Toymaker Spotlight: Corolle

When we decided to pick up the Corolle line of dolls, I was not particularly excited. This was not because I didn't like the brand, but because I am a guy and don't get excited about dolls. But as a father of a little girl, I get to meet a lot of dolls and other little friends. As I spent some time checking out the Corolle catalogue and actually seeing the dolls in person (that sounds weird), I was able to see how amazingly well crafted they are. If you have a little girl, she will find an excellent toy and friend in a Corolle doll.

-Brian

Here is a little bit more about Corolle from their website:

Corolle is located in the Loire Valley , the storybook region of France that is famous for its scenic beauty and magnificent chateaux.

The Corolle design team aims to create dolls that look and feel as real as possible with faces that are often inspired by real children.And just as you would find in a haute couture fashion house, Corolle’s design studio is where a staff of professionals works to develop the Corolle look, sketching their designs and choosing the fabrics that will make them come to life.

Since its founding in 1979, Corolle has won more than 30 international awards for design and play excellence, including two DOTY awards (Doll of the Year) as well as awards from the Oppenheim Toy Portfolio, Dr. Toy and National Parenting Publications (NAPPA), among others.

Today, Corolle dolls are sold in more than 29 countries around the world.

Rubik's Cube Toy by Winning Moves

If you are a child of the 80's, like myself, you will remember the Rubik's cube. Love it or hate it, it was and is an icon of puzzle toys. I will have to admit that I cannot recall ever solving the cube. I did take one apart with a screwdriver and reassemble it, but I don't think that counts. My brother did solve it. He bought the book that shows you how. I think I may still have that book. I digress.

The Rubik's cube is still one of the world's most popular and recognizable puzzle toys, and for good reason. It is small enough that you can take it with you almost anywhere. It is only one piece, so you can play with it anywhere as well, and not have to worry about missing parts or losing parts. It has tremendous replay value for a person who loves to solve puzzles. Even if you have figured out how to solve it, you can keep practicing and working at it and finding shortcuts to increase your speed.

My nephew acquired a Rubik's cube recently and, of course, figured out how to solve it. My boys spent some time with him and became enamored with the puzzle. Now we have the 4X4 cube in our store, which is just a bit more complex. We got it for my nephew for his birthday. He loved it and solved it frighteningly fast. It was fun to watch all the cousins at a recent family gathering all trying to solve the various Rubik's cubes around the room. Maybe I will pick one up and try to solve it myself. You can do the same at Town Square Toys.

-Brian

Rush Hour Toy by ThinkFun

I love this game. You have to maneuver your car out of the traffic gridlock. There is only one exit. You can't pick your car up, but must slide it back and forth only. Similarly, you can only slide other cars and trucks out of the way, you can't just remove them. (Many times, on the way home from the office, I wish I could just remove some cars and trucks!) Anyway....

It sounds easy, but it can be mind crunching and complicated. The game has cards which conveniently hide in a little drawer and tell you how to set up the board. Then, you have to figure out and plan your escape. There are dozens of puzzles and varying levels of difficulty.

The best part for me is watching my kids figure out the puzzles. I can almost see the gears turning inside their heads as they try and try again to figure out the solution. I think that this game does a fabulous job of stretching their logical and spatial skills. You should definitely try it out.

-Brian