6 mos - 3 yrs

4967

Young, swingin' Pooh fans loved this bright purple toddler swing, which featured a roomy plastic seat with high back, and a seat belt for safety. A little toy Pooh bear was attached to one rope to ride along with the child. For this swing to function best, the swing set bar must be have a length of at least 178 cm (70") from the ground. NOTE: Maximum weight of child is 23 kg (50 lb.); follow instructions to ensure swing travels straight.

9 mos - 3 yrs

505771

Computer cool! This CD-ROM, playable on both Windows and Macintosh formats, provided a wonderful way to introduce youngsters to the computer. This updated version offered eight original activities plus a new letter matching game and the ability to print colouring book pages from a parent menu. The activities required varying degrees of skill, and provided interesting challenges to a wide range of ages. The program employed a "no click" philosophy, so a child could just move the mouse or tap the keyboard and get a response. High-quality graphics and music; the songs can also be played on a regular audio CD player.

6 - 9 mos

1517

Yes, yes... it's Noo-Noo! This eight-piece set featured soft vinyl blocks that stored easily in the sturdy plastic Noo-Noo-toy using a clear plastic hinged door. The blocks included Tubby Toast and Tubby Custard details, and were enjoyably chewed and stacked. The storage area of the toy was also used for other small toys, making this a favourite of little Teletubbies fans.

0 - 6 mos

30276

A real gem! This beautiful clown toy in brightly coloured soft material delighted babies as it played "It's a Small World After All" when its string was pulled. Designed to hang in nursery or crib, the doll had floppy arms and feet, and stretched out like an accordion when the red ring attached to the end of the string was pulled. As the string retracted, the doll's legs pulled up as the song played. A well-made and inviting toy.

6 mos - 1 yr

30274

This colourful toy came packed in an attractive zippered half-moon suitcase that opened up to become a mini circus big top. While the concept was appealing, children tended to play with the other parts of this toy only--a velour ball that jingled and three velour clowns that rattled, jingled and squeaked. Young ones loved to hug these clowns, but did not engage in much play with the entire set. NOTE: Surface wash only.

6 - 18 mos

45313

Our young testers enjoyed discovering all the "secrets of the pyramid" offered by this shape sorting toy made of brightly coloured, durable plastic. The toy, shaped like a playhouse, included such features as a spinning wheel, dial, textured elephant ears, beeping saxophone, metal xylophone, soft plastic animals, rattle shapes and stacking blocks. While the doors on this toy often fell open, and young ones needed help with stacking animals, spinning the wheel and putting away the xylophone mallet, children liked playing with all elements of this toy.

6 mos +

30275

This bright and cuddly fabric "rattle" snake featured three noisemakers in its head, neck and tail (crinkle, squeak and bell rattle) that delighted babies. The snake was also designed as a puppet, with a hand opening located under its head. Infants enjoyed this soft toy as a pillow, while toddlers and older children had fun with puppet play as well as cuddling the cute critter. Machine washable.

3 - 9 mos

7018

Captivating quilt! This bright, pastel coloured quilt provided a stimulating and entertaining play environment for our baby testers. It featured peek-a-boo doors, rattles, squeaky and textured surfaces, as well as three fruit-scented holders for stacking soft building blocks and playful bear and duck toys. The blocks and animal toys, which were cheerfully stacked up, knocked down and chewed upon by little ones, could be stored in a pocket of a little house. Soft and comfy, this quilt was also machine washable.

3 - 9 mos

9671497216

Shake, rattle and clack! This simple, colourful rattle, made of durable plastic, was easy for tiny hands to grasp and made an interesting noise. Two blue knobbed "strikers" created a clacking sound when the rattle was shaken. Babies enjoyed the bright primary colours and fun sound play of this toy.

E 00102

This little multi-coloured bird in patterned fabric proved to be a wonderful toy for teething babies. The toy's two wings were teething rings, and it also offered other features--a soft, bean bag body, different textures and crinkle sounds. From head to toe, this cute bird kept babies intrigued; great for travel too. NOTE: Machine washable.

0 - 6 mos

1552

Attention getter! This round, brightly coloured activity centre made of durable plastic caught and captured babies' interest. Each toy had six manual activities--little blue rocket, green spiral, orange moon squeaker, purple roller rattle, mini-rings and a yellow star clicker--set in a circle around a mirror with a purple frame. The toy also played seven different sounds and three songs. Appealing play for youngsters in cribs, car or on the floor. NOTE: On/off switch provided; two "AA" batteries required (not included).

0 - 6 mos

EG 200

This round activity mat with a padded curb provided a soft spot for babies to explore a variety of colours, textures and sounds. The mat included an inchworm with different textures and a squeaker, a ladybug rattle, crinkly leaf pocket, bee with teether ring on a ribbon, crinkly butterfly as well as a baby-safe mirror in a flower. Parents noted some exposed Velcro strips as well as batting that could work its way through the mat. Still, this became a favourite snuggle and nap place for many infants. NOTE: Hand wash with mild soap and water; air dry.

A1070C

This multi-coloured, sectioned toy, shaped like a fish, initially attracted the attention of babies with its bright designs, textures and sounds. However, the toy's size proved too large for tiny hands while older babies quickly lost interest. The toy had nice features (four moveable parts, crinkly tail, teething ring and rattle) and it was both durable and machine washable, but it was the wrong size for infants and play was abandoned.

1668

Soft yet stimulating! Our baby testers loved this good quality activity blanket with five different overhead hanging fabric toys--whale, rainbow, octopus, turtle and seahorse. All toys were easily removed for easy transport, and the complete toy could be folded up and carried in its own plastic carry-all. Take care when machine washing the blanket in cold water as colours may run; the toys should be surface washed.

6 mos +

375

Babies enjoyed this enclosed play space made of sturdy plastic which featured an infant activity panel that allowed them to look into a large mirror, roll a spin ball and engage in five other sound and motion activities. Toddlers liked playing with the puzzle and shape sorting panel. If children did not want to be confined in the play space, it could be set up without closing it completely; for best results, attach the two activity panels together first, and then add the fence-like panels on wither sides. The structure did fold up well for compact and easy storage, but required a fair amount of space when set up. NOTE: Not recommended for children over 85 cm (34") in height.

0 - 1 yr

71243

This fabric-and-plastic convertible activity quilt/play tunnel was attractive and fun for young children. Each toy featured bright colours and four interesting hanging toys (a flower mirror, funny rattle, as well as a frog and cloud with dangling bees). When used a baby quilt, testers soon found that the black-and-white, soft, fabric-covered arches could easily collapse. However, when used as a play tunnel, this toy was a hit and encouraged babies to crawl through to the other side and play peek-a-boo with the window flap.

2353

This plastic baby gym had coloured inset lights that flashed as music played, as well as various moulded plastic toys that hung down for grasping, but durability was a problem. Infants were intrigued by the light and sound show, which played for 20 minutes but had no volume control. The hanging pieces were pulled down too easily, and the tabs that connected them could break off, posing a choking hazard. A good idea but poorly executed.

96714 97407

This brightly coloured foam clock fell short of appealing to one specific age group; its peek-a-boo bird lent itself to younger children, but older kids are the ones who would be learning how to tell time. Baby testers became frustrated with the peek-a-boo design of the bird puppet as the foam part of the clock was too thick for their fingers to reach and operate bird puppet. In addition, two hands were needed to move the clock arms. Our testers tended to abandon play. NOTE: Surface wash only.

97111

This lovely toy elephant mother and child won't forget to lull children to sleep. The multi-colored toy attached easily and securely to cribs, strollers, play pens, etc. using Velcro straps, and when the elephant's trunk was pulled down, a lullaby played as the trunk curled up. Children enjoyed hearing "Hush, Little Baby", and older babies loved to hug and carry the soft-textured toy around. This toy's small size and light weight made it ideal to bring along when travelling. A sweet first toy.

6 mos - 1 yr

97405

This colourful, compact "peek-a-boo" toy made of durable plastic proved to be a hit with our toddling testers. All they had to do was push on the squeaky oversized button and they were rewarded with a smiling yellow fellow in a purple hat who popped out--over and over again. Toddlers had no problems pressing the button of this jack-in-the-box all by themselves, but parents could also use the toy to play peek-a-boo with younger children.

3 - 9 mos

9671497311

This soft and cuddly lamb toy transformed into a brightly colourful lion, and vice versa, but it wasn't easy for little ones to do so parents had to help. This toy, which was supposed to be a puppet as well, proved a difficult fit for hands and its internal squeaker was also hard to find. Still, the lion and the lamb themselves were sweetly appealing to our young testers. NOTE: Machine wash in cold water and tumble dry.

6 mos +

301

***BEST BET AWARD 2000***This brightly coloured, durable plastic toy, shaped like an igloo with a hole at the top and at the side, kept little ones busy for hours. Children would drop one of three balls through the top hole, and when the ball hit the bottom, it made lights flash and music play (12 melodies in all). This toy provided older infants and toddlers with practice in eye-hand coordination. Balls were also enjoyed on their own. A captivating little toy! NOTE: Three "AA" batteries required (included); features automatic shut-off.

6 mos - 1 yr

80-19900-E, 80-19905-F

Houston, we have lift off! Kids had a blast with this durable plastic talking flying saucer toy with blinking lights. Its buttons were easy to push, and the toy had wheels so kids could make it roll along on the floor as well as take it on imaginary space flights. Two little space explorers acted as "joysticks" that could control light and sound action. Bright colours and a fun round design appealed to our testers. NOTE: Two "AA" batteries required (included).

6 mos - 1 yr

80-22400

Have a cow, dude! Our testers enjoyed hearing songs and barnyard animal sounds when they hit the buttons of this durable plastic cow-shaped toy. The cow's horns would light up as the toy sounded, and kids could also play by pushing plastic figures (or "beads") up and over a series of colour tubes attached to each side of the cow. This brightly coloured, funny looking toy provided lots of entertainment for our young testers. NOTE: Two "AA" batteries required (included).

6 mos +

80-20000

***BEST BET AWARD 2000***Our young testers were captivated by the engaging look and sound of this electronic toy. Its toy-like, friendly animal "buttons" functioned like joy-sticks; when babies touched them, they made musical kitten, doggie, duck and bunny sounds. The toy also featured a melody button that played four different tunes ("Row, Row, Row Your Boat", "London Bridge", "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star", and "Three Blind Mice"). Touching the keyboard resulted in music or the sound of the letter appearing on each of the five keys. Four other buttons identified numbers and shapes. Children loved playing with this toy, which proved to be very durable. NOTE: Auto shut-off and volume control included; two "AA" batteries required (included).

1750

Magnetic appeal! This charming fabric-covered toy consisted on three brightly coloured shapes--circle, square and triangle--all containing an imbedded magnet so they could be attached to the toy's magnetic board or other compatible surfaces (e.g. refrigerator). Each shape had a fun face and an activity; the square played music when squeezed, the triangle had a crinkly tongue and the circle had a teething cookie. The fabric-covered magnetic board could be hung on a crib with four straps, using Velcro. Babies were delighted by this toy, which kept them occupied for many hours, at home or in the car.

6 mos - 18 mos

1209

This brightly coloured, plastic activity centre/walker featured a wonderful car theme that children enjoyed, and its wide base gave it excellent stability as a walker. This toy featured a honking horn, clicking steering wheel, wheels that went putt putt when the walker moved, a map compartment, engine compartment, radio knobs, gear shift and gas cap, etc. However, children over 18 months were too big for this walker, as they could break the body by leaning on the handle or use it in an unsafe way by trying to stand on it. NOTE: Adult assembly required; adult supervision during play recommended.

2353

This plastic baby gym had coloured inset lights that flashed as music played, as well as various moulded plastic toys that hung down for grasping, but durability was a problem. Infants were intrigued by the light and sound show, which played for 20 minutes but had no volume control. The hanging pieces were pulled down too easily, and the tabs that connected them could break off, posing a choking hazard. A good idea but poorly executed.

0 +

80-22700

***BEST BET 1999***Versatility plus! Our testers all adored this attractive, four-in-one mobile made of durable plastic. This toy is sure to provide years of fun, growing as baby grows. With six long-playing and soothing lullabies, four moving character toys as well as three twinkling lights to stimulate even the youngest baby's visual and auditory senses, the toy proved extremely versatile. The control panel was easily removed from the mobile, allowing it to be used as a separate crib or floor toy; the mobile's soft character toys could also be detached and used for teething or separate play. A perfect gift for a newborn or to give as a shower gift. NOTE: Two "AA" batteries required (included); auto shut-off preserved battery life.

80-19705-F

Hi-tech soother! This charming, brightly coloured butterfly toy featured wings and antennae that doubled as a teether, and a body that played music or said such phrases as "Hello, baby" at the press of a button. Its wings were easy to grasp; the hard plastic body was a bit heavy but manageable. Note: Two "AA" batteries required (included).

0 +

71340

This soft, cuddly, beige-coloured bear played sounds of nature (chirping crickets, bird song) to soothe baby to sleep, but it tended to activate very easily. Children who took the bear to bed could be woken up by the sounds if it activated without warning. The bear also included a soft glowing light on its front. Little ones found this bear very appealing, and liked it most when its sound function was turned off. NOTE: Two "AA" batteries required (included); to clean, remove battery/light pack and wash bear in a pillow case.

0 - 1 yr

1743

On with the show! This brightly coloured fabric toy consisted of a puppet hand glove and four cute puppet heads that could be attached to the glove using Velcro. Each of the play characters--elephant, bear, bunny and child--doubled as finger puppets as well as rattles. The elephant and bunny also had crinkly ears, and wee ones enjoyed watching all the puppets as well as giving them a chew. Lots of fun for those who love puppet-play! NOTE: Hand washable; the glove may be too small to fit a large man's hand.

WG 500

This wood and fabric toy was cute to look at, and was supposed to be a baby rattle as it featured a crinkly head. Its midsection was made up of painted wooden disc-like beads that made parents nervous about their babies mouthing the toy. In addition, the middle beads were connected by an elastic string--another concern. While the paint on the beads were deemed non-toxic after a phone call to the distributor, this was not indicated on the toy itself. NOTE: Surface wash only.

0 - 6 mos

W-28

This cloth mat with Velcro straps for attaching to a child's crib featured lightweight fabric Velcro-backed attachments (barn, butterfly, tractor, silo, taxi and helicopter) to capture baby's attention. While very young children did enjoy looking at the simple black, white, blue, yellow and red patterns, older ones who removed the pieces quickly lost interest. Two of the attachments (taxi and helicopter) had hidden squeakers. There was also a mirror in the shape of the sun on the mat. NOTE: Hand washable.

0 - 1 yr

EG 700

This attractive, colourful, fabric-covered activity bar attracted the attention of babies with its attachments of a squeaker flower, ladybug and bee rattles, and crinkle leaves. Young ones enjoyed the bright colours, soft textures and easy-to-grasp attachments. However, parental assistance was required to physically detach the toys from the bar they were fixed on strong and fast with Velcro. This activity bar proved easy to take along in the stroller or place on a crib. Overall, this was a pretty toy that entertained infants.

TF 10225

This stroller toy made of durable plastic in bright, primary colours had the cool look of a motorcycle dash. While it featured rotating handle bars, clicking key and speedometer, dual mirrors, squeaking horn and headlights, its adjustable clamp failed to keep the toy attached to the stroller bar. The toy did not fit all strollers, and when attached, it was easily removed by older babies. This toy created initial excitement, but children lost interest quickly. NOTE: Not to be used in moving vehicles.

6 mos +

W-30

This stacking toy featured four removable shapes made of brightly patterned fabric that were nice to look at but hard for children to remove and replace back on the fabric-covered stacking base. The different-sized shapes (two squares and two circles) included three hidden noisemakers (crinkle, rattle and squeak). While babies enjoyed the appealing look of this toy and would mouth the pieces, parents were left to complete the stacking.

6 mos - 1 yr

1530

These colourful, durable looking baby toy vehicles--car and choo-choo--rolled along smoothly but failed to squeak as easily as their name implied. A squeak could be heard, but only after very firm pressure was applied to the soft plastic hoods. Still, our testers liked the toys and enjoyed playing with them as first vehicles.

6 mos - 1 yr

2101

This stacking toy made of durable plastic featured three colourful blocks, three adorable characters (cat, dog and child) as well as a block launcher. Children loved the characters--especially the doggie, which rattled--and found the large blocks easy to stack and take apart. However, the block launcher was a challenge for little hands and did not work very well. Parents tried but could not make the blocks not "fly" as depicted on the box. Still, children really liked playing with all the other parts, making this a good starter toy.

9 mos - 18 mos

A1075D

Babies were attracted to this colourful, soft fabric version of the traditional stacking toy. Each multi-coloured hen had a soft, flexible pole with four rings--one with feet that crinkled, one with wings that squeaked, one ring that rattled and one ring making a funny head. Younger children found it challenging to stack the rings on the pole as the fit was quite snug and the pole tended to bend easily. Older children enjoyed creating comical versions of the hen when rings were placed out of order. Overall, children did enjoy this toy. NOTE: Machine washable.

6 mos - 1 yr

TF 10215

This attractive stroller toy made of durable plastic in bright colours featured two clamps that were secured on either side of the baby's stroller, so that the toy itself fit across the child's lap. Young ones were attracted to the centre bar area, which featured different things for a child to bat and spin--bead sorter, sliding pieces, spinning wheel, and other rotating toys. This unit was adjustable, stayed on well and worked best when left set up; it was a little bulky for folding strollers. NOTE: Not for use in moving vehicles or cribs.

9 mos - 2 yrs

1511 &1512

Belly full of fun! Kids had loads of fun transporting these special building blocks (windmill, voice trumpet, etc.) and single matching Teletubby figure in the belly of a larger Teletubby toy. The soft-bodied large toy featured a see-through mesh belly and Velcro flap in back. While small hands experienced some difficulty putting the blocks into the bag, they all loved the theme. The Velcro strap on t the large toy's head allowed it to be attached to stroller or crib, but it didn't always stay put. Still, this machine washable toy was wonderful for travelling and kept little Teletubbies fans happily entertained.

1520

Again, again! This building/activity mat delighted children with its four little Teletubbies figures and four little silver sleeping pouches for the figures to nap in (each figure fit into its own special sized pouch). Five other building toys were included for kids to stack and make a custard machine and toaster. Children enjoyed hours of imaginative play with this set, and the figures were taken everywhere. The mat converted easily into a compact carrying case, making it great for travel. NOTE: Not a tub or pool toy; water does not drain well.

6 - 9 mos

1736

Babies squealed with delight as they "played footsie" with this brightly coloured infant toy. The toy, made of hand-washable fabric covered pieces, featured colourful characters with rattles that doubled as finger puppets. The cute characters--butterfly, child's face, bee and bear--all had Velcro "buttons" so they could be attached to a fabric covered plastic board, as well as to two soft slip-on socks or two armbands for children. The board featured a large pocket for storage and could be attached to a crib, used on the floor or in the playpen, or hung on the wall. NOTE: Booties and armbands may not fit big babies; adult fingers may be too large for the butterfly puppet.

9 mos - 3 yrs

000796 014801

This colourful beach playset came with its own clear plastic carrying box containing a sturdy plastic shovel, rake, two small plastic boats that hooked onto each other, watering can with a flower spout, water wheel and three small sand moulds. Kids were happy to play in sand or in the tub, despite the fact that the boats sank, the water wheel plugged up when filled with sand and the pieces did not always fit easily when put back into the box. Still, the watering can was the perfect size for little hands, and overall, kids enjoyed hours of play.

6 - 18 mos

39956

Singing the Blues! This cute doggy doll was based on the popular TV character, and was very attractive to young children .Kids soon discovered that pushing the doll's paws resulted in the sound of a bark or the playing of the show's theme song. While this toy was used in imaginative play, danced with and cuddled, the musical activity lost its initial appeal. NOTE: Three "AA" batteries required (included); surface wash only.

9 mos - 3 yrs

21452

This very soft and cuddly singing Pooh toy sounded just like the cartoon character, much to the delight of this bear's fans. A hug (or tummy press) started the toy singing a song about exercise, while another squeeze made the toy giggle. Younger children tended to roll on the doll to get it to sing, and loved to snuggle as well. NOTE: Three "AA" batteries included; surface wash only.