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!

Educational Toy of the Year went to LEGO’s Mindstorms NXT 2.0. Activity Toy of the Year was presented to Crayon Town by Wild Planet Entertainment. The Electronic Entertainment Toy of the Year went  to Rubik’s TouchCube  by Techno Source. Sort It Out! by University Games is the 2010 Game of the Year.

Infant Toy of the Year was won by Crayola Beginnings Color Me A Song. One of our favorite categories is Outdoor Toy of the Year won by Radio Flyer’s My 1st Scooter. Finally, Specialty Toy of the Year was presented to Captain Owen’s Dolphin Explorer Boat by Sprig Toys

Find how to purchase the Award Winning 2010 Toys of the Year now!

Don’t fight the crowds, pick up Zhu Zhu Pets online now!

Zhu Zhu Pets have been nominated by the Toy Industry Association for Girl Toy of the Year and Innovative Toy of the Year. Winners of the Toy Awards are announced in February, 2010.

The most popular of the Princess and the Frog toys are the Princess Tiana dolls.  Tiana wears her bayou wedding dress. Prince Naveen also wears his wedding suit.  There is also a Princess Tiana doll in a sparkling blue gown that lights up with firefly lights.  She is nominated by the Toy Industry Assocation for Girl Toy of the Year.

The Princess and the Frog Tiana’s Cookbook with recipes for kids is a fun and inexpensive gift at just $8. It includes recipes for Tiana’s Beignets, Swamp-Water Smoothies, Ray’s Mud Pie and Banana French Toast.

There is a colorful Disney The Princess and the Frog Princess Tiana Cooking set which would be a lot of fun to combine with a kids play kitchen for Christmas.

Finally, Disney Princess & The Frog Bedding makes for great room decor in fun colors. Your kids will love to go to bed in their fun new sheets and comforter.

Pick up the popular Princess and the Frog toys now as they are selling out quickly!

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.

Thanksgiving Day – Target has online only sales, find more info here: Black Friday Toy Deals .  This is followed by a 2 day sale on 11/27 and 11/28.

Walmart has several toys on rollback prices including the Step2 LifeStyle Custom Kitchen, several Power Wheels Ride Ons, the Step2 Fantasy Vanity, and the Leapster 2. On Friday, two new Power Wheels Jeeps go on sale for just $88. – the Fisher-Price Power Wheels Hot Wheels Jeep Ride-On and the Fisher-Price Power Wheels Barbie Jeep Ride-On.  Find a huge selection of Battery Powered Ride Ons.

Amazon has reduced the price on some popular toys including the new Bakugan 7 in 1 Maxus Dragonoid. Find these Bakugan Toys and more.

Kazoo Toys has specialty toys not often found at larger retailers. For the first time ever, they have coupon codes that are good through the holiday season. Pick up the Kazoo Toy Coupon Codes now.

DiscoveryStore will have several popular toys on sale starting on Black Friday, some up to 70% off. Check out the DiscoveryStore toy deals for Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

The Smart Cycle Extreme has been reduced in price at all major retailers. Last we checked it was available for $69.97 with free shipping and no taxes. Find the best deals on Smart Cycle and other new PreSchool Fitness Toys.

Spend time at home with family rather than in the malls, shop online for convenience and best prices. Some items will be in short supply this year as retailers try to keep down inventory and costs, so if you want, pick it up this week-end.

Happy Holidays.

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.

Find great deals on the Twilight, New Moon Games and Gifts.

Right now the Scene It? Twilight Deluxe Edition is a best seller at Amazon. It features clips from the Twilight movie and comes with tips for planning a Twilight Party.

The Twilight Saga: New Moon – The Movie Board Game – is an inexpensive board game for ages 10 and up.  It’s a trivia game with challenges from the Quieleutes to the Volturi. Reunite Bella and Eward to win. The original Twilight Board Game is also available but the reviews are not so good.

Mattel has produced a couple of cool Barbie Twilight dolls – Edward and Bella. You can purchase them individually or as a set.

The Twilight New Moon Calendar for 2010 is an inexpensive Christmas gift with beautiful pictures.

Amazon has an exclusive jewelry replica set with New Moon Cullen Crest. It’s a pre-order with release date of Nov. 30, 2009.

Find Twilight Gifts and great deals on toys for the holidays. Shop early, some items will be in short supply this year.

Fisher Price Handy Manny’s Repair Shop – Many preschool boys love Handy Manny! The repair shop gets high reviews at Amazon!

Playskool Kota & Pals Monty Rex – A soft and snuggly dinosaur that responds to touch. He walks, roars, chomps, and plays tunes. For ages 3 and up.

LeapFrog Zippity High-Energy Learning System - Learning system from LeapFrog and Disney that combines movement with games. The Disney characters will be sure to appeal to the girls.

Fisher Price TRIO King’s Castle – Build a cool castle with easy to follow instructions for several designs.  Once built there are plenty of accessories for creative play.  Designed for ages 5 to 9.

Magic Reveal Chef’s Oven – Inexpensive play oven with pot, food, fork and spoon. Put your food in the oven and it comes out cooked. Ages 3 and up.

Mattel D-REX Interactive Dinosaur – Updated for 2009, this popular dinosaur combines robotics, sensors and reptilian like skin for a lifelike appearance and behavior. He walks, chomps and roars. You can even teach him tricks. Ages 8 and up.

There are many more Target Toy Coupons, take a look now before the sale is over!

We have located options to purchase Mindflex.  They are not perfect but if you really want it, we have options.  Amazon has inventory from 3rd party resellers.  Likewise, you can find Mindflex on ebay and there is one game site that has doubled the price. A couple of retailers are taking back orders for delivery in late November and early December.  There is a risk that this stock will not arrive. There is also a risk that you will overpay and when the stock does arrive it will be cheaper at Walmart.  It’s a gamble. If you want this mind control game, pick it up now!

 Besides Mindflex, there is also a fun Star Wars Force Trainer that uses mind control to levitate a ball. This Jedi Mind Control game is in stock at the moment. Check out Mindflex and other popular Mind Control and Brain Games now.