joovy :: tricycoo

Here we go again! I'm going to tell you about another FABULOUS product from Joovy!! It's the Tricycoo! (If you want to read the others I have posted about Joovy products you can see my reviews on the Ergo Caboose, the CocoonX2 and the ScooterX2).

Joovy recently came out with a fantastic new ride-on toy. It the Tricycoo. We received a pink one to use for review purposes and from the moment my girls saw it (both of them), they loved it! My 5 year old wanted to ride it right away. We let her, and she fit, but the size is more appropriate for our 2 year old. Adalynn, our 2-year old isn't quite big enough to touch the pedals yet but she LOVES walking it along or riding on it when we push her. There is a removable handle for situations like this. Right now we have it attached, but when she is older and able to pedal on her own, it will be removed.

We actually took this Tricycoo to the trails near our house the other day. It was easy to push her around in and she loved every second. And, so many people asked what I had my daughter in. It is adorable!

Here are some of the features on the Tricycoo:

• The handle in the back is removable. But while attached, you control the direction of the Tricycoo. When it is attached, it overrides what the child can do. The parent controls it all.
  
• There is a footrest that Adalynn rest her feet on now, but when she can pedal on her own this can be removed.
• There is a "basket" behind that can fit a lot of things. The girls originally packed it full of their baby dolls, but when we went for a walk, we put in our waters and keys to the truck.
• Last but not least, THE BELL! She loves it. And all the Tricycoo's come with it!
  

Joovy Tricycoo :: $99.99

*I received product to facilitate this review and promotion. The opinions expressed are my own.*

scare me not :: knockout ned {giveaway}

I just love the fun colors and funny faces these plush monsters have.  They are cute!  I asked my son which one he wanted hoping I was able to review one for SIMPLE and he wanted Knockout Ned.  Sure enough Scare Me Not was awesome enough to send me one of these for him. He was so excited.

moolka.com :: aroundsquare goodwood deconstructive blocks

Combined with their complete lack of batteries, I love that wooden blocks make kids use their imaginations.  I also can't overlook the fact that no matter how many mismatched sets of wooden blocks we may have they are all interchangeable for play (unlike their plastic counterparts that require not only the matching brand, but also sizes in order to work together).

I came across aroundsquare's GoodWood Deconstructive Blocks available from Moolka.com, purely by chance while meandering around online one day.  I immediately fell in love with their interesting shapes and bright colors, and I knew my girls would have a blast playing with these blocks!

We've been trying out the Mulch Heap here for a couple weeks and have had fun discovering new ways to stack these uniquely shaped blocks together.  The photos shown above and to the left were Michaela's rendition of a castle wall that she proudly created all by herself.

As much as I'd like to continue to sing all the specific praises of the GoodWood Deconstructive Blocks sets by aroundsquare found at Moolka.com, I just can't.  Not because I don't think they're wonderful toys (because I do), but because they're blocks and there's not much else I can tell you about them except to go buy your own and start using your imagination! :)

Oh yeah... I can tell you that these blocks are made out of rubber wood and are finished with a water-based acrylic paint.  Also, all the sets can be used together to add another dimension of fun and imagination to playing with these blocks.

GoodWood Deconstructive Blocks, Mulch Heap from aroundsquare :: $35.99

*I was provided with the blocks shown above in order to conduct this review using personal experience.  The opinions provided are my own.*

alphabeasts :: always playing, always teaching {giveaway}

My son is at that age where everything is "on the brink." It's exciting to watch your little one soak up life around him like a sponge. It's also eye opening. Every bit of media, every book, every conversation and even every toy is having a real impact on his little world. With this in mind, I was happy to come across a fun line of toys, Alphabeasts, designed to lay the foundation for learning while still encouraging creativity and fun.

Alphabeasts is a series of stuffed characters each given a unique persona. These two sided toys showcase one alphabet letter per character (capital letter on one side and lowercase on the other). Played with alone or in combination, these soft and hugable creatures provide a nice learning platform to share the alphabet with your child.

As soon as the Alphabeasts arrived at our house I started sharing their letters with my son. He now knows each one and has fun retrieving them when I yell out their letter. While flash cards might also work for teaching the alphabet, they don't cuddle as well as these stuffed creatures do.

I am happy we have added these new friends to the well-loved stuffed animals in our home, because I know these are the ones that will help my little guy learn skills that will last a lifetime.

Alphabeasts Alphie, Kliklak and Vin-Vin :: $20.00


A SIMPLE GIVEAWAY ::
One very lucky SIMPLE reader win their very own Alphabeast! Here is how to enter:

• Visit Alphabeasts and come back here to tell me in a comment which character you would most like to add to your child's toy collection (Required)
• "Like" SIMPLE on Facebook
• "Like" Alphabeasts on Facebook
• Tweet (Daily : Leave a link to your tweet in our comments) :: #Win a fun and friendly Alphabeast toy -- learn while you play @simplereviews: http://www.simple-momreviews.com/! #giveaway
• Enter your email address in the left sidebar on SIMPLE to sign up for daily emails
• Publicly follow SIMPLE via Google Friend Connect
• "Like" this review below

The winner will be randomly chosen on July 6, 2011. Please reference Giveaway Rules at the top of the page before entering.

*I was provided the three Alphabeasts above to conduct this review using personal experience. The opinions expressed are my own*

step2 :: extreme coaster

My kids are thrill seekers. They love to have fun. And they LOVE to be outside! As a mom, I love having safe AND fun toys for my girls to play with. After learning more about Step2 at Toy Fair in New York, I have now had the opportunity to research them further with their Sand & Water Fun Farm (click HERE for previous review) and now their Extreme Coaster.


Thrill-seeking children, rejoice! Step2® has redesigned the classic Up & Down Roller Coaster to bring roller coaster fun to a wider age range. The Extreme Coaster features rugged double-wall construction and wide built-in steps for stability. Made in USA.

Awards:
T.O.Y. (Toy of the Year) Awards, Family Fun Magazine

OMGoodness do my girls LOVE this!!! They just do it over and over and over. And it's great because they can do it "most of the time" completely on their own.

I was reading the reviews on Step2's site and I wanted to address just a couple things.

• One complaint was the setup. While it was a little intimidating, if you follow the directions and are able to get help from someone else, setup is fine. However, my husband was able to set this up on his own without the need for assistance.
  
• The second thing that they have a complaint about was the "unsafe features". While yes this is a tall toy and has capabilities of the child going fairly fast, I believe that if you are there watching your child and being hands on with them, the opportunity to have an accident drastically diminishes. Simply my two cents. :)
  
• Yes it is heavy, but once you set it up, find a spot that you won't have to move it. We don't have this luxury, so each time the girls want to play on it, we simply move it out into the driveway. No biggie really.

You must be thinking to yourself - "I can't believe she has her 2-year old on this!" Just to clarify, Step2 does specify ages 3 and up, however my little one is quite confident with herself and we are closely there watching. Yes, I should have her helmet on, but of course I forgot when I was taking this video. For extra protection for your little one's noggin', just put on a helmet if you are worried.

Stay tuned to Step2 via Facebook and Twitter. You will be the first to hear about their new products as well as great deals! While you are at their site, be sure to look at their Current Specials Section, where you will find sale and clearance items as well as free shipping opportunities!

One last thing I wanted to note:
Step2 will be featured in a special two-part episode of Designing Spaces’ Miracle Makeovers To Remember series. Step2’s donation to the Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital will help turn an ordinary children’s hospital playroom into a fun and loving environment. The Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital offers cancer treatments, brain surgeries, heart transplants and many other rigorous procedures for kids of all ages. At this hospital, no one is refused treatment and everyone is treated equally so it’s about time these children received a gift for their courage!

The first episode was aired on Lifetime Television June 17th, but you can still catch the episode on June 24th at 7:30 a.m. ET and PT.

Extreme Coaster :: $249.99 (Save $10 now via Step2's site) - Shipping is extremely reasonable via Step2 as well - Just sayin'! :)

*I was sent the extreme coaster to conduct this review using personal experience. The opinions expressed are my own.*

toytoy :: cardboard armchair

Simple. Eco-friendly. Reasonably priced. Playful. Colorful. Portable. Lightweight. FUN!

When I first saw the ToyToy armchair design I immediately started thinking of all the places my son would have fun sitting in it. Part of the beauty of this simple product is how versatile it can be in the ever evolving life of a child.

Created by two parents who wanted products that would help build the world instead of taking away from it, ToyToy products help families consume less and use materials in a smarter way. The ToyToy armchair is constructed out of one piece of cardboard. It comes in a flat package (incredibly portable) that you can quickly assemble anywhere. With solid attention to design engineering this piece cardboard transforms into a very functional and fun chair. From a parent's perspective it's a little bit awesome.

• My son and I are able to transport this chair anywhere (it is incredibly lightweight)


• I don't have to worry about my son tumbling off the chair or scratching the floor as he pushes it around -- the design is child-friendly and very forgiving


• Creativity is inspired through the design -- I have watched my son climb on it, use it as a table, hide things in the cubby hole, push it around like a car, store his stuffed friends on it and flip through countless books while sitting atop this very cool chair
  


• It is at a price that any parent can love -- children work hard to tear things apart, but at this price that idea doesn't induce fear

Again, there are so many great ways to use this chair and places to sit in it. And think of what a great gift this could make -- it comes in transport friendly packaging (gift when visiting friends or relatives with kids), it is at a very reasonable price point (all those neighborhood birthday parties), it can be stored easily just about anywhere for occasional use (grandparents homes).

You can visit ToyToy over on Facebook as well!

ToyToy Cardboard Armchair : $14.99

A SIMPLE COUPON:

The ToyToy chair is already reasonably priced at $14.99, but today through June 30th, 2011 you can save an additional 25% off! At such a great deal you might want to consider getting one in each color -- and don't forget those gifts. Just make sure to use the coupon code: SIMPLE at checkout.

*I was provided the chair shown above to conduct this review using personal experience. The opinions expressed are my own*

ybike :: original and pewi

Adalynn loves this little yBike original! She zooms right along on it! See for yourself:

A few weeks back she was afraid to go on this bike at all. Now it's actually her first pick when we go outside to play. She feel so very cool on it - and very proud! :)

Start your research over on the yBike website too - they give so much information. One thing that I found out to be VERY cool on there about the yBike original was this:

Studies conducted at the University of Stellenbosch in South Africa showed that children who used YBike over a 2 week period showed up to 700% improvement in some cases in various tests of their balance and co-ordination skills. Incredible!

Apart from a really cool and appealing design YBike has been very cleverly engineered to help with a child’s overall Motor Skills / Balance Skill development. It has just enough stability and at the same time instability that will teach children from 2 – 4 years old to learn balance...

If used enough there is a good chance that your child can progress to a normal bicycle at the age of 3 or 4 without having to use training wheels / stabilizers.

We are true believers of this! We have first hand experience. Our Lili, who is now 5, didn't use training wheels at all when she was learning. She went straight from a very generic glider bike to her two-wheeled bike. And I believe that is SOLELY from being able to have the confidence and know the difference of whether or not she was going down or just losing her balance. Wish we had a yBike for her then!! :)

With the help of this yBike original, my husband says our 2-year old will be riding a two-wheeler by the end of the summer. We shall see... :)

Now, when we are inside playing, Adalylnn jumps on her "guy". She calls the little yBike pewi "guy". Pretty funny! If you use your imagination and look at the front handlebars of this ride on, you too will see a "guy"! :)

This ride on toy is not like others. There is so much mobility on this it's pretty fun to watch! It goes front and back and side to side with much ease. Adalynn just goes flying through our kitchen and living room with a squeal the whole time and a big smile on her face! Don't take my word for it, just watch this, they do a MUCH better job explaining that I would do:

yBike original :: $79.99
yBike pewi :: $59.99

Stay tuned to yBike too because they are launching a Trike this year too! And be sure to follow them on Facebook to be the first to hear about new products and special promotions!

*I was provided with a ybike original as well as a ybike pewi in order to conduct this review using personal experience. The opinions expressed are my own!*

KinderBike :: major coupon code!!!

So I am sure you remember the KinderBike review. How could you not? It was super awesome, I must say so myself! :)

(You can read the full review if you don't know what I am talking about.)

Keep reading below to see what KinderBike has offered SIMPLE readers. Pretty fantastic!


A SIMPLE DEAL:
Just because you all are SO awesome and the activity that was received for the KinderBike giveaway, the awesome folks over at KinderBike decided to offer a coupon code to all that didn't win. Shhh, don't tell! It's explicitly for you all! FYI - they never do this! :)

The promo code is simple71 - all in lower case letters - and this will get you $30 off at KinderBikeUSA and is effective 6/6/11-7/1/11. Enter the promo code at checkout! How awesome is that!!!

*This coupon was run in conjunction with the bike I received for my previous post with KinderBike! This post is simply for the great deal!*

peace toys :: hugg-a-planet

This is one of the best toys I have ever seen -- and I promise you I wouldn't say that about just any toy. While I think toys are great fun and definitely a wonderful part of childhood, rarely do I come across one that I think will really have an important impact on my child's development. I am super pleased to introduce you to Peace Toys, a toy company offering amazing educational and organic toys. And I have fallen in love specifically with Hugg-A-Planet.

Hugg-A-Planet is essentially a globe pillow. While this sounds super simple, it's kind of brilliant. The moment I opened the package and pulled out the globe my son tackled it to the ground and began hugging it (to prove this please see my camera phone picture... this toy is suitably named). Hugg-A-Planet offers multiple forms and sizes of planets from Earth to Mars and even the moon! Each planet is accurately marked, allowing children to start learning and identifying geography from an early age. Colorful, soft, light weight...fun -- Hugg-A-Planet toys meet kid criteria and go above and beyond to deliver a great level of learning as well.

I love the idea that my son can get a sense of the world from a young age. We are a traveling family and being able to point out our destinations in respect to their placement in the world is pretty fun. While a typical globe is great for older kids, Hugg-A-Planet is a toy you can introduce from day one. This is a toy that can grow with your child.

And just to up the cool factor of this toy -- it's been to outer space. Yep, check the picture below for proof. What kid wouldn't want the toy that astronauts played with on a spaceship!

Peace Toys :: $22.95 :: Hugg-A-Planet Earth

*I was provided with Hugg-A-Planet Earth, Mars and the moon along with a Foundling Rabbit to conduct this review using personal experience. The opinions expressed are my own.*

little kids inc :: a multitude of products! {giveaway}

I am not sure about you, I had seen this logo, but didn't really know much about the company or what they even had to offer. Now I am quite familiar with Little Kids and we LOVE their products!

I became officially acquainted with them at Toy Fair this year. SO glad I did. I was able to see first hand all that they had to offer, and there is a ton! If you have kids, you know how much they love bubbles, so it's great to have a company with so many options!

Adalynn's personal favorite is the No-Spill Bubble Tumbler. (I actually purchased this on my own after seeing it at Toy Fair!) And I must say, I LOVE it too! NO MESS!! Can I get an amen?!?!? She can blow bubbles all day long and there is little mess to clean up on her, her hands or the floor. Totally rocks!

Since learning of this company, I admit that I have purchased these little Tumblers as well as the No-Spill Big Bubble Bucket. Another fantastic bubble toy, for lots of the same reasons already mentioned. But with this one, there can be more than just one child having fun. Up to 3 can have wands while others can run around popping the bubbles that have been blown!

The Blastos! Bubble Twister rocks! You can watch a video of this toy in action HERE. Bubbles, Bubbles and more Bubbles!! Enough said. And totally simple to use! And you can also get their Blastos! Premium Solution to add to the fun.

The last item I wanted to mention is one that is perfect for year round use, but especially perfect for summer. Little Kids Inc.'s Dora the Explorer Sno-Cone Maker!! This is a fun and interactive way to make a little treat with your little ones. While the crank is a little tricky, the kids still love doing it. And with the help of an adult, or older child for that matter - mine is only 5 so she wasn't able to completely do it on her own - it whips up in minutes! There are no batteries involved (AWESOME!) and you can flavor it with a juice that you already have at home too! We used orange juice :)

All in all, I am super fired up about this brand. The items are VERY reasonably priced and last through kids excessive play!

Blastos! Bubbles Premium Solution: $4.99
Blastos! Bubble Twister: $14.99 Find on Amazon or at a local store
No-Spill Bubble Bucket: $12.99
Dora the Explorer Sno-Cone Maker: $14.99

{ * GIVEAWAY NOW CLOSED - CHECK THE SIMPLE WINNER'S TAB ABOVE TO SEE WHO IT WAS! * }

A SIMPLE GIVEAWAY!

One SIMPLE reader will win a Big Bubble Bucket like the one shown above. Here is how to enter:

• Check out Little Kids Inc. and come back here telling me which product you think will be great for this summer! (Required)
• "Like" Little Kids Inc. on Facebook
  
• Facebook: (Daily : Leave a link to your post in our comments) :: Post a status on your facebook hyper linking SIMPLE and Little Kids and this giveaway
• Follow Little Kids Inc. on Twitter
  
• Tweet (Daily : Leave a link to your tweet in our comments) :: We have bubbles and you can too! Enter to #win from @little_kids_inc over at @simplereviews!! http://tiny.cc/6gxpm #contest #giveaway RT!
• Sign up for our daily emails
  
• Publicly follow SIMPLE via Google Friend Connect

Winner will be randomly chosen on June 10, 2011. Please reference Giveaway Rules at the top of the page before entering. Good luck!

*I was provided the items shown above to conduct this review using personal experience. The opinions expressed are my own.*

kinderbike :: a run bike you have to see! {giveaway}

If you have followed SIMPLE for any length of time now, you will know that my family and I LOVE to be outdoors. Anything outdoors. Anything! And biking is a top priority in this house. Our oldest was riding a two wheeler without training wheels by 3 years old - and my husband is hoping for the same with our little Adalynn.

I met KinderBike at Toy Fair this year and started a great relationship there. They are a great company with GREAT, quality products.

We were sent the Laufrad - it's awesome. It was totally simple to put together. Our little 2 year is all over it! She was very hesitant at first because this was the first "real" bike she has been on, but now when she gets on, her little feet just motor along and she has a blast! She is totally building her confidence and I know that by the end of this summer, she will be zooming fast like her big sister with her feet up in the air just gliding along.

"The top-rated run bike for the third consecutive year, the Laufrad is strong and durable, yet extremely lightweight. With a 6061 aluminum frame and alloy components, rear V-brake and industry-best limited lifetime warranty, it's no wonder the Laufrad was rated “The Best” by The New York Times in a recent review of top run bikes."

Laufrad :: $119

{ * GIVEAWAY NOW CLOSED - CHECK THE SIMPLE WINNER'S TAB ABOVE TO SEE WHO IT WAS! * }

A SIMPLE GIVEAWAY!

One SIMPLE reader will win their choice of any trainer in stock. The winner may choose from the Laufrad, Mini or E Series in colors red, blue and green. Whatever is available on the US website (which can be accessed HERE). Here is how to enter:

• Which bike looks like it will fit your child's style better, the Laufrad, Mini or E Series? (Required)
• Facebook (Daily : Leave a link to your post in our comments) Post a status on your facebook hyper linking SIMPLE and this giveaway!
  
• Tweet (Daily : Leave a link to your tweet in our comments) :: Do your kids like to ride? Enter the #giveaway on @simplereviews to #win a bike of choice: http://tiny.cc/glayh #contest Please RT!
  
• Sign up for daily emails from SIMPLE
  
• Publicly follow SIMPLE via Google Friend Connect

Winner will be randomly chosen on June 6, 2011. Please reference Giveaway Rules at the top of the page before entering.

*I was provided the Laufrad shown above to conduct this review using personal experience. The opinions expressed are my own.*