Summary of Online Toy Reviews

TD Scout Shares Positive Consumer Reviews from Thousands of Websites

By Peter Aoun
April 2010

TDmonthly Magazine’s Review Scout scours the Web weekly for reviews of new and hot products so you don’t have to spend your time searching. Out of thousands of blog, retail and other sites, his research uncovers toys, games and other gifts that are worthy of your attention now. Check this space for briefs on reviews and ratings from across the nation and even the globe.

Glob Natural Paints Easy Shake Jars by GLOB LLC

Kids can shake up some painting fun with Glob Natural Color Blends craft paints. This set includes four do-it-yourself paint jars. Just add water and shake to produce 2 oz. each of all-natural lemon verbena, tangerine, berry blue and pomegranate colored and scented paint. All Glob paints are gluten-free, soy-free, vegan, non-toxic, made in the USA, and boxed in recycled packages.
— Glob paints were a big hit with Eco Child’s Play’s Jennifer Lance: “This may be one of the coolest products we have reviewed in a long time,” she raved. With the all-natural ingredients, Jennifer felt assured the paints were truly non-toxic. She noted, “Mixed up paint needs to be stored in the refrigerator, because they are truly all natural, but you can easily just mix up a little at a time based upon your needs.”
— Tiffany of Nature Moms Blog found the Glob paint to require more work than other paints, but once mixed, the paint worked well for her children on a variety of surfaces. She also enjoyed the fruity and floral scents. 4/22/2010 (MSRP: $20; Age: 3 and Up)

Wett Giggles Animal Soaps - Ophelia by WETT GIGGLES

Wett Giggles combines soap, a rubber ducky or other animal, and a scrub brush in one sweet-smelling package. Each colorful, handmade bar of soap features a rubber animal head poking out the top. As the soap is worn away from the bottom, a scrub brush is revealed to get all those hard to reach places. Wett Giggles scent options include pineapple, watermelon, blackberry and lemon (in the case of Ophelia). Animal options include a hippo, bear, cow, frog and others.
— Lee of Mom Fuse found the scent of the soap to be a big hit with her 18-month-old. “I mean, the kid really likes this soap!” she cried. Though the toy element and scrub brush add value, Lee felt the product was expensive compared to plain soap.
— Sarah, Mahayla’s Mommy, observed that her daughter could “easily hold onto the toy end of the soap while she's soaping up without constantly dropping the slippery soap into the tub.” This innovative feature of Wett Giggles helped foster her daughter’s independence. 4/22/2010 (MSRP: $10)

Little Green Books - Don't Throw That Away by SIMON AND SCHUSTER CHILDREN'S PUBLISHING DIVISION

Author Lara Bergen and illustrator Betsy Snyder tell the tale of an eco-conscious superhero in this lift-the-flap board book. Kids who read the book will learn that with a little super-imagination, trash can become treasure. Parents can visit publisher Simon and Schuster’s site to download activities and crafts based on the book.
— Bob Walch of Book Loons exclaimed, “This picture book practices what it preaches — it is made from 100% recycled material!” He praised the conscience-raising storyline but cautioned that the recycled paper may cause some flaps to tear easily.
— San Francisco Book Review’s Kaye Cloutman recommended the book as a kid-friendly way to explain what happens to trash and why recycling matters. She added that kids will be attracted to the transformations from trash to treasure achieved by the flaps. 4/22/2010 (MSRP: $6.99; Age: 4 to 6)

Who's Missing? A Calico Critters Card Game by INTERNATIONAL PLAYTHINGS LLC

Who The popular Calico Critters by International Playthings are the focus of this new card game. In Who’s Missing: A Calico Critters Card Game, two to four players try to memorize an ever-increasing number of cards and remember the missing cards after some are removed by the dealer. The 48 cards feature pictures of the Calico Critters families and can be used to play two additional games.
— Katie of Katie’s Nesting Spot reported that the adorable Critters attracted her daughter to the game and kept her interested while building her memory and number recognition skills. Katie felt that the increasing number of cards in play and inclusion of several styles of play provided “a great way to keep older kids challenged and engaged.”
— Jocelin Cap of BSCKids liked the quality of the oversized cards, noting that the thickness of the laminated cards “allows the children to manipulate them from a slick tabletop a lot easier.” Jocelin played the game with her two young sons, who “loved when they were dealing and had the opportunity to trick us when they pulled a card away.” 4/22/2010 (MSRP: $9.99; Age: 3 and Up)