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…

We love the “new again” trend of packing school lunches in reusable containers–it is a little way even small children can push back against a society addicted to disposables. Plus, many of the containers like the ones at Kids Konserve are so eco-chic!

The Little Tikes Cozy Coupe is, hands down, the most popular toy at our play dates.

We’ve been able to teach the toddlers and preschoolers to line up, inspired by their desire for a turn at the Cozy Coupe…

Ride-ons are toy classics–right up there with blogs and dolls. As soon as man invented the wheel, mom and dad probably thought up the ride-on. We like ride-ons that spark the imagination and get kids moving–here are our picks for Award Winning Ride-Ons from our Hottest Holiday Toys.

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.

This is one of my favorite categories of toy. My mom recently brought out an old pull toy of mine and it is a classic that just keeps on giving. Push and pull toys delight babies, amuse toddlers, and occupy preschoolers. Some, like the sophisticated and clever mix-and-match Automoblox, are collectibles suited for older children, teens, and even adults.

The selections from our Hottest Holiday Toys Awards are engaging, interactive, and made from high-quality and often eco-friendly materials.

Kids love tracing. My daughter will set there filling page after page, tracing numbers and letters. In an attempt to save a few trees, I got her a dry-erase book for copying her letters and numbers. Which works pretty well until she forgets to clean it or the pen dries out or her baby brother gets ahold of the marker and tries to eat it.

Even better? The LeapFrog Scribble & Write…

We’re fans of the Plan Toys philosophy of making quality play things that are healthy for kids, contribute to our communities, and are good for the planet.

Plan Toys has a knack for creating fresh twists on classic toys that promote children’s physical, emotional, and intellectual development. We love their simply delightful, clever, and stylish takes on wooden push and pull toys, like the new Plan Toys Push-a-Long Duck.

Is your playroom cluttered with blocks, LEGO toys, cars, and trains? While you could spend your precious free time organizing, a better strategy is to inspire your children to clean up their own toys. Purchasing the right storage solutions makes the job easier.

One of my favorite products is the ZipBin, a combination toy and organizational product. ZipBins convert between play mats and storage bins in a zip (sorry…I couldn’t resist the pun)