Wonderworld Toys from Toys and Games Online, Part 1

Wonderworld Toys from Thailand are made from eco-friendly rubberwood. Toys and Games Online has a wide selection of Wonderworld Toys and they generously agreed to let us review some of the Wonderworld line. First up:

Wonderworld Toys Sliding Town City Themed Building Blocks ($27.00)This set comes with a wooden base, 20 blocks for the buildings, a car, and a tree. What I love about this set is that there are several different ways to combine the blocks. You can make all three buildings the same height or you can make some taller than others. Building sets are great for kids! Developmental benefits include: hand-eye coordination, motor skills, and critical thinking skills. This set is nice for the toddler set because the blocks slide in-between the green towers making it less likely to tip over as you're stacking. The car adds a nice touch and adds some play value after the city scape is put together.






My toy testers had so much fun with this. It's definitely a new favorite around here. They kept coming back to play with it all day. Thanks Toys and Game Online!

Green Toys Tea Set

I'm sure you've seen Green Toys around at places like Target. Green Toys are made in the USA from recycled milk jugs! They are BPA, phthalate, and lead-free. And since they don't have far to travel (they're made in California) they leave less of a carbon footprint. The packaging is 100% recyclable and they've made it super easy for small, eager hands to get the toys out quickly - no ridiculous twist ties or plastic covering! They are also dishwasher-safe, making clean up easy!

I love the softer colors they use in their toys. They are also reasonably priced for "green" toys. They vary from $9.99 to $39.99 and are worth every penny! They're well built, sturdy toys that will last a long time.

My toy testers loved using the Green Toys Tea Set ($24.99). We had chocolate milk and graham cracker bugs to celebrate summer. I spread out a "tablecloth," stepped back and let them play tea party. Along with the Tea Pot, Creamer, and Sugar Bowl, the set came with 4 Spoons, Saucers, and Tea Cups. It's perfect for pretend or the real thing!

Taking sugar cubes from the sugar bowl

Sipping "tea"

Even my son had fun playing Tea Party

Dipping daintily

Enjoying a yummy treat

"Can I pour you some more?"

"Yes, thank you."

Tea pot, creamer, and sugar bowl

What my toy tester had to say:
"This is so beautiful!"

Developmental benefits include:

Socialization: Playing in a pretend formal setting is a great place for kids to practice manners. Saying please, thank you, learning to serve guests first are all skills you can practice at your next tea party.

Motor skills: Children can learn motor skill and hand-eye coordination by practicing pouring tea, holding the small handle on a tea cup, and being careful not to spill.

Imagination: Dreaming up different settings for your tea party can be a fun way to practice creative thinking. You can also invite your stuffed animals or dolls and imagine what it would be like if they could talk, what would they say? Which leads to...

Language: The art of conversation can also be learned in a fun way during a tea party. Children can learn to take turns talking and asking questions of each other.

If your children get bored this summer, set up a tea party and let their imaginations run wild!

Green Toys also makes great outdoor toys for fun this summer. My favorite Green Toys include the Indoor Gardening Kit , the Recycling Truck, and the Cookware and Dining Set (a beautiful addition to the Tea Set). Be sure to check out the full line at the Green Toys website. You can buy them on-line at Target, Amazon, and other toy stores but they are on sale right now at Amazon.

Thanks Green Toys!

Piggy Paint Review

What a great idea! This new Piggy Paint nail polish is designed for kids and is non-toxic, odorless, and water-based. It was created by a mom who watched in horror as her girls' old polish melted through a foam plate after using it to paint their nails on. From that experience Piggy Paint was born!

Piggy Paint let us try their Girls Rule! Polish (.5 oz.) and their signature Piggy Paint Remover (4 oz.).
Girls Rule!

I first wanted to test out their "odor-free" claim so as soon as I opened the package I sniffed both the polish and the remover. While there is a scent to the polish, it's not chemically AT ALL! They claim that Piggy Paint is "Natural as Mud" and it sort of resembled a muddy smell, in a good way. It reminded me of puffy paint from when I was a kid. Next I tried the remover. This I found to have NO SMELL whatsoever! I was amazed!

I set to work immediately painting my nails. It dried faster than any polish I've ever tried! I skipped the recommendation that you blow dry the polish after it's dried in order to set it and make it more chip resistant. By that evening it had chipped quite a bit and 3 of my toenails were completely stripped of the polish. Granted, as a mom and daycare provider I have my hands in and out of water all day long with all the dishes and diaper changes. With all the chipping I took it off after only a day. The polish makes you work a little to get it off but since it's odor free I didn't mind the extra time it took.

Next, I waited for a good opportunity to try it out on my testers, my 2 nieces and my son. He just can't be left out. I've even been known to do his hair when it was longer.
Here's what they had to say:
"It's so pretty!"
"(With a giggle) It tickles a little when you put it on."

"Look at my claws!" (my son, obviously!)

Washed, dried hands ready for polish!

After the first coat

After the second coat we used the blow dryer to set the polish and make it more chip resistant

Beautiful! All done!

"Hey look, it matches my shirt!"

Showing off his claws to the girls

We had such a fun time playing "nail salon." With more fun colors like Glass Slippers (a sparkly topcoat), Mac-n-Cheese Please (yup, it's orange), and Forever Fancy (think Fancy Nancy pink) we'll definitely have to buy more to try!

Piggy paint has generously offered all my readers 20% off (including sale items) until June 30th with the coupon code PINK20L and if you spend $25 shipping is free! Order the Little Miss Firecracker set (red, white, and blue) in time for the Fourth of July! Piggy Paints also make a great birthday gift or stocking stuffer idea!!!

While you and your kids are having fun playing nail salon you can incorporate some developmental benefits and make it a learning experience as well as a fun one:

• Your child can hone in on her fine motor skills by painting her own nails (my 4 year old snuck and did his own pretty well) or by letting her practice on you or a friend.
• If your toddler is beginning to learn her colors you can work on one color at a time by painting her nails and letting her find objects each day that match that color.
• Try painting her nails in a pattern, say red blue red blue red blue for the upcoming Fourth of July. This is a great math and pre-reading skill to master.

*Ideas taken from the Piggy Paint website.

Piggy Paint Prices:

Piggy Paint Nail Polish $9.99
Piggy Paint Remover $10.50
Nail Polish Gift Packs (3 Colors) - $26.50
Nail Polish (2 colors) and 1 Remover Gift Packs - $27.50

Thanks Piggy Paint!

In the Land of Etsy

Wee Wood Natural Toys ($8.00)
I love the vibrant pirate family and the simplicity of the people.

Sun Beem Designs ($19.00)
These are too cute! I think they would make a darling decoration on a bedroom shelf when they aren't being played with, of course.

Discovery Denim ($40.00)
Capes are so fun! My son is always turning his blanky into some kind of cape or another. I love this pirate skull one.

Happy Squash Toys ($65.00)
Great design! I love the simple nature of this ship and the peg people bodies.

More wonderful things found on Etsy to come shortly...

Up Next:

WonderWorld Toys are made from renewable rubber wood and are similar to other brands. I'm so excited to review these toys. Look for them online at Toys and Games Online.

New Sprig Toys are here!

Sprig Hollow is the newest line from Sprig Toys. Sprig is an environmentally friendly company concerned with keeping the planet healthy and keeping kids off the couch. Their lines are all "battery-free, eco-friendly, paint-free, kid-powered toys." A bio-composite material they call Sprigwood is made of wood and plastic that are recycled to form these child-safe toys.

While the recommended age is 3 and up I think younger kids could get just as much fun out of these playsets. Our neighbor's son came over to join us and he is just shy of 18 months. You could also use these in the bathtub or even a kiddie pool outside this summer. They are just so open-ended. Take a look...


Sprig Hollow comes in three separate sets:

Bee & Buterfly's Farm ($29.99) comes with the barn, truck, bee & butterfly figures, a scoop and funnel, and a beehive/flower pot with wildflower seeds embedded in paper. The barn and truck have pieces that snap together really quick! All the figures from this line have pop-out faces and wings and are all interchangeable.

Dragonfly's HeliScoopter ($14.99) comes with the Dragonfly figure, another seed paper for planting, a helicopter/sand shovel, and a landing pad/sifter. I love that all the equipment has dual uses and the sifter pad has to be my favorite!


DuneBug's Sand Truck ($14.99) includes the DuneBug figure, an easy to assemble truck with a bed that can be used as a bucket, a top top for a scoop, and a cab for a rake, and yet another seed paper! The figures sit atop the trucks or heliscooper perfectly.

Marshall was so excited to take the set outside when it finally warmed up. Although it's great for indoor play, it's PERFECT for summer sand & water adventures! We were glad for the excuse to clean out our sand box and poor in some new sand. I loved watching as Marshall brought the little characters to life. His imagination grew as he made them interact with each other. All set up and ready for play

Lined up and counting

DuneBug's Sandtruck

Dragonfly's Heliscoopter

The true toy test: every afternoon Marshall asks to go out and play in the sand box with his "barn set."

I'm back, temporarily...

just to say that I wish I had seen this 5 months ago when I had my baby and before I bought the Haba Springtime Play Gym. I just love the outerspace theme from Skip Hop ($80). Check out their other fresh, new toys too!

As for my recent blogging hiatus, there's a lot going on on the home front right now that's keeping me super busy. Plus, my husband lost his job. So, what good are toys when you don't have a job, right? Plus I assume with the recent economic downturn there aren't many of you out there buying toys just for fun anymore. Am I right? What are your thoughts on this, are you cutting down on wants yet to focus more on needs? Is your toy/gift budget lowered or done away with? I'd love to hear your thoughts.

News Articles

My Grandpa just sent me a couple links to some news articles I'd like to pass on. The first is about our baby's First Foods, the second about the importance of The Family Meal. I found both very helpful and important. I hope you take the time to think about the important message in each of these.

Happy Holidays!