Annual review helps parents choose the right toys

This year, Dr. Toy's 100 Best Children's Products Awards Program, which was developed by noted child development authority, Stevanne Auerbach, Ph.D. (a.k.a. Dr. Toy) as a service to consumers who desire to purchase safe, affordable, educationally-oriented and stimulating toys and products for children, highlights the best products of 2007 in several major categories.

"As a childhood specialist for over 35 years," says Dr. Toy, Director of the Institute for Childhood Resources, founded in San Francisco in 1975, "I have seen the continuous, essential need for more year-round resources for consumers to identify and choose the most appropriate, safe, and engaging learning and developmental products for all children."

Dr. Toy's 2007 report has been added as part of the online magazine, Dr.Toy's Guide (http://www.drtoy.com) - an online resource to evaluate toys and children's products. After 14 years, more than 4,000 product reviews have been archived for reference.

The new report is being released, according to Dr. Auerbach, to "encourage parents and teachers to focus on the value of play as essential to the learning process." She adds, "Smart play products selected from 100 companies across the USA, Canada and other countries provide children with exciting new learning tools to help them do better in school and also provide more constructive activities after school."

The products, balanced among large and small companies, offer prices to match budgets and range from low- to high-tech.

"Back-to-school is a good time to 'take stock' and do an inventory of what your children are playing with, what is not used and what they need next in their development," adds Dr. Toy. "Our Guide offers excellent ideas for choosing new products for after school play and for the holidays ahead."

Dr. Toy's 100 Best Products 2007 were carefully chosen from among thousands that she has reviewed at toy fairs, exhibits, catalogues and through many other sources, and by using extensive criteria that she has developed over many years. Among the criteria used are: safety, age-appropriateness, design, durability, lasting play value, cultural and ethnic diversity, good transition from home to school, educational value, learning skills, creativity, improvement in the understanding of the community and the world, good value for price, and, naturally, fun.

In addition to the "100 Best Products," Dr. Toy creates eight special award categories for products suitable for babies to older children including products ranging from handicrafts to hi-tech, priced from $5 to $100. The winning products are affordable, well designed and reflect the wide range of children's interests.

Examples of the aspects of smart play of these outstanding smart toys and products and the companies recognised by these special awards include:

• Active Play -- Play Smarter Cook 'N Learn Kitchen (Little Tikes MGA); Baby Tangle (Tangle Toys); Lil Explorer (Playhut); Doorway Playhouse (Step 2) Jump 'n Jam Talking Floor Mat (Learning Resources); Catch a Brain Wave Fitness Fun (Kimbo Educational).
  
• Creativity/Music &Art -- Paint and Plant (Wild Republic); Carousel Musical Kaleidoscope (Gemini Kaleidoscopes); My First Airplane Kit (Scientific Explorer); My Dream Horse Pour and Mold (Breyer/Reeves); Ready2Learn™ Mask Kit (Center Enterprises).
  
• Puzzles & Logical Thinking Games -- Teachers Scramble Squares® puzzle (b.dazzle); Newton's Apples (Briarpatch); Game of Life (Hasbro/Milton Bradley); Bendomino (Blue Orange Games).
  
• Learning/Math & Reading Readiness -- Adventure in Numberland Software (Comfyware); We Both Read (Treasure Bay); Language & Mental Development - Write their ABC's (Steps4Kids); Geosafari Talking Microscope (Educational Insights); Word Sweep (Intellinitiative Game).
  
• Construction Play -- Simple and Complex Machines (Engino); Dado Cubes (Fat Brain Toy); Dwellings (Learning Materials Workshop).
  
• Dexterity & Technology -- Brian the Brain (MGA Entertainment).
  
• Social & Dramatic Play -- Kitty Keyboard (Parents by Battat); Art Lab Fashion Studio (Smart Lab Toys).
  
• Socially Responsible Products -- Galapagos Tortoise Puppet (Folkmanis); Natural Classic School Bus (Maple Landmark); Be the Boss of Your Pain (Free Spirit Press); Hospital (Playmobil); My Own Monsters (North American Bear); My Two Homes (Family Stories); Downs Syndrome Doll (Fanny's Playhouse); In the Company of Wild Butterflies (Alpha Spectrum Productions).
  
• Ten Best Toys -- Ultimate LEGO® Building Set (Lego Systems); Cheeky Chick (Okie Dog); DragonBonz (Curious Toys); Citysteps™ Growing Things Dramatic Play Kit (ETA/Cuisenaire); Highway Patrol (Carrera of America); Erector Speed Play Robot ( Nikko/Erector USA); Interactive Lia (Corolle); Betty Spaghetty (Ohio Art); Throw & Tell Talking Flying Disc (Duncan Toys); and Activity Frog (Aurora World).

For more information about these smart toys and other products, view the full report at www.drtoy.com

Source: eMediaWire.com