Little People Dumpety the Dump Truck by Fisher Proce

Little construction workers will have lots of fun exploring the construction site with this bumping and bouncing dump truck. The "eyes" on the front of the truck blink as it is pushed forward and two "dirt" boulders bounce up and down as the truck is pushed along. When the driver is pushed down securely in his seat, the engine roars, a horn beeps, and the truck makes dumping sounds. The toy comes with a little people construction worker and two dirt boulders. Strengths: The toy promotes lots of simple pretend play and can be easily incorporated into other little people play sets. Weaknesses:  It's a great little truck that the children I work with love it, so I haven't been able to find any limitations. It pretty much performs as expected!

Melody the Mini Van & Lil Mover SUV by Fisher Price

Both of these vehicles are great additions to the Fisher Price house set. They come with "Mommies" and babies in car seats that fit neatly into the back seat of each car.  The hatch back doors open and both play music when certain buttons are activated.  Strengths:  These little vehicles have ample space to hold a wide variety of different people and play accessories (especially if the child doesn't need to have all of the people sit in a specific seat). Weaknesses: The side doors on my vehicles don't open (but they are a little bit older) and this can sometimes frustrate children if they are having difficulty getting the people into the cars through the roof openings.

Lil Mover Dump Truck by Fisher Price

This is another great little vehicle from Fisher Price that is appealing to toddlers and preschoolers alike. The styling is simple and there aren't lots of bells and whistles that detract from the overall play value of the toy. The driver wobbles in his seat when the truck is pushed and if the driver is pushed down on the seat a song plays. The truck comes with a driver and pretend dirt that lifts easily out of the back of the dump truck. Strengths: It's a wonderful pretend play toy that can be incorporated into many different play sets. Weaknesses: The pretend dirt is great, but it doesn't fit securely into the back of the truck. 

Lil Mover Fire Truck by Fisher Price

Fisher Price has a great reputation for making durable toys that appeal to children of many different ages. This sturdy little truck is no exception. It's a nice size for toddlers and has some interesting little cause/effect features.There are 4 sounds when you press down on the driver's seat: a fire engine's horn, police sirens, ladder extending with a dog barking, and the "Up and down, down and up" song. The truck comes with two characters, a fireman and dog with a fire helmet (not pictured). Strengths:  The truck appeals to very young toddlers because it is so easy to manipulate but older children also like it because it's a fun toy for imaginary play. It rolls easily on a variety of different surfaces and the figures are easy to insert/remove from the truck seat and ladder bucket. Weaknesses:  Because the ladder can be folded down there is a risk that little fingers could be pinched, but I've personally never had any difficulties with the toy and the children I work with seem to love it.

Einstein Never Used Flashcards: How Our Children Really Learn & Why They Need to Play More & Memorize Less by Roberta Michnick Golinkoff, Kathey Hirsch-Pasek, & Diane Eyer

When a book includes a quote that states "Put away your credit card and get out your library card" you know that you are in for an excellent review of play and development that focuses on the importance of social interactions with other people. Children of all ages really do learn the most through interacting with people in the world around them and the authors of this book explore how to make learning time fun time. Many "store bought" toys encourage children to play with them in certain ways. Those can be fun play options, but it's always nice to know that children can branch out and play with toys (and other items) in creative and engaging ways that the manufacturer of a toy may have never thought of. This is a practical and easy to read book for parents, teachers, and anyone else interested in promoting development through fun and socially reinforcing interactions!

Crazy Car by Haba

Pulling toys are always a wonderful way to encourage young children to reach out and explore their environments. Haba's Crazy car is a simple yet interesting pull toy that is appealing to little ones for many different reasons. There is a little person in the front of the car who can be rotated from side to side, a little bell that rings, a kaleidoscope that reflects the light, and shiny patterns on both the car and wheels. Both infants and toddlers find this toy interesting - babies want to crawl to get it and toddlers like to walk around pulling this funny little car behind them. As with all Haba wooden toys it is made of solid beech wood and painted with a non-toxic solvent free dye. Strengths: The care is very easy to move, so even a child who doesn't have much upper body strength can get the car to move forward by lightly tugging on the attached cord. The wheels are fun because they are slightly misshapen and therefore the car has kind of a lopsided movements that many of the children I work with find funny. The edges of the car, wheels, and little triangles on the back of the car are rounded so they won't poke or pinch little fingers.  Weaknesses: It's not a really high-tech toy with lots of bells and whistles, so if that's the kind of pull toy you want, don't get this one. But if you're looking for a durable and appealing toy that is simple and well made, this is one you should definitely check out.

Building Blocks Zoolino Maxi by Haba

This is a really charming set of blocks by Haba! The 25 pieces are uniquely shaped and have interesting designs painted on the front side of each block., which helps young children learn to distinguish between different shapes and colours. They work well with the Bausteine Block set and when the sets are combined there are lots of creative stacking options for young builders. Like all Haba blocks these are made of beech wood and painted with a non-toxic solvent-free dye.  Strengths: The blocks are small enough for toddlers to comfortably hold them and large enough not to pose a choking hazard. Like the Bausteine blocks the edges are all rounded so there aren't any sharp corners that could hurt a young child. Weaknesses:  The surfaces are a bit slippery and the blocks are expensive, but they offer great play value and are well worth the investment.

The Baby Human: Geniuses in Diapers & The Human Baby 2

, Babies are pretty amazing little beings to say the least. In a few short months of life they learn to walk, talk, relate to the world around them, solve problems, and to think. It is astounding to realize that in just a few short months babies are able to accomplish so much! Both DVDs in their series (The Baby Human and the Baby Human 2) both focus development during the first 24 months of life. From the first moments of life through the becoming a vocal and independent toddler, these DVDs allow viewers to see the world from the point of view of the child. Illustrated through a series of different learning tasks presented in a research setting, the viewer is able to see how babies learn about language, problem solving, physical development, and social interactions. For example, it is fascinating to see how babies progress from being universal language learners to being able to identify the sounds of their primary language in just a few short months of age. This is a marvelous resource for parents (and educators or clinical practitioners) to watch if they want to see how their baby learns. It's not a "how to" activity guide, but there are great vignettes about how babies master new skills.

Little People Peek 'n Discover Backyard by Fisher Price

Every house needs a backyard that offers lots of different play options. If you're looking to expand the play options of the Happy Sounds Home by Fisher Price, this is a nice addition to the set. In addition to the girl and pet dog there is a two level play house, an open-and-close roofed dog house, a squeaking tree, a trike, a swing, and a slide. This means that there are lots of different options for pretend play with this toy. Strengths: The dog and girl figures are a little bit bigger than the traditional Little People figures, but I like them because they are very easy for little hands to manipulate and there is absolutely no choking risk. Weaknesses: Although the swing is a fun option on the toy, it doesn't really work as a swing because you can't push it back-and-forth. It spins fairly well but sometimes gets stuck when it bumps into the tree or side of the play house.

Little People Happy Sounds Home by Fisher Price

It's always fun to have a doll house for pretend play and this one is a durable option from Fisher Price. The house, which folds closed has three spacious "rooms" on two floors. The upstairs bedroom has a bed for the parents and a rocking crib for the baby. Downstairs you can find a living room, kitchen, washroom, and laundry room. The house also comes with two "adult" fisher price figures (a Mummy and Daddy), a baby, high chair, kitchen table, and two chairs. It's a toy that seems to appeal to children of all different ages. I have really young children that I work with who just enjoy pushing the buttons and putting the baby to bed, and older children who really get into the imaginative play aspect of the toy. Strengths: There are lots of different buttons and sounds for little ones to explore on this house. The phone rings, the toilet flushes, the shower makes running water sounds, the washing machine churns a load of clothes, and the doorbell rings. Weaknesses: The biggest drawback is that the table and chairs that come with the house are much to big to actually fit inside, so the family has to dine in the backyard. I also wish that there was some kind of sound effect in the kitchen like the fridge opening or the water running in the sink rather than the washing machine sound that the toy features.