Important Advisory:

We are now requiring companies to provide us with documentation that their products have been tested by an independent lab for phthalates and lead.

We are requiring products submtted going forward to: (1) Follow the guidelines of the American Academy of Pediatrics recommendation that products contain no more than trace amounts of lead (as defined by the AAP as 40 parts per million); and (2) contain no phthalates.

However, as we are not a lab, we will not be independently verifying those results. Also, with the exception of the 2008 Platinum Toy Awards, toys submitted for review prior to January 2008 were not tested for lead..

Safety Recalls: Given the absence of more stringent federal legislation, we encourage consumers to keep up to date on safety recalls. Sign up for CPSC safety email alerts. Click here.

Instructions for submitting product to the Oppenheim Toy Portfolio for review.

Contact the Toyportfolio @ (212) 598-0502 or by email at Webmaster@Toyportfolio.com.

Copyright 1995-2008 Oppenheim Toy Portfolio - All Rights Reserved. Oppenheim Toy Portfolio, Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Award, and Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Blue Chip Award are Registered Trademarks of the Oppenheim Toy Portfolio.

It can be a challenge to get kids unplugged and outside! Stephanie shares some of the toyportfolio.com's favorites on NBC's TODAY SHOW on April 29th. Click here to read her article.

Looking for some new titles to bring home for spring?  Look no further!  Joanne shares her favorite new titles for sharing with your kids.  Read more.

Read Stephanie's blog on the ever changing world of toys. The blog will also cover the parade of interesting, outstanding, cool, disturbing and gross products that find their way to the desk at toyportfolio.com.  Have a question about what's age appropriate for the kids in your life?  How many toys does your child really need? Here's your chance to discuss it all. Click here to view her blog.

After the upsetting number of lead recalls last year, we tried to implement a zero tolerance level for lead (both surface coated and embedded). While a handful of companies have complied, a great number of them (and their testing labs) have argued that there can be trace amounts of lead, making it impossible for them to sign our form in good faith.

So what is a trace amount? No toy company or testing lab would give us a number, or percentage. The absence of a "standard" is indicative of the problem with toy testing at the moment.

So where does that leave us? We are adopting the recommendation of the American Academy of Pediatrics. The AAP has defined "trace" amounts to be 40 ppm. The current federal government level is 600 ppm.

It's important to note that the AAP and our organization hold that there is no safe level of lead in children's products. The testimony of Dr. Dana Best on behalf of the before the Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Commerce is extremely informative as to the risks from even low level exposure to lead. Click here to read her testimony.

It is our hope that new government standards will soon take the guesswork and the lead out of children's products. We realize that in adopting these standards, our lists may be shorter, but we hope as more companies comply with the AAP recommendations that we will be able to add such products for review.

We've prepared a FAQ with information about lead in children's toys, here.

Joanne and Stephanie are here with the top award winning toys of the season!Click on the video above to see our infant picks. For Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Award Winning Games click here.

Read It! Play It! with Babies and Toddlers introduces new parents to the power of books, songs, stories and play at this crucial time in a child's development.

Studies show that it's never too soon to start reading to your baby.

Read It! Play It! with Babies and Toddlers' easy to follow format provides the resources, games and activities that new parents need to have at their fingertips.

Now available in Spanish.  Read more.

We don’t give ourselves awards,but we wanted our readers to know about Joanne's new book Dear Miss Breed: True Stories of the Japanese American Incarceration During WWII.

Kids often struggle with how they can make a difference. This is the story of a remarkable young children’s librarian who did just that. Clara Breed was horrified when her young Japanese American patrons and their families were sent to incarceration camps. She corresponded with many throughout the war, sending them books, supplies, and most importantly, her hope and friendship.

Joanne was captivated by this story. She located and took oral histories from many of Miss Breed’s “children,” now in their 70s and 80s. Given the current climate we live in, with the ever-present threat of terrorism, this book provides a chilling lesson about what can happen to a nation when fear overcomes reason. 12 & up. Visit www.dearmissbreed.com for more about how the book came to be and the reviews by historians and book critics.

Now you can search our database by keyword!

Simply type in the key word in the title or name of the product you're looking for:

Read It! Play It! reviews fifty outstanding award winning books that we believe every child from 3 to 8 should know, along with dozens of playful activities and enjoyable learning games to enhance the reading experience. Read It! Play It! gives the"how" and "why" for doing activities that are essential underpinnings for school success including: language & phonics games,   storytelling & writing ideas, music & active physical games as well as art, math, science and cooking projects.

We have given each of the fifty books selected, a Read It! Play It! Award -recognizing that these are outstanding examples of children's literature that also lend themselves to playful exploration of language, math, art, and/or science.

Click here to order your copy of Read It! Play It!