Here’s another great buy from online sample sale website, Totsy.

Don’t just stand there, let’s get to it.  Strike a pose, there’s nothin’ to it….. with these delightfully fun, irresistible pose-able wooden animals.  Throw one in a purse or stroller to quell “fidgety” situations. Make a statement by displaying them in your favorite pose. Dimensions: 3.25 x 2.5 x 2.5 inches. Recommended for ages 3+.

For over a decade, ImagiPLAY has created high-quality educational toys that inspire children’s imaginations and the desire to explore. With ImagiPLAY’s child safe and earth safe toys, games and collectibles, children enrich their ability to count, learn the alphabet, and identify different animals while gaining a true sense of the world’s beauty and diversity of species.

ImagiPLAY Pozimals make great stocking stuffers and as of right now (9pm 12/6).. can be delivered in time for Christmas when ordered from Totsy.  The ImagiPLAY sale at Totsy ends soon, so hurry!

This is a great toy for travel, church, and restaurants.

Other items on sale at Totsy now include Melissa & Doug wooden toys, Little Miss Matched, and Primigi Infant & Toddler shoes.

Fun Travel Toy – ImagiPLAY Pozimals on sale at Totsy now! is a post from: The Mommy Insider. It looks like you are reading this post in your favorite RSS reader. Don't be shy..hop on over to check out our current giveaways, coupon codes, and to share your comments!

This Melissa and Doug wooden puppet theater has a sturdy non-tip base and plenty of room inside. The playful detailed graphics and soft fabric curtains will help inspire expression in any child. The puppet theater features a chalkboard and clock with movable hands.

What age is it for? Ages 3+

How much is it? $100

Where can I buy it? Ciucci Couture

Toddler Must Have: Melissa and Doug Puppet Theater is a post from: The Mommy Insider. It looks like you are reading this post in your favorite RSS reader. Don't be shy..hop on over to check out our current giveaways, coupon codes, and to share your comments!

Walk along balance bikes seem to be popping up on playgrounds and parks across the country. I was first drawn to the Skuut bike because of its to the clean, modern design. My husband, an avid cyclist, has had his eye set on one of these for our daughter even before she could walk. The benefit of these bikes is that they help to boost a child’s self confidence as they learn to balance and ride a real bike on their own.

There are several models on the market and including the original design made in Germany, the “Like a Bike” (shown above, top) that has inspired similar wooden bikes. The Like a Bike features pneumatic wheels that are not supposed to scuff floors for indoor riding and are priced at around $300. It also features birch frame construction and a boatload of really cool accessories including saddlebags and a wooden wagon trailer.

The Wooden Balance Bike by Smart Gear (second from the top) priced at about $100 is the most eco-friendly of bunch. The company uses rubberwood harvested from a replenishible source, formaldehyde free glue, non-toxic paints and lacquer and the carton is made from recycled paper with water-based ink. The tires are inflatable and are PAC-free. This model also features a clean, modern design and sports a cut out handle for easy lifting.

The Skuut Wooden Balance Bike also features pneumatic tires and assembly is estimated at 10 minutes to simply attach the handlebars. Another beautifully designed bike this one comes in one style/color only. It is priced at approx $90.

I am leaning towards the Smart Gear model as it comes in a red model styled for girls and I try to buy eco-friendly toys made from renewable or recycled resources as a general rule. This one is also priced moderately. The holidays are coming up soon, so it’s best to stock up on your gifts now before they are sold out. Last year I was disappointed when the Green Toys recycled plastic tea set was sold out. This year, I vow to do my holiday toy shopping early.

Save with coupon codes for eToys from TheFind.com’s Coupon site.

No Training Wheels Required – Wooden Balance Bike for Kids is a post from: The Mommy Insider. It looks like you are reading this post in your favorite RSS reader. Don't be shy..hop on over to check out our current giveaways, coupon codes, and to share your comments!

Madelyn, 3 years old, is at the age when she appreciates toys that require some level of creativity. Because she is a little young, she can’t take complete advantage of the creative aspects of the toys, but she enjoys trying. For example, she enjoys putting pegs in the Lite-Brite but she can’t place the pegs exactly where need to be to make a picture yet.

A few toys classic creative toys that she play with are:

Lite Brite

Lite-Brite is one of the toys that I actually remember playing with. I have memories of sitting the dark putting the little pegs in the Lite-Brite often making my own designs. Available in pink, blue, and other colors, boys and girls both love this classic toy which can create a few minutes of peaceful time for you, the mom. Lite-Brite is not recommended for children under 3.

Illuminate your imagination with the classic light-up picture maker is now available in a cool flat screen and in the classic box style. The fun, portable design easily fits on your lap or on a table – it’s cordless, so you can take it anywhere! Most, if not all styles comes with 200 pegs. A large storage compartment allows for easy clean-up, and an automatic shut-off conserves battery life.. now that’s more advanced than mine was about 30 years ago.

Alphabet Blocks

I know you remember playing with Alphabet Blocks. Did your parents leave you to play with alphabet blocks in the hallway or was that just my parents? Alphabet blocks provide hours of fun, creativity, and education. Unlike Lite-Brite (for safety reasons) your 3-4 year old can play with Alphabet Blocks alone, stacking and knocking them down, or you can play with the blocks with her for a more educational experience. Most alphabet blocks have letters, numbers, and pictures on them and are now non-toxic.

These wooden blocks are great for teaching letter and number recognition, and building creativity. The alphabet blocks pictured here are available in English, Spanish, French, other languages and even braille and are made with fair labor in the USA.

Two Classic Toys for Your Creative Toddler is a post from: The Mommy Insider. It looks like you are reading this post in your favorite RSS reader. Don't be shy..hop on over to check out our current giveaways, coupon codes, and to share your comments!

I’ve been searching for a modern, well made and eco-friendly drum set for my toddler daughter. Up until now she’s created her own impromptu drum set with my All-Clad sauce pans. Big mistake. It’s time to invest in a proper drum set to save my pots and my sanity. The Plan Toys drumset is much less disruptive than my cookware and is set up to develop hand eye coordination. I love that the set is made from eco-friendly and renewable plantation grown rubber wood and is colored with non-toxic vegetable dyes. In fact we are huge fans of all of the Plan Toys products, next on our list is the contemporary doll house, it’ll make the perfect gift when birthday time rolls around.

Plan Toys Eco Friendly Drum Set – From our friends at TheFind.com is a post from: The Mommy Insider. It looks like you are reading this post in your favorite RSS reader. Don't be shy..hop on over to check out our current giveaways, coupon codes, and to share your comments!

Plan Toys makes some of the nicest looking and well made wooden toys I've seen.  

Made of earth-friendly and replenishable rubber wood, Balancing Coral, is a game for up to 4 players ages 3 and up. The idea is to take turns putting pieces of coral on the coral base and see who makes the coral topple by not keeping the coral balanced.  Madelyn works very hard at putting a few pieces on but manages to topple the coral within a few tries.  That is to be expected though as she is only 2. 

Balancing Coral is great game for young kids as it will help develop good cognitive and fine motor skills.  I always supervise Madelyn when playing Balancing Coral because the pieces could potentially be a chocking hazard for children 3 and under.  Madelyn stays too busy putting the coral on to try to put the pieces on her mouth.

GIVEAWAY!
We have a Plan City Fire Station
to giveaway to a lucky reader!   Go to Plan Toys website and tell me in the comment box below what you think makes Plan Toys stand out and tell me what other product (1 only) you would love to have of theirs and why.  You just might get it too!

You can buy Balancing Coral at Plan Toys or at Oompa Toys, one of my favorite online toys stores, for about $35.

Check out some of our other givewaways running now (Expire Dec. 31, 2008):  invisibelt giveaway, Little Tikes Rated Green products giveaway, Fisher Price Zen Collection Swing giveaway, Precious Girls Club book and goodie bag giveaway.

Toy review: Balancing Coral toy from Plan Toys is a post from: The Mommy Insider. It looks like you are reading this post in your favorite RSS reader. Don't be shy..hop on over to check out our current giveaways, coupon codes, and to share your comments!