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Showing posts with label Toys. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Toys. Show all posts

Saturday, December 19, 2009

Growing Tree Toys ♥ Melissa and Doug Slice and Bake Cookie Set Review

Little girls love to copy mommy, don't they? Until I had my own little girl, I had no idea how it felt to be mimicked and echoed. It's a good feeling, isn't it? (Most of the time, lol)

I especially love to include my little one in the kitchen. She's too young to understand that she's not to touch the hot stove or oven, so I have to be extra careful, but she does have her own mini wooden kitchen and she likes to "cook" there while I'm cooking and baking.



I think one of the reasons that play food and play kitchens are so popular is because it's a child's way of copying mommy and practicing for the future. I like to encourage that, so I'm always on the lookout for quality educational toys for my little one. Kids don't need a ton of toys, but what they do get should be well-made, fun, and versatile.

That's one reason I like Growing Tree Toys. They have a super selection of quality learning toys for all age groups. You can search for toys by category, read helpful reviews, and find information on the developmental benefits for children for a specific toy. I really have a blast looking through their toys, though it gives me a bad case of the "I wants". ;-)

My Thoughts: Thanks to Growing Tree Toys, I received a Slice and Bake Cookie Set by Melissa and Doug. I have to tell you how much I LOVE Melissa and Doug toys. Everything I've purchased and reviewed that was made by them has quickly become a favorite, both of my daughter and myself. Their toys are well-made, versatile, and fun - the kinds of toys I don't plan on ever throwing out or giving away. They're "save them for the grandchildren" toys.

My Thoughts: Although the Slice and Bake Cookie set is under the "3 and 4 year old" category, my 18-month-old completely loved it. She is a very observant little girl and immediately knew that this was a toy that should never be ignored. Probably because mommy had "toys" just like it.

This play set contains 30 pieces including cookies that attach to each other (making a cookie dough roll) with velcro and can be put in the cookie tube (just like buying pre-made dough, lol), various decorative frostings that attach to the tops of the cookies, a knife and a spatula, a kitchen mitt (yay for teaching safety around hot things!), and a cookie sheet. The cookies also attach to the cookie sheet. There's really so much to do, for younger and older kids. Emma's favorite part of it right now is sticking the Velcro pieces together and then slicing them with the "knife". Everything is very well-made, as usual, and is bright and attractive. Even I love this set!

Video review:



Conclusion: Love love LOVE! No cons.

Find Growing Tree Toys online:

Sign up for Email Updates (They draw a $100 prize every month from subscribers! Lower left corner of site.)
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I received a Slice and Bake Cookie Set courtesy of the Growing Tree Toys Blog Sponsorship Program in exchange for an honest review. This review is 100% my own content, my own true experiences with the product, and my own opinion. :-)


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Wednesday, December 2, 2009

{Holiday Gift Giveaway #25} Gummy Lump (Rock and Trot Rocking Horse)


One of my favorite online toy stores, Gummy Lump, is back with a spectacular giveaway! Remember my review of the awesome Russian Building Blocks from Gummy Lump? I've had nothing but positive experiences with them and absolutely love their selection of toys. You can find puzzles, push/pull toys, doll houses, furniture, pretty much whatever your child is into, you can find there!

Other things I like about Gummy Lump:

  • Easy online shopping (filter by age, category, and brand)
  • Huge selection of high-quality toys
  • It's easy to find the clearance, specials, and toys under $10.00
  • They're very nice to work with and have great customer service
  • They carry all of my favorite brands like Melissa and Doug, Haba, and Radio Flyer
My Thoughts/Review:

Thanks to Gummy Lump, I was able to review the Melissa and Doug Rock and Trot Plush Rocking Horse.

Check out that expression on my little one's face! That kind of exuberance is the reward every parent wants to see when they give their children gifts. I am one happy mommy. :-)

When I was first checking around online for the best deal on a quality rocking horse I could find, I thought I wanted a wooden horse. I'm a huge fan of wooden toys and it seemed like a good idea at the time. But when we received this rocking horse, I knew that it was perfect. I love the plush softness of the horse, it's so much more realistic than a wooden one would have been - and much more comfortable for my toddler. She's also really into animals right now (she is a zhu-zhu pet addict) so the realistic look really appeals to her. The horse is well-proportioned and well-made, and has a really sweet face. I love the design.

Rock out!

I thought you might like to see Emma rocking - all by herself! She's 18 months and it's the perfect size for her.* I was really relieved to see that she could do it all on her own. She's also figured out how to rock across the room, which I thought was really funny. Watch this video:



*Note that this toy is recommended for ages 2 and up.

Sound Effects:


The Rock and Trot Rocking Horse is totally adorable and a great rocking horse, but that's not where the coolness ends - squeeze this horse's ear and you'll hear a clip-clop, clip-clop, clip-clop and a resounding neigh! It takes two AA batteries that are not included. The battery pack is safely tucked into the horse's abdomen (it requires a screwdriver to get to the batteries, so safe from tiny prying fingers) beneath a velcro closure. I appreciated that safety measure since Emma watched me curiously and wanted to know exactly what I was doing. Thankfully she can't get to the battery pack at all.

Conclusion:

I couldn't be happier with this toy and am so glad to be able to recommend such a great product to you all! There are no negatives to it that I can find at all!

Where to buy it - and discount code!

You can buy the Melissa and Doug Rock and Trot Rocking Horse from Gummy Lump for only $79.96 right now! It normally retails for $99.95, so this is a great deal - especially with free ground shipping! :-D Use the coupon code KS5Off to get free ground shipping and $5.00 off $100.00 or more!

Find Gummy Lump Online:

Become a fan on Facebook!
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Sign up for their Newsletter and never miss a deal!


Prize info: One very lucky commenter will win a Rock and Trot Rocking Horse! The duration is going to be only a week long so that the winner can receive their prize by Christmas! Giveaway open to US and Canada!

How To Enter (mandatory): Visit Gummy Lump and tell me what else you would like to own! Please leave your email address in your comment or make sure it's in your public profile so I can let you know if you win!

Extra Entries (Optional) (Please leave a separate comment for each extra entry)

Get 1 extra entry for each: Add my button to your sidebar ♥ Become a Facebook Fan ♥ Follow my blog ♥ Subscribe to my blog by feed reader ♥ Subscribe to my blog by email ♥ Follow me on Twitter (@kindred_spirit) ♥ Tweet this giveaway (daily tweets available!) ♥ Share this giveaway on Facebook

Win a Melissa and Doug Rock and Trot Rocking Horse from @gummylump and @kindred_spirit - Ends 12/10, open to US and Canada! http://bit.ly/7OLQzA

Extra Gummy Lump Entries (+1 each): Become a fan of Gummy Lump on Facebook ♥ Follow them on Twitter ♥ Follow their Blog ♥ Sign up for their Newsletter

Get 2 extra entries:
Add my Giveaway Extravaganza Button to your sidebar. (Find it in my right sidebar)

Get 3 extra entries: Blog about this giveaway with a link to me and a link to Gummy Lump.

Giveaway will be closed on December 10 at NOON Pacific and winner notified by email - good luck, everyone!

Disclaimer: The review product(s) were sent to me free of charge by the company or manufacturer in exchange for an honest review. This review is 100% my own content, my own true experiences with the product(s), and my own opinion. :-)

See full review, giveaway, and disclosure policy here.

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Tuesday, November 24, 2009

{Holiday Gift Giveaway #18} Knee High to a Shoofly Fabric Growth Charts




What goes through your head when you think about growth charts? I have nostalgic images in my mind of notches carved into doors or slabs of wood, happy little people bounding to the measuring place and checking to see how much they've grown in the last month, two weeks, or five minutes. The pride in their faces. There's something about being able to see the growth that makes it special.

I think we did that when I was a child, but we moved around so much that there was no point in making marks on the wall or door, and any slabs of wood would have been lost in the moves. There are other alternatives, though! Paper, which won't last long... and fabric. Fabric is the option I would have chosen, but I wasn't sure how it could be done, and frankly I hadn't seen a nice fabric chart that was worth taking with us anywhere. But now? I've found it. And just in time to start marking the growth progress of my 18-month-old daughter, Emma. I am so thrilled! I don't have to wait for the annual doctor visits to find out how tall my little one is, lol.

About Knee High to a Shoofly:

I discovered Knee High to a Shoofly while browsing Etsy (something you'll notice I do often if you follow my blog) looking for growth charts. I love the idea of buying handmade, and there are some very ingenious ideas and designs to be found. But the one that stood out as a bright, shining star was a place that sold growth charts in a variety of charming animal shapes and very attractive, colorful fabrics.

These will keep as a long lasting memory that you and your child can look back on and shake your head thinking of how the times have flown by. And you can tell your Little One stories of when you yourself were only “knee high to a shoofly…”



It's All in the Details:

"Each growth chart is an original design, handmade made by me. All the fabric pieces are hand cut, pinned in place to a layer of quilters batting, and then machine stitched. From here, I do all the cording with yarn made from recycled bottles! (Each cut end is treated to reduce fraying.) Then the eyes and measuring tape are glued and hand stitched on. The backing is sewn on in a coordinating fabric, and I stitch on small metal hangers that the hanging ribbon is tied on to. A two sided tape is placed around all the edges so that the piece can hang flat and secure to the wall when it is hung. The tape is a special tape made to be permanent to the fabric, yet removable from your walls without damaging the paint! Each piece is made with care and attention to detail and will be a sweet keepsake for years to come."



Each Growth Chart Features:

  • High-quality designer fabric
  • Name personalization option
  • Attached ribbon hanger and two-sided tape that won't ruin your walls
  • Beautiful sewing work - it's essentially a quilted wall hanging
  • Children 24 inches to 5 feet can use the charts
  • Includes "height sticks" in your choice of color so you don't have to mark on the chart itself if you don't want to!
  • So easy to take with you anywhere you move - just fold or roll it up and tuck it somewhere safe until you can put it up again!
My Thoughts/Review:

I received a personalized Gloria the Giraffe growth chart to review from Knee High to a Shoofly.

Gloria the Giraffe

My Giraffe




Gloria the Giraffe
Gloria Giraffe eats her greens!
No matter what tree - she loves them all!
If you eat your greens you, too, will grow OH SO TALL!

Oh. My. Word. This is such a rave-worthy product! Before I received my growth chart and got a real look at the quality of the work and the details, I thought $75.00 - 100.00 for a growth chart was a bit much for me to spend. Now, I want to tell you that it is completely worth it. I don't think anyone who ordered a growth chart from Knee High to a Shoofly could possibly be disappointed or feel like they overpaid. Seriously, mine is SO beautiful and without a doubt will be a keepsake. If anything, the lovely piece I received far surpassed my expectations. I'm beyond happy. Also, all of my correspondence with Grace has been 100% positive - she is one of the sweetest people I've ever worked with! Definitely the kind of person you want to buy from because she obviously cares about the quality of her work and she cares about her customers just as much!

Emma and I give Knee High to a Shoofly two little thumbs up (hers) and two big thumbs up (mine)! We absolutely love the purpose and design of Grace's growth charts and are thrilled to have been able to work with her!

For more details and thoughts and to get a good look at the Knee High to a Shoofly Growth Chart I received, check out my video review:



DEAL ALERT!

Get ready for a SWEET holiday deal! Grace of Knee High to a Shoofly is generously offering 20% off any of the holiday growth charts if you order by December 18th! This is an exclusive extension of her current special just for you! :-) When you order, make sure you mention in the comment space area that you saw this special discount at "A Kindred Spirit's Thoughts" and would love to take advantage of the 20% off discount!



Prize info: One very very VERY lucky winner will receive a personalized Jerome the Giraffe Growth Chart, sent to their door in a gift box with a ribbon! Any little boy or girl would love this! This giveaway open to everyone in the world!

How To Enter (mandatory): Visit Knee High to a Shoofly and tell me which growth chart is your favorite! Please leave your email address in your comment or make sure it's in your public profile so I can let you know if you win!

Extra Entries (Optional) (Please leave a separate comment for each extra entry)

Get 1 extra entry for each: Add my button to your sidebar ♥ Become a Facebook Fan ♥ Follow my blog ♥ Subscribe to my blog by feed reader ♥ Subscribe to my blog by email ♥ Follow me on Twitter (@kindred_spirit) ♥ Tweet this giveaway ♥ Share this giveaway on Facebook

Bonus KneeHigh Entries (+1 each):

♥ Read and comment on my exclusive interview with Grace here!
♥ Follow Grace on Twitter!
♥ Fan her on Facebook (this extra entry will be available in the next couple of days, I'll post when she's approved and has an address for us)
♥ Buy a growth chart from Knee High to a Shoofly! (5 Extra Entries! If you win, you'll get up to $75 reimbursement! Make sure you comment here five times if you order.)
♥ Tell Grace in a comment on this post which growth chart design you would like to see next from this list:

Allie the Alligator
Dan the Toucan
Shabby Chic Skunkie (really cute)
Elinor the Elephant
Rob the Robot
Lenny the Lion
Penny the Blue Penguin
DJ the Donkey
Ollie the Ostrich
Aqua and Orange Fish
Piggie Sue

Get 2 extra entries: Add my Giveaway Extravaganza Button to your sidebar. (Find it in my right sidebar)

You can Copy/Paste this Sample Tweet:
Win a gorgeous quilted Jerome the Giraffe growth chart from @kneehigh2 and @kindred_spirit - http://bit.ly/7eDjRu #giveaway
Giveaway will be closed on December 15 at midnight and winner notified by email - good luck, everyone!

Disclaimer: The review product(s) were sent to me free of charge by the company or manufacturer in exchange for an honest review. This review is 100% my own content, my own true experiences with the product(s), and my own opinion. :-)

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If you have a moment, leave a comment -
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Thursday, November 19, 2009

Playskool Explore 'N Grow Busy Ball Popper Review

My 18-month-old daughter, Emma, loves balls. She always has! I think it has something to do with my basketball-playin' husband always kicking a ball around. She must be like him, you know. ;-) She even sits in her carseat in the back of our vehicle with a basketball in her lap, happy as a little lark. It was her first word, too. "Ball!" Yes, she's definitely a lover of the circular.

Playskool has a couple great lines of learning toys for babies and toddlers - Busy Basics and Explore 'N Grow. When I was offered the opportunity to review Playskool's Explore 'N Grow Busy Ball Popper, I was excited. I knew it would be the perfect toy for Emma. And I was right! Check out our thoughts...

Recommended Ages: 9 months and up.

Retail Price: $24.99

What it Does: "Get silly with poppin’, droppin’ colored balls! Pump the plunger and drop the balls onto the spiral track. When they reach the bottom, look out – the balls pop out the top! Giggles are guaranteed with 8 lively songs to help keep the fun rolling along. And later, when baby’s a bit older, there’s even more fun to be had by chasing after the bright, busy balls!"
Learning Opportunity: Encourages toddler interaction by popping balls out of the chute. A definite learning opportunity! Children will wonder how it works and enjoy placing the balls at the top of the chute and watching them roll down the tube. Too much fun and lots going on!

Video Review/Demo:




A Mom's Thoughts:


This toy is WAAAY too much fun! It's one of my favorites of Emma's toys because it's unpredictable and I love watching her expression as she plays with it. She was a little bit scared at first (it's fairly loud, a little quieter than a vacuum probably), but gradually became less afraid because it was just too fascinating to stay away from. She absolutely loves putting the balls down the chute and chasing after the balls when they pop out the top. There are five balls and every time you push the little happy head/button down, while the balls come popping out, a different tune plays. Sometimes the balls go back down the chute only to pop out the top again, and sometimes they pop out all over the place so that you have to go running for them. You'd think it would be annoying, but it's not at all! It would be totally boring if it was so perfect and predictable that the balls only went in circles. I think that this toy is well-designed and will hold interest well.

What I don't like:

This is a pretty loud toy. But it's so much fun, no one cares. :-)

Conclusion:

Emma and I give the Busy Ball Popper two little thumbs up and two big thumbs up! We love it and recommend it!

Buy it!

The Playskool Busy Ball Popper retails for $24.99 and is available at most stores like Target, Walmart, and Toys R Us.

Special Deal Alert!

You can get a $5.00 coupon off this toy and coupons off many others at the Playskool website!


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If you have a moment, leave a comment -
It'll make me jump up and down for joy! :-)

Playskool Busy Basics Step Start Walk 'N Ride Review

Are you like me, wanting to buy your child every cool new toy you come across? Especially when you know it's something that that helps them learn something new. You're excited about their first steps and immediately you know you must find them a push toy (or, like me, let them push boxes around the house - lol). Then they start eyeing another child's bike or toy car and you want them to have their own as well. Every new stage and learning experience is so much fun for you both!
Playskool has a couple great lines of toys - Busy Basics and Explore 'N Grow. Emma has had the opportunity to play with the Playskool Busy Basics Step Start Walk 'N Ride, thanks to the great folks at Playskool. Here are our thoughts on this toy...

PlaySkool Recommended Age: 9 - 36 months

Retail Price: $19.99

Purpose: Two extremely fun toys in one! It's a convertible push toy and a ride-on toy.

Learning Opportunity: Encourages toddlers to walk by offering them something fun to push, and teaches them necessary motor skills when riding. Also features many little attached toys that make noise and can be turned, twisted, rolled, and pushed (see video review for my personal demo).

Video Review/Demo:



Please ignore the very end of this video, lol

A Mom's Thoughts:

I like this toy - it's most attractive feature is the fact that it's convertible and two toys in one. I would recommend this especially for younger toddlers who are just learning to walk so they can easily enjoy it as a push toy, then later enjoy it as a ride-on toy. It's nice that it's lower to the ground than many ride-on toys I've come across - you won't have to worry so much about little ones toppling over on it. The add-on toys (things that make noise when you spin them, twist them, etc) are very cool, too. I thought they were great choices and a lot of fun for a baby.

Watch the video review above and see how much my 18-month-old loves this push toy!

What I don't like:

Okay, I have to mention this. Somehow I smashed my finger when I was converting it from push toy to ride-on toy and it hurt. My finger throbbed for a long time, and so I know it smashed pretty hard. I'm a klutz, but I would be very careful with little ones around when you're converting it (and watch those fingers!). Before you let your toddler play with it, make sure that it snaps into place so that it can't be moved by little fingers. It should be safe that way. Other than the finger-smashing incident, I have no other complaints and I do like this toy.

Conclusion:

Emma and I both think this toy is a lot of fun, and we especially love the fact that it's convertible. I would recommend it for babies and toddlers that are still unsteadily walking and need a little support, and can enjoy being pushed around while in the ride-on mode. I think they would get the most use out of it. So anywhere between 6 and 15 months, depending on the stage your child is in.

Buy it!

This toy retails for $19.99 and is available at most stores like Target, Walmart, and Toys R Us. I think that's a pretty sweet deal for such a versatile toy.

Special Deal Alert!

You can get a $5.00 coupon off at the Playskool website!


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If you have a moment, leave a comment -
It'll make me jump up and down for joy! :-)

Friday, November 13, 2009

{Holiday Gift Giveaway #13} Mini Kitchen from Magic Cabin!


Magic Cabin is one of my newly bookmarked favorite online toy stores. Navigating their site to find what you want is so easy and the toys they carry are the best of the best! It truly does feel like magic when you're browsing their toy selection, which includes everything from wooden toys, dolls, and push toys to craft kits and books!



Everything there just whispers "keepsake" to me. And I don't know about you, but those are the kinds of toys I like to have in my house and buy for my child. Something that won't be broken and thrown away by the time a month has passed.
I have been so excited about this post ever since Magic Cabin agreed to work with me on a Mini Kitchen review and giveaway! They sent me the mini kitchen pictured above, and we're giving one away to one of you! But first, my review:


Here's the Deal:


The Mini Kitchen from Magic Cabin is made of Baltic Birch and includes a sink, stove top, cupboard, oven with see-through door, and a backsplash with three wooden pegs. It also includes 23 wooden pieces of play cookware and foods, something that totally thrilled me! That means that two pieces of bakeware, a slice-able carrot, a slice-able loaf of bread (four pieces of bread), a slice of cheese, an egg, two plates, two knives, two forks, and a big spoon and spatula along with a rattling salt and pepper shaker set all come with the kitchen! And they are very good quality, too. I was impressed with the whole thing.

The mini kitchen measures 31 x 21.5 x 12.5 inches, not too big and not too small in my opinion. Any bigger and I would have felt it was too big for our apartment - personally I don't think children's toys should take up too much space so I was more than pleased with the size.

Our Take: Ever since we received the Mini Kitchen, it has been my daughter's favorite toy - and I don't see that changing. Going through my kitchen cupboards has been one of her favorite pasttimes up till now - I am so glad she has her own cupboard now! lol She runs straight to it every morning and after every nap. This is the girl whom I was complaining about because she seems to get bored of her toys so quickly and want to watch TV all the time! She hasn't brought me the remote control in awhile which makes me very happy. *sheepish*

Video: I want you to get a good idea of the scale (it's hard to tell in pictures sometimes) so here is a video review:



Putting it together: There are a LOT of pieces!

At first we were really overwhelmed/intimidated, but it ended up being fairly simple. Just screwing the skeleton of the kitchen together, then most everything slides into place after that.

Conclusion: I REALLY love this mini kitchen! At first I thought I wanted a plastic one but after seeing the clean-cut, more realistic wooden kitchen, I'm totally sold and happy I didn't get a plastic one. I highly highly highly recommend this mini kitchen set! For the price, it has so many great features and inclusions, and I don't think you could get better value for your money anywhere. Now I want to get more wooden play food. :-)

Buy the Mini Kitchen from Magic Cabin for only $99.00! That's a steal, folks!

Request a print catalog here!



One extreeeemely lucky winner will win a Mini Kitchen from Magic Cabin!
Open to US only.

How To Enter (mandatory): Look through the Magic Cabin Online Christmas Catalog and tell me in a comment what you like the most! Please leave your email address in your comment so I can let you know if you win!

Extra Entries (Optional) (Please leave a separate comment for each extra entry)
  • Sign up for emails from Magic Cabin! (+1 extra entry)
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  • Add my blog to your Technorati Favorites and/or stumble this post (+1 extra entry each)
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  • Blog about this giveaway (+3 extra entries)
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  • Follow me on Twitter http://www.twitter.com/kindred_spirit (+1 extra entry)
  • Tweet this giveaway and/or share on Facebook (+1 extra entry) You can Copy/Paste this:
    Did you know you can win a Mini Kitchen valued at $100 at http://kindredspiritreviews.blogspot.com ? Hurry and enter! @kindred_spirit
  • Grab this giveaway button and put it in your sidebar! (+2 extra entries!)

    A Kindred Spirit's Thoughts



  • Grab my 2009 Holiday Gift Giveaway Extravaganza button and put it in your sidebar! (+2 extra entries!)

    A Kindred Spirit's Thoughts


Giveaway will be closed on December 5 at midnight and winner notified by email - good luck, everyone!


Disclaimer: The review product(s) were sent to me free of charge by the company or manufacturer in exchange for an honest review. This review is 100% my own content and my own opinion, and I was not reimbursed in any way for this post.

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If you have a moment, leave a comment -
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Saturday, November 7, 2009

{Holiday Gift Giveaway #7} Learning Curve Daisy Greenway Interactive Camper


I've reviewed Learning Curve's baby/toddler products in the past and had a very positive experience, so I'm pleased to be featuring them again with another review and giveaway! Learning Curve has a wide array of exciting toys out right now, the most popular being the Super Why toys, Daisy Greenway, and Thomas and Friends Railway.

Thanks to Learning Curve, I was able to review both the Daisy Greenway Camper with a couple of Caring Corners sets included and the Touch and Learn Super Duper Computer!

Caring Corners Toys (Ages 3 and up):

The Daisy Greenway Interactive Camper is part of the Caring Corners toy set which includes an interactive talking doll house and various extremely cute, poseable doll family members. Caring Corners toys are said to encourage caring, sharing, and responsibility - encouraging recycling and caring for our planet, and care for each other. I found the toys to be cute and very detailed.



The Daisy Greenway Interactive Camper is perfect for this nice family to go on vacation in! There is room for everyone, even all the pets (the dog has his own pull-out bed in a little cabinet)! There are many features to this portable home on wheels including:
  • A pull-out cabin
  • Bunk beds
  • Movable slide
  • A bathroom (The toilet even has a lid that opens and closes! Teach children to close the toilet seat, haha!)
  • A kitchen
  • Pet feeding station
  • Flip-down grill
  • Removable captain's chairs (the drivers seats)
  • Bumper stickers and other stickers that children can decorate their camper with.
  • Press the camper steering wheel horn to hear fun songs and sounds.
You can view a great demo at the Learning Curve website to hear the sounds and see more details.

The doll sets I received were the following two:

I think these are some of the cutest doll sets I've ever come across, and for sure the most detailed. In the first set, a little girl takes care of wounded animals. It includes bandaged creatures along with a first aid kit and the girl. The second set includes the bunnies, baby, and a little swing. There are many other toys and parts that can all go in the doll house and the camper.

My Thoughts:

I think the whole Caring Corners line is adorable and a lot of fun. I'd say that children ages four and up will enjoy this more than the toddler stage. My daughter likes to push the camper around and loves to listen to the music and watch the camper headlights light up when she pushes the button on the steering wheel. I know that I would have loved this as a child and am sure that older children would enjoy it even more than my toddler. Oh, and the camper is a lot bigger than I expected, which is very cool. Take a look at Emma... it was so big she thought it was a ride-on toy! (I don't actually recommend using the camper for this, by the way.)


What I'm not sure I like: The fact that the tiny horn has to be pushed to make all the sounds. I don't like having to stick my hand in the window of the camper to push the button. Course I have big people hands... ;-) It is a cute feature, though. I do like that the eyes/headlights light up when you hit the horn.

Buy it!

Find a retailer selling Caring Corners toys near you by visiting the Learning Curve website. Buy the Interactive Camper value pack (including camper and three doll sets) online at the Learning Curve Shop for only $49.99 ($65 value) right now! This is the best deal I've found.

"Super Why" Touch and Learn Super Duper Computer:

Now this is the toy that really got my daughter's attention. We watch Super Why on PBS almost every morning and it's an excellent cartoon that teaches spelling, letter recognition, and reading comprehension. The same theme song plays on this computer and she learns the same thing. Also, she sees her daddy and mommy on the computer a LOT so having her own is an extra special treat. But hers is even better than the big computer - hers has a touch screen, is portable, and contains interactive stories! I'm really surprised at how fast she caught on to how this computer works. She knows to use the little pen attached to the computer to touch a character on the screen and go to the next level. She knows which button turns the computer on and off. She loves it!


What I love about it: The fact that it is a learning laptop, not just a pretend computer toy. It contains over 35 games. "The Touch & Learn Super Duper Computer helps teach alphabet skills, reading comprehension, word families, rhyming, letter sounds, spelling, phonics, problem-solving and fine and gross motor skills. It also features a grow-with-me curriculum which makes it appropriate for all skill levels!"

What I don't love about it: Actually, I have nothing to say that isn't positive! Except that the screen is a little hard to see in certain lights. It's best to have it face a good light source when your little one is using it.

How it works: I think a video demo would be the best way to tell you. See video below embedded in post:



In conclusion: I highly recommend it!

Buy it!

Enter your zip code under Where to Buy at the Learning Curve website to find a retailer near you. Alternatively, you can buy the Super Duper Computer direct from the Learning Curve Shop for only $34.99 right now!


Learning Curve wants to give away a Daisy Greenway Interactive Camper and a Caring Corners Doll Pack to one lucky winner!
Open to US only.

How To Enter (mandatory): Browse around Caring Corners and and tell me what else you like that is not in this review. Please leave your email address in your comment so I can let you know if you win!

Extra Entries (Optional) (Please leave a separate comment for each extra entry)
  • Join the Learning Curve email list (top left corner) (+1 extra entry)
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  • Blog about this giveaway (+3 extra entries)
  • Follow my blog on Facebook's Networked blogs here! (+1 extra entry)
  • Follow me on Twitter (@kindred_spirit) (+1 extra entry)
  • Tweet this giveaway and/or share on Facebook (+1 extra entry) Copy/Paste this:
    Toy #Giveaway Win a Daisy Greenway Interactive Camper + doll pack from Learning Curve! http://kindredspiritreviews.blogspot.com @kindred_spirit
  • Grab my 2009 Holiday Gift Giveaway Extravaganza button and put it in your sidebar! (+2 extra entries!)

    A Kindred Spirit's Thoughts

Giveaway will be closed on November 28 at midnight and winner notified by email - good luck, everyone!

Disclaimer: This product was provided free of charge to me by the company or manufacturer in exchange for an honest review. This review is 100% my own content and my own opinion, and I was not reimbursed in any other way for this post.

See complete rules and disclaimers regarding giveaways here.

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If you have a moment, leave a comment -
It'll make me jump up and down for joy! :-)

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