Four friendly Weebles are ready for play in their own little treehouse. Put the figures in the tree and shut the door for a game of peek-a-boo. Put them in the treetop platform and they teeter and totter. Or put them at the base of the tree and turn the crank to bring them up, up, up and onto the ramp that they can slide down again. Toddlers will like the repetition of sending their Weebles up and down. The toy has four songs and eight different sounds. But it can be enjoyed without sound. 9 months & up.

The company has signed a verification form complying with our safety requirements. We did not independently test this toy in a lab.

SNAP: A good toy for developing hand skills. The Weebles themselves are fun to take hold of and let go. Use them for reinforcing position words…and build concepts such as inside the tree or outside; up and down; top and bottom, etc. Play counting games with them. Put them on the rubbery conveyer belt and turn the bright red crank to move them up and away. There are not too many toys around with that kind of turning action that develops small hand muscles and eye hand coordination. Adaptation: You may need to tape this down to make it more secure.

Age: Infants, Toddlers. Award Year: 2010. Click here to purchase the product on Amazon.com.

A great combination of two favorite play modes for learning about cause and effect and making things happen. There's an easy to activate ball drop with two balls that roll down a chute and best of all, there is a set of colorful gears that twirl and play music. Tots can activate the gears by moving them directly or by pressing the red happy face button. The gears on the side of the toy are locked in, but the ones at the base can be lifted off and stacked on each other. This is a wonderful floor toy for sitting up babies and young toddlers. It has musical sounds, but they can be turned off. Depends on your baby and your own tolerance for electronic sound effects.  One of our one year old testers was much more interested in tasting the gears and the balls than making any of the gears or motion happen. At this age, it will be a much more parent intensive toy.  Toddlers a little bit older will enjoy the repetitive action of making something happen.  9 months & up.

The company has signed a verification form complying with our safety requirements. We did not independently test this toy in a lab.

SNAP: There are good-sized pieces in this two-way cause and effect toy. The two balls are the right size for grasping with the whole hand and learning to release them from the hand is the second part of the trick. Unlike so many ball drops, this is uncomplicated and yet satisfying. The colorful gears can be used for reinforcing color names. They are usable for stacking as well as fitting together like a puzzle that moves. Best of all, the big red button allows them to make the gears spin...allowing a direct kind of lesson in cause and effect. Adaptation: This is an engaging toy that may need to be taped down for stability. That means leaving the sound off or using a tape that can be lifted and replaced with ease since the sound button is on the bottom of the toy.

Age: Infants, Toddlers. Award Year: 2010. Click here to purchase the product on Amazon.com.

Although many toys are supposed to "grow" with your child, most tend to fit one stage better than another. This one really is a keeper for babies as well as toddlers. For the sitting up baby, this is an ideal floor toy with six Stack 'n Surprise blocks under the peg back of the Croc. It's an ideal put and take toy with places to stack the blocks that pop up as they are put on the big pegs. The green Croc's mouth opens and when you put the blocks in its mouth they reappear with peek-a-boo magic inside the Croc. The rolling eyes of the croc move with a swipe of a hand. Put a block on the back and it will rise. All of these activities are meant for babies even before they can walk about. But, now, open the long handle that locks under the body of the Croc and your toddler will use this for a pull along or push along toy as they begin to walk about. All the stacking blocks with jolly faces can ride along or stay inside. There is sound and a volume control, but happily it can be turned off and is the least important part of the toy. Although this will be enjoyed by infants who are sitting up, it will also be a great treat for a 1st birthday gift. 6 months & up. The company has signed a verification form complying with our safety requirements. We did not independently test this toy in a lab.

SNAP:  A fun way to play peek-a-boo games that teach children about object permanence. Put the block inside of the Crocs mouth and abra-ca-dabra they reappear under the Croc's back. There are easy to activate cause and effect games here with a swipe of the hand they can make the Croc's eyes roll or pop up action in the blocks when they are sacked. For children with locomotion delays, this is a good-sized rolling toy that can convert into a push or pull toy. The sounds can be turned off, but they too have a lot to do with cause and effect since the music plays when you open the Croc's mouth or roll it along. Happily, it can be enjoyed with or without sound.

Age: Infants, Toddlers. Award Year: 2010. Click here to purchase the product on Amazon.com.

Perfect for tummy time games and or lying back and watching the world, this big 30" X 32" mat has a bright red velour-like border that is lovely to the touch, as well as rings to finger. The bold contrast black and white squares have eye-catching graphics that are perfect for newborns and beyond. The images include a cat, a fish, a butterfly with crinkle wings among others. Three lift-up panels provide peek-a-boo surprises, one hides a mirror that lifts off and another has a big car that lifts to reveal a smaller auto, and the third has three-color petals that open to reveal an eye-catching black and white target. It's machine washable and an ideal, uncomplicated choice for babies from 3 months & up. Great shower gift!  The company has signed a verification form complying with our safety requirements. We did not independently test this toy in a lab.

Age: Infants. Award Year: 2010. Click here to purchase the product on Amazon.com.

There is not a better quality safety mirror for babies than this one. Recently updated with all new graphics, this is pretty much distortion-free and baby will enjoy gazing at his own moving images long before he recognizes who he is seeing in the reflection. However, even before baby can use the mirror side, the high contrast black and white graphics on the reverse side will be interesting for baby to gaze at. Hang this in the crib or beside the changing table. Keep in mind, that the black and white graphics are visually stimulating, so for quiet time, you may want to take this out of visual range. The graphics include among others a pinwheel with target, a cat’s face, and a baby’s face. Research shows that newborns do not see colors in the first weeks and these black and white images, especially the faces, are the ones they latch onto visually. Newborns & up.
The company has signed a verification form complying with our safety requirements. We did not independently test this toy in a lab.

Age: Infants. Award Year: 2010. Click here to purchase the product on Amazon.com.

Like a fabric activity book with lift up flaps and peek a boo surprises, this can be used as a long panel that you can tie on to the side of the changing table or look at it together flat on the floor for tummy time. You can also turn the “accordion” pages and enjoy the images while baby is in your lap. Done with high contrast black and white images, the illustrations are eye appealing for very young babies who are especially attracted to faces, targets and bold graphics. There are also ribbons to touch, crinkle noises to touch and a safety mirror for seeing their own little hands and face. So, this is a toy loaded with sensory learning possibilities. A parent intensive lap toy for the early weeks and beyond.
The company has signed a verification form complying with our safety requirements. We did not independently test this toy in a lab.

Age: Infants. Award Year: 2010. Click here to purchase the product on Amazon.com.

Soft enough to grasp, this fabric photo cube is covered in colorful patterns that reflect the palette of illustrator Eric Carle. Only the featured players here are pictures of family that you can insert and change form time to time on the sides of the cube. Baby will like looking at familiar faces and the cube can also be fun for rolling or tossing. It has a quiet rattle inside for added sensory interest. 6 months and up.

Age: Infants. Award Year: 2010.

An all new look to a press and pop toy that will fascinate sitting up babies. Push the yellow triangle with a smiling face and up pops a twirling purple disk. Push the red head on the top with textured fabrics and it sets a see through circle in motion with small beads inside that rattle and turn. Push the orange head down and up pop three gears that twirl inside. Push the pop-ups down and play it again! The three shapes that activate the motion also come out of their slots. Each has a shape on the bottom that fits back into the matching colored shape and space. So this is a matching game as well as one that introduces shapes and cause and effect. Babies love this kind of toy that allows then to make things happen. Repetition is also a favorite way of learning about cause and effect. This is going to be a big hit with babies. The toy is marked 9 months and up but this would still be a great 1st birthday present.

The company has signed a verification form complying with our safety requirements. We did not independently test this toy in a lab.

Age: Infants, Toddlers. Award Year: 2010. Click here to purchase the product on Amazon.com.