Happy Thanksgiving/ I’m Thankful…

I’m thankful for many things in 2008. Here is my Top 10 (so far…)

1. Faith: Nothing is impossible with God.

2. Family: I’m so grateful to have a wonderful husband and kids whom I both like and love! I’m also very fortunate to have great relationships with the rest of our family, both immediate and extended.

3. Friends: The older I get, I have fewer but much more meaningful friendships – many acquaintances but a special, few friends.

4. Health (physical and emotional): It’s such a gift that I and my loved ones are in good physical health. Also, I don’t think that I really realized before how much of a treasure emotional stability is!

5. Education: Irregardless of what I choose to do at the various stages of my life, it can never be taken away.

6. Current Career: Being a parenting writer/blogger/speaker is the ideal job at this stage of my life. I basically get paid to live my life and share about it. How great is that?! I’m especially happy about some of the longer term relationships that I have built this year with moms and marketers – especially Nintendo (we’re a Wii family!); method (they’ve helped us to live a little bit more “green” AND they threw my 35th birthday party!; and Disney (they treated me to a fabulous weekend and - more importantly - listened to African American mom concerns regarding their brand).

7. Financial Stability: We’re not (financially) rich, but we don’t have to choose between gas in the car and food on the table. That’s no small thing in today’s economic environment.

8. Home: I’m glad that at the end of the day, there’s no place that I, my husband and our kids would rather be.

9. Learning to Drive: Although, I don’t especially love driving yet, it’s a great skill to have. It “frees” me in new ways.

10. Family Vacations: I love when we get at our destination! Both the family wedding in North Carolina and our off-season Jersey Shore getaways were great. (In addition, with all that there is to do living in NYC, it’s like we’re on “vacation” year-round!)

What Are You Most Thankful For This Thanksgiving?

Walt Disney World: Disney “Insider Tips”

This will be my last post about my AWESOME Disney trip. I thought that I’d have more insider tips, but it turns out that many of the things that we experienced aren’t really available every day. (We all joked that it’s going to be difficult to go back to the Parks as “regular” visitors after being treated so “VIP” for those few days…)

I did pick up a few tips though:

-You can cut the wait time for rides with Disney’s FASTPASS. All you do is insert your Park ticket into the FASTPASS kiosk at the various rides. You’ll get a ticket with a return time when you come back and get in the FASTPASS line (which is a little to no wait time). Best of all, it’s totally free.

-You can leave your camera at home with Disney’s PhotoPass Service. Basically, professional photographers throughout the various parks will take pictures of you that you can claim online later. (You get the PhotoPass card -which has a unique i.d. number - from the first photographer and reuse it for the rest of the day throughout the Parks.) After your visit, you can order prints and/or various photo items online and have them delivered to you.

-September and January are the best (rate-wise) times to visit the Parks. Since there are less people, the rates are the lowest. They also offer various special promotions during those months (i.e. in September, there was a free dining promotion when you stayed at one of the Disney resorts…).

-You can find some of the best offers directly on their website.

-Don’t assume that you can’t afford Disney. A family of four can stay for as little (or as much depending on who’s doing the budget!) as $1700 which includes a Disney hotel, Park admission and airport pick-up.

And my favorite tip…

-Use Disney’s Moms Panel when planning your trip. You can ask specific questions on a wide variety of topics (including budgeting!) and they’ll get you the answers. (Laura S., a panelist who was with our group throughout the weekend, was like a walking Disney encyclopedia!)

In any event, I had a blast at Walt Disney World and I’m looking forward to returning with my family within the next couple of years.

Q&A About Boys (Part III): Michael G. Thompson, Ph.D.

This is Part III of a Q&A with Dr. Thompson, a psychologist, school consultant and author/co-author of eight books including the classic bestseller, Raising Cain: Protecting the Emotional Life of Boys and It’s a Boy!: Understanding Your Son’s Development from Birth to Eighteen. (You can learn more about Dr. Thompson and his works on his website www.michaelthompson-phd.com.)

When is the best time to put boys in full day school? (It seems like the majority of schools aren’t geared to physically active boys.)
There is no formula to help you with this decision. Some boys need more quiet play time at home; other boys are ready to wade into a social and school situation. You can figure that out by watching your son and taking your cues from him. If you have a very active boy and you have some school choice, it is important to choose a school that is tolerant of boys, has plenty of outdoor time and isn’t constantly scolding boys. Such a school is likely to be a hell for boys.

In regards to discipline/setting limits, how much should “let boys be boys” really be applied?
The phrase “letting boys be boys” is an unclear guide to parenting. Obviously, you need to stop boys from doing reckless and dangerous things. However, because boys like creative, challenging play that sometimes involves play fighting, danger is often in the eye of the beholder—the parent. In my book, “It’s a Boy! Understanding Your Son’s Development from Birth to Eighteen,” a Kindergarten mother told me that she and the other mothers learned to turn their backs and NOT watch when their sons were playing in a field after school. She said that the moms had a tendency to intervene constantly when they saw their boys pick up sticks or play a hard-charging form of tag. I don’t believe that you should constantly intervene in boys’ play, because free, undirected play is the purest expression of childhood creativity and imagination.

When it comes to moral matters all children need to learn respect, empathy and good manners. You probably should let some boy shouting or bad language pass because you understand it was impulsive and over-excited; however, rudeness, cruelty and destructiveness must always be addressed.

Why are boys considered to be so much more challenging to raise during the early years than girls?
I think it is the boy activity level that keeps moms on their toes for the early years. When his son was between two and three years old, my friend, the child psychiatrist Ned Hallowell, called him “The Terminator.” His son would walk into or over anything, break anything and listen to no one. There was no way to stop him from danger other than to grab him. These boy behaviors are scary for parents, mothers especially. It is worth remembering that at sixteen years old “The Terminator” is quiet, a hardworking student, a gifted singer and a wonderful friend to his friends. The only sign of his early hard-charging behavior is that he is that he is a good wrestler on his school wrestling team.

(To see the introduction and the first set of questions, please visit Q&A About Boys: Michael G. Thompson, Ph.D.. For Part II, visit Q&A About Boys (Part II): Michael G. Thompson, Ph.D.)

On a side note, Dr. Thompson was quoted earlier this week in the AP article Serious business: Childhood experts step up campaign for more free-wheeling play time. It’s an interesting, informative read.

Mmmm - M&M’S World New York

Walt Disney World Trip: Extra “Magic”

Next week, will be the last (for now anyway) entry about my Disney Parks trip. I’ll be sharing some “Insider Tips” that I learned. Today, I’ll be sharing about some of the other miscellaneous things that I enjoyed during my stay.

-For the weekend, we stayed at Disney’s Boardwalk Inn. It was beautiful. This is definitely the place to go when you’re going all out for a deluxe family trip (currently, rooms range from $325 - $620/night). Here are some of the pictures that I took. I especially liked the Disney touches sprinkled throughout the room.

Did you see how big my bed was? One of the things that I was looking forward to (in regards to traveling alone) was having a bed to myself to stretch out on. Guess what? I didn’t stretch out at all. Rather, I stayed huddled up on “my” side of the bed. Oh well, I’m a creature of habit sometimes.

-Several of the mom bloggers went out to various clubs each night. I’m not a “clubber” – never have been and probably never will be – but I did go to one of the local (not Disney-owned) clubs on Saturday night. I don’t remember the name (which is probably good). It reminded me of why clubbing isn’t my thing. For one thing, you can’t control the music and the club’s dj wasn’t very good. The most notable “song” that he played all night was the theme to The Jeffersons and Good Times (?!) Our group started cracking up, because we were the only Black people in the club. It was one of those, “Did I just hear what I thought I heard?” moments. Secondly, I don’t like people whom I don’t know touching me. There was this one woman who just kept coming over to our group dancing with us (which was fine), but then she just kept touching us – not in a weird way, but in an overly familiar way. Coupled with the fact that she had obviously been drinking, I wasn’t too pleased.

On the positive side, it was fun hanging out with the other moms and some of the Disney marketing people – they could dance! It was also nice to have a “grown-up” drink. I don’t really like the taste of alcohol, so Midori Sour was my drink of choice. (It tastes fruity, so I have to remind myself not to drink more than two because it does contain alcohol!)

And

-On Sunday, we went to the Gospel Brunch at House of Blues in Downtown Disney. The all –you-can-eat feast was great. (I made certain to not eat anything that morning so that I would have “room” to sample everything!) I especially enjoyed the Macaroni & Cheese, Honey Baked Ham, and Cheesecake.

The music was even more amazing than the food. They sang one of my favorite songs, “I Surrender All”. (It was my “church service” for the weekend.) What I found especially interesting was that people from all faith backgrounds enjoyed the gospel performance. After the concert, we were able to meet the performers. They were so sweet, humble and talented. If you’re ever in the Orlando area, don’t miss this – it’s a special treat!

Guitar Hero On Tour: Decades Giveaway

RedOctane / Activision is giving away five game and grip bundles of their newest Guitar Hero game: Guitar Hero On Tour: Decades which was released yesterday (November 16^th). This game - exclusively for Nintendo DS - is perfect for holiday travel.

“Guitar Hero® On Tour: Decades™ allows gamers to unleash their inner rockstar anytime, anywhere and for the first time ever share their music with friends as they embark on a tour through the decades of rock. Compatible with the smash hit Guitar Hero®: On Tour™, the game leverages the technology of its predecessor and expands the experience with a new progression taking players on a musical journey from the classics of the 1970’s through today’s greatest hits. With a new library of music, characters and venues, the game delivers a portable way for gamers to unleash their inner rockstars while playing through the history of rock ’n’ roll.”

Enter to win one of the game bundles by leaving your name in the “Comments” section below or by sending an email to contests@mominthecity.com with “Guitar Hero” in the Subject line by November 23^rd. (Please note that this is a one week only giveaway!)

(To see other contests & giveaways around the web, visit Contesting Monday.)

Walt Disney World: Disney’s Hollywood Studios

On Saturday, we had the opportunity to have lunch at the Hollywood Brown Derby. This American restaurant is famous for their Cobb salad, but I’m not a salad person. I had a shrimp appetizer, a shrimp main course and pistachio cheesecake for dessert (yum!). While there, we met and spoke with a couple of the Disney Imagineers, Mark R. and Diego P. Diego (whose enthusiasm I have mentioned before) sat at our table and shared various behind the scenes design facts with us. He seemed to be especially proud of the lengths that Disney went in order to make the various areas of the Parks “culturally correct” (i.e. getting plants/etc. that are authentic to the African and Asian regions).

After lunch, I had time to go on three rides – Toy Story Mania!, The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror™ and the Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster® Starring Aerosmith. Toy Story Mania! is a ride that I know my boys would love. Riders wear 3-D glasses before shooting virtual darts in midway-style games hosted by Toy Story characters Woody, Buzz, Rex and Hamm. For the record, the Tower of Terror lived up to its name. The thing about this ride was that I couldn’t brace myself for the next stomach dropping fall. Basically, you’re zooming up and falling down again and again. Sometimes, you have a couple of moments to settle yourself at the top, but sometimes you don’t – (by design) there’s no rhyme or reason to the drops. I don’t think that I’ll go on this ride again! The Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster was much more my speed. It was fast (0-60 mph in a flash) and loud with upside down loops and turns. It didn’t have any steep (stomach churning!) drops though, so I loved it!

Toy Story Mania!

Tower of Terror

After the rides, we went to the Block Party Bash. (I missed a lot of it, because I was on the Aerosmith ride, but the part I saw was fun.) Basically, it was a lot of the Pixar Film characters dancing and parading in the street. Here are a few of the pictures that I was able to take:

Q&A About Boys (Part II): Michael G. Thompson, Ph.D.

This is Part II of a Q&A with Dr. Thompson, a psychologist, school consultant and author/co-author of eight books including the classic bestseller, Raising Cain: Protecting the Emotional Life of Boys and It’s a Boy!: Understanding Your Son’s Development from Birth to Eighteen. (You can learn more about Dr. Thompson and his works on his website www.michaelthompson-phd.com.)

Who has the greatest influence on preschool aged boys - the mother or the father?
In both single-parent families and in traditional, two-parent families (and there are fewer and fewer of them), it is the mother who provides the moment-to-moment, day-to-day care for her son and daughter, and thereby provides the foundation of their emotional lives. A mother’s love is, I believe, the bedrock of a child’s personality. Military histories tell us that when men are dying on the battlefield, with their last breaths they cry out for their moms.

That said, both parents are extremely influential in the life of a child, and I believe nature provided children with two parents for a reason: kids benefit from having two different approaches and two people who can support each other in loving a child during the difficult moments. A boy is profoundly influenced by how his mother treats him and responds to him, and he is equally influenced by the ways in which his father loves him and celebrates him.

Many mothers feel a bit jilted when their three- or four-year-old son, with whom they have spent a long day, suddenly seems incredibly excited by his father coming home. They want to wrestle with their dads, hang on their dads, and do everything their fathers do.

It is normal for a boy to love his mother, but to take her a bit for granted. After all, she’s the one who is usually there; she’s the one who reminds him to bathe and brush his teeth, etc., etc. In a little boy’s world, the fact that his father works outside the home tends to be a novelty, but also a boy needs to start constructing a male identity and it is his father on whom he is going to model himself. I’m sorry when mothers compete with fathers for a boy’s affections. A boy’s love for his father should be a source of pride to his mother; after all, she married his father because she thought he was a good man.

What should moms and dads do/how should they interact with their young sons to best meet their child’s needs?
The most important thing a mother and father should do is to enjoy their sons. Boys are fun, full of energy, sometimes wild, mostly loving and ultimately rewarding. You need to keep them safe, and they need to learn to be well-mannered, but mostly you just have to enjoy what they enjoy. Seeing the world through a boy lens can be pretty illuminating.

When (around what age) should boys be expected to control their physical selves (sitting still; play fighting a lot of the time, etc.)?
I hope no one expects boys to ever “control their physical energy” like girls. Three-quarters of boys are more physically active, more impulsive and developmentally immature in comparison to girls of the same chronological age. Boys in groups are rowdy, loud, and active, and they engage in play fighting right through college. Women who have two or three brothers tell me that they continue wrestling and play fighting into their thirties and even forties. If you are waiting for most boys to calm down and be like girls, you are in for a long, long wait.

(To see the introduction and the first set of questions, please visit Q&A About Boys: Michael G. Thompson, Ph.D.)

Disney Games

On Wednesday evening, I had a chance to drop by a Disney Interactive Studios Blogger Night event.

It was nice to reconnect with some people that I hadn’t seen in a little while including Maral (from Disney), Beth - who is an amazing karaoke singer!, Kim and Liza. I love the various conversations that come about when you get a group of women together. I talked about politics (Liza), twitter (all), adoption and moving for school systems (Beth).

Oh yes, and there was great food, fun new games to try out and a great bag of goodies on the way out. The games that stood out the most were Bolt (for ages 10+, this game is based on the upcoming movie starring John Travolta and Miley Cyrus); Club Penguin (designed for 6-14-year-olds, this game is based on the now-covered, virtual world where children play games and interact with friends as penguin avatars) and Ultimate Band (for ages 10+, this is Disney’s first band performance game – and you don’t need extra instruments!). In any event, any of these games would make great holiday gifts!

Football Season Reviews & Giveaway (Football and Cheerleading Wii Games)

When the cold weather hits, it always reminds me of football season. To get you in the spirit also, we’re giving away two great Wii games – THQ’s All Star Cheer Squad and Atari's Backyard Football '09.

All Star Cheer Squad is a fun game that players of all levels will enjoy. There’s a variety of routines – dance and squad teamwork- that are choreographed by popular choreographer Tony G. (of the “Bring it On” movies). You can compete against individual team members or against other squads. (Ultimately, you want to become the captain of the winning squad.). You can either play it while standing on the floor (my preference) or the Wii fit board. After playing this game, I remembered why I was a flag girl rather than a cheerleader - learning all of those dance and cheer moves isn’t easy (even though it is a lot of fun)!

Backyard Football ’09, is such a great game -kids (ages 6 to 12) will love it! It has NFL players from all 32 teams in the game as kids (how cute is that?!). This game (the best selling kids’ football game of all time) is easy enough for all players, from rookies to more experienced football veterans. Players can play with 7 on 7 teams, in Pro Bowl and tournament modes, season play or single games, custom teams and players, etc. Suffice it to say, there are a variety of game modes to keep the play interesting for the young ones.

Enter to win the games by leaving your name in the “Comments” section below or by sending an email to contests@mominthecity.com with “Games” in the Subject line by November 30th.

(To see other contests & giveaways around the web, visit Contesting Monday.)

Walt Disney World: Magic Kingdom

On Saturday, we had a little bit of free time to visit Magic Kingdom. I think that this is the park that I’ll take my family to first. I went on the following three rides:

1. Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin: This ride was a lot of fun. Since I knew that Michael would have loved this ride, it made me miss my sons while I was there. (On this attraction, riders fire their personal laser cannons at various points as they cruise through a space mission adventure.)

2. Space Mountain: For this ride, I would have to leave the kids with my husband - none of them like roller coasters anyway! I had forgotten how much I LOVE roller coasters. (I don’t think that I have ridden one in over a decade?!) I had so much fun on the ride. I laughed so hard that tears were streaming down my face. It was fun and fast with several twists and turns (but none of those stomach-killing steep drops).

And

3. Mickey’s PhilharMagic: This was another point when I was missing my kids. They would have loved this show – especially Sean – he loves, loves, loves Mickey Mouse. Basically, this is a 3-D screen show starring Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and many other Disney characters (i.e. the Lion King, Ariel, etc.). Not only was the show in 3-D, but other elements were added so that all of the moviegoers senses were stimulated (i.e. you could smell the scent of the on-screen apple pie; you could feel the wind; there were light splashes of water; etc.). The kids (as well as the adults) in the audience loved it.

(Below are a few pictures that I took while there….)

Holiday Toy Guide 2008: Infants

1. Alex Toys’ ‘ROUND THE FARM : Suitable for ages 6 months+, this award-winning toy is great for helping babies learn better motor skills (i.e. catching, rolling, grabbing, etc.). Little kids will especially enjoy hearing the different animal (dog, cat, pig and frog) sounds as they learn to press each animal’s ear.
Price $24.99

2. baby Zoobies : The perfect size for children under 2, these stuffed plush animals are adorable. They convert to very comfortable pillows. Also, there are very soft, warm blankets inside that can be used separately (the blankets feature a “comfort corner”).
Price: $25.00

3. Fisher-Price‘s Laugh & Learn™ Learning Home™ : For ages 6 months to 36 months, this little house will help your little one learn in a variety of ways. It not only teaches academics (letters, numbers, colors, shapes, etc.) but also everyday experiences (dropping, spinning, sorting, etc.). Both sides of the house are filled with activities including 21 “sing along” songs. Note: 3 “C” alkaline batteries are required for this toy.
Price: $70.00

4. Infantino’s Play Time Activity Center: For newborns +, this 4-sided center will grow with your baby. It’s great for playing on the floor during “tummy time”. It’s also fun for infants to play with as they grow older. Activities include a peek-a-boo mirror, put-and-take bird’s nest and more. There are many different variations of this type of toy (for obviously good reasons!) but this is my pick for 2008.
Price: $29.99

5. International Playthings’ Yookidoo Discovery Playhouse: Ages 12+ months will love this roomy playhouse. They will have fun playing with the various built-in games (i.e. ball play, sorting shapes, peek-a-boo, etc.) on both the inside and outside. It is also a great hiding place for when the kids get a bit older (there’s space for several children to play in it). One of the things that I like the most about the playhouse (as a city dweller) is that it’s sturdy but easily folds up so that you can tuck it away.
USD$ 99.99

6. Leap Frog’s Learn & Groove® Counting Maracas: Appropriate for ages 6 months to 3 years, these little maracas are a lot of fun for the kids. There are three different “modes”: 1.Counting - each shake allows the child to count to 10 in both English and Spanish. 2. Colors - introduces the colors red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple in English and Spanish. 3. Music Play – music plays when the infant shakes the maracas. This is another toy that parents can see their kids grow with. (Initially my kids would just mouth the maracas, look at the lights and enjoy the music. As they grew older, the playtime became more meaningful. This is one of my favorite gifts to give to parents of small children.)
Price: $16.49

7. Melissa & Doug’s ABC Blocks : Recommended for ages 1+, these three plush blocks are great starter toys for the little ones. I especially like their bright colors, the different textures and the jingling sounds. (Moms will also appreciate that the blocks’ carrying case is phthalate-free.)
Price: $19.99

8. VTECH’s Sit to Stand Alphabet Train™ : For ages 12 months to 24 months, this little train teaches a lot! There are letter blocks, a small book, number buttons and much more. I like that this toy can grow with your child. When they’re younger, they can play with the different parts on the floor. Later, they can use it as a walker or as a ride-on toy. Once again, there are many different variations of this type of toy (for obviously good reasons!) but this is my pick for 2008. Note: 3AA batteries are required for this toy.
Price: $49.99

Holiday Toy Guide 2008: Toddlers

1. Crayola Beginnings’ TaDoodles™ Scribble And Sing™ Art Station: Recommended for ages 18 months and up, this station will keep your kids busy with over 15 activities. Most little ones like to scribble and/or color so I especially like the fact that the five markers in this set are shaped for the hands of young children. I also like that both singing and drawing are combined in this one product. (Sean’s aunt is getting him TaDoodles for Christmas and I look forward to spending time making some fun “creations” together with my little musical one!) Note: This toy requires 3 AA batteries.

Price: $29.99

2. Fisher-Price’s Little People® Learn About Town™ : Kids ages 2 years to 5 years will enjoy these four play sets in one. They can choose to play at the doctor and dentist office, the pet shop, the ABC school or the pizza shop. Wherever they decide to go, there’s plenty to learn (including the alphabet, counting, colors, shapes, etc.) and experience (opening and closing, pressing, etc.). The songs and sounds also help to make the learning more fun. This is a classic toy with a new twist that both parents and kids will like. Note: This toy requires 3 AA batteries.
Price: $45.00

3. Leap Frog’s Fridge Phonics® Magnetic Set: Appropriate for ages 24 months to 5 years, this is a set that will grow with your child. At first I was a little thrown off, because Leap Frog has changed the look of this set. (I and many of my friends have the former version on our refrigerators!) However, I was happy to see that the core of the product is still the same. The set comes with 26 colorful, magnetic letters and a magnetic letter reader that easily attaches to your fridge. When placed in the reader, each letter both talks (teaching the name of the letter and the sound that it makes) and sings (fun, little learning songs). Many kids love playing with magnets on the refrigerator and this is a great toy to make that playtime educational.
Price: $21.99

4. Little Tikes’ Jungle Jamboree™ Tiger 2-in-1 Piano: Kids ages 1 1/2 years and up will love playing music (AKA banging) on this little combination piano and xylophone. There’s a reason that I see this toy in almost every home with young kids that I visit (including my own home) – it’s cute and fun! Four music sheets with the notes to popular nursery songs are included with the piano. (Most young kids - except musical prodigies - won’t use the sheets, but they are enjoyable for the adults to play songs for their kids.) This is an item that I highly recommend and often give to toddlers as gifts
Price: $19.99

5. PLAYSKOOL CLIPO CREATIVITY TABLE : For ages 18 months and up, this is a great little play station. CLIPO pieces are already fun to connect by themselves (my kids love playing with their CLIPO sets). Combine the pieces with the toy’s spinning turntables and the creative fun is taken to a whole other (better!) level. Also, on a practical note, the shape sorter and drop slot will also help kids’ motor skills. Note: This toy requires 2 “AA” batteries
Price: $32.99

6. Radio Flyer’s #46/#46G Classic Lights & Sounds Trike: For ages 2 years to 5 years, these retro-styled bikes cannot be beat. Practically every kid loves getting a bike for the holidays. There are plenty to choose from, but this is my bike pick for 2008. First of all, these bikes are both well-built and beautiful to look at. Besides the aesthetics, kids will enjoy the electronic aspect of the bike (the dashboard has a turn signal, music, and a honking horn) as well as the fact that they can store their little “treasures” under the bike’s seat. Note that 3 AAA batteries are needed for this bike.
Price: $59

7. Step2 50’s Diner: Kids ages 2+ will enjoy hours of pretend play in this (multiple!) award-winning retro-styled kitchen. Normally, I try not to include large toys as picks (due to urban space restraints), but I just had to make an exception for this great toy. (Besides, I know that some of you have basements, play rooms, etc.) Both adults and kids will enjoy this fifties styled 2-sided designed diner (there is a kitchen on one side and booth-style seating on the other). There’s so much for kids to love in this diner including a variety of accessories (coffee pot, sound-making griddle pan, dishes, silverware, etc.) as well as play food (burgers, fries, ice cream, etc.). Note: This diner requires 4 “AA” and 2 “AAA” batteries.
Price: $149.99

8. Thinkativity’s Soar & Explore Storyteller : Ages 2 years+ will enjoy this airplane-shaped storyteller. Kids will be able to build their own stories as they spin each story block and listen to the plane “read” their various adventure stories. What’s especially neat is that the storyteller introduces kids to eight different languages!
Price: $24.99

Holiday Toy Guide 2008: Preschoolers

1. American Girl’s Bitty Twins Dolls: Little girls (or boys) ages 3 and up will love playing with these adorable dolls that come dressed in plaid and denim outfits. There are many top doll brands out there to choose from (several of which you have seen/will see on this site) but this is my doll pick for 2008. I like the quality construction of the dolls; that the buyers have a lot of choice (skin tone, hair color and gender) and that you get two dolls for the price of one!
Price: $95 (two dolls with outfits and a book)

2. Cranium’s Hullabaloo: Kids ages 4 and up (and their parents!) will love this high energy game. There are so many games out there that are fun for the family, but this my 2008 game pick. (You can read Mom in the City reviewer Lesley Thompson’s thoughts on this game here.)
Price: $24.99

3. Fisher Price’s Computer Cool School™ : Kids ages 3 to 6 years will learn so much with this computer keyboard that features five learning centers. They use it along with your computer to learn a variety of skills (reading, writing, math, science, art and music). It really does help to make learning fun. The thing that I especially like about this product is that (unlike many other computer styled programs) it helps kids with their writing skills by including a writing and drawing tablet for right or left-handed kids (which is great for my little lefty!). On a computer safety note, the system has password-protected controls that blocks access to parents’ computer desktop and websites. Note: This computer works with Microsoft® Windows Vista™ or Windows XP operating systems. It’s not Mac-compatible.
Price: $60.00

4. Hasbro’s The Incredible Hulk - Hulk Smash Hands : Little boys (or girls) age 3 and up will love punching things (and people!) with these talking Hulk mitts. Don’t worry though…they’re plush/soft to the touch. As I have written before, my four years old son Michael was jumping up and down yelling “Hulk Smash!” while Sean (who’s 1) kept saying “Wow” even before I finished opening the box holding the hands. They both then proceeded to try to “Hulk Smash”/attack me with the hands. Very cute! Their friends enjoy playing with the hands and I’ve also heard from other Mom in the City moms that their kids love them too. My favorite fist line (that I’ve borrowed in other scenarios) is “You’re making me angry! You won’t like me when I’m angry!” Note: This toy uses 3 AAA batteries.
Price: $19.99

5. LeapFrog® Tag Reading System : Kids ages 4 to 8 will learn that reading can be fun with this web-connected system. I’m a big fan of educational toys (obviously) and this is one of the more exciting ones out there. With this touch reading system (a small infrared camera at the tip of the reader “reads” letters, words and
symbols) words talk, pictures sing and much more. The reader only works with the 20 books and activity sets in the system library. Parents download each book’s audio, then drag and drop content onto the reader (like digital camera or MP3 files). That can be a bit of a hassle for non-techy parents (like me!) but on the positive side, each time that parents connect the reader to their Mac or PC, they can view their child’s progress and get more content to keep their child’s interest.
Price: $49.99

6. Little Tikes My Real Digital Video Camera : Kids ages 3 years and up will have fun recording video and taking pictures of their activities with this video camera. I especially like that the video camera is both sturdy and waterproof so that kids can film underwater (or simply just so that the camera doesn’t get ruined when it gets exposed to water – which most electronic items “happen to” in the hands of young kids). What’s also fun for the kids (and parents) is that there are movie making editing features as well as the ability to add graphics and sounds to both videos and pictures. Note: This camera requires 2 “AA” batteries.
Price: $99.99

7. Mattel’s Matchbox® Power Scouts™ Vehicles & Playsets : Kids ages 3+ will enjoy playing with these track systems and line of 4 x 4s that are designed with smaller hands in mind. These battery-powered vehicles really are tough (they’ve been riding over and under all types of things in my house!) and kids love them. They work either by the kids pushing them manually or in the battery-powered all-wheel drive mode. I prefer the manual use, because the noise from the battery-powered mode gives me a headache after a long while. (Of course my kids have the opposite preference, so I sometimes have to “hide” the cars or slip out the batteries to get a brief break!) In any event, you simply press down on the back of the trucks to activate the motor. If your kids want or need something special to test our their new 4 x 4s, they can try one the three new Power Scouts™ Playset and Challenge track system assortments. (We have the “Skull’s Challenge” one which both boys enjoy.)
Vehicles Price: $6.99+; Adventure Playsets Price: $16.88+

8. Vtech’s KidiJamz Studio™ : Kids ages 4 years to 7years will love recording and listening to their own songs and music with this interactive music station. This is Michael’s #1 Christmas wish item - it knocked another toy off his list. (He’ll be getting his wish, but don’t tell him!) After recording, kids will be able to play their pieces back on a detachable music player. Kids can also mix their music with a variety of kid friendly tunes. They can also choose from 10 different musical instrument sounds and several other stylistic options. A microphone and digital voice effects are also included for your little singers. Lastly, there is a musical scratching disc (Michael’s favorite – he wants to scratch like a DJ) and a light-up keyboard. I’m already thinking about which earplugs I’ll need….Note: This studio requires 4 AA batteries.
Price: $59.99

AND ONE STOCKING STUFFER…
-eeBoo’s Tell Me a Story / Creative Story Cards: eeBoo is such a smart company, that I just had to include these cards as a “stocking stuffer” idea for kids ages 3 years and up. Kids (and parents!) will enjoy using their imaginations to combine the 36 different images on the cards in order to play a variety of games and activities
Price: $9.95