Stephanie shared some of the early front runners for top toys of 2010 on NBC's TODAY Show on Friday, March 5th.  Click here to watch the segment. After attending the American International Toy Fair in New York last month, the toyportfolio.com kicks into gear for a new season of toy testing with their testers throughout the country. As the toys start rolling in, we'll be posting reviews as we go- rather than making consumers wait until the end of the year.  Toys that receive an Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold Seal Award during the Spring and Summer, will be nominated for the year-end Platinum Awards.  Read Stephanie's blog for a preview of some promising toys.

I'm often asked about my own journey into toyland.  After all, reviewing toys is quite different than practicing law.  So I started to wonder how other people ended up here too.  What inspired them to design and create the toys we review all year long?  If you've ever seen some of the amazingly large LEGO builds, chances are you already have seen the work of  LEGO Master Builder Erik Varszegi.  Read our interview.

Following the success of Rocky the Talking Truck, Mattel is rolling out Stinky the Garbage Truck. He sings, dances, eats garbarge and yes, he farts.  Take a look at his video.

We ran into a lot of engaging animals at toy fair: including a Sheep at  Folkmanis, Pigs at Safari Ltd. and All New Materials...and a really cute elephant at Calico Critters. Read Stephanie's blog.

We had a busy day today!  In our travels we saw an amazing Fire Fighters Set from Playmobil (see the video below), Handcuffs and other Spy Wear from Wild Planet, adorable Huggables from Steiff,  a Cow  that blows bubbles from Little Kids, an assortment of glow-in-the dark toys from Crayola and just as I was leaving a toy that goes splat and then regains its shape, no joke.  Read Stephanie's blog for more details.

Ok, we know Toy Fair has just started...but these are our early favorites! The Sing-a-majigs can talk to each other, sing together...and amazingly, can harmonize together!  They look like they've walked off a claymation set--especially the way their mouths open when they sing. Read more about them and other toy fair finds on Stephanie's blog.

Take a look!

What is it that fascinates children about dinosaurs? Is it their enormous size? Their monstrous looking teeth and claws? Is it their deliciously long complicated names that six and seven year olds take pride in mastering? Could it be that they represent a kind of safe scare kids can conquer by knowing what the prehistoric giants ate or when and where they lived?

So many parts of the day do not allow for creativity. Our children's busy lives are often shaped by daily routines that leave little time for daydreaming. Click here for suggestions that will spark your child's imagination.

In our eagerness to help beginning readers parents often think that books that are harder will give their kids an advantage. With the best intentions, beginners get bogged down with flashcards, workbooks and are urged to "sound-it-out!" Instead of books being a shared pleasure, too often they become a source of tension. If you want to build a love of reading begin with books that build your child's fluency and ease with reading. Children need a sense of success and can-do power that comes with feeling confident. This is more important than trying to rush them to the next level. Bring home easy to read books with few words, even books with no words that your child tells from the picture clues. 

As we were adding the newest tutus and ballet books to our award list, we realized how many wonderful gift choices there are to consider. Here are a handful of wonderful choices.