Toy Review - Crepe Rubber Puzzles

Crepe Rubber Puzzles are great for little hands that are learning how to solve puzzles.  The rubber material is soft and flexible and easily manipulated.  Bright colors make these puzzles especially attractive.  The designs for the puzzles are also enticing to small children; a wide selection of crepe puzzles are there for the choosing, such as a train, a plane, cats, ballerinas, a helicopter, a race car, flowers, and much more.  The puzzles are all designed so that the pieces all fit together snugly within the one, large, border piece.  Once the puzzle is together, it will stay together rather well.  When you are ready to try the puzzle again, just a small amount of pressure will knock the pieces out so that it can be tried again.  A classic toy to be sure, it is more than likely a happy memory for kids of all ages.

I have written about some of the Lauri Toys, but it has been a long time.  You can see a couple of reviews here: http://townsquaretoys.blogspot.com/search/label/Lauri

The Classic Skwish by Manhattan Toy

Skwish is a classic toy; you have probably seen it before and didn't know what to call it. It seems both odd and simple at the same time. The bright colored sticks and beads all strung together in a springy, flexible, somehow orderly mess. It is really a great example of tensegrity. What is that? Check out this link from Wikipedia. Whoever thought this toy up was ingenious to say the least.

This toy is hypnotic and fun for little ones. It can easily be grabbed and held on to. There are multiple sliding beads that move up and down the rods, to keep hands and fingers busy. Bright, shiny, and non-toxic, this toy has been around for years and promises to be around for years to come. Pick one up today at Town Square Toys.

I also want to let you know that this is a Parents' Choice winning toy. They had a list made up of 25 Classic Toys from the last 25 years. The Skwish made the list! How great is that?

Toys of the Last 100 Years

I read an interesting article from Forbes today about toys. I know, right? Forbes doesn't exactly exude "toy." Anyway, it was about the top toys of the last 100 years. It was a pretty nice article with interesting tidbits in it, such as:

There are 43,252,003,274,489,856,000 different possible configurations for a Rubik's Cube.

Lincoln Logs were invented by John Lloyd Wright, the son of architect Frank Lloyd Wright.

Mr. Potato Head was originally sold without a potato.

In the article is says that Madame Alexander Dolls were introduced in 1929. There is a little picture of some of the dolls. I just have to say that they have come a long way since then. Check out the picture of the classic dolls and then check them out over at Town Square Toys.

Press 'n Go Inchworm by International Playthings

The Press 'n Go Inchworm by International Playthings is, to me, a great all around toy for little babies and crawlers. It has a very bright and colorful exterior that captures the attention of kids. It is very durable and has a unique shape that makes it great for grasping and carrying.

The real fun comes in the Press 'n Go aspect of the toy. Little ones will find that they can push down on the arched back and, once they let go, the toy will zoom away. The rubber "tires" grip the floor very well and the wheels have domes sides with beads inside that rattle around and add another dimension of color and noise. Even if your little one cannot master the pushing right away, they will have hours of fun rolling the Inchworm back and forth.

The toy does not have batteries or lights or sound effects. It is a solid, classic, high quality toy that will live in your child's toybox for a long, long time. It won the Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Toy Award back in 2006. It is still as popular today as it was back then. Check it out over at Town Square Toys. You will be glad you did.

Toymaker Spotlight: Mellisa and Doug

One of our favorite Toymakers is Melissa and Doug. We carry a ton of their toys. Actually I think we carry several tons! They have some of the coolest wooden toys and puzzles; the toys you remember as a kid, those all-time, classic toys. They really believe in the toys that they make and produce, and they are a great group of people to work with.

-Brian

Here is a little bit more about Melissa and Doug from their website:

Twenty years ago, we started our company in the garage of the home where Doug grew up — we had to be careful not to disturb Doug's parents who were still living there! Thanks to your support, we've been able to move into a real office down the road, a building that actually has separate ladies and men's bathrooms! Our philosophy has remained the same over the years–to make each and every customer a happy and permanent member of the Melissa & Doug family, while offering products with tremendous value, quality and design. We've always welcomed customer suggestions, and we continually strive to make improvements to our products. We're honored by the faith you place in us and view it as our responsibility to continue to earn your trust in the years to come!

Rubik's Twist

I think this toy is a great enjoyable way to pass time. My family decided we were going on a trip and me and my brother wanted something to do in the car. My brother saw this toy and bought it with his money. Now we are playing with it like crazy. It is so cool to make creations like ball, cat, cobra, triangle, rooster, wolf, terrier, and more (these creations are way harder than you think). My brother and I made the ball in less than 21 seconds each after five days! My dad says he had lots of fun with it when he was little and now we have a great time with it too. This toy is fun and enjoyable for all ages! Hope you have fun making new creations.

-Micah, age 11

Etch a Sketch a Trip Down Memory Lane

Ah, the classic of classics: the wonderful, magical Etch a Sketch. How many hours did I wile away as a child, trying to make the perfect square, or the straightest diagonal line? How many times did I get confused going left or right or up or down? Did I ever make anything truly resembling a circle?
There was just something cool and mysterious about the Etch a Sketch. All of its wonderment was contained in an elegantly simple device. Two knobs and you could, theoretically, create a masterpiece. (I never did.) But I always enjoyed drawing and erasing and drawing again. And, trying to understand what made it work!
Well, if you want to ruin the mystery, you can get some amazing information about the Etch a Sketch, how it works and when it was invented, by checking out this Wikipedia article, here.
You can also go here to check out some amazing Etch a Sketch art, yes I said art.
When you are done with that, come to Town Square Toys and then get yourself your very own classic of classics. You can even pick up a pocket size version if you want to.
-Brian