Nicole Caccavo Kear is a college friend, a fabulous actress, and a stunning writer–plus she lives in Brooklyn and has launched a witty, honest, and insightful blog about motherhood, A Mom Amok. So, she is a natural fit for checking out New York City events for kids and parents. She visited the Hasbro Showroom and found some new twists on classic toys and games…

One of my favorite stores is donating 25% of all Valentine’s Day purchases to Haiti. Click here to visit Rosie Hippo and to donate 25% of your purchase to Haiti use coupon code: HELPHAITI.

RosieHippo.com is the place to shop for hip, eco-friendly toys. Many of their toys are on-sale right now, so you can get a great deal and make a donation to Haiti at the same time.

As a mom and an educational consultant, I believe in the power of play. A few carefully chosen toys can boost creativity and problem solving–here are a few of our top picks this year. With the best educational toys, your children will not even realize how much they are learning!

If your little ones are crazy for cars, make their holiday dreams come true with this line of exclusive cars from RosieHippo.com.

RosieHippo.com is a top source for organic toys, wooden toys and handcrafted quality toys. All of the toys have been carefully selected by owner Kim Bloom. Kim is a mom, and the line of exclusive cars and trucks came from her son Ethan’s requests.

Going to the toy store is a magical experience and a real treat for kids. Local toy stores often have impressive displays of stuffed animals, dolls and trains. My son’s favorite spot is the train table at our local store.

While he plays happily with Thomas the Tank Engine and friends, I have the opportunity to discover some high-quality toys unavailable at the big box stores. And I can count on the friendly store owner to provide expert advice on the best gifts for the kids on my holiday list (and free gift wrapping on my purchases).

Another helpful source of shopping advice is the American Specialty Toy Retailing Association (ASTRA) 2009 Best Toys for Kids Award Winners. Over 500 of America’s top independent and neighborhood toy retailers selected the Best Toys for Kids based on their experience and understanding of what kids like.

Children are naturally creative. A few well-chosen toys are great “props” for their imagination. The Creative Pretend Play Winners from our Hottest Holiday Toys Awards all support role playing, creative exploration, and discovery…

I love the puzzles and games from Melissa and Doug. They are my go to brand for affordable wooden toys. Their safety record is great–in fact, they teach other toy makers how to manufacture safely! I regularly give these beautiful, quality, educational toys for birthdays and holidays.

This week only, save 30% on all regularly priced Melissa & Doug products at Little Jet Set. To receive discount, coupon code M&D30 must be entered during checkout. (Offer Expires: April 14, 2009 (11:59 p.m. Eastern Time)

You can also find Melissa & Doug on Sale at Amazon.com right now.

Unique, funky, and oh-so-chic, Color Zoo from Allen Ave. is a perfect gift forany child or even a kid-at-heart, animal-loving adult.

Exuberantly vivid, retro prints will add flair to any child’s room and, if your kid insists on bring her friend along, you’ll have no problem spotting the brightly-colored plush animal hidden in the jungle gym.

We’ve reviewed the unique way eBeanstalk highlights toys chosen by experts and tested by moms from across the United States. With eBeanstalk you have a fully guided experience start to finish.
You can browse age-appropriate toys by three month intervals and you can also search based on developmental areas, such as dexterity, imagination, or social or emotional growth or skills, like learning the ABC’s.
eBeanstalk also provides an Instruction Card, with tips for how parent and child can enjoy the toy together and has unique gift series: four developmental and learning toys …