Reviews (9)

Not a Great Toy
My son, now 9 months, received this toy for Christmas. It has proven to be a disappointment. Some of the pads/buttons do not work and the toy is not stable. The tower is easily knocked over and, when knocked over, comes apart into 5 different pieces. Don't waste your money on this toy.

Piece of junk
This is a flimsy, plastic piece of junk that is most certainly not worth $35.The tower comes apart too easily.Don't waste your money.

Disappointing - doesn't compare to older models
We have 2 Ball Party sets from 4 yrs ago and my 5-yr-old still likes to play with them.We got Symphony for our 1-yr-old thinking it would expand our set of interchangeable, build-it-your-way Ball Party parts.Big disappointment!They have made the balls and tunnels larger, so the new set doesn't fit with the old.You can only build the Symphony tower one way, so it is no longer a construction toy.My 1-yr-old does like to drop the balls and watch them go down, but why pay $35 for a toy that only does that??And it has an annoying feature that the sound keeps coming back on after the child has crawled away, forcing the grown-ups to hop up and turn it off.Look around for the non-battery-powered older sets, or get a pound-the-ball toy instead for less than half the price. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Toddler    2. Learning    3. Electronic Learning Aids (ELA)    4. Electronic    5. Baby and Infant    6. Music    7. Hand-Eye Coordination    8. Musical    9. Electronic Learning Aids    10. Activity   

Reviews (1)

One of the few toys she plays with A LOT!!!
We got this for our daughter's 3rd birthday and she played with it for 2 hours straight out of the box.My daughter will not play with dollhouses, Barbie etc., but she LOVES animals and miniature toys.While there are many tiny pieces, I'm sure that is also part of it's appeal.If you don't mind keeping track of the 75 accesories and playing WITH your child with this...it makes a great toy!! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Preschool    2. Dolls    3. Activity    4. Pretend Play    5. Play Sets   

Reviews (7)

Honey Bee Tree
Our 6 yr old received this for Christmas.It takes a bit of time to set up, but worth the effort.I found that it's much easier if you follow the slant of the holes (which seems to guide you to another hole).Our 4 year old also enjoyed playing the game and surprised us with her ability to pull out the sticks ever so carefully! Each time the bees started to fall the kids would squeal and we would all start laughing.I feel the game encourages critical thinking and improves fine motor skills.Kids get to see what happens when a stick is chosen quickly vs a carefully selected stick.Bees could be a choking hazard if you have kids that frequently put things in their mouth.I would recommend that this game be purchased for 4 - 7 year olds as it may be to basic for an older child.

not for the recomended age
Pretty much this game is just like the game 'ker-plunk'.You put in the little poles to hold the marbles up and pull them out one at a time without letting the marbels (bees in this case) fall through.They just dressed it up a bit to make it more appealing to younger kids.They would probably like the bees falling out, but not the settup and wouldnt understand to "game part" or strategy.My opinion, get it for an older child (7 or up), since they will be able to set it up and understand it on thier own.Or if they wont like the tree and honey design, go with Ker-Plunk.I think that is on here too!

DO NOT BUY THIS TOY
Takes far too long to set up; bees are too small (smaller than a grape) and clearly a choking hazard.My 3 year old likes rolling the bees on our hardwood floors and we inevitably miss one or 2 when cleaning up, so someone ends up slipping on it.She doesn't have the patience to wait for it to be fully set up.The tree comes apart too easily.This was a gift that is now going to be given away. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Games    2. Learning    3. Activity    4. Family Favorites   

Editorial Review

These cats and kittens are just like all cats and kittens. MomKatrina is finicky about cleanliness, son Branson loves to play,daughter Amelia is a champ at finding secret hiding places (where,we're sure, she sits purring until discovered), and father Sebastian isa patient sort of pussy who works (where else?) at the local dairyfarm. A quartet of posable, petite kitties (Sebastian, the tallest, isjust over 3 inches), the Calico Critters Whiskers Cats are toysdesigned by someone who did some thinking about how real kids play.They're made of durable plastic and covered with a layer of fuzzy, softfur. Their paws can be posed, their heads turned, and they can stand orsit with equal ease. Their clothes are designed with Velcro andelastic, so little people can get them on and off without destroyingthem. And there are scads of well-designed accessories available. Ifyour child's at that age where little tiny things have great bigappeal, the Calico Critters are a terrific place to start. They'll keepyou (and the kids) going for a long time. --Julie Ubben ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Super toy!
My 3 year old loves the Calico Critters, and this is her favorite family! These toys are so cute & very detailed. They have tons of accessories, and really help wtih creative play!

3 YR OLD GRANDDAUGHTER LOVES IT!
I purchased the Whiskers cat family and a Birthday Party Set for my 3 yr. old granddaughter for Christmas.She loves to carry around small items either in purses or bags or just in her hands.My son informed me a few days ago that she really loves this item.She sets them up for "tea parties" and talks to them and seems to have them with her constantly.I was surprised at how tiny the accessories were and don't think they would be wise to have around if there are toddlers or small children who might put them in their mouths.Other than that they are very cute and since my granddaughter received many gifts, this tiny cat family must be pretty special for them to be her "chosen" companions.

Calico Critters - AKA The return of Sylvanian Families in US
The whiskers cat family, simply put are the most adorable little animal dolls you're likely to run across. All Calico Critters families have an average height of about 3.5 inches (adults are larger than children & baby sets) . They are covered in a soft downy flocking, are pose-able, and highly detailed. Each family member comes with a removable outfit, with detail & care sewn in. Bright colors, Velcro fastens, ribbon ties, and tiny buttons & lace all add to the charm of their clothing. Children will have hours of fun with all the houses, furniture, and accessories that can be bought. Sets teach kids hand eye coordination (so many miniatures to interact and use)social interaction, Family structure, and creativity. Older individuals can appreciate these detailed miniatures as well. Calico Critters are actually from an older toy line many might recall from the 80's,called "Sylvanian Families".Epoch (maker of both), has started sales again, under a new name in the states. Same old lovable families, with new names. However, the sylvanians of the 80's have been retired in this line (SF is still sold in JP and UK), and replaced with entirely new animals. Let your collecting start up where it left off in the 80s! They're back!! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Preschool    2. Dolls    3. Pretend Play    4. Animals    5. Cats    6. Play Sets    7. Activity   

Reviews (1)

A Real Winner
My daughter received this toy for her 1st birthday and we have gotten hours of enjoyment from it.Almost 2 months later she knows the name of each toy hidden inside the elephant and will fish inside for the appropriate item when asked where it (ball, little elephant, mouse, flower or peanuts) is.She then will present different people with her "finds."She's taken to hiding other toys inside the elephant also.It's easy to take along on visits.Just a great toy. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Baby and Infant    2. Learning    3. Hand-Eye Coordination    4. Stuffed Toys    5. Stuffed Animals    6. Activity   

Reviews (2)

not worth the money-much smaller than the image-
This car carrier is quite small 11" long 5" high-the photo looks like a much larger item.I paid $24.99 for the product-and at most I would pay is $10.00.Because the item is surely not worth the money that I paid, I have to pay to ship it back so I have to absorb these cost.I lost $3.99 by ordering this, the company should be ashamed of the price they are asking.

My kids Love it!
I bought this toy for my one year old last year and both he and my three year old son LOVED IT!They still play with it and have a great time.The truck makes great noises - there IS an on/off button.The cars fit perfectly inside or on top of the truck.They're easy for little hands to manipulate! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Preschool    2. Push and Pull Toys    3. Baby and Infant    4. Toddler    5. Activity    6. Vehicles   

Reviews (1)

Very Cute, and Good Quality
This is very nice doll furniture.It comes with many to-scale accessories, including lotion bottles, books with bookend, spinning globe, pencil case (has two little pencils and eraser!), furniture with *all* working drawers and hinged mirrors, soft bed with bedding, tote bag, necklaces the critters can wear, and more!It's very cute, and my three-year-old girl absolutely loves it. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Preschool    2. Dolls    3. Pretend Play    4. Activity    5. Play Sets   

Reviews (3)

It keeps falling down...
It would have been a nice toy if the suction cups worked.It's a cheap toy and it's not worth the price considering how it fell on my sons toe.If I could sue, I would.But, I had read the previous 2 reviews and didn't heed to what I unfortunately had to find out myself.I only gave 1 star because that's the least I can give.I would have given none.Don't waste your money.Believe me, you'll regret it.

Bummer Bath Toy
This toy looked great but in the REAL world of play was lousy. The suction cups dont hold it up in the tub, so it just slides down the wall. None of the "options" worked (i.e. bubbles won't come out of hippos mouth). If I could find a way to return it, I would!
Dont waste your $$$!

a big hit in the tub!
Both of my boys love this bath toy (ages 13 mos. and 3-1/2yrs)!They love the hippo that blows bubbles - baby shampoo works great in it.The only problem is that my young one pulls it down a lot.The suction cups don't seem to work as well as some of our other toys. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Baby and Infant    2. Bath Toys    3. Toddler    4. Preschool    5. Learning    6. Hand-Eye Coordination   

Subjects:  1. Baby and Infant    2. Toddler    3. Activity    4. Learning    5. Electronic Learning Aids (ELA)    6. Electronic    7. Music    8. Hand-Eye Coordination    9. Musical   

Reviews (2)

Calico Critters - aka Sylvanian Families (remember them?)
These rabbits are SO CUTE! All Calico Critters families have an average height of about 3.5 inches (adults are larger than children & baby sets) . They are covered in a soft downy flocking, are pose-able, and highly detailed. Each family member comes with a removable outfit, with detail & care sewn in. Bright colors, Velcro fastens, ribbon ties, and tiny buttons & lace all add to the charm of their clothing. Children will have hours of fun with all the houses, furniture, and accessories that can be bought. Sets teach kids hand eye coordination (so many miniatures to interact and use) social interaction, Family structure, and creativity. Older individuals can appreciate these detailed miniatures as well. Calico Critters are actually from an older toy line many might recall from the 80's, called "Sylvanian Families". Epoch (maker of both), has started sales again, under a new name in the states. Same old lovable families, with new names. However, the sylvanians of the 80's have been retired in this line (SF is still sold in JP and UK), and replaced with entirely new animals.

Their only downside is the fuzz/flocking. With gentle - normal play, they'll hold up for years and years. However anyone with a child going through a "rough and tumble" destructive phase, may find out that the fur can rub off if heavily scrubbed &scratched. Consider these an indoor toy, and not really intended for rough, outdoor play, or extended bathtub play.

Calico Critters
Calico critters are really really cute! They are soft and fuzzy and come in many little animals-chipmunks, squirrels, cats, dogs, and lots more. I don't own a house, but I just think that having the critters is enough. I have a whole box of them that I collect.
These are great toys. I encourage you to buy them-for gifts, for you, for whatever! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Preschool    2. Dolls    3. Pretend Play    4. Animals    5. Activity    6. Play Sets   

Features

• Test your knowledge of animals and their behavior
• Answer correctly to earn the chance to locate hidden animals on the game board
• Kids learn while they play
• For 2 to 6 players ages 6 years and up

Subjects:  1. Games    2. Board Games    3. Trivia    4. Learning    5. Preschool    6. Toddler    7. Activity    8. Family Favorites   

Subjects:  1. Preschool    2. Dolls    3. Pretend Play    4. Activity    5. Play Sets   

Reviews (4)

My 3 Year Old Loves this Toy
We gave this to my 3 year old for Christmas and he loves it.We have to build the tower for him, but he's been playing with it ever since. It's great because it's not too fragile.Unlike some toys when gets excited and bumps into it, it may fall over, but it doesn't fall apart.So less rebuilding on our part.The only concern is that we also have a 1 year old and she wants to put the marbles in her mouth all the time so we have to watch out for her.But other than that it's great.

Pretty good but I've seen better
My kids (ages 3 and 5) like this Marble Run, but they really can't build the structure very well by themselves.I have to build it for them and then they play with it for a while.Unfortunately, this model doesn't have very stable "bases" upon which to build.I've seen other brands which are much more stable and easy for kids to build upon.Perhaps this model is better for older kids.

Fun, but...
My five year old son got this for Christmas.He is frustrated because it is difficult for him to build by himself.Once I finish building it he loves it except that one of the three base legs doesn't lie flat on the table and this effects the stability of the game.A bit frustrating for both of us but my son does enjoy playing with it. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Construction    2. Building Sets    3. Wacky    4. Learning    5. Activity    6. Pretend Play    7. Play Sets   

Reviews (8)

An equine trivial pursuit, good mix of hard-easy questions
One of my daughters received this as a gift and I couldn't wait to play it with her.There are four categories of questions:Breed, Riding, Horse Care, and Anatomy.As players move across the board, they choose a question from any category.As some of the reviewers said, some of the questions are extremely easy.However - some are very challenging.I say this as someone who has been riding for 35 yrs and who has owned horses.For example, one question is "Mares come into season:(a/ 21 days during spring and summer, b/21 days during fall and winter, c/41 days during summer and fall) (correct answer is "a").An easier question:True/false:you must always wear a helmet with a chin strap when you are jumping a horse (true).There are 200 questions in all; I seriously doubt anyone would find it entirely too easy or entirely too hard - there are a good mix of difficulty levels.

Fun Game
My now 8yr old daughter got this game last x-mas. After playing it a few times, she became frustrated because some of the questions were too hard for her. Overall it is a fun game to play.

My daughter loves it but I grit my teeth
My daughter is a horse fanatic!She loves to play it!I just hate being pulled in because I know nothing about horses! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Games    2. Board Games    3. Trivia    4. Learning    5. Animals    6. Horses    7. Activity   

Editorial Review

Push Along Thomas is a hybrid: he looks like a train but moveslike a car. Based on the character from the book and television seriesThomas the Tank Engine, this plastic locomotive measures 9inches long. Toddlers can practice walking by pushing the extendedhandle to move Thomas along. Fortunately, the long handle isdetachable, so prewalkers can roll him across the floor by gripping thehandle attached to the roof. Turn on the power switch, give the train agentle push, and hear a short, upbeat song. It requires threebutton-cell batteries to hear the music, but Push Along Thomas can be enjoyedwith or without electricity. --Lauren Bernard ... Read more

Reviews (6)

No Bubbles
My 2 year old son received this for a birthday gift and loved it at first, but there are very few bubbles that come out of it.After 10 minutes of pushing it around and only getting 5-10 bubbles every minute or so he got frustrated with it and has not played with it since.

Cute but Handle comes off too easily
This is a cute toy but the handle does come off too easily.My little boy walks but everytime he trys to push this toy the handle the handle comes off.He does like to just play with the thomas on the floor.You can proberbly find something better for the money.

Lasts for a long time!
My son received this toy for his birthday a year ago when he turned one.He was already walking very well (we didn't use it as a "walker") and he loved it.He is about to turn two and he has played with the Push Along Thomas everyday since he got it (both indoors and outside). It is very durable and still looks brand new! The red handle does come off easily but my son quickly learned how to put it back on by himself.Also, we have only had to change the batteries once.This toy is one of the best we have had so far. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Preschool    2. Push and Pull Toys    3. Toddler    4. Activity    5. Musical   

Subjects:  1. Preschool    2. Dolls    3. Activity    4. Pretend Play    5. Play Sets   

Subjects:  1. Toddler    2. Activity    3. Vehicles    4. Play Sets    5. Push and Pull Toys    6. Pretend Play   

Reviews (1)

Really great game for young and older kids to play together!
Wow - this is a terrific family game.We just played with our 6 and 4 year olds.The directions are easy and very clear.The game board is a nice weight. Here's what you do - each player is a certain color.On your turn, you roll the die and if you land on a space that has a burger ingredient (lettuce, tomato, cheese, burger, pickle, etc), you choose a small card from the center of the board to see if it matches the ingredient you landed on.

If it does, you keep the card and begin building your hamburger.If it does not match, you put the card back in the center where it came from, face down.When you choose a card, all players get to see what it is - therefore, if you end up putting the card back, they have a shot at remembering where the ingredient is.It's partly a memory game for sure.

Now, if you land on a space with a completed burger, you get to choose an ingredient that you need and you say it aloud and then choose a card from the center.This works well if you've seen where several ingredients are at and you can recall them.Finally, if you land on someone else's home space, that person gets to steal an ingredient from you!If you land on your own home space, you get to steal an ingredient from someone else.
The game is quite fun.The game is easily played by both younger kids and older kids - and it's equally fun for both.Worth the time and money. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Cards    2. Games    3. Learning    4. Board Games    5. Preschool    6. Activity    7. Family Favorites   

Editorial Review

On a cheery carpet of blueberry-blue-and-white gingham, asparkling porcelain tub stands ready for bathtime. An old-fashionedshower stand sits nearby. The bath tray, resting across the tub, isfully stocked with soap, shampoo, cream rinse, lotion, powder, andperfume bottles for after-bath pampering. A snowy towel is folded atthe ready, and a shower curtain on its own stand provides privacy forcritters in the buff. The Calico Critters Bathroom Set, which includessix furniture pieces and over 30 accessories, is so detailed thatthere's even a plug for the tub and plumbing under the sink. Theslippers fit furry feet and the scrub brushes and toothbrushes fit intotiny paws. Crafted of high-quality plastic, these are working toys:cupboards open and close and the toilet seat raises and lowers. Eventhe mirror is made of top-quality glass. Everything you can think of isincluded, from the fabric seat cover to the cleaning supplies--and yes,there's an extra roll of toilet paper. A great choice for thediscriminating designer who doesn't want to go overboard on price, thisset is 1:1 scale and will fit many dollhouses as well as those inCloverleaf Corners. --Julie Ubben ... Read more

Reviews (1)

The cutest, sturdiest bathroom set just for Calico Critters!
I was given this beautiful set a few years ago, and I still treasure it today! Calico Critters look soooo cute sitting in the bathtub, (the little ones especially with their ears sticking out!!). This set should definitely be for older kids because of the small parts like shampoo and rinse bottles, wash brush, perfume, etc. The neat thing about this set is you actually get to stick the labels on almost everything like shampoo, toothpaste etc. Even the toilet seat and lid covers are very nicely made! I would highly reccommend this set to anyone that has any Calico Critters, kids and adults alike! I am almost 12 years old and I still have hours of fun with Calico Critters!! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Preschool    2. Dolls    3. Activity    4. Pretend Play    5. Play Sets   

Reviews (1)

BORING
don't waste your money.the idea is great.the toy stinks!it always repeats itself and shuts off too soon.kids will get frustrated very quickly.plus it's loud and annoying. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Games    2. Electronic    3. Wacky    4. Teaching Toys    5. Board Games    6. Preschool    7. Learning    8. Electronic Learning Aids (ELA)    9. Activity    10. Handhelds