Next up on our 12 Days of Giveaways is another Hottest Holiday Toys Award-Winner. I fell in love with Harumika when I received it for review in July.

And when I say “fell in love with” I mean that I actually play “Project Runway” with it at night when my daughter is sleeping…

Whether your child is eagerly or anxiously anticipating the first day of school, doll play is a perfect way to work through these emotions.
My daughter adores her collection of dolls, caring for each as if it were a real baby. Now that she is a preschooler, Corolle sent her Annabelle (re-Christened “Calliope” by my daughter), the latest addition to the Miss Corolle collection. Miss Corolle dolls are perfect pals for preschoolers, kindergartners, and school aged children.
Like many preschoolers, my daughter is learning self-care and hygiene. She already …

I’m not sure who loves the new Harumika Fashion Design mannequin more, me or my daughter. Anyone who has an interest in fashion would have fun with this toy. Harumika sets make a great present for a kid or a fun desktop creativity toy for an adult harboring a secret dream to become a fashion designer.

Toddlers seem to just love to play in the water. In the bath, at the sink, or running through the sprinkler, getting wet is tons of fun.

Like many little girls, my daughter has also grown very attached to her dolls. She loves the cloth ones and does not want to put them away while she plays in the water.

So, the Tidoo Lutin Bright Doll Corolle sent us has become a favorite around here anytime we’re splashing around.

When I was expecting my infant son, we introduced a baby doll to prepare my older child for her new sibling. Since then, she’s been inseparable from her baby dolls. And, like many of her celebrity counterparts, including Suri Cruise and Violet Affleck, her favorite baby dolls are made by Corolle…

Children are natural ecologists. They love to play outside and appreciate the joys of discovering rocks, plants, and animals along the way.

What they need a little help with is conservation–learning to reduce, reuse, and recycle. Shutting off the lights, taking shorter showers, and opening a window instead of turning on the air conditioning are all ways that even the littlest person can make a difference.

The Plan Toys Green Dollhouse aims to introduce children to sustainable living through a concept dollhouse. Every aspect of the Green Dollhouse helps children learn how people can co-exist with their environment in a more eco-friendly way…

Finally–a fashion doll parents and children can both love!
Groovy Girls ($10-20) are stylish, ethnically diverse, affordable, and they promote positive values and actually look and dress (most of the time…there are a couple of the girls wearing heels) like real pre-teens should.
The Groovy Girls achieve their hip look with funky patterns and bright layers on their appropriate, but fun, clothing and vivid highlights in their hair.
My daughter loves Lycia, whose curly brown hair, blue eyes, and feminine, yet funky sense of style mirrors her own, and Liola the cat, who …

Any parent with a preschooler knows that teaching the little niceties of social interaction can be a challenge.  Children want to be sweet, they just do not always know how and remembering manners in the middle of playtime can be tough.
Caring Corners has introduced Mrs. Goodbee, an interactive talking doll house, as a fun, interactive teaching tool that emphasizes good behavior in a positive, age-appropriate way.
First, and most importantly, my two year old daughter adores this toy.  We put the doll house in her room and it is the only …

For Christmas 1983, the only thing I wanted from “Santa” was a Cabbage Patch Kid. Just about every kid in America wanted one too, so they were nearly impossible to find in that pre-eBay era.
I remember watching the mob scenes on TV: hordes of parents rushing toy stores, Cabbage Patch Kids being transported in armored cars, a mailman flying to England to buy one for his daughter.  
As my parents went from toy store to toy store searching for an authentic Cabbage Patch Kid, my grandmother took decisive action. After asking lots of friends and even …