The boxes of spring toys and books have started to arrive in  full force.  At the end of a very long day, I opened the last big box and had a wonderful laugh. Inside was a HUGE piece of sushi. This stuffed piece of sushi is really an ottoman. It also came with a doll and a side of salmon roe.

I’ve been reviewing toys for a long time- I’m rarely surprised anymore–but I have to say a toy that includes a salmon roe accessory, got me.

You have to wonder what was the a-ha moment here for Atlanta-based stylist, Mimi Tin, founder of sushistyle.com.   A graphic designer clearly not afraid to push the envelope, Ms. Tin has created this collection that is  inspired by the Pop Art Movement.

While at first, I was just shocked really–I have to say that the ottomans are very well-made. The dolls will most likely appeal to the tween/teen market. And the addition of the roe is just so fun, it’s perfect.

Does anyone need a HUGE piece of sushi furniture…probably not, but they are extremely witty.  The dolls retail for $29.95, the ottomans (Cucumber Pouf with Salmon Roe) or the Cali Pouf retail for $79.95 each at sushistyle.com.

Sushistyle.com's Mimi Tin

I grew up playing Monopoly with my brothers. Truth be told my involvement in any given round was pretty brief.  They were both older, I would trade away all the good properties…and I would be out of the game in what always seemed like minutes. To make matters worse, they had a rule that the loser always had to put the game away–so when they were done, I was left to put the pieces away.  When I got older and could play with my friends, my math anxiety would usually kick in and I would never want to be the banker…but still there was some math to be done. I was a big fan of collection the railroads.  When I first met my husband, I tried playing Monopoly with him. I quickly discovered he learned Monopoly from the same school as my brothers!

So when I had my kids, I determined to create  a kinder and gentler Monopoly environment.  We would be thoughtful and supportive….ok, so that lasted for about ten minutes. I quickly found that my kids loved the wheeling and dealing that their father and uncles enjoyed.  The games were always loud…often ending in some tears (and a family meeting about feelings and good sportsmanship).  I always wonder if other people play Monopoly quietly–or if that’s just our family. We’re pretty noisy in general.

If I look back on my Monopoly experiences, it’s a wonder really why I feel fondly about the game – but I do.

So when they roll out new versions, I’m always game.  Unfortunately, I haven’t really loved many of the “improvements”.  The last few years have brought an electronic scorer–taking away the wonderful math experience of paying for properties. Whether you could always do the calculations in your head (like my friend Lisa)…or needed a little paper…this was part of the game.

This year we got Championship Edition Monopoly…it comes with a trophy –and a nameplate that can be changed as the names change.  Now I don’t know about you–but in any of the houses I grew up in, this is just asking for a dispute. Even if your kids can share the title, I also really don’t like the score pad where you tally up the value of your properties. I much prefer looking at what you have and adding it up…the score pad complicates the whole experience.

For 2010, Hasbro is rolling out two new versions. One is Monopoly Revolution Edition ($34.99, available for fall 2010) – You’ll see that the game board is now round and looks ever so Apple-like. The round electronic game unit keeps track of where you are on the board and promises to have song clips including “Celebration” by Kool & the Gang and “Drive My Car” by The Beatles.  Ok, this may be fun–but it’s not really Monopoly.  Keeping an open mind though. 

Then there’s Monopoly U-Build ($19.99, available for fall 2010)…here you’ll notice you are building your own board.  This version inspired by the original looked like it could be fun.  The big selling point to parents is that the size of the board that you build will determine the length of your game play – so if you only have 30 minutes to play, you can customize the board accordingly…that’s a fun concept.

I don’t know why this made me laugh–but some how I thought My Little Pony was silly enough (yes, yes, enjoyed by millions, but still there’s something about the never-ending pink rococo plastic fantasy settings that always gets me thinking about archeological digs centuries from now..and what they’ll think about such design and the civilization that played with them.)  Click here to watch our video.

My Little Pony has now become a merpony…no kidding. So now the merponies have there own new underwater castle. From the press release, you’ll see why this was the next obvious evolution for My Little Pony:

Located in the heart of the sea, this magical castle is an underwater dream come true for the MERMAID PONIES.  Each pony will love to explore this nautical treasure with lights and sounds .  Discover PINKIE PIE’S secret shell bedroom that really opens and closes or take a pony for a ride on the “magical” seashells that allow her to “swim” around the castle. The MERMAID ponies will love to “splish and splash” on the waterslide or hang ten on the “real” waves with the tubular surf boards.

The Castle will retail for $39.99 and be available next Fall.

I got boxes of Barbies today–celebrating Barbie’s occupations throughout the years–as well as her  new jobs (more on that later).  When I got to 1965’s Student Teacher Barbie I was struck how much she looked like Debbie Mazar (Entourage).

Seriously, take a closer look.

Barbie Basics

Simple, chic & elegant…just right for the new year.

We’re happy to report that Baby Alive doesn’t scare us as much this season. (If you’ll recall last year’s Baby Alive Learn to Potty won our Ugliest Doll Award).  This year Baby Alive is happy to just be bouncing and babbling. Watch our video.

Celebrating her 30th birthday this year, the little strawberry smelling doll is hoping to capture the attention of another generation.  The pr person taking us through the new line shared that she had a Strawberry Shortcake doll when she was little.  One of those generational markers when you realize that you’re a bunch older than most of the pr people in the room.  In fact, I was distracted thinking about how old all the pr people were when we started the toyportfolio!

In any case, Hasbro is hoping that if you played with Strawberry Shortcake as a child, you’ll want to bring it home to your own kids.

It was only a prototype (and a buggy prototype at that)…but if it works the way it did during our demo, this promises to be one of the best games for 2010.  Takes the play of Scrabble, Boggle…and marries it with fun technology. Take a look at our video.

V Tech's Kidizoom Digital Camera Plus

Here are our some of favorites of the season– click on the name of the product to read our complete review at www.toyportfolio.com

For younger children:

LeapFrog Counting Candles (LeapFrog)

Two great cameras for 3s and up to enjoy:

Kidizoom Digital Camera Plus (V-Tech)

Disney Pix Jr Digital Camera (Disney)

If you have a child totally into cars, you need to look at:

Doodle-Track Cars (Day Dream Toys)

For kids  8 & up:

MindFlex Game (Mattel)

Nanos (Hexbug)

Eye Clops Night Vision Binoculars (Jakks Pacific)

For really advanced builders:

Mindstorm (Lego)

We look at toys all year long…we’re always writing about  new trends and new ways of sorting the toys (gender-free, green, multi-cultural, price, high-tech, etc. ). When we first started  toyportfolio.com  we had a Top Ten Worst Toy List — a list that probably didn’t make us too many friends in  toyland…but was a favorite with feature reporters. Our worst list came to mind when we received word of the  new PETA list – naming Naughty and Nice Toys for 2009– yet another perspective on toyland.  Take a look at their list.

I wonder whether the organization is in favor of all the fake animals…zhu zhu hamsters, furreal pets, etc?

Read Joanne’s article on buying dollhouses–front page of our site today….www.toyportfolio.com.

Alternatives to Zhu Zhu Hamsters

Zhu Zhu Hamsters are getting all the media coverage (yes, I participated in some of it), but they are certainly not the only really special novelty toys of the season.  Here’s a list of other toys that may just do the trick!

Other cute animals that have a little extra something.

Yakety Yaks (Mary Meyer)  Each of these animals make a noise.  There is a pig, a monkey, an owl, a lamb, a bear and dogs.  They don’t run around like Zhu Zhus but they are pretty cute on their own. Read our review.

Kota & Pals Stompers (Hasbro) –   These little dinos are seriously fun–they not only roar they walk.  Read our Review. Watch our video.

FurReal Friends Newborn Puppy (Hasbro)- This a very sweet little puppy that wags his tail and makes little barking sounds. This is one of many in this line–there are dogs, cats, a panda, a bear.  We like the dogs the best. (In interest of full disclosure -we’re not big cat people.) We also have not received safety verification forms on these little guys–so there is no official review on our site.

Two other really cool novelty toys that should not be missed:

Hexbug Nanos (Innovation First) -Each of these small robotic bugs come in a test-tube like container.  We see that the price has come down since we first reviewed them–they are now $7.99.  Turn them on and they really are like little bugs!  They come in lots of colors and are fun to pull out of a pocket or bagpack.  Read our full review.
Watch our videos:

Zhu Zhu Hamster play with Hexbug NANOS

Mr. Robot Dances with Hexbug NANOS

Doodle Car (Day Dream Toys)- We love these super cool cars that follow lines you draw with a washable marker.  Pretty cool. Company also has seasonal downloads of roadways you can print and use with their cars. Read our full review.  Watch our video.

The consumer group Good Guide has raised issues about the safety of the Zhu Zhu Hamsters.   To read more about our take on them, read our article Zhu Zhu Hamster Pets: What You Need to Know about the Hot Little Critters.   We have not received a signed  safety verification form from Cepia LLC for the Zhu Zhu Hamsters.  (Hence we can not consider them for an award from our Unlike Good Guide we do not do independent testing–we do require companies to sign a safety verification form. However we do not look at the wide range of chemicals/minerals/toxins that Good Guide indicates it looks at on their site.

Hilary Stout’s article in The New York Times,  With New Toys, More Assembly Required , correctly points out what we’ve been observing and writing about for years.  You need to be ready to roll up your sleeves, arm yourself with a screwdriver, sometimes a power drill — all to put a toy together.  If you’re not particularly handy, we  recommend that you enlist the assistance of the  store or a relative that doesn’t break out in a cold sweat when confronted with complicated assembly instructions.  And whatever you do, don’t start at midnight on Christmas Eve–it’s almost a surefire recipe for tears and spousal strife.

That said…the article then goes on to talk about LEGO sets with too many pieces.  Here, we have to disagree.  The beauty of LEGO sets is that there are sets for all builders…beginners to the most advanced.  Most hard core LEGO fans will tell you that the company has made it too easy for builders with the new bagging technique.  Rather than open the box and find several hundred pieces — the company now pre-sorts the builds.  For LEGO builders of the past– this new approach has been labeled strictly for whimps!  You can hear many a parent say “in my day, we had to go through each and every piece” after we walked five long miles from school.

One of the big messages we try to get out each year is to start at the beginning.  If you are doing all of the building and your child is just watching you–you’ve brought home the wrong set.  The idea of these sets and why they appeal to kids — is that they build a child’s sense of what they can accomplish.  Learning how to read and follow step-by-step instructions is huge.  Having the patience to stick with a project – that not everything is instantaneous – is an important life lesson.

It is no surprise to us that LEGO has continued to do well in these tough times and has maintained a strong presence in an otherwise  shrinking and battered  toy industry.  They have maintained their core mission by giving kids fun kits to build, they’ve improved their directions and they have stayed current by bring in themes and licenses that are attractive to their target audience. The most sought after LEGO kits from our testers are in fact the smaller sets where kids can build a car or Star Wars vehicle and then play with it.  It is that sense of accomplishment that makes them ask for more. The focus is on building self-esteem and confidence and having fun–not how many pieces you can handle.

We also know that building develops the following skills: visual discrimination,  fine-motor, spatial relations, math, reading, ability to follow directions in sequence and problem solving skills.   We want both our sons and daughters to be competitive in math and engineering – it begins with these hands-on experiences. So start small.  It’s like my grandmother always used to say, don’t worry about the size, buy what fits.

For  reviews of our top-rated construction toys–visit www.toyportfolio.com.

There’s so much written about Barbie’s body…and the impact it has on girls. I thought it would be useful to compare her body (from the Barbie and the Three Musketeers theme) to that of the new Liv dolls (Spinmaster) and the Moxie Girlz (MGA Entertainment).

First we took a look at their feet.

From left to right: Moxie, Liv and Barbie

As you can see Moxie has pretty big flat feet.  Good for standing on but pretty clumsy looking. Liv also has flat feet and can actually stand in her sneakers (our testers loved this aspect).  Liv also has articulated toes–a very nice touch.  Barbie has….Barbie feet–she can’t stand in her bare feet–but then again she gets to wear purple boots.  I acknowledge my obsession with these particular boots.

Dolls sans Clothing

If you’ve every played with these fashion dolls and little kids, you know they usually end up without their clothes.  In part, kids are curious about what’s underneath –and because preschoolers now play with these dolls–they don’t have the fine-motor skills to put the clothes back on.  In fact, the dolls often end up without heads. I didn’t feel the need to do that here, but it happens.

From left to right: Barbie, Moxie Girlz, Liv

Size: You’ll note that Moxie (in the middle) is far smaller than either Barbie or Liv.

Age: Moxie Girlz clearly looks more like a middle schooler -rather than an older teen.  She is, as they named her much more girl like.

Limberness: Liv is the most limber– she has arms and legs that are jointed at the elbows and the knees.  Her head, hands, hips and feet also move. Barbie has one arm permanently at an angle. Only her arms, legs and head move (but not at the knees or elbows).  Barbie’s feet are in a frozen in a “yes, you may try the glass slipper pose”). Moxie Girlz– has both arms in a permanent straight position–they only move from her arm pits. Her legs from the hip — and you can move her head and big feet.

From Behind

From left to right: Moxie Girlz, Barbie, Liv

Realistic…not really unless you model for J.Crew. Our testers liked the underwear on the Moxie Girlz. Looking at this now–Barbie looks a little hippy…amazing.

Liv’s Head

Just so there are no surprise, Liv’s hair piece comes off and you’re left with a doll that has sculpted short hair.  We were a little taken aback by it, but our testers loved putting the hair on and off–she has a hole at the crown of her head.

Spinmaster's Liv Doll

In seasons past, ELMO is the toy we get all the calls for -someone in desperate need for the latest version of the original Tickle Me Elmo Doll.  We have particular fondness for the original – Joanne brought Elmo on the TODAY Show – Bryant Gumbel loved it–and played with it for the entire show.

This season, ELMO is being completely ignored.  A smaller, perhaps cuter critter has grabbed the imagination of children and media outlets everywhere -even though ELMO  tells jokes this year as well as any Borscht Belt comedian. Oh and yes,  he’s  still throwing kisses…it could break your heart.  Watch our video.

Disney's Princess Tiana

Last week I talked about this doll as one of the top five hottest toys in toyland on the TODAY Show.  But because I only had two minutes to discuss five toys, I didn’t have time to demonstrate why this particular Princess Doll is so much fun.  Watch our toyportfolio.com video and you’ll see the interactive/light up features of this talking doll.

Right after my segment, I got an email from Disney–reminding me that there were less expensive Princess Tiana dolls…so true.  You can get your Princess fix for under $16.  The Just One Kiss doll retails for $24.99–and I already see lots of price gauging. There are plainer Princess Dolls–but we have not personally seen or tested them–I do see some complaints on line about the quality of the least expensive version–but we can’t confirm. We’re thrilled that Disney is featuring the first African-American Princess.  If you’d also like a book, we’d recommend Princess and the Royal Ball by Natasha A. Tarpley/illustrated by James Finch)–a full review is on our site.

I got to catch a lot of tv this holiday weekend–and started to see the waves of toy tv commercials. Some reminded me of toys that did not win awards from us…and that we needed to post more reviews!!

When we first saw TRIO at toy fair we were all excited.  We love open-ended building sets and really get psyched when a large toy company gets behind a new system–making the access to it more affordable.  Unfortunately TRIO did not fare well with our testers.  The product is marked for kids 3 and up – so we enlisted one of our hard core DUPLO builders–thinking this would be the most likely audience.  He had the same trouble we did manipulating the pieces. Unlike DUPLO, it’s hard to pull the pieces apart.  We then tried them with a four year old builder–and had the same reaction.  We hope the folks at Fisher-Price work on the “pull” factor.  The pieces are pleasing–but too frustrating for the intended audience. Our recommendation is to stick with a basic DUPLO bucket at this age.

What are the hottest toys of the season?  Tune in tomorrow …. I’ll announce them on the TODAY Show  in the 8 o’clock hour.

Zhu Zhu Hamster Pets from Cepia

The Zhu Zhu Hamsters have scurried their way into first position as the “hot-completely sold out” toy of the season.  Today’s article by Stephanie Rosenbloom  in The New York Times will certainly help fan the craze.  It’s been quite a while since we’ve had a hot toy.  The toy industry has been battered the last few years by serious issues about toy safety and a shrinking audience as kids leave toyland earlier and earlier.  And even though the little creatures are not from one of the major toy companies (they are produced by Cepia LLC), everyone in the toy biz should  be pretty happy.  These little guys can drive parents into the toy stores–and if you can’t find a Zhu Zhu–you’re bound to buy some other toys. The media is also  happy to have a light story to report on – rather than announcing rolling toy recalls.

We did not receive our required safety verification from the manufacturer Cepia on these little critters so we can not give them an official Oppenheim Toy Portfolio award –but given all the hype we thought we should give them an unofficial review.

This is what you need to know:

they are pretty cute

they make a variety of sounds (including mooing like a cow and crowing like a rooster)

they don’t cost a fortune (retail ranges from $7.99 to $9.99)

they are easy to activate -by touching them on top

they have wheels that go back and forth (which can hurt if you put your finger right next to them)

watch out for long hair getting caught in the wheels

they do not require feeding

unlike many virtual creatures of late, they won’t die if you don’t take care of them

there is no cage to clean

unlike the real thing, they also won’t eat their young!

Two toyportfolio.com videos of the Zhu Zhu Creatures

Zhu Zhu Hamster Pets Gives Our Mr. Robot a Ride

Zhu Zhu Hamsters and our mascot, Mr. Robot

Zhu Zhu Hamster Pets: The aerial view

Be sure to tune in on Monday morning– I’ll be showing the FIVE hottest toys in toyland!  To see all of our reviews and ratings of this year’s top toys, visit www.toyportfolio.com.

Green toys used to mean a recycling truck here or there…or a paper maker, but now there are many toys that are either manufactured with a green mandate or promote a positive green message to kids.  The biggest trend are dolls made from organic materials–not all created equal in our book.  Green shouldn’t have to mean scratchy or boring in design or color.  Happily we received many that found the right blend of green and whimsy!  The other big category — trucks…many made of recycled materials – were a real draw to our testers.  Then there are the throw back toys–my personal favorite, the wind-up FM Radio.

Here’s the list of our Top Green Toys for 2009. Complete reviews on our our site, www.toyportfolio.com. Click on the toy name to read our rating/review.

Trucks

Eco Trucks (Sprig Toys)

Dump Truck (Green Toys)

Playmobil Recycling Truck (Playmobil)

PushAlong Hybrid Car (ImagiPLAY)

Building Toys

Plan Toys Build ‘n Spin (Plan Toys)

Citiblocs (Citiblocs)

Dolls and Dollhouse

blabla Dolls (blablakids)

Organic Joobles (Fair Indigo)

Earth Mates (Mary Meyer)

Plan Toys Green Dollhouse (Plan Toys)

Other Green Toys of Interest

Crayola Crayon  Maker (Crayola)

Elia Mini Chair (eliafun.com)

Ecotronics Radio (International Playthings)

Ecotronics Mr. Robot Head (International Playthings)

Love this activity table just right for toddlers!  Read our full review.

Finding toys for toddlers can be super challenging! They’ve outgrown their baby toys–but not quite ready yet for more complex toys geared to preschoolers.  The toys need to match their new found mobility and desire to do things again and again!

Here are just five of my favorites:

Little People Load ‘n Go Wagon (Fisher-Price)

Step 2 Basic Rhythms Piano (Step 2)

Playskool Clipo Creativity Table (Playskool)

Schylling Color Roller (Schylling)

Rollipop Toddler Starter and Advanced Sets (Edushape)

The full reviews are on our site, www.toyportfolio.com.

Here are six  great games to think about for the holidays. The complete reviews of these award winners are on our site, www.toyportfolio.com

Active Fun Games

Dr. Seuss Super Stretchy ABC Game (I Can Do That Games)

Boochie (Gamewright)

Pure silly fun

Feeding Frenzy (International Playthings)

Ring-0 Flamingo (Gamewright)

Concepts and Strategy Games

eeBoo Color Dominoes (eeBoo)

Double Shutter (Blue Orange)