Surprise Your Little One with the Little Tikes Big Adventures Action Fliers Play Set

little tikes big adventures action fliersIt’s almost Christmas and if you have a toddler or preschooler on your shopping list, Little Tikes has a gift that’s full of high-flying fun! The Big Adventures High Fliers track is an interactive play set that’s quickly become one of the hottest toys of the holiday season. I was thrilled when I got the chance to check it out for myself.

What I immediately loved about the Big Adventures Action Fliers set was that it included both street vehicles and air transportation. Benjamin has had a fascination with toy airplanes over the last little while and I knew he would absolutely love this unique set that combined trucks, airplanes and even a helicopter for tons of transportation fun. [Read more...]

The Little Tikes Action Flashlight Animal Makes Homework More Fun-Giveaway

Kids heading back to school means all kinds of changes to household routines. And one of the biggest changes is the addition of homework to a child’s day. It’s something that some kids love and others loathe, but this year, Little Tikes has a great new product to make homework more fun for kids of all ages!

little tikes logoThe Little Tikes Action Flashlight Animal comes in three fun animal designs and is perfect for lighting up a homework desk. We received the Frog flashlight to review and both of my boys were so excited when I pulled it out of the box.

The Action Flashlight Animal features a fun character head, bendable limbs and a flashlight in the belly of the animal. Turning on the light is as simple as pressing the frog’s tummy! Turn it off and on once more and the light flashes. The boys were delighted by the frog and I had to use a timer so that they would share it without too much fighting! [Read more...]

Enjoy Hours of Indoor Fun with Little Tikes TikeStix-Giveaway

Spring is officially here, but cold weather has still been keeping us indoors more often than I would like and at this point, my boys are getting absolutely stir-crazy! Fortunately, Little Tikes has some great new toys that are perfect for kids that have energy to burn and recently we received the fabulous new TikeStix Fort Building Set to test out.

Little Tikes TikeStix ClubhouseTikeStix are the newest building craze for younger children and they are a blast! When we first opened the box, my husband and I decided to put together the cute clubhouse for the boys to see how they liked it. There were five different pieces for kids to use to create unique structures plus a lightweight plastic tarp and eight tarp clips for the clubhouse roof. I have to admit, I had a lot of fun putting the pieces together to make the boys their very own clubhouse! They put a blanket on the floor and added a few pillows to make it comfortable, and then hopped inside for the rest of the evening. Zackary even wanted to sleep in it!

For the next few days, the boys had a great time playing with their fort, but then the roof structure detached a bit and when I tried to push it back together, the whole clubhouse fell down. Fortunately, we didn’t worry too much about that since it provided the perfect opportunity to build something new with the TikeStix! The included instructions had diagrams to build four different creations so I tried my hand at creating a set of TikeStix airplanes. They looked fabulous and once I made it clear that they were NOT for riding, the boys had fun pushing them along the floor, sailing them through the air and generally carrying on!

little tikes TikeStix airplanesBut as much fun as the creations I made were, my favourite time with the TikeStix was when the boys started creating their own designs. Zackary built on my theme of flying vehicles and created an assortment of different planes and even a helicopter! Benjamin, on the other hand, decided he needed a lightsaber and attached three TikeStix pieces to make one. Watching them get creative and use their imaginations to make their own amazing toys was so satisfying!

TikeStix really added some adventure to the last few days of cold weather and I loved the fact that they could be used as a fort, as toys or a building set. The Little Tikes TikeStix come in four different building sets for hours and hours of building entertainment. Grab one of these clever kits for your kids and see how much fun indoor play can be!

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Holiday Gift Guide-Kachooz! Pencil Toppers-Giveaway

Holiday Gift for School-Aged Kids

If you’re looking for a stocking stuffer that’s fun, quirky and sure to entertain, look no further than Kachooz! These crazy little critters are the hottest new pencil-topping craze among school-aged children and are sure to be a hit this holiday season.

kachooz in package

So what are Kachooz? They’re fun friends in a rainbow of colours and with a quick spin of your pencil, they’ll show off a variety of funky hairdos. Just pop your favourite Kachooz character on the top of your writing utensil, spin it between your hands and the wacky fuzzy hair on your new friend will style itself as you spin!

Kachooz! are fun for both boys and girls, though girls especially are sure to love the adorable pencil toppers with their fun hair. Zackary had plenty of fun with the Kachooz! too, though, and really enjoyed the way he could change the look of his pencil topper with a quick spin! He spent quite a bit of time rolling his pencil in between his hands to see what kind of hair his Kachooz! pencil topper would end up with. And I must confess, I had fun spinning a Kachooz! around as well. Watching the topper’s fuzzy hair spin around was strangely addictive and so entertaining!

kachooz with styled hair

Kachooz! can be purchased at toy stores and other retailers across North America and are sure to be a hit as soon as they’re pulled out of a stocking. With 36 characters to choose from (each sporting its own stylish ‘do) they’re the fun and wacky collectible the whole family will have a blast playing with. Check them out for yourself today and enjoy some hair-raising fun with nothing more than a pencil and Kachooz!

ARV: $9-$16

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Holiday Gift Guide-Little Tikes Tikes Tough Workshop

Holiday Gift for Children

If you have an aspiring builder in the house, you may already be considering play tools or a workbench as a Christmas gift. And for creative building play at its best, you can’t go wrong with a Little Tikes play set! The Tikes Tough Workshop is sure to be a hit with any construction-loving little one this holiday season and with thirteen accessories and so many different ways to play, your children will be at their most creative on Christmas morning!

little tikes tikes tough workshop

The Tikes Tough Workshop is a fairly small workbench, which makes it a great choice for houses or apartments with limited play space. The size makes it perfect for toddlers and because the bench is designed with different construction aids in different areas, it also encourages cooperative play and interaction since one child can “cut” wood at the table saw while another hammers in some “nails!”

Benjamin has always had as fascination with tools and at two years old, this workbench was absolutely perfect for him! His favourite feature was the hammer and nails; he absolutely loved being able to pound the pegs into the workbench. But he also enjoyed using the wrench and screwdriver to “fix” things and he was fascinated by the concept of sawing the board on the table saw. The included board is cleverly magnetized so that it holds together like a real piece of wood until a child pushes it through the table saw to “cut” it in half!

little tikes tikes tough workshop close-up

As a parent, my personal favourite feature was the storage area underneath the bench itself. With plenty of room for Benjamin’s extra tools and doors to keep everything safely contained, his work area was always so easy to clean up when playtime was over. I also appreciated that the tools were a realistic metallic colour. I’ve noticed kids tend to prefer play objects that look as much like the real thing as possible and Benjamin is no exception. He loves pulling out his tools whenever his dad is fixing something so that he can help!

The Tikes Tough Workshop from Little Tikes is available at toy stores and mass merchandise stores across North America and can also be purchased online at www.littletikes.com. And because it’s a Little Tikes product, you know you’re getting the quality and durability that has made the brand so essential for families. Check it out for yourself and surprise your child with some fun constructive playtime on Christmas morning!

ARV: $39.99

Disclaimer: The product/s mentioned above were provided free of charge from the company or PR firm in exchange for being featured on Mommy Kat and Kids. Opinions expressed belong to Mommy Kat and Kids and are NOT influenced in any way. Please view full Terms of Use and Policies

Little Tikes Cozy Truck and Bratz Rock Dolls-Review and Giveaway

Even though most parents are starting to prepare for the back-to-school season, there is actually still a full month of summer vacation left for most kids and it’s about halfway through summer when boredom can really weigh heavily on kids of all ages.

little tikes cozy truckOne of the best ways to help alleviate that boredom is with a fun outdoor toy and recently I got the chance to review a fabulous new ride-in toy from Little Tikes. We are big fans of Little Tikes in our household; currently we have a beginner slide, an infant swing, a tool bench and a Cozy Coupe car that are all Little Tikes products. So when I got the chance to review the new Cozy Truck ride-in toy, I was ecstatic.

As with every product of this nature, my husband handled the assembly of the Cozy Truck. His ability to assemble a random assortment of pieces into a working vehicle is absolutely incredible to me, but I did notice that he often referred to the clear illustrated instructions that came with the vehicle. It took about an hour for him to fully assemble the Cozy Truck and when he was done I couldn’t wait to see how Benjamin liked it.

One of the great things about the Cozy Truck is its removable floorboard. This plastic piece can be clipped into place in the bottom of the truck so that a parent can push around younger children and tender tootsies stay protected. Or, when kids get older, the floorboard can be removed so that kids can push the truck forward in the classic fashion.

We started out with the floorboard in the truck, but Benjamin soon decided that he wanted to push the truck along himself. My husband snapped the floorboard out and Benjamin was free to move the truck on his own.

benjamin enjoying his little tikes cozy truck

Benjamin is at that stage where he can only push vehicles backwards. He hasn’t yet quite figured out that if he reverses the movement of his feet, he can move forward as well, so instead he just scoots his feet on the ground and drives backwards until he runs into something. His favourite feature of the truck was probably its horn. Instead of the typical squeaking toy horn, the Cozy Truck has a deep and realistic battery-powered semi truck horn sound. Every kid that heard the horn was entranced with it and couldn’t help but push the horn again and again.

This truck is the perfect way to keep toddlers and preschoolers active and engaged during long summer days, but of course, older kids need entertainment too. And if you have a school-aged girl, chances are good that she can get hours of enjoyment from Bratz dolls. The new Bratz Rock dolls are sure to please almost any girl and MGA Entertainment has offered one lucky Mommy Kat and Kids reader the entire set of four Bratz Rock dolls!

bratz rock dollsWhen summer ennui hits, it’s nice to know that I can depend on the fabulous toys from Little Tikes and Bratz. Benjamin has already enjoyed hours of playtime with his new Cozy Truck and so have his brother and some of the neighbourhood kids! When a toy is as popular as the Cozy Truck has been, I know it’s a winner. After all, that’s why my husband and I filled our yard with Little Tikes products to begin with!

Whether you have toddlers or tweens, boys or girls, MGA Entertainment is sure to have a toy that your child will love. So fight midsummer boredom before it starts and check out some of the great new toys from Little Tikes and Bratz today. Your kids will thank you for it!

Buy It: To purchase any of the amazing toys from Little Tikes or Bratz, check the websites for a retailer near you

Win It: One very lucky reader is going to win the entire set of four Bratz Rock dolls from MGA Entertainment

To Enter (mandatory): Leave a blog comment with your best summer boredom busting tip and then let me know you did using the Rafflecopter form below

[Read more...]

Little Tikes DiscoverSounds Alarm Clock-Review and Giveaway

I love it when I get the chance to review toys because my boys are such enthusiastic testers. Recently, I got the chance to review a fun new educational toy from Little Tikes, a company that has been providing kids with fantastic toys and playthings since 1970. I love toys that contain a learning element so I couldn’t wait to get started.

little tikes discoversounds alarm clockI received the DiscoverSounds Alarm Clock to review. This simple little clock is designed for children between six and 36 months and I immediately noticed some great tactile elements that a baby would be sure to enjoy. The bottom sides of the clock feature small bumps to add interest and the rounded legs of the clock are just the right size for grabby little hands.

The clock itself featured a moving hour hand and by flipping a switch on the back, the clock announced the number in English, French or Spanish as the red light on the top of the clock lit up! I really appreciated the option of choosing different languages. My husband is bilingual and I am always looking for new ways to introduce my kids to other languages more. The French and Spanish numbers also meant that while the clock was designed with younger children in mind, even my four-year-old played with the clock in delight! He had a great time listening and repeating the numbers in other languages. “Do you know how you say one in Spanish?” he questioned me with a knowing look. “Uno!”

little tikes discoversounds alarm clock in packageThe alarm bells of the clock could be pushed to trigger a random assortment of songs and silly sounds that played as the red light blinked. This was definitely my eighteen-month-old’s favourite feature and he had so much fun banging on the top of the clock and listening to the noises that resulted. I really liked that the alarm bell buttons were so easy for him to push; they required just the slightest pressure to trigger the response, which is one of the reasons this toy is so perfect for a younger child.

Overall, I found the DiscoverSounds Alarm Clock to be a fun little toy for babies right up to preschoolers. The different languages are what really helped to make this toy appropriate for different age groups and I loved the fact that both of my boys got so much enjoyment out of it. If you’re looking for toys that all your children will enjoy, chances are good that Little Tikes will have a toy that is perfect for you. From outdoor playground equipment to riding toys to role-playing toys, Little Tikes has playthings your kids are sure to love for years to come.

Buy It: To purchase the DiscoverSounds Alarm Clock, check your local department store or shop online now

Win It: One lucky reader is going to win their own DiscoverSounds Alarm Clock from Little Tikes

To Enter (mandatory): Visit Little Tikes and tell me about another product that you liked

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Giveaway ends 11:59 pm CST on May 31, 2011. Open to Canada Only

Disclaimer: The product/s mentioned above were provided free of charge from the company or PR firm for the purposes of this review. Opinions expressed belong to Mommy Kat and Kids and are NOT influenced in any way. Please view full Terms of Use and Policies