It’s Beginning to look a lot like Christmas- and this time it really is- we have some wonderful snowflakes coming down from the sky, and then promptly melting, which is my favorite type of snow. I know that your wallet is starting to feel more than a bit lighter at this point- so we have some more options for affordable toys! We here at TMG have been working since Sept to wade through the piles and bring you the best of the best toys to put under your tree. I know- it was quite a sacrifice! So with no further ado- here is The Mommy’s Guide 2016 Top Toys of the Season!

                                                    Part Two!

      Who says learning cannot be fun! Here we have some really fun ways to keep the kiddos occupied and learning without them even knowing! Listed here we have three, amazing tools to keep the fun, but also the education alive in your kids this holiday season, LeapFrogs Leap Start System, School Zone Counting Money game, and Playroom Prep.

     

   Playroom Prep is a wonderful interactive book that is filled with various ways to learn before going into the kindergarten classroom with confidence.  This wonderful learning system introduces the fundamentals of the curriculum to preschoolers through a colorful 22-page dry erase book.  Each page has an activity that supports what they learn in Pre-school.  They will connect the dots to form a straight line, start to identify letters, colors and numbers by sight as well as beginning to learn the proper way of writing them.  They will also continue to learn how to hold a writing tool correctly in their little hands- something my son had an issue with, and work on focusing on one task at a time. 

     Created by a teacher who wanted a child to have all the basic skills to start school with knowledge on their side, and an air of confidence.  She believed that no child should walk into kindergarten without having at least an idea of all the fundamentals that they will learn in Kindergarten.

    I personally think this is a fun way for the kids to learn. The pages are colorful and catch the eye- the “lessons” do follow the same curriculum of my son’s pre-school here in NY, and I love the fact that it is dry erase, so a child does not feel the pressure of doing it right the first time. They can try it out and practice as many time as they like. Although suggested for the kiddos to start before pre-school, I would suggest making sure your child shows an interest before doing so.  Your child will be starting their lessons soon enough, and this book, I believe, is a great addition to the pre-set curriculum of their teacher, and a way to keep them interested in learning on the days they are not in the classroom.   For children 3 and up, this is a great tool to continue the learning process outside of pre-k and an adorable present for the holidays! 

         You guys may remember during the summer when I was invited to the Leap Frog showcase- or you may not- either way the Leapfrog Leap Start System was by far my favorite product of the new line.

       This system is not digital, but gives you everything any of these learning apps would give you and more without the ever imposing screen. For ages 2 -7 this interactive learning system will get kids excited to learn everything from ABC’s to STEM fundamentals in a truly fun way.

    So how does this work? Easily.  The system is based on three key components, the book holder, the books and the stylus. The book holder and stylus come in two styles-one that is built for the tinnier hands of pre-school-kindergarten students. This version has a chunkier appearance, and a

Pete The Cat the Groovy Button Game

     Pete The Cat has become a phenomenon in the book world- so it only makes sense that a board game under the same title would be just as awesome!  Pete The Cat the Groovy Button Game is an amazing game aimed towards the little kids, and has no reading required!

   The game includes 40 buttons, 4 button jar boards, Game Board with a spinner! 4 Pete the Cat

The Mommy's Guide To Games!

      We LOVE board games! This year it was sooo hard to choose which ones to put on this list- because honestly they are all amazing. However here I have listed the best of the best and I think you will all agree that there are very specific reasons why they stand out among the rest! We were given all these games to review, however all of the opinions stated are our own!

Flying Ace! 

      Based on the wildly popular franchises new movie, this board game is set in France.  Snoopy as the Flying Ace is going to be sitting on top of an easily constructed Eiffel Tower.  Place Snoopy on his balance beam astride the tower and he turns into the games unique spinner, as well as the highlight of the game.
   Game play is easy; everyone gets color coded cards with matching colored tokens.  Spin Snoopy, while he is flying everyone quickly turn the cards over until your card matches with one of the other cards that are face up on one of the other player’s decks.  When you have a match you place a token on that character on the rounded game board claiming it as your own.  You need to be quick- the

I SPY Spooky 3D Mansion Game

    

Review Written By Michael Aucone

      I Spy is a game that is known throughout the ages.  Long ago we only had our surroundings to play the game, but with the help of University Games, we now have a variety of board games available to liven up this game that has lasted literally through the ages and to keep us on our toes!   

      I SPY Spooky 3D Mansion game integrates the classic game with a board game for hours of fun for the whole family!  It is uniquely designed so that the box itself is the board game and storage unit- all in one.  Once you do the initial set up, your game is good to go--forever that is it!   Made out of sturdy cardboard, you have two levels of “rooms” that you make your way through in order to gather all the keys needed to the let yourself out of the front door, and escape the Spooky Mansion.

The Mommy's Guide To Gifts: Technology Edition!

I remember being a child and thinking how cool all the tec in Star Trek was.  The Holideck. COME ON! well we may not be soaring through space yet with Jean Luke, but there is still a bunch of fun tech to go around for everyone! Here is a list compilied of our favorite video games, robots, and more! 

Sklyanders Super Chargers!   Kaos is returning as our favorite Super Villain but instead of trying to take over Skyland, we see that he has already succeeded!  It is our task to save Skyland from his evil mites and back into the hands of the honest citizens of Skyland. This is the first time we see that Kaos has already won, and he is just a little smug about it to say the least.  Do not fret my pets, we will absolutely be getting our beloved Skyland back but with some help from some of our old friends along with some new. Read our full review! 

                                   

Stikbots!:  A long long time ago before the age of smartphones and tablets (a time my son believes does not exist) stop motion was a fine art that were limited to only those that could afford buying the equipment.   Now with Stikbots and their super easy to use app anyone can literally put their imagination in motion and post it for the world to see.  Think about that- that is huge! Read our full review!

   Chibi-Robo For The 3dsXl:  Chibi-Robo is still as adorable as ever, I mean really, he may be one of the most adorable characters ever in my mind, and although he stayed the same, the game itself has changed from semi-sandbox game play to a side-scrolling platform program.  This game is more along the lines of Mario and Kirby games which any Nintendo fan will know and instantly love.  The left to right game play has you moving Chibi-Robo throughout the boards in order to help earth get rid of its most recent alien nuisance. Read our full review! 

Guitar Hero Live! :   Guitar Hero is back, and wants to know if you guys are ready to rock! This all new version of the game that took the world by storm years ago is revamped and ready for you...to get on stage!  First let us start with the game's new look. In the older versions, the game was cartoon-ized, and had very little in the way of visual aesthetics.  However, this time around you play with a first person view and see through the eyes of your virtual character.  You experience first-hand as they walk behind the scenes and up onto the stage to a sea of live actors playing as your fans, and your band mates, giving you a true sense of actually playing in a real live rock band.  It is a crazy experience the first time you play it.  It's more like interacting with a TV show than video game and will absolutely blow you away. Read our full review! 

    MiPosaur: Last year we had the absolute honor to present WowWee’s MiP self-balancing robot on our holiday list.  This year we are even more overjoyed to present the MiPosaur!  A Robot Dinosaur! WHAT WHAT!  MiP which stands for “mobile inverted pendulum” is the base behind the robotics of these super fun toys.  WowWee had made such a splash last year with their toy that this year the expectations were high. Some companies would fold under the pressure, but not WowWee- they just raised the bar even higher!  Starting with the tech that they used originally for the MiP they created an entirely new experience for us to enjoy this holiday season!  Read our full Review! 

                                                                     

Mario Tennis:     I remember having my original Nintendo Gameboy and playing one of my very first video games on that amazing machine. The first was Tetris- the second was Mario Tennis. Holy Smokes was I addicted to that game and only at the ripe old age of 7 years old.  When I visited Nintendo HQ in NYC this November I got to preview the game- and I was flooded with old memories- and super psyched to get new ones!  Now that I have the game in my home (thanks guys) I can say that I am still an addict- and I am proud.  Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash has up to four players able to play (singles or doubles) and give you the unique opportunity to play one of the most beloved games on the screen with our favorite characters.  My family and I have played rounds that I personally believe would put the US Open to shame. Read the rest of our review here! 

   amibbo Festival is the PERFECT game for family fun!  Experience Animal Crossing like never before! Get to play once unplayable characters like Isabelle, Tom Nook, and Digby, and wonder around town experiencing daily activities of the town folk in this interactive virtual board game!  One of the cooliest things about this game is how the amibbos actually interact with it,  Touch the amibbo's to the Wii game pad and they roll the dice for you- I think it is sooo cool, so does X!  There are also amiibo cards that come with the game that unlock mini-games that are adorable as well as entertaining.  You will love cuddling up on the couch and playing this game on rainy afternoons with the kiddos!