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.

Read It! Play It! with Babies and Toddlers, by the Oppenheim Toy Portfolio, 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.

Read It! Play It! with Babies and Toddler is now available in Spanish!

The newest book from the Oppenheims has just been published and is available on-line at Amazon.com and other book sellers.

Read It! Play It! offers parents a suggested reading list of 50 books for kids 3-8, as well as ways to help kids keep their language, math, science and writing skills sharp while on summer vacation.

As authors of Read It! Play It! and contributors to The Today Show, Joanne and Stephanie Oppenheim, encourage parents to share a wonderful book with their children and then do a related project.

Each of the fifty books reviewed in Read It! Play It! come with a suggested activity that enhances the child's appreciation of the book experience through play.

Designed for busy parents, the projects include

• Arts & Crafts : exposing kids to other cultures through crafts;
• Kitchen Science : making crayon muffins and butter; and
• Dramatic Play: putting on your own circus.

The Read It! Play It! Literacy Initiative is being sponsored by The Toys "R" Us Children's Fund, Inc. and LeapFrog Enterprises, Inc. These companies share our commitment to reaching at-risk children with the program and are making possible a donation of 10,000 books to the nation's leading non-profit literacy organization, Reading Is Fundamental RIF will make available the Read It! Play It! book to its Family of ReadersT Programs nationwide. The Oppenheim Toy Portfolio will also donate a portion of the sales of the book to RIF.

The overall goal of Read It! Play It! is to encourage a life long love of reading by introducing kids to wonderful stories and engaging activities that promote a positive attitude towards reading.