Muppet Whatnots from FAO Schwarz are on sale today through April 10.  What fun, pick color, eyes, nose, hair and outfit for your own unique Muppet toy.   The Muppet Whatnot Workshop opened in the New York store in 2008 and is exclusive to FAO. Today, the custom Muppet creator is online! You could probably spend all afternoon with your child creating and re-creating custom muppets online until you get the one they want.  Lots of fun and laughs.

Check out the Custom Muppet and other great custom toys now!

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.

One of the new for 2010 Adventure Play Sets Wooden Swing Sets, the Atlantis model is offered online for $599. It is constructed of eco friendly cedar wood which you must assemble  yourself.  The assembly time is estimated at 10 – 14 hours and you should have 2 or more persons working on it. The lumber is pre-drilled, cut and stained. You’ll want to separate and mark the pieces before you start.

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.

At just $449, the Adventure Play Sets Pathfinder Wooden Swing Set is one of the lowest priced full size wooden swing sets available. It features an upper play deck with canopy roof and a lower platform also covered by the roof.  There is an 8 foot slide, ladder, rock wall, 2 swings, glider, sandbox, lemonade stand and picnic table.  The swing set’s dimensions are 18′ 5″ L x 9′ 6″ W x 9’9″ H.  The wood is sustainable cedar and is pre-cut, pre-drilled, and pre-milled. The Pathfinder swing set was stocked in Walmart stores last year but this year is online only. You can avoid shipping costs by having it shipped site to store.   Walmart has over 1000 product reviews, so you can tell that is a hugely popular swingset!  The majority of the reviews are 4 and 5 star and typically parents review the set up time as they have just been through the 1 – 2 day set up.  A typical comment, “It seems to be made of good quality materials and for the price you could not beat it. Putting it together just required some time and patience.”  Kids do love the swing set and use it a lot, here’s another comment “This set is ideal for 3-6year old kids… mine loved it and enjoy it every day! best buy I’ve made for them so far.”  The manufacturer’s suggested ages is 3 to 11. With spring vacation and summer on the way, this swing set can be a great investment in outdoor fun for the kids!

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

Find the best deals on the Adventure Play Sets Meridian Wooden Swing Set!

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 Toy Industry announced the winners of the 2010 Toy of the Year awards. These are generally toys that were popular during the 2009 holiday season.  Zhu Zhu pets was the big winner as the overall Toy of the Year as well as Girl Toy of the Year, and Innovative Toy of the Year. For boys, the winner was the popular Bakugan 7 in 1 Maxus Dragonoid. Bakugan also won Property of the Year.

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!

Toys R Us and Walmart have been advertising that they have limited quanitites in stores only but this morning Walmart has a few online. They are also available at amazon and ebay but prices might be inflated.

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 Princess and the Frog opens nationwide tomorrow but the toys have been selling already and some are sold out. With classic Disney animation, a great new African American princess, settings in New Orleans, music by Randy Newman, there’s a lot to like about this movie. We’ll hear from the Moms and kids tomorrow.

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!

Find where to purchase the best deals on the Play Kitchen Toys in this post.

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.

Black Friday sales have already started. Target and DiscoveryStore had good coupons that expired today. New offers start tomorrow.

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.