Toys | Reviews | Wood Toys | Toy Dolls

We have been exploring Webkinz World and want to share our findings. Overall, this kid-focused web portal seems to be everything it advertises: a safe and educational site for kids.

Here’s how it works: every cute and cuddily Webkinz pet comes with a secret code.

Your child pops this code into the online companion site for Webkinz, and then she can navigate around a virtual world built for these imaginative creatures.

From our research, we have found that Webkinz World is great for kids for three reasons:

1. It encourages responsibility. The main activity on-line is taking care of your pet. Feeding it, exercising it, and playing with others all contribute to the health of your child’s Webkinz. The values of responsibility are built right in.
2. It encourages learning. This is really innovative: in order to get the “KinzCash” to pay for your pet’s food, your child has to play educational games. Brilliant.
3. Webkinz has a chat feature that really is safe. I’ve tested this myself. You can’t type in bad words, most proper nouns, street addresses, etc. There are two levels of chat and both are stalker-proof. Now if only MySpace could figure this one out!

So Webkinz World passed our test for its commitment to innovation, education, and safety. As we have suggested before, truly great toys do more than entertain. Great toys educate, deepen social connections, and help children uncover their own imaginative powers.

The latest toy headlines - toys with lead, toys with reproductive toxins - may have contributed to the US Senate proposal of a “toy safety act,” according to the New York Times.

Led by Democratic senators from New York and Connecticut, the proposed measure is called the Children’s Product Safety Act. Look for its effect on toy shelves near you. The legislature is hoping to undermine a tendency we blogged about here recently, in which store owners are still selling recalled toys at a bargain price.

In fact, a recent study by the Consumer Product Safety Council found that 69% of thrift stores sell items that have been previously recalled or banned! I love thrift stores, but this is scary news for unsuspecting parents.

But it’s not really the thrift store owners who are to blame. Rather, it is our permissive market culture. Many parents may be surprised to know that those thrift store owners (most of which are probably unaware of their products’ status) are not compelled by law to remove their banned and recalled toys except in a couple states. Not yet anyways.

As reported by the Chicago Tribune earlier this week, the journal Pediatrics just announced new evidence that a common additive in baby toys may be linked to future reproductive damage in infants. The additive is a class of polymers known as phthalates. These chemicals are generally used to soften plastic, or to make products feel more smooth and creamy.

Common baby products with phthalates are baby shampoos, lotions, powders, and of course, soft plastic toys that babies love to chew. Yikes. While the possible dangers of this additive have been known for quite some time (check out the Wikipedia article on the health risks of phthalates), the US Food and Drug Administration has not made a move yet.

Well, until the results come in, there are ways to lessen your baby’s exposure to these toxins just in case. High on that list is to look into the plastic chewable toys in your home. PVC plastics are most likely the ones with these additives.

Also, steering clear of scented baby lotions and shampoos is probably a good idea. Phthalates are used to retain scent and color, as well as aid in skin absorption. Switching to organic lotions and shampoos, and using home remedies such as olive oil and coco butter, are safe and natural ways to take control of your baby’s toxicity levels.

Don’t forget that the International Toy Fair is coming up in a few weeks in New York. I can’t make it in person, but we will definitely be tuning in to which toys are rewarded by the industry.

Here’s the finalized list of contenders for my favorite category (followed by manufacturer):

Infant/Preschool Toy of the Year:

• Brightlings™ Exploration Station – LeapFrog Enterprises

• Cook n’ Learn Interactive Kitchen Set – Little Tikes

• iPlay Lift Off Rocket – International Playthings, Inc.

• Moon Sand Adventure Island – Spin Master Ltd.

• “T.M.X.”™ Friends – Fisher-Price

We are rooting for the Moon Sand kit. The sand mixture stays moist so it is easy to build sandcastles at your child’s leisure. Yes, “moon sand” is little on the messy side, but sand is isn’t dirty, it’s sandy. It vacuums up if need be (but watch out with bagless vacuum cleaners - the moistness factor can make the sand mixture get clogged).

Still, this toy is our pick for Toddler/Preschool Toy of the Year because it really lets kids’ imaginations run wild. That is always worth a mess!

Teddy Ruxpin, that heavy weight of plush toys, is back. This talking plush teddy bear was a favorite over twenty years ago, but now he’s remodeled with new technology and new stories too.

The return of the T. Rux will no doubt send shivers amongst today’s hottest stuffed animals: Webkinz plush pets. These diminuitive toys are favorites for their collectability and their cuteness. Both of the these toys are what we call hybrid products; they are part plush toy and part educational toy. While animated Teddy tells stories - his mouth matching the sounds - Webkinz plush pets have a second life on-line at Webkinz World.

Seems like these days being cute isn’t good enough for stuffed animals!

The class-action lawsuit against the maker of Thomas & Friends wooden railway toys is the first step towards a safer world for our babies and children. However parents should beware: according to this article at About.com, many recalled toys are still being sold in some locations. Many of these toys are being sold at a fraction of their original cost, therefore targeting the poorer families who may not have access to the lastest news about toys.

The bottom line: research unfamiliar or new toys before you buy them. This is the only way to safeguard against poisonous toys. “Poisonous toys” - it’s a shame we even have to use such a phrase.

One down, a dozen more to go. Illinois-based toymaker RC2 Corp, the makers of Thomas & Friends wooden railway toys, have agreed to a 30 million dollar payout in the class-action lawsuit.

From the AP press article,

“We believe this really is the first step toward cleaning up the problem of lead paint in toys,” the Chicago lawyer said. “It will put a lot of pressure on other companies to step up and act morally. We hope this becomes a problem of the past.”

We wholeheartedly agree it’s the first step, but we also wonder how it happened in the first place.  The apologetic company is offering cash as well as “bonus” toys for compensation.  This is the first use of the word “bonus” that I know of that means “Your toddler can chew on this and not be poisoned.”

Last time we discussed the benefits of puzzles for babies and toddlers.   Of course, puzzles continue being great educational toys all the way into adolescence.  Some people even claim that doing puzzles as an adult helps build brainpower, just like doing the daily crossword.

For preschoolers, the best puzzles are large jigsaw puzzles with thick pieces.   The completed picture should be something recognizable like a school house or a farm.  This is also a great age for kids to work together on a large puzzle.  Together, they can develop strategies to figure out specific patterns.

Puzzles really get interesting for older school children.  Here is the appropriate time for jigsaw puzzles with smaller pieces and more abstract designs.  Of course, your child might be ready for this when he or she is younger, so be watchful!

These sorts of puzzles really help develop focus and concentration, as well as working on a small task that helps complete a larger goal.  This kind of thinking is quite complex, involving not only visual-spatial developments but also memory and a new understanding of time.

We all love a good puzzle, whether that’s a crossword challenge in the daily paper, a mystery novel, or an old-fashioned jig-saw puzzle.  This curiosity and drive to “figure it out” actually develops very early in childhood development - about six months, or when babies begin to explore on their own.

Baby puzzles are great early learning tools.   A wooden or plastic jig-saw puzzle can teach infants how shapes fit together, while also honing their hand-eye coordination.  These puzzles can also help them recognize common objects like animals, cars, and flowers.

Later, these same puzzles can help with name-recognition as well as color identification.  Puzzles are fascinating to babies and they will work on figuring it out for long stretches of time, which helps them to build up their concentration, too.

Many parents worry about the educational value of their children’s toys.  Trying to maximize their kids’ experience, some parents  seize on new toys, literally wrenching a child’s favorite toy away because it may be not challenging enough.  To these parents, we say: relax.

It can be difficult to judge how beneficial a toy is, but rather than taking toys away, consider bringing newer ones into the mix.  Toys are favorites because they are serving some purpose - perhaps it is a comfort, or reminiscent of a trusted relative.

Adding new toys into the mix brings challenge.  Don’t worry about how your child’s interests or “skill levels” match what the guide books say; in truth, child development is highly variable and complex.  By observing what your child enjoys, and also what is boring, you can bring new toys in that provide the right blend of entertainment and challenge.

Micro-managing a child’s toys will just lead to confusion.  The best thing to do is take cues and respond, a little at a time.