Day at the Beach - Holiday Toy List

Tuesday, December 2, 2014


In a way, this play set made me desperately wish we were at the beach! The bright colors really pulled me away from the gloomy winter days that we've been having and into the memories of our trips to the ocean.

Day at the Beach is a magnetic building set that features a walk-up cafe window, surf shop double doors, lifeguard stand, surfboard workshop, food prep kitchen, cafe seating, surf scene, beach gear, rescue gear, outfits, tools, and yummy food!

This is a high quality construction set that allows children to not only create their own stories but to re-imagine and re-design the scene each time they play. The kids had a great time constructing different layouts. The Day at the Beach was designed with girls in mind, but Joey enjoyed playing with the set as well.

I like how easy it is to assemble and disassemble. It was easy for the kids to create different scenes and then to pack up and store once playtime was over.



Build a Scene and Imagine Countless Stories!


Emily and Lucas can’t wait for their day at the beach working at the surfside café and shop. Between running the café window, the surf shop register, and the lifeguard stand, there is always action to keep them busy. After the lunch rush, they catch a few waves to try out Emily's latest surfboard designs.

Day at the Beach includes:

  • Emily and Lucas dolls
  • 10 illustrated building panels
  • More than 40 action packed magnetic accessories

Rich Imaginative Play

Build & Imagine play-sets contain illustrated scenes that children can build, decorate, and use as a backdrop for imaginative play with the included dolls. We call them StoryWalls, because it’s like building a storybook setting in 3-D and then jumping in to play!

Open-Ended Building

With Build & Imagine StoryWalls, kids aren’t limited to one design—they can quickly reconstruct the structure into whatever design suits them. They can also change the context of their story with magnetic accessories that stick to the floors, walls, and dolls. Or combine multiple play-sets to build a larger scene.

Develops Foundational Skills

The layered play experience creates long-term engagement to hold your child’s attention and helps to develop foundational language and engineering skills, including spatial reasoning, problem solving, and creativity.

Build & Imagine offers several different StoryWalls. You can find them here. This is a toy that I've used in our classroom for downtime and to entertain young children in my care. It's great for the imagination and entertainment!

Build & Imagine StoryWalls develop early engineering skills including:

  • Spatial Reasoning
  • Experimentation
  • Creativity & Design

Build & Imagine StoryWalls are easy to setup, cleanup, and store. The panels allow for limitless combinations, and you can expand your structure and story with additional sets.




I was provide a Build & Imagine Day at the Beach StoryWall for review purposes. All opinions are my own.






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Pirate Pursuit - Holiday Toy List

Friday, November 28, 2014



This past summer, we took a short ride on a "pirate ship" during our beach vacation. Ever since then, Joey has been fascinated with anything and everything pirate. So, he was excited when Pirate Pursuit arrived.

Pirate Pursuit is a pirate track game with a wind-up pirate galleon to sail around the treasure island. Be the first player to fill your loot bag with coins from the treasure chest before the pirates catch up with you in their galleon! For 2 to 4 players. Contents: game board, wind-up pirate galleon, 4 loot bag boards, 24 play coins, 4 pirate counters with stands, dice, dice shaker, guide.

Each players chooses a character and a loot bag. The goal is to fill your loot bag with coins first. Players take turns rolling the die and moving across the board trying to collect coins and not lose any!



We often do a family-game-night with the extended family. I think I'll take this along next time for the children to play! Want to try Pirate Pursuit? You can find it on
Amazon
!

Random Like: You know how a lot of board games fold up and fit inside their box? I thought it was neat that the Pirate Pursuit board went together and disassembled like a puzzle! Four pieces fit together to make the board and are then easily taken apart for storage. It always drives me nuts when a board game finally breaks in half from overuse or misuse. I thought that was a neat way of designing the game board.






* I received Pirate Pursuit for review. All opinions are my own. This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy here.

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Mexican Train Game - Holiday Toy List

Tuesday, November 25, 2014


I was so excited to finally have the chance to play the Mexican Train game. My dad has talked about it for several years after having a co-worker introduce him to it. He loves this game and hadn't been able to find the 'right one'. He had wanted all of us to play this for a family-game-night, but I guess it just isn't the same if you don't have the original. Now, we have the original Mexican Train game and all is right with the world.

It's been quite a while since I've played any sort of game that involved dominoes and Joey heard the word 'train', so he was in! The game is fun and a little addicting. It can also last for quite a while just depending on how things go. So, do prepare yourself for that!



The object of the game is to keep your train moving all the way to victory! Lay out a chain of dominoes (called trains) from the center domino piece, or add pieces to the group’s common chain (The Mexican Train). The first player to finish playing wins! There are many ways to block the trains along the way – so beware of obstacles!


Want to try the Mexican Train game for yourself? You can find the Mexican Train game by Tactic on Amazon. Mexican Train Game







* I received the Mexican Train game for review. All opinions are my own. This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy here.



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Radio Flyer 2-in-1 Journey Wagon - Holiday Toy List!

Wednesday, November 12, 2014



The Radio Flyer 2-in-1 Journey Wagon is one of my top picks for this year's Holiday Toy List. It's versatile, easy to store and transport - and the kids love the different seating options.

Having a 2-in-1 Journey wagon comes in handy whether you have one, two or three children in tow.  The versatility allows the bigger kids to pile in when the seats are folded down or we can bring the seats up and safely buckle the two-year-old. It give him a place to comfortably sit and feel like a big boy with his own seat and cup holder. I like that this model also has cup holders on the front of the wagon for my water bottle, smoothie or coffee.

When I was a youngster, I had a Radio Flyer Wagon as well. I loved my wagon! It served as a vehicle (I would make my brother and sister push it from behind while I steered it with the handle), I used it as a "pioneer wagon" where I made bricks (which were actually just globs of mud), and it was a tent once I stacked outdoor furniture and plastic swimming pools over it. My fondest memories were of my mother pulling my siblings and I in it as we walked (she walked and tugged and pulled) to Grandma's house.

My children have enjoyed playing with Radio Flyer 2-in-1 Journey Wagon, riding it in, pulling their younger cousins around the yard and using it for trips to the library. Imagine it loaded with books! I think Savannah feels very much like Matilda walking down the sidewalk with a wagon full of books behind her.

It's also great for toting items (and kiddos) around during trips to the playground, park, amusement parks, festivals, fairs, etc...

The The Radio Flyer 2-in-1 Journey Wagon features:

  • 2 wagons in 1-seats fold up or down for a comfortable ride or maximum hauling capacity
  • Seatbelts for added safety,8.5" quiet ride tires
  • 4 cup holders for easy access to drinks and snacks
  • Extra-long handle folds over for easy storage
  • Extra under seat storage



You can snatch up your Radion Flyer 2-in-1 Journey Wagon on Amazon!



* I received the Radio Flyer 2-in-1 Journey Wagon for review. All opinions are my own. This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy here.

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Lundby Smaland Dollhouse

Thursday, July 31, 2014



We are loving our new Lundby Smaland Dollhouse! This modern living dollhouse comes with the most gorgeous wall and floor patterns as well as being pre-wired for electric! This amazing feature allowed us to light the house with hanging lamps, floor lamps and a bathroom vanity.

The Smaland comes with 6 rooms, a stair case, windows that open and a balcony with french doors! Separate room kits are available to match your style and allow the kids to feel as if they are decorating a real modern home.

Savannah, who is 9 years old, loved decorating and organizing each room. The rooms contain so much detail, from the floor to the ceiling. One room had soft, plush carpet - while checkered patterns and designs made to look like wood-flooring were in the other rooms.



Not only are the rooms detailed - but so are the decorative items you can purchase to adorn your Smaland Dollhouse. The kitchen appliances are modern and the furniture is trendy. Everything looks like something you would walk into a store to purchase for your own home.



Savannah has spent hours playing with the Smaland Dollhouse - and Joey has enjoyed it as well.  I think the amount of accessories that are available really amazed the kids.  They loved the small toothbrushes, cups, flowers, picture frames, flat screen television - just to name a few!



I believe you can even buy additional rooms to place underneath the six original rooms - as well as a garden to attach on the outside. Lundby has really thought of everything! Make sure and browse all their room kits to find what fits your child's style and imagination! They will love the details of the Smaland Dollhouse!







I was provided with a Lundby Smaland Dollhouse for review purposes. As always, opinions are my own.
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy here.



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