toy review Archives

Summertime Fun with American Plastic Toys!

July 31, 2015 by Heather Heyer Leave a Comment

Summertime in a busy household can be equal parts fun and exhaustion with schedules to match. But, I absolutely soak up the family time during the summer with kids home from school plus the usual hustle and bustle of this time of year. Here in the Seattle area it has been one of the best summers with warm weather that we have had in a loooooong time. Of course this means many hours of outside play time while momma soaks up the sun. Ahhhhhhh.

American Plastic Toys treats us busy families right with equal parts fun and affordable! Having enjoyed toys from American Plastic Toys previously, they never cease to impress. After receiving sample products from American Plastic Toys at the perfect time for summer fun I gained a new appreciation for convenience.

Kids Plastic Table
“American Plastic Toys offers a new design to the classic picnic table with this all-in-one-piece square-shaped table and benches. The four sided design is super easy to assemble and does not require tools or screws. The new design is super stable and provides ample room for four children. This colorful table offers terrific play value at a hugely affordable price.”
What I really liked about this is that it is light weight. I can pick it up and move anywhere on my deck and can store it away easily. It is the perfect size for younger toddler age but a little snug for older kids. The table top works great for tea parties but is pretty small for much else.
MomStart.com mom recommended? Absolutely for younger kids! A little snug for older/bigger kiddos but still easy to use and a practical purchase for all.

Sand and Water Play Set
“The one piece water way has a snap on ‘Wave Maker’ device to propel the four barge type boats. A 9 1/4″” tall 360° rotating crane services both the waterway and the sand pit. Set also includes a flatbed truck designed to hold the cargo units. Three stop gates control the flow of boat traffic. Packaged in a colorful corrugated carton with a full color litho label.”
I love this play set! Great size. Fun colors. Lightweight and easy to use. Easy to assemble with no tools required. You do not getter a better bang for your buck! It fit on top of our APT kids plastic table like a charm and my little playtime pal was entertained for HOURS! Durable and easy clean up to store away for another great day. Love Love Loved this one!
MomStart.com mom recommended? Absolutely! For kids of all ages
American Plastic Toys products are sold in most major North American mass merchants including but not limited to WalMart, Toys R Us, Sears/Kmart, Family Dollar Stores, Dollar General, Meijer’s, Walgreens, etc. Many of our products are also available on the Internet through Walmart.com, TRU.com, Target.com and in many regional retail outlets.
Have a great summer! I’ll see you in the toy isle!

Seattle Seahawks and Mariners OYO Sports Figures They Look & Feel Like LEGOS

November 11, 2014 by Momstart 2 Comments

This is a partnered post and all opinions are our own

OYO Sports has created sports figures that are buildable, playable and they look just like LEGO figures. I’m probably not allowed to say it but I am because it’s true. (I’m sure I’m supposed to say comparable to the leading building-block brand, but we all know who they are so I’m just going to say it like I did) We received the following sets and this is what my kids did with it:

My kids took the sets and started building, they quickly found that their “leading brand building sets” fit together perfectly.

Each character had to be put together and since we received a mix of Football players and Baseball players my kids turned the Seattle Seahawks into Baseball players and the Seattle Mariners into Football players. It was really cute and they played with them for hours. They had the guys running around the bases and I think they even made up their own game.

OYO Sportstoys make these figures and playsets for Football Hockey and Baseball. We’re huge baseball and football fans and were super excited when these showed up. The kids had to open them up

The Story of OYO Sportstoys!

It all started at the ballpark. Shortly after building an elaborate starship from a popular building-block brand, a father took his son to Fenway Park to take in a Red Sox game. Taking in the sights and sounds of the park, a true New England rite of passage, the duo would begin exploring the confines of the park in search of toys. As their searches went without results, an idea was born: Creating mini-figures of athletes that kids could play baseball with.

Developing figures with rotating forearms, bending knees, and complete with the equipment of a true ballplayer — a ball, bat, and glove — the dynamics of the project were born. After many late nights of extensive patent work and distribution strategies, OYO obtained licenses with Major League Baseball and the MLB Player’s Association as its first professional sport.

But an OYO goes beyond a figure capable of poses previously impossible for building-block minifigures. The OYO packaging was intricately designed to be able to fit in a kid’s pocket while looking like both a toy and 3-D baseball card. Following many colors, concepts, and logos, the final OYO package was complete and the rest is history in the making!

They really did a great job and I can see us collecting more of them because we like having the Seattle Mariners and Seattle Seahawks minifigures to play with.

The Talkback Toy! Little Live Pets Birds

September 12, 2014 by Momstart Leave a Comment

We received a sample.

Little Live Pets are the newest interactive line of pet birds that look and act like a real pet. Each Bird responds to touch, fits easily in the palm of the hand, and makes 30 different sounds, including tweeting, chirping and even whistling popular nursery rhymes. Kids will love the Birds’ unique chatter back recording feature, which allows them to talk to their bird and hear it talk back! Pat your bird and hear it tweet happily as it responds to your touch. The more you play with your bird the happier it becomes, when your bird is super happy it will even whistle you a special tune!

I received the Little Live Pets Bird and took it on vacation with me. My intention was to give it to one of the little girls that we were visiting. Her name is Kylie, and when she saw the bird she fell in love. Before I even turned it on she asked it if it would be her best friend. I immediately turned it on and told her to ask it again, while I held down the record button, she couldn’t see what I was doing and right after she said it in the cutest voice ever, it repeated the question back to her.

“Will you be my best friend”

She smiled so big and said yes, you’re my best friend now!

IT WAS ADORABLE

It was one of those moments where you wish more than anything you had a recorder on you at all times.

I took this video with my daughter:

Between my daughter and I over the next few days we taught the bird quite a few different phrases and the more attention you give the bird the more noise it makes, the more nursery rhymes it tells you and the more phrases it says from what you taught it to say. It’s one of those toys that you either love it or you hate it. We loved it. Even my mom loved it. She loved it so much that it ended up living with her instead of coming back home to our house with us.

Hot Summer Toy: The X6 Zoom Rocket

May 27, 2014 by Beeb 1 Comment

X6 Zoom Rocket provided for review.

The X6 Zoom Rocket by Zing Toys was recently included in TTPM’s 2014 list of the most fun summer toys, and I can see why. I’ve seen plenty of air-powered foam rocket launchers before, and those are always fun, but the X6 Zoom Rocket is the first one that I’ve seen automatically reload. The X6 has 6 foam rockets which load into its base, and when you step on the air pump, it launches the first one into the air, then the vacuum pulls the next rocket into position automatically.

Bob the dog was absolutely fascinated by the X6 – he got really excited when he saw us setting it up, so he’s in every single photo I took of it in action! And no, this is not a dog toy, so we made sure to supervise closely so that he wouldn’t chew anything up; but he was super curious about it!

Bob tries to launch a rocket!

The X6 Zoom Rocket launcher is designed for ages 8 and up, and I’d say it’s fun for the whole family!

You can purchase the X6 Zoom Rocket for $17.99 on ZingToyShop.com; alternatively, you can click here to locate a brick and mortar retailer.

The Ugglys Pug Disgusting & Gross Electronic Pup Pet

December 17, 2013 by Momstart Leave a Comment

I want to introduce you to Moose Toys’ newest brand of electronic burping and farting pets, the Ugglys. Wow, I was surprised at the cost of the Ugglys Pug. It’s a Disgusting & Gross Electronic Pup pet that will have your family ages 3 to 99 laughing out loud at the gross bodily sounds that come out of it. I created a video so you could hear the sounds it makes.

If your kids are going thru that stage where any disgusting bodily function is the height of sophisticated humor, when they will love it since the pug simply makes long drawn-out burp/fart sounds.

If you have a short fuze though you won’t want your kids to have this toy as they will be making potty noises for hours. I think it’s actually a fantastic gag gift or a perfect white elephant toy. (this will not be going under our tree)

In addition to making over 30 rude, repulsive and hilarious noises, each mischievous mutt comes with an attitude that can be “tuned” to further amuse kids big and small by using the warp feature on its collar! Both parents and kids are sure to love these crazy canines, whether they’re partaking in the repulsive fun with their kids or using them to play tricks on their siblings.

Great Toy for Boys: Bows & Arrows: Zing Z-Tek Bow & Whistling Arrows

December 17, 2013 by Momstart Leave a Comment

This toy performs really well giving great distance, and has a cool whistling sound as it flies through the air and does not destroy furniture when used indoors. The arrows are foam and one of them is a suction arrow. Says that you need to make sure the bow is not left in the sun as the bungee cord is UV sensitive. Since we haven’t played with ours we can’t make any judgments on how long the toy will last. It’s only 19.99 on Amazon right now.

Get the next big thing in bow technology with the Z-Tek Bow. Check out the sleek new design and shape. Shorter bungees for faster firing. Arrow clips right on the bow for quick reloads and a powerful presence. It’s an all new archery experience with the Z-Tek Bow. Hook in the Zartz Arrow or Zonic Whistling Arrow, position the shot, and watch it fly through the air for an incredible 100 feet!

Includes:

1 Z-Tek Bow
2 Zonic Whistling Arrows
1 Suction-Cup Zartz Arrow

This toy is going under our Christmas tree for Miles this year. His friends all have bows and arrows and gave him a broken one. I’m not sure how my son managed to fix it, and I’m proud of him for fixing it, but knowing what he’s up against I’m arming him with some reinforcements this year. He’s going to FLIP OUT with this Z-Tek Bow!

2013 Toy for Zoe: Educational Insights Multiplication Slam

December 17, 2013 by Momstart Leave a Comment

This is just a toy preview: Look for the full review in January after we open it on Christmas Morning! It’s under our Christmas tree this year!

The slammin’ new way to master multiplication! Features five fun multiplication games that reinforce important multiplication concepts for numbers 1–9. Read the problem, scan the possible answers, and slam the one that’s correct! Better move quickly, though—each game is timed and the faster you get through the questions, the better your score! Missed problems are recycled until they are answered correctly, ensuring comprehension and mastery. Increasingly difficult levels, flashing lights, and fun sound effects keep kids slammin’ for more! Requires 3 AA batteries (not included). Grades 3+

We are sharing this preview because it’s a toy we feel should be under the tree as it is under our tree this year.

RoseArt Magic Fun Dough Transfers Fun in Volcano Valley $1000 Giveaway

November 7, 2013 by Momstart Leave a Comment

This is a compensated post.

We’ve played with RoseArt Magic Fun Dough a few times around this house. Our last playtime fun was with the Pirate Cove. We received the Magic Fun Dough Pirate Cove and Miles loved it. Now we have an even cooler set. We have the RoseArt Magic Fun Dough Volcano Valley. In this set you build your volcano out of plastic with a boulder drop slide. There is a removable Dino Chomper and you can extrude pretend lava making your volcano erupt. No Boy can turn that down. This kit also includes 5 tubs of magic dough modeling compound and 50 transfers with a water applicator and 5 dough cutters with 5 display stands

I created a video from the Pirate Cove on how to transfer the transfers to the dough creations your child will make. The transfers remind me of when I was a kid and played with silly putty. I loved copying the comics section in the News Paper.

Miles loves dinosaurs and both my children love to play with dough and they are obsessed with tattoos and playing with the RoseArt Magic Fun Dough Transfer Kits like the Volcano Valley hits all three.

RoseArt Magic Fun Dough can be found at Walmart, Target and Amazon. The kits are normally located within the craft or seasonal sections of Walmart and Target stores. And an assortment of products including Volcano Valley, Fairy Tea Party, Pirate Cove, Princess & Ponies, Barnyard and Pet Shop play sets as well as Refill Accessory Packs will be available in Target stores on or around November 9th.

RoseArt is celebrating their 90th Anniversary this year. As such, they are hosting a Facebook sweepstakes where participating fans are eligible to win weekly gift cards and prize packs, as well as a $1,000 VISA gift card for holiday spending.

Enter on Facebook through 12/21/13.

Educational Insights The Sea Squad Puppet on a Stick.

November 7, 2013 by Momstart Leave a Comment

Kids love these. Every time Miles sees one of these he wants to play with it. There is something genous about putting a toy on a stick. You get to go fishing for fun. Meet Flipper, Dipper, Chomper and Bob. Express yourself with these silly creatures from the sea. Choose a shark, angler fish, octopus, or clam and get hooked on dramatic play. The Sea Squad is recommended for grades Pre-K+/Ages 3+

About the Sea Squad:

Each puppet measures 11" x 3"

Box contains 4 Different Puppets: 1 Clam, 1 Shark, 1 Angler, 1 Octopus, as shown in the picture

Simple movable mouth mechanism

Inspires dramatic and creative play

Meet The Sea Squad: Flipper the anglerfish, Dipper the octopus, Chomper the shark, and Bob the clam. Their googly eyes, vivid colors, and hilarious expressions will inspire all sorts of creative play in an instant.

Flipper the anglerfish, Dipper the octopus, Chomper the shark, and Bob the clam. I love the dramatic play kids experience, while developing communication skills and practicing real and imaginary dialogue! Pretend play and puppet shows become a splash with these comical marine friends and story time is transformed into an adventure. The patent-pending design marries an easy-glide child-sized thumb lever and a chunky, secondary knob, giving kids two ways to articulate each puppet’s mouth. Built to last through many childhoods, each puppet’s soft-touch molded body reinforce our hallmark Educational Insights quality standard. Take a swim with The Sea Squad! Perfect for puppet shows, story time, circle time, and more!

Meet Sea Squad Puppet inventor Brent Geppert

Educational Insights toys and games manager Brent Geppert has something up his sleeve—a puppet! Raised on The Muppet Show, this former college radio DJ and longtime puppet lover puts on nightly puppet shows for his two sons, complete with voices and sound effects. The puppets are comprised of whatever is "handy"—socks, pillows, dinner rolls, and more. Talk about hands-on fun!

Stocking Stuffer Giveaway: NanoBlock Hercules Beetle or Praying Mantis Or Giant Hornet

October 31, 2013 by Momstart 106 Comments

I’ve seen quite a few different Nanoblok sets that are the perfect size for a stocking stuffer. We had a pig last year and something else but I don’t remember so it might actually still be in my stocking stuffer box. I learned this trick from my grandmother, you collect things all year round for stockings; making them very fun and eclectic. We received a sample to use for this post.

nanoblock – fun construction toy and Stocking Stuffer Idea!

I received the Hercules Beetle, from the nanoblock insect assortment worth $13.49 for review and you will get one of them as a giveaway. New to nanoblock®, is the Insect Series featuring the Hercules Beetle, which is the largest of the rhinoceros beetles. This miniature beetle has over 110 assorted size and colored pieces and when completed measures in at only 1.25"w x 5.5"d x 1.375"h. Not intended for children under 8 years old. Detailed instructions included. Look for the other insects in the nanoblock® Insect Series!

To keep up with the NanoBlock on-line”":

Visit Them online: http://www.mynanoblock.com/site/

on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nanoblockUSA

and on Twitter: https://twitter.com/nanoblockUSA

Enter to Win:

One of the following: Hercules Beetle, Praying Mantis or Giant Hornet

To Enter:

Tell me which set you like most

Extra Entries:

a Rafflecopter giveaway