To find the toys in this review visit Teacup Piggies and Teacup Doggies for the best places to purchase online.

Toy Teck was kind enough to give us Teacup Piggies and Teacup Doggies to review and to give away! These adorable toys are  interactive pets that say up to 25 phrases or responses. Your child can feed them, dress, them and give them a hug!  They are designed for ages 3 and up, and probably a 4 to 10 year old will have the most fun with them. 

The newest Teacup Piggies for this holiday season come with adorable winter themes.  There is a piggy with snowmobile to ride on and piggy with skating rink.  Of course, piggy has lots of winter outfits to choose from. The piggy I received for review is blue and when you turn him on he says, “Hi, my name is Zack and I love snowboarding.” Obviously a winter outdoor piggy.  He came with a teacup, certificate, baby bottle and cap.  He is easy to turn on and speaks one sentence at a time, all of them up beat. He will speak when you touch his nose or pet him or can be set to speak periodically.  He says things like, “I’m so happy” and “Yahoo, I love hanging out with you.”

Also new this year are Teacup Doggies, Teacup Families and Mommy and piglets.  Children will love having more than one piggy or doggy and accessories to play with.  We think a little older than 3 to be able to dress them and have fun with all of the accessories.

As we said we have Teacup Piggies and Doggies to give away. Fun gifts for the holidays. Contest details will be in the next post.

So what constitutes the best wooden swing sets?  What might be ideal for you might not work for another family.  The criteria for selection should include:

1. Size and features of the Swing Set – do you want just a quality swing set or do you want a clubhouse, sandbox, slide and more?  And of course, you need a bigger yard for some of the larger swing and gym sets so do some measurements if you have a smallish yard.

2. Is a cheaper swing set the best?  Maybe.  If you are on a tight budget, price is, of course, important.  So look at the price, and be sure to consider taxes and shipping.  Some major retailers include shipping to their stores and some merchants include free shipping to your home.  If you think the cheaper swing sets are adequate for your needs, go for it.  You have to remember that no matter what the wood, a swing set isn’t going to last forever and of course the kids do outgrow it eventually.

3. Set up time. Unfortunately, most of the reviews of swingsets that we find on merchants sites dwell on the set up time.  While that is important, it is a one time issue.  Just be sure that you have the tools and help from a neighbor if you need it.

4. Durability.  Darn, this is the hardest to determine.  You just don’t see many reviews that come in five years later describing the durability of the swing sets and if you do, that swing set probably isn’t still on the market anyway.

Some of the brands you might want to consider:

Backyard Discovery (formerly Adventure Playsets).  These are large, inexpensive wooden swing sets available at a few mass merchants.

Gorilla Playsets. These are the top of the line wooden swing sets.  We did find reviews for a swingset that had been used for 3 year and the parents commented that it still looks almost brand new.

Swing-N-Slide. Another brand with premium lumber and bracket systems. They also have do it yourself kits where you purchase the parts excluding lumber and buy the lumber locally.

Find these brands and more, including where to purchase, on our page of Wooden Swing Sets.

Find  the best deals on Adventure Play Sets Swing Sets at major retailers!

We’ve been reviewing the Adventure Play Sets Swing Sets at Walmart. The Adventure Play Sets Columbia Wooden Swing Set is new for 2010 and available for $499. Shipping is free if you select site to store shipping.

The Columbia swing set has a covered play deck above a clubhouse.  Your child can climb the ladder to the platform and slide down the slide over and over again.  It also comes with 2 swings, a 2 person glider, picnic or activity table, rock climbing wall, and sand box.  The assembled swing set is 18′ 3.5″ L x 8′ 8″ W x 10′ 6″ H. You’ll want to leave about 12 feet around it for safety.

It takes 2 people to assemble the Walmart wooden swing sets. Assembly time is estimated at 8 to 12 hours. Several tools are required, a list can be found on the Walmart site.  Parents say that it is best to organize the wood and read the directions thoroughly before starting construction.

Find the complete set of Adventure Play Sets Swing Sets and where to obtain the best deals! We also have information on the Blue Ridge Play Sets, Flexible Flyer metal swing sets,  and Little Tikes plastic swing sets.

The Atlantis Swing Set has a covered play deck above a clubhouse, a sun deck, slide, swings, and rock climbing wall. It also has a couple of unique features. The 2 person glider has a ships wheel for the kids to hold onto.  An “imagination station” is built into the lower level. It’s a counter that can be used as a lunch counter, lemonade stand or puppet theater.

The Atlantis Swing Set is 18′ 1″ L x 7′ 9.5″ W x 9′ H. You need to allow another 12 feet around it for safe play. Manufacturers recommended age is 3 to 10 years.

Parents who have reviewed their new swingset all agree that it is quality construction and the kids love it!

Take a look at all of the Adventure Play Sets Wooden Swing Sets and where to find the best deals.

Find where to pick up the Adventure Play Sets Pathfinder Wooden Swing Set at a great price!

Adventure Play Sets designs wooden swing sets for home backyard use. The Meridian swing set is just $549 and constructed from sustainable wood.  This combination of eco friendly and a great price is hard to beat.  The playset includes a covered play deck with slide, two swings, glider, monkey bars, clubhouse with windows and activity bench. It measures 18′ 4″ L x 12’8″ W x 10′ H.  You’ll want an overall play area of at least 30′ x 24′.  You will need to assemble yourself and it does requires 2 – 4 persons and is definitely an all day project. It’s worth it for the value of this set.

The Adventure Play Sets Meridian Swing Set has been available at Walmart for all of 2009-2010, and receives high marks from parents with average 4 to 5 stars in reviews.  Most reviews discuss the importance of labeling the wood and following the instructions for assembly.

This wooden swing set is recommended for ages 3 to 11. It will make a great activity center for spring break and summer fun and should provide years of enjoyment for your child. 

Find where to purchase the Meridian and other quality Wooden Swing Sets!

The pretend play kitchen toys are usually designed for toddlers and preschoolers. Although we may think of them as girls toys, the boys often like to play with kitchens as well. I found that my daughter used her kitchen indoors and out (we moved it around) for a few years. It was definitely a toy that was played with over and over again.  From time to time, we updated it with inexpensive new pots and pans or pretend food. Here are some of the great kids toy kitchen deals available right now:

Little Tikes Side by Side Kitchen – This is a corner design kitchen with small sink, refrig, oven and storage. With a smaller footprint and price, it is a great value. On sale now at Walmart for $49. At this price, it won’t last long.

Step2 Lifestyle Custom Kitchen – Another great plastic kitchen with lots of features. It has refrigerator, oven, stove, and lots of storage.  Walmart has the Step2 Kitchen bundled with a 101 piece play food set for just $79. Another bargain that is hard to beat.

KidKraft Large Play Kitchen. If you’re looking for a wooden toy kitchen, KidKraft has the best. The large play kitchen has a refrigerator, freezer, oven and microwave with doors that open and close.  Note the wood kitchens are made with particle board and we don’t recommend outdoor use. But if you’re planning to keep it indoors, this should be a great pretend play experience. The KidKraft Large Play Kitchen is $139.

If you have the space, there are several other larger play kitchens with more play options.  I particularly like the new Step2 Market-Fresh Kitchen which combines kitchen with cash register, scanner and shopping made bag of recycled material.

Find these great Play Kitchens and more.

Find links to purchase the Five Hottest Toys for 2009.

Zhu Zhu Pets – These cute furry hamsters were popular when the G-Force Movie came out and have been hard to find ever since.  Mr. Squiggles has been one of the top selling toys at Amazon and has dropped out of the top 10 because of the high prices.  Originally listing for $10, he is now up to $64.99. Walmart, Target, and ToysRUs all still list Zhu Zhu Pets on their website but they have been out of stock since summer and store look ups are disabled. Bah Humbug on Zhu Zhu Pets this year.

Mindflex Game by Mattel – The Mindflex game was still available in early November but has been out of stock at all major retailers for about 2 weeks now.  Walmart had the lowest list price at $59.97.  Some specialty retailers were selling Mindflex for $99 but they are all out of stock as well now. EntertainmentEarth and Hammacher are indicating inventory will arrive in February, 2010. If you want it now, it is available at Amazon and ebay for inflated prices of about $165.

Disney Princess & The Frog Just One Kiss Princess Tiana Doll – Yes a product that is in stock! $24.88 at Walmart, available other retailers as well. The movie comes out in December and demand is expected to be strong, so grab one now!   Find links to purchase the Princess Tiana Doll and other great Princess and the Frog toys.

LEGO Star Wars – There are a ton of LEGO Star Wars toys made popular by the TV Clone Wars Star Wars show. The one that Stephanie mentions is the Star Wars Anakin’s Fighter. It is a bit hard to find.  The Venator class Replublic Attack Cruiser is a top seller at Amazon and still in stock. Find a huge selection of Star Wars Toys – in stock now for the holidays.

Matchbox Rocky the Robot Truck – An interactive dump truck! He speaks over 100 prases and tells jokes. He’s a best seller at Amazon and available in traditional retail packaging as well as the Amazon Frustration-Free packaging for $59.99. Rocky is also at DiscoveryStore for $79.95. He is out of stock at the other major retailers, so you might want to grab it now!

Find the Oppenheim Five Hottest Toys and other great award winning toys for the holidays.

Reference: Oppenheim Toy Portfolio and view the Today show clip.

It started with the Smart Cycle which has been around a couple of years now. Kids could ride a bike, play games and learn their numbers all at the same time.  The Smart Cycle has been extremely popular and won numerous awards. However, some Moms did report that the kids got bored with it (well that happens with many toys). For 2009, the Smart Cycle has been upgraded and enhanced. There are also many new preschool fitness toys – Smart Fit, Leapfrog Zippity, Vtech Ride and Learn Giraffe Bike, and the Fisher Price 3 in 1 Smart Sports game. Which to choose? Here’s some info on the products:

2009 Smart Cycle Extreme

The Smart Cycle is a video game operated by a kid-sized stationary bicycle that also teaches math and spelling skills and other skills for kids aged 3-6. New for 2009 is the Smart Cycle Extreme, which adds another element of fun, the rumble pack. The rumble pack gently shakes the bike when your child passes over a bumpy road. This rumble technology is utilized in 6 new games for 2009: Pixar Cars, Sponge Bob, Toy Story, Hot Wheels, Bob the Builder, and Planet Heros. The Smart Cycle Extreme will also backwardly integrate with Fisher Prices previously released titles. Which means that if you already own games for the Smart Cycle, they will run on the Smart Extreme, but without the rumble technology.

Disney Leapfrog Zippity

A high energy learning system with interactive mat and joystick that gets preschoolers dancing and jumping while they interact with their favorite Disney characters.  Leapfrog has branded itself exclusively with Disney and has all Disney titles including Cars, The Princess and the Frog and Disney Princess. The Zippity console default game features characters from Mickey Mouse Club, Little Einsteins, Winnie the Pooh, and Handy Manny.

Fisher Price Smart Fit

The Smart Fit Playground is an interactive activity pad and plug and play game that encourages kids to be active. The kids will walk, run and jump while learning letters, numbers, shapes, and colors.  Reviews by Mom’s of 3 year olds, say they love it!If your younger child wants to have their own fitness toy, the Vtech Bike is for kids as young as 18 months. It encourages learning through 5 modes of active play. It has an LCD display, adjustable bouncy seat and rides like a bicycle. The seat is adjustible for different heights. We think it’s nice to have an interactive toy that doesn’t also tie up the TV!

Vtech Ride and Learn Giraffe Bike

If your younger child wants to have their own fitness toy, the Vtech Bike is for kids as young as 18 months. It encourages learning through 5 modes of active play. It has an LCD display, adjustable bouncy seat and rides like a bicycle. The seat is adjustible for different heights. We think it’s nice to have an interactive toy that doesn’t also tie up the TV!

Fisher Price 3-in-1 Smart Sports

For the kids who love sports! It comes with golf club, teenis racquet and baseball bat which control the action with a wireless controller.  While playing games, your child learns numbers, letters, shapes, and motor skills. If your child has Wii envy, this might be the trick for them to have their own Wii like game!

Find where to get the best deals for the holidays on these Preschool Fitness Games and more!

Dora lives in a small beach community called Puerto Verde, with her four best friends Naiya, Emma, Kate and Alana the “Explorer Girls”. Your child will be able to explore the city and solve mysteries with Dora, just like the TV show. The game is filled with dress up, and interior design games, that little girls love. The truly amazing part is that when you have Dora plugged into the computer, and you choose her hairstyle, eye color, or jewelry colors the doll changes to match your selection. This change happens pretty instantaneously with the click of a mouse.  This level of interactivity will delight your little ones.

The Dora doll plugs into the computer with the included fuchsia usb cord, and when off the computer she runs off of 3 included AAA batteries. When the child is off the computer, the Dora doll interacts differently based on what level of the game your child is at. She will talk about the current mystery your child is working on, and alert your child if new mysteries have been uploaded to the Mattel site. I’ve heard some parents say their children will not leave the house without their Dora Links doll.

Another fun element to Dora links is that new levels can be unlocked if you choose to buy the Dora accessories. Like many other dolls, you can buy outfits and accessories to expand your collection, but when you buy Dora Links accessories, you are not only expanding traditional play but you are also expanding online play. For example you can unlock the school mysteries by buying the Mattel Puerto Verde School, and you also get a desk, chair, books, and pencil cup to go with your Dora doll when your child is playing offline.

Dora’s best friends the “Explorer Girls” each have a separate doll that can be purchased to even further expand the game. Mattel did a great job of creating the multicultural elements of the TV Series, by making Dora’s friends all different nationalities. When your child gets a new doll she can unlock that dolls room and decorate it. At about $20 a doll, it’s easy on the wallet to add new dimensions to your child’s Dora world.

Some speculators have started to mass purchase the dolls in advance, betting that there will be shortages when the holiday season arrives, and they will be able to resell them on eBay. Dora Links is already starting to top the lists for the most coveted toys of the 2009 holiday season, so it might be a good idea to make your purchases on the links collection early. It’s hard to anticipate which accessories and explorer girls may or may not sell out. Click below to find the complete set of Dora Links Products:

Dora Links Dolls, Playsets, and Friends