Spring is here! And there’s no better way to celebrate the season than with these colorful toys that are rich in imaginative play and sure to enchant babies and children alike. Plus, one lucky mami will win the Imaginext Stegosaurus for their dino-loving little one with our exclusive giveaway! (Stay tuned to Facebook and Twitter for details.)
Lil’Zoomers Safari Sounds Jungle ($20.99) 6 months +
A ramp just right for zooming action nestled in a corner of a cheerful little jungle provides the setting for the Lil’ Zoomers Safari Sounds Jungle, a delightful safari excursion that will entertain little ones as they grow. Mom and Dad can start the fun for young babies by rolling two colorful cars—one a blue rhino, the other a striped zebra—down the ramp, starting at a treetop and past a spinning monkey. The ensuing music and animal sounds are bound to please, and as Baby gets older, he or she can control the action themselves, using the cars to go up and down the ramp or underneath it, past a friendly lion and a baby-and-parent giraffe duo out for a stroll.
Laugh & Learn Puppy’s Playhouse ($19.97) 6 – 36 months
It’s always Springtime at Laugh & Learn Puppy’s Playhouse, a sweet little puppy’s abode with a bone over the door, a buzzing bee on the roof, and an array of music, numbers, letters (in English and Espanol) at baby’s tiny fingertips. Puppy is there too—a soft little stuffed animal with a rattle inside—for placing in and out of the playhouse. Babies can ring the doorbell, open and close the food bowl right outside the door, play with puppy in the garden, and spin the “weather wheel” (a colorful wheel on the roof that displays a cloudy day, a rainbow, and butterflies fluttering around a smiling sun), hearing corresponding raindrops and tweeting birds. On the go? The handle on top of the lightweight playhouse makes it easy to take with you for portable fun.
Laugh & Learn Click-n-Learn Remote ($10.99) 6 – 36 months
Babies love remotes. Specifically, their parents’ remotes—those very remotes needed by Mom and Dad to program and control their television sets. It stands to reason, then, that a remote specifically designed to be baby’s very own is a no-brainer, right? But all remotes aren’t created equally. Thankfully, the Laugh & Learn Click-n-Learn Remote hits all the right buttons—both literally and figuratively. For one thing, it looks like a grown-up remote (only cuter). For another, it acts like one, too. Babies can turn the volume up and down (to a reasonable volume, as any parent who has ever had their eardrums blown out when Baby unexpectedly amplified the television set can appreciate), and use the channel buttons to control the entertainment (songs, sounds, numbers, and words!).
Read Related: 7 Ways to Get Rid of Toys Your Kids Have Outgrown
Little People Play-n-Float Play-n-Float Bath Boat ($10.99) 1-4 years
Perfect for getting young children all aboard with bathtime (not always an easy task), the Little People Play-n-Float Bath Boat is colorful enough to lure in the biggest of all catches—a little one eager and willing to climb into the tub. And it comes with all the right accoutrements for a playful voyage. Kids can take out the boat’s bright orange “cabin” and use it for water play, or gather up bubbles and bathwater with the big red fish. A “captain” (also removable) oversees the action. Best of all for Mom and Dad, you can store the crew on board, which makes for easy cleanup.
Little People Wheelies Sow-n-Tow Garage ($19.97) 1 ½ to 5 years
If you don’t see a garage as being a potential wonderland of play, then you’ve forgotten what it was like to be a kid. The Little People Wheelies Tow-n-Stow Garage showcases all the features of a garage that can keep a child enchanted, as well as a Little People Wheelies Tow Truck to take advantage of all the action. Kids can get their cars “washed” at the upper level car wash, rotating their cars for a thorough clean-up (mess-wary parents, relax: the “water” is made of soft blue fabric). On the lower level, a bright yellow garage door can be opened and closed to store Wheelies (another green door opens for additional storage). And what garage would be complete without a ramp for cars to speed down? The garage is surprisingly lightweight and comes with a handle so that it can be easily toted for portable play. And if you have a collection of Little People Wheelies at home, rejoice: this garage can store over fifteen.
Fun-2-Learn Smart Phone ($15.99) 3-6 years
Perhaps the only grown-up toy a child loves as much as the household remote control is Mom and Dad’s smart phone. In fact, Mom and Dad may often feel that their child logs in more time with the device than they do. Moreover, when Junior plays with your phone’s keypad, you can’t help but worry about possible repercussions (an unwanted phone call to the local hair salon, or your mother-in-law). The Fisher-Price Fun-2-Learn Smart Phone to the rescue! The sleek design will reassure kids that they’re not getting just a baby version of the coveted grown-up Smart Phone, and the features are not only fun and interactive (children can pound away at the keypad without inspiring fear of consequences), but educational, too, teaching letters, numbers, and essential phone numbers that can even be programmed in.
Imaginext Stegosaurus ($21.99) 3-8 years
Putting a futuristic spin—with a dash of vehicular whimsy—on the giants who walked the Earth millions of years ago is a concept guaranteed to quicken the heart rate of any young dinosaur enthusiast. The Imaginext Stegosaurus, part of Fisher-Price’s line of imagination-fostering toys, delivers on all counts. This sturdy Steg has moveable limbs and comes with a ferocious, metallic-looking helmet, digging gear, and an action figure who can perch on top and oversee the action. Twist the neon-green knob—or have the action figure do it by placing it on the fixture—to get the digger working. Kids looking to go classic with their dinosaur play can remove the helmet and gear, and then put it on again when the mood to up the ante strikes again.
