D items I have found the instructions on the craft items easily understandable and the options include stamps, beads, and painting.  My favorite:  an art easel that adjusts as my kid grows (plus, it keeps her from coloring on the dining room table).

Classic toys:  These are wooden toys such as blocks, or that hammer and peg workbench you had as a kid, as well as lacing items (great for quiet car rides).  The items withstand the poundings of a three year old easily and still manage to look good after a beating.

Puzzles:  I LOVE these puzzles.  Once we moved beyond their wooden puzzles I was equally impressed with the floor puzzles, both the designs offered as well as the quality.  The variety in the number of puzzle pieces is also a great thing since the increased challenge keeps the kids occupied.

Puppets:  The variety offered from hand puppets to marionettes to “full size” puppets is going to allow us to grow into some of the larger, more coordination-challenging styles.  The detail on these items is often quite stunning.

Play food:  This is perhaps my daughter’s favorite item.  She will spend a good hour preparing dinner for people with the cutting food, bringing us our sandwiches and apple slices.  The food uses hook and loop fasteners to stick together and is put together in such a way that she could figure it out even at 2 years old.

The motto of Melissa and Doug is to create educational toys that are heirloom quality.  In my book, I would have to say that they’ve wildly succeeded.

PugLee - my daughter's favorite Ugly Doll

I needed a Valentine’s Day gift for my daughter last year, but roses weren’t right and I didn’t want a balloon floating around the house for a week on the floor.

When I found the Ugly Dolls, I found a toy that gives my daughter the giggles and restores my sense of peace at those moments when a gift is expected.

Ugly Dolls solves another issue too: the problem of sugar.

I love to give my kid gifts for holidays, but I am not interested in handing out piles of candy every month. Who doesn’t love candy at Halloween, Christmas, Valentine’s, and Easter?   But there has to be a better standard than creating the expectation for junk food as a celebration.

Enter Ugly Dolls.  Holiday favors and stocking stuffers have gotten a lot easier since I became an Ugly Dolls junkie.   There are so many different shapes and sizes – probably twenty-five individual designs.  I have even found some t-shirts online with these little characters on them.  Check out the website for the Ugly Dolls too – it has games and downloadable wallpaper as well as interesting “facts” about each character.

These cute dolls are available in miniature key chain form, regular size, and giant (for those needing or deserving some extra cuddles).  They have creative names and adorable faces.  There are special editions of a lot of the characters and the stories behind the characters are fun to share.

My favorite of all time is Tray, but my little girl loves PugLee.  She’ll have the key chains clipped to her purses and bags and they somehow get clipped to mine too.  She’ll snuggle up with one and decide which one deserves to be given to a friend for a gift.

We haven’t gotten into the books yet, but there are three “guides” available about all the Ugly Dolls and they even have their own annual convention.

So, of course, we still have candy around during these holidays and special events, but now the focus isn’t the candy.  What a relief! Less candy but without a lot of trouble is a mother’s dream come true.