Toy Review - Sticky Mosaics by Orb Factory

We had a great time today at the Mansfield Unplugged Arts and Music Festival.  Sure, it was over a hundred degrees, but that just makes you appreciate air conditioning more.  We met lots of neat folks from in and around Mansfield and were able to tell them all about our store.  Some people had not heard of our store, some had heard but had not yet visited and some had enjoyed the awesomeness of Town Square Toys.  We had a plethora of arts and crafts toys on display.  It was just a tiny smattering of what we have in the store, but it gave people an idea of what they could expect if they visited.  

One thing that we had to show people, were some Sticky Mosaics by Orb Factory.  I think these are so cool!  There are several different kinds to choose from and they come in single and multiple packs.  You are given a design template to go by.  On the template are various outlines of shapes such as triangles, squares, or circles.  They can be in all kinds of different colors.  In addition to the template, you will have several sheets of soft, foam shapes, corresponding to the types designated on the templates.  All you have to do is match the shapes and colors and build your mosaic.  The foam shapes are all pre-cut and sticky on one side.  No messy glue to worry about.

Since these are mosaics made of tiny bits of foam, they are not designed for kids under three.  That being said, if your little one is not prone to putting things in his or her mouth, this would be fun craft project for them to do.  It would definitely be a great little thing to do together.

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.

My First Painting Set by Alex Toys

I never thought that I would get excited about paint cups and paint brushes. But, Alex did a great job in creating this paint set. Several things stand out which make this a favorite around our house.

First, the brushes are an appealing color and shape. They are easy for little hands to grab, hold, and paint with. I have cleaned them several times, after several painting episodes, and they clean easily. The best part about their design is that they have a fat, heavy end that is flattened. If your artist needs to set the brush down for a moment, he or she can just balance the brush on the end. When you are cleaning the brushes, you can also leave them on the end to dry; they dry faster standing up, I have found.

Second, the cups are just swell. The design is such that if you put a modest amount of paint in a cup, and snap the lid on tight, you will not have to worry too much at all about spills. The funnel shaped lids not only hold the paint in, but they help to guide the brush in for more paint and make sure that there is not too much paint on the brush. The cups and lids clean up easier than the brushes.

Third, I like the colors. You have your basic primary colors; you can make any color you want from here. Yes, I know, most little artists eventually come up with their own magical color of brown by mixing all the paints together, but you can pre mix for them if you want. Anyway, I really like the fact that you have each primary color in paint, brush and cup lid.

Throw in a handy carry case that also is great for storage and you have an awesome first painting set indeed. Be sure that the cups and brushes are dry before you put them away. And while you are in the artisting mood, check out a few more bits of information regarding the My First Painting Set, as well as tons of other art and craft items, over at Town Square Toys.

Smencils and Snifty Pens - check them out!

Smencils are scented pencils made from 100% recycled material. Each smencil comes in an individual freshness tube. Sheets of newspaper are rolled tightly around the #2 graphite writing cores until pencils of typical thickness are formed. Each one is put into its own corn-based biodegradable Freshness Tube. Smencils maintain their scent for 2 years! If you are looking for a cool, innovative and environmentally friendly product, then look no further than Smencils.

Snifty writing pens are a colorful and wonderfully scented way to work! The ink of the pen is black and the scent of each pen comes from the tip and clip. They write wonderfully smooth and smell even better! There are 4 scents to choose from, choose your favorite scent from the dropdown menu above or better yet - choose them all! Great for work, school or home use. Made from non-toxic materials and recommended for ages 3+.

Lots of cool smells to choose from!

Shape and Color Sorter Toy by Lauri Toys

My 4 year old daughter loves to draw. However, occasionally she tears herself away from the coloring books and crayons to do something else. We got her the Lauri Toys Shape and Color sorter and she has had alot of fun with it. When she was a little younger, she used to make piles of the different colors: red, yellow, green and blue. She would them switch it up and make piles of the different shapes: heart, stars, squares and triangles. This toy has small pegs that the child can stack their sorted piles onto. The sorter builds color recognition, sorting skills, shape identification and develops hand eye coordination. She loved to mix and match the shapes to make multi colored stacks and create her own combinations. If you are a fan of toys made in the USA, Lauri manufacturers about 99% of their items in Smethport, PA.

Steph

Crayons of the Future...Now!

So Steph brought home some of the Melissa and Doug crayons that we sell over at Town Square Toys. At first I was a bit skeptical. I, myself, was raised on Crayola crayons and have always been a big fan of the wonderful smell, texture and sight of the classic crayon of years gone by. I think anyone in my age bracket will recall the wonder and majesty of that old box of 96 crayons with the built in sharpener. You think I am joking? Here is a fellow crayon lover: http://dailyapple.blogspot.com/2008/02/apple-300-crayons.html

But I digress. The Melissa and Doug crayon set that we had on our hands was the 24 piece crayon set. We also have a 12 piece set and a big ol' 10 piece set to boot. But back to the 24 piece set. The first thing I noticed was the cool case to keep them in. Gone is the cardboard box of yore. There is instead a snappy, red plastic case with a clear front so you can easily see the crayons you have. The next thing I noticed, once I popped the top as it were, was that the crayons were triangular. Nice trick on the part of Melissa and Doug - no more crayons rolling off the table. I have three kids; I have spent months of my life picking up crayons off the floor or crawling under a table or chair to get one. Plus, Steph says it is better and easier for the kids to grip them. The third thing I noticed was the lack of paper. At first I thought this might have been a bad idea, but Steph brought up the fact, and it is certainly true in our family, that the kids love to peel the labels of the old Crayola crayons, first chance they get; now that problem is solved as well.
Overall, I think Melissa and Doug did a fab job on coming up with these groovy new crayons. The color variety in the 24 pack is great; a lot of interesting choices in there. I did have to give the old smell test a whilst they are not exactly the same as the classic I grew up with, they definitely could be the classic for my kids and yours. Try them out today!